Chapter 60
I passed the next few days with reading up more about pregnancy and babies. Each book I read made me more terrified than comforted like Emily had promised they would. How the hell was I supposed to care for a baby all by myself? Not parents, siblings, or baby daddy in the image.
I still got calls from Cole, but none from Jace. I managed to get a hold of a pack member from my family, and let them know there was a werewolf in the orphanage. They promised to pass along the message to my family. They too seemed to never pick up their phones.
I could feel myself starting to get near the state my body was in the week I feinted.
"Eliana!" Emily called up the stairs, over the squeals of a few girls playing hide and seek.
"Yeah?" I asked when she came into sight.
She led me into the deserted kitchen, before turning around and answering me.
"Here. I got the vitamins you will need." She handed over the small bottle of vitamins. I took it with a grateful smile out of Emily's hand. She turned her back on me, and started peeling some potatoes.
"So did you get a hold of him yet?" She asked, as I hopped up onto the counter.
"No," I said. "He's been ignoring my calls."
"Hm... can you stir this for me?" She asked, motioning to the cooking meat on the stove.
"What should I do about the baby?" I whispered, as she began to peel another potato.
"Don't worry about it. Leave that all up to me. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. You just worry about those books, and getting a hold of the father. Easy enough," she reassured.
I nodded, wishing it really was all that simple, and the only thing I had to worry about. I hopped off the counter, and padded upstairs. I deposited the vitamins into my top drawer, after taking one. I grabbed my phone, and headed out with Hailey.
We wandered down the busy road just a few blocks from the orphanage. We were going to meet up with Abby and Chloe at the same cafe Jace and I had made a meet up spot, and then head off to the mall. I was in desperate need of some more jeans and shorts. All of mine were starting to get a bit too tight around the waist.
"So why did you feint?" Hailey asked suddenly.
It was just then that I realized this was our first time alone together since my visit to the hospital. Nobody else but her would have dared to ask me about what had happened to me.
I glanced at Hailey, whose eyes were boring into my own. I looked away, and watched a man hustle past carrying a crate on his shoulder.
"Something about being dehydrated," I said, not daring to look into her eyes.
It was the excuse Emily and I had agreed to give anyone who asked. This way I could hide the entire pregnancy until it was noticeable, which would be happening sooner than I hoped.
"Oh, I thought it would have something to do with you being so sick," she said accusingly, obviously not buying the excuse.
"I'm not sick," I defended.
"Sure," she snorted giving me a once over.
I rolled my eyes, and entered the cafe. Abby and Chloe were waiting for us at the nearest table to the entrance.
"Ready?" Chloe asked, sipping from the smoothie in her hands. My eyes rested on the drink for a moment too long. My mind wandered to the memory of Jace offering the exact same smoothie to me. I shook my head to clear it of such thoughts, and muttered a quick yes.
We took off towards the mall.
"What about this?" I held up a mint blue dress to show to Abby.
She shook her head, and turned back to her search for a good summer dress. I was already getting bored of shopping. Abby insisted we all help her find what she needed.
I grumbled about the stupid dress, and stuffed it back onto the rack. I turned around to start my own search for jeans.
Just as I found a pair, I heard a familiar voice. I swung my head around in search for the voice. Sure enough it was emanating from a few racks over. Crap.
I tried to duck behind a display of t- shirts before she could see me, but she spotted me through a mirror, as she held a crop top up to herself.
Crapity crap!
"Hey," she waved me over enthusiastically.
"Hi," I said to Keila through tight lips, suddenly really self- conscious of the tiny baby bump the jeans in my arms were hiding. My baby was made while it's father was in love with the girl standing in front of me. Things couldn't have gotten any worse.
I hoped with all my might that my roommates would suddenly decide it was time to leave. No such thing happen, as Keila approached me.
"How have you been?" She asked.
"I'm fine. How about you?" I asked.
From the way we were casually talking to each other in that slightly awkward way, nobody would have ever guessed that we used to be as thick as thieves.
"I'm good. You don't look too good though. Look, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while about... well I can't exactly tell you..." she trailed off, deep in thought.
"If it's about Jace's plan, then I already know."
"Really?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. He told me a while ago. It's kind of the reason for why I look like crap now."
"You broke up with him?" She asked with shock.
An uncomfortable feeling spread through my stomach. Would she try to steal him back? I don't think she is the type of girl who would date someone as twisted as Jace. I suddenly remembered Jace had said she broke things off with him when she heard his plan. That comforted me.
"Yeah... Well kinda. It's really complicated."
"You have to get back together with him, don't you?" She asked.
It was weird to discuss this with Jace's ex. She was also being so open about the entire topic, as if it didn't affect her one bit.
I nodded my head, my mouth turning to sand paper at the thought.
"Good. I knew something was up with the way he has been acting recently. It's like his wolf is more in control than his human. He also doesn't look too good. But he keeps himself locked up in his room most days, so not that many people seem to notice this."
"So I've heard," I muttered, playing with the jeans that concealed my baby bump.
Just then my oh so loyal friends decided to notice I was no longer helping the search. They greeted Keila as they neared us. They had little to do with the queen bee of the school, so this was obviously a rare occasion to speak to her. I'm sure if I hadn't been talking with Keila they wouldn't have said anything to her.
I couldn't help the groan that escaped out my lips when I saw somebody else approach us. It was that snotty girl who always hung around Keila. She was in Jace's pack, and had a true hatred for me. She had no reason to hate me, other than the fact of who my family was. It was unfair to be hated before anyone had a chance to even meet the real me. If they didn't like me after they got to know me, then so be it. I'd understand that they gave it a chance.
I gave her a sickly sweet smile full of attitude when she faced me with an icy glare. Her posture was one that looked ready to attack. It was slight things like the way one leg was positioned before the other, the taunt arms, and the squared shoulders. So unless you knew what to look for, then it would go undetected.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
"It's a public mall," I said with a duh tone.
Keila shot a warning look towards the girl. The girl snapped her mouth shut, holding in her reply. She settled with glaring at me.
"'Hopefully I'll see you around," Keila said to me. She put emphasis in the word around.
I understood the meaning, and smiled back at her. It didn't just mean we would run into each other in some random place, but that everything would work out between Jace and I, and seeing each other around will become a common occurrence.
I glanced at the girl beside Keila, and wondered what she would think if she ever found out I was meant to be her luna one day. It made me wonder how everyone would take to me leading the pack one day. That is if I'm don't die from this stupid mate separation, or killed for just being who I am.
"Hopefully," I said, willing it to be true.