Page 96 of False Start
“Hello? Is anyone there?” A muffled voice echoes through the door.
“It’s me. You can come in.”
Knowing my sister's voice, and hearing the hiccups in her voice, I gently open the door and see her sitting on the floor, curled up in a ball with her head between her knees.
I close it behind me, walking slowly until I reach her and sit down next to her. We sit in silence for a few moments as I wait for her to talk. I don’t want to push her if she’s not ready.
After a while, she finally looks up at me, tear streaks running down her cheeks.
“Oh sweetie, what happened?”
She scoots over and lays her head on my shoulder as sobs begin to wrack her body. I hold her to me, letting her cry as long as she needs. I gently hold her, rubbing soothing circles on her back as she lets all of her emotions out.
I hate seeing my sister like this, and knowing that she’s in pain and that she was alone before I found her. She slowly starts to come back to herself, but I can still feel her shaking in my arms. Her hold on me releases and she starts to pull away, but stays close. “I’m scared Kay.” Her voice is soft, broken in all the wrong places.
“I’m here, Lainey. Just tell me what happened.”
“I’m pregnant,” she says, her lashes fluttering closed as she sinks into herself. I reach over and squeeze her hand, staying silent as I wait for the rest of her story. “I found out on Friday. At first, I was shocked and scared, but then I was so happy. I’ve always wanted to be a mom.”
“I know you have.”
“I started to picture what it would be like to have a family, how good of a father Tyler would be, the memories I wouldmake with my kids while we were baking. I was so excited and I couldn’t hold it in any longer, so I decided to surprise Tyler at his place and tell him.” She sucks in a deep breath before letting out a breathy exhale, and I know before she tells me the rest that I want to gut this man with my bare hands for her.
“I showed up to his house, and I let myself in, but the further inside I got, I started to hear these sounds, like people moaning. I thought I was just imagining it, but when I opened the bedroom door, he had another girl on top of him.” She pauses, her sobs starting to take over again. “They didn’t notice me at first, and I was so shocked that I just stood there, frozen. I didn’t know what to do. Didn’t even know what to say to him. I thought I could really love him. That finally I had found someone who truly saw me and loved me the way I deserved. But I guess I was wrong.”
I pull her into me, holding her as I let her fall apart in my arms. I hate that she’s going through this, but I’m not going to leave her alone. Anger courses through me, but I tamp it down and hold it in to be there for her.
“Did you tell him about the baby?”
“I did, and he told me that he wants nothing to do with me or our child. That he was just using me for fun and that I was a mistake to him. He screamed at me and kicked me out of his house, and now I’m alone in all of this.” Her tears start to come faster and her body is shaking so hard against me, but I don’t let her go for one second.
I let her cry her heart out, all the while I’m livid inside for how this man used and treated her. I won’t let her do this alone. I’m not going to let her face this by herself or feel like she has no one by her side. “Tyler is a bastard, and deserves to rot in hell for what he did to you. I know you were falling for him, but if this is how he’s going to treat you, then you and this little one are better off without him. AndI can’t imagine how scared you must feel right now, but you are not alone. You have me, and our family, and we’ll be right by your side helping you through this.”
“I’m so hurt right now. I’m scared and angry, but I know that I don’t regret my little bear for even a second.” She places her hands on her stomach and holds it, even though there’s no signs of a physical bump yet.
“Good, because you are the strongest person I know, and you are going to be an incredible mom.”
She sits up, wiping her face of tears before we both start to stand up as she walks over to the sink and cleans her face off. “Thank you for being my sister, Kay. I’m really glad to have you.” I come up behind her and wrap her in my arms.
“I’m the one who’s grateful to have you. You’ve always been my best friend growing up. You were there for me through everything, and I’m going to be here for you through this journey. Whatever you need.”
We finally break apart and she grabs my hand as we start to leave the bathroom. Once in the hallway I turn to her and make sure she’s okay. “Are you sure you wanna go out there? I can just tell everyone you aren’t feeling good.”
“Can you stay with me?” She asks.
Without any hesitation, I nod. “Absolutely.”
We make our way down the hall and once in the living room, I notice that some of the group has started to leave. We make our way to the kitchen, when she accidentally bumps into Maddox, who catches her as she trips on her feet.
“Hey, are you okay?” He asks her, his hands coming around her waist as he holds her upright.
“Yeah, I wasn’t paying attention. I’m sorry.” She looks up at him, her tone soft but also sounding far off.
“I’m the one that should be sorry for runninginto you. Guess I’m not as coordinated compared to when I’m on the ice.” He jokes.
For the first time since I found her, a small laugh escapes Lainey’s lips. “I guess not,” she teases back.
They both stand there for a moment before I see her shake her head and pull back from him. “Thank you for catching me. I guess I found my prince charming after all.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and then makes her way to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water before stepping outside the patio doors where I follow her.
