Friends Don't Keep Secrets

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Three weeks later
*Hanna's POV*

"Oh my god they've gotten so big!" Spencer comments as we watch our little ones play on the floor while the girls and I eat out of cardboard Chinese takeout boxes.

"Yeah they really have! I can't believe how much they've grown in just a few months!" Aria exclaims.

"I can't believe Lucy and Ian are five months old already!" I add.

"Me either. But I also can't believe that Ashley is two months already." Aria comments. "And Troy and Keegan are three months! It seems like they were just born this morning."

"And little Shay is almost one whole month!" I add. Emily shakes her head.

"Ugh don't remind me! I feel like just yesterday I was a bloated whale with ankles the size of Texas!" Emily says laughing.

"It's crazy how fast time flies by when you have a kid." I say.

"Or two! I swear I've changed a million and one diapers these past five months!" Aria adds.

"Amen to that sister." Spencer agrees. Just then Shay starts crying which makes Ashley start, which causes Lucy to start.

"Ugh, girls are such drama queens!" I laugh. The girls and I chuckle as we go to calm our screaming daughters. Ian, Keegan, and Troy continue to play quietly on their mat, not making a peep.

"And the boys have absolutely no interest in the girls." Aria says laughing.

"They want to stay out of the drama!" Emily adds. "Smart boys." She rubs each one of their fuzzy heads.

"Look at how much hair Shay has compared to Ashley and Lucy!" Spencer points out.

"I know! Ashley is lacking her luscious locks." I say sadly.

"Well don't worry. They will come. After all, she is a Rivers!" Spencer exclaims. Aria and Emily shoot her a stern glare.

"I uh mean Marin! She is definitely a Marin!" Spencer adds trying to make up for what she said earlier.

"It's okay, you guys don't have to avoid the subject. I'm over Caleb. Although I can't change genetics, so Ashley is still technically his daughter, I've decided to move on! In fact I've even started applying for online dating websites." I say proudly. The girls just stare at me blankly.

"Um, wow Han, do you uh, maybe want to, I don't know, think about this, before just, jumping in?" Spencer asks. I roll my eyes. Spencer always has to be the practical one.

"Yes, Spence I've thought about it a lot actually.  I've thought about what you all have said, and my mom and I realize that you are all right! Ashley and I deserve better than him. We deserve to be treated better! We're too good, too pure for someone who is made up of secrets and lies. At first I was devastated when Caleb left us, but it's been over two months now, and I realize that I haven't felt this good in forever! I'm free! Free of lies, free of A! I can finally live a peacful life, without drama. Don't you guys want that for me?" I ask, a little hurt by how unsupportive my friends are being.

"But Han, Caleb was your everything. You were going to get married, have kids, hell you already did that! You bought a house together. You were considering getting a dog at one point in time too. Everyone knew you were perfect for each other, you really just want to forget all that?" Aria asks. I can't contain my laughter.

"Hanna, what's so funny?" Emily asks, looking confused. I continue to laugh. The girls look at each other puzzled.

"Oh my god. For weeks, all you guys did was convince me to let Caleb go. You told me he wasn't good enough for Ashley and I, and that we deserve better. I lost count of how many times you reminded me that Caleb was a toxic, two faced, jerk that doesn't know what he has until it's gone, and that he should go to hell for the way he treated us, and now, once I finally listened to you and took your advice, you're telling me to take him back because I'm way out of line? Unbelievable."

"Hanna, it's not like that!" Spencer interrupts. "I just think you should hold off on the whole dating thing for a while. At least until you've had a chance to talk to him."

"Who, Caleb?"

Spencer nods.

"No, no, no, no, no! I'm never talking to him again. I dismissed any chance of that two months ago! He's hurt me before, tore me up and broke me, but never in the five years of being his girlfriend, has he ever hurt me like this. He took everything away from me. He made me feel unworthy. He cheated his way into my life just so he could get to my heart and destroy it. He lied to me. Everything that we had was fake. All he ever wanted was to get to know the real me, just so he could use that against me to hurt me even more. He never cared about me. He only cared about collecting his data so that he could report back to his psychopathic boss. He never cared about Ashley. He probably only got me pregnant because he knew that if the result of our love was permanently placed on this earth, and I was forced to love it and care for it, it would hurt me even more." I stop to wipe the tears off my cheeks. "You know this. You realized this way before I did, so why are you suddenly on his side?" I ask, breathing deeply to calm my shaking sobs.

"Hanna, we're not on his side." Aria reassures me. "What he did to you was awful, there's no getting around that. We just think you should give him a chance."

"Yes, we are totally on your side Hanna. We agree with you one hundred percent, but things aren't always what they seem." Emily adds.

"You should listen to him. He has a lot to say, and a lot to explain. Maybe you'll have a new perspective on things after you hear what he has to say. I know we did-" Spencer stops and Emily and Aria glare at her wide-eyed. I sit up straighter.

"Wait, you've been talking to him?" I ask, hurt and anger rising in my voice.

"Only once." Emily says, hesitating. "It was my fault. After I fainted at the swim meet, I needed to know if Caleb was Ashley's father, so I called him when I was in the hospital and-"

Emily rambles on but I'm not listening. All that runs through my head are feelings of hurt and betrayal. Anger and hurt pierce through my heart like a dagger.  I can't believe what I'm hearing. Hot, angry tears spring to my eyes.

"Hanna, we're sorry-"

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Spencer, okay?" I snap.

"But Hanna, we were just trying to help." Aria protests, but I cut her off.

"Yeah well stop trying to help, Aria! Have you ever thought that maybe people don't want your help, huh? You never really help. You only make things worse, so do us all a favor and stop helping!" I pick Ashley up and cradle her in my arms, my blood starting to boil.

"But Han, we're your friends-" Emily starts. I whip around to face them.

"Not anymore." I say. "Friends don't keep secrets." With that, I grab my diaper bag and keys, and slam the door behind me.

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Hello! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been on vacation for the past few weeks, but I am back now! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you thought in the comments. Thanks for all your love and support! xoxoxo -K

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