Meredith
Emily and I spent hours exploring different stores for clothes and accessories. We had lunch in a cute little restaurant along the high street and even went to the hairdressers to have our hair done. I only had mine trimmed and a few layers added. I didn't want to cut too much from it as I love having long hair. My light brown hair with natural blond streaks looks fresher and much wavier now all the dead ends have been cut off.
Now we're in the last store of our shopping trip. I've talked so much with Emily about everything that I feel as if I've known her for years rather than just a few hours. She was so easy to talk to and it felt good to have another woman to talk to. We talked a lot about my childhood before my parents died, I told her how Jack had become my legal guardian of sorts and had practically taken over my life. She asked about the pregnancy and was excited for the arrival of a new baby. It was nice. I wasn't being treated like a clumsy child for once.
Emily was now standing outside the dressing room as I tried on a few more items of clothing. Being thirteen weeks pregnant, I now have a cute little bump sticking out between my hips. The only problem is getting into clothes of my normal size. I'm trying to squeeze into a pair of dark wash skinny jeans but it's almost impossible. I can't button them or even do the zip up due to my suddenly fat arse and little bump. I grunt and groan, rolling my eyes as I hear Emily giggling from the other side of the door.
"Are you having some trouble?" She asks, the amusement clear in her voice.
"No. I think these are a size 8. They won't do up." I grumble back. I slump down onto the small bench and stare down at the stupid button that won't do up no matter how hard I try sucking in my stomach.
"Or your cute little bump is preventing the size 10 jeans from doing up?"
I huff. How can I be getting big already? I thought I would have until I was at least eighteen weeks before I had to start buying bigger clothes. This is ridiculous.
"I'm fat already!" I cry out to her frowning at the stupid jeans.
In a fit of anger, I wiggle the jeans off and throw them against the closed door. Emily laughs.
"You're not fat, you're pregnant. I'll get you a bigger size."
"I don't want a bigger size. I want these ones to fit."
I'm sitting now only in my underwear and short sleeved top as I glare at the jeans laying on the floor. I'm not ready to buy maternity clothes and be some fat elephant.
"There's a baby growing inside you Mer, you won't be able to fit into your clothes forever. Come on, get dressed and we'll go look at some maternity clothes if you like." Emily has already begun calling me Mer as a nickname and it makes me smile when she says it. She's already a friend.
"Fine. Stupid jeans." I pull on my leggings and put my shoes back on.
As I open the dressing room door, I throw the jeans out the door huffing and grab my bag, storming past Emily who's biting her lip to prevent from laughing at me. Emily grabs the jeans and passes them to the sales assistant as we walk out. Once we get outside, I stop and take a deep breath. Emily stops next to me smiling softly.
"Do you want to go home?" She asks.
I think about it for a moment before nodding. I'm tired and I'm not ready for maternity shopping. Just the thought of it horrifies me. I'll wear leggings for months if I have to, anything but stretchy waistband jeans or maxi dresses.
"Come on then, let's go. I'll get you a hot chocolate on the way back." She grins as we make our way back to the car.
Emily stops at a coffee drive-through and gets me a hot chocolate and herself a coffee. Once we're driving again, Emily turns to me curiously.
"Do you love Jack?" I'm momentarily shocked at her question. No one has ever asked me before. Jack hasn't even asked me that. He tells me all the time that he loves me but I don't think I've ever said it back to him.
"Um honestly, no. I've never really loved him. When I was younger, I admired him. He was always around, he would play with me and watch all the children's shows with me. But as I got older, I realised that he didn't see me as a teenager or someone much younger than him. Once my parents were gone, he had me all to himself to act however he pleased. I don't think my parents knew the feelings he had for me."
"Forgive me but if you don't love him, why don't you leave? Why are you having his child?" I sip on my hot chocolate as I stare at the scenery flying past.
"Jack cared for me when my parents died. I guess I feel like I owe him. Although, even if I wanted to leave, I wouldn't get very far. Jack's very possessive of me and I barely leave the house as it is. I wouldn't be able to leave him. I'm surprised he let me on this trip."
"He's taken advantage of your vulnerable state and got what he wanted. You don't owe him a thing." Emily stares hard at me as we stop at traffic lights. I swallow harshly. I know she's right.
"I wish I could leave. I would leave in a heartbeat. But now I'm having his child. I'll never get away." I smile sadly at the sympathetic expression she gives me.
"If I offered to help you, would you leave him?" My eyes widen in surprise.
"What?"
"I love Chase with all my heart. He's my soul mate and the thought of being with anyone but him kills me. I wouldn't want to be with someone I didn't love. I couldn't imagine not having the chance to find love, to find the answer to my happiness... I want you to have the chance to love like I do."
Her little speech has me tearing up. I glance down at my hot chocolate as tears spill down my cheeks. I've always wanted the love that I saw my parents share, it was true and pure. I envied them. I knew when I grew up that I wanted someone to look at me in the way my father looked at my mother. He gazed at her as if she was the most precious diamond in the whole world. I wanted that. Jack didn't love me like that.
"You would do that for someone you've just met?" I choke looking back up at her as she drives.
"I know the kind of man Jack is. I've met him many times and I know that you deserve to be treated with love and respect. He doesn't love you Mer, he's obsessed with you and he controls you. That isn't love."
The car comes to a stop and I realise we're back at the house. Emily turns the car off and faces me. She grabs my free hand and squeezes softly.
"There is a man out there waiting to love and cherish you. He'll treat you like a queen and you'll experience love like you never have before. Don't waste your life on Jack. You deserve so much better - that baby deserves so much better."
More tears stream down my cheeks and Emily hugs me while I cry. We stay in the car while I calm down and eventually climb out, grabbing all our bags and head into the house. Eliot opens the door to us, Chase is close behind him. Eliot takes my bags from me and as I catch his eye, something inside me sparks. I feel this warmth in my chest and butterflies in my stomach. The air around us seems to sizzle with energy and as our fingers brush, I gasp.
"You girls were gone for ages, did you buy out every shop?" Chase's amused voice breaks me from the trance I'm stuck in with Eliot.
"Haha, hilarious. No actually, we took our time and enjoyed ourselves. Right Mer?" Emily winks and I smile.
"Absolutely."
"Have you been crying?" Eliot asks frowning at me as he studies my face.
"I- uh-"
"She's fine, we had a little button problem." I silently thank Emily for saving my stuttering butt.
We follow the men into the living room as they place our bags down and I collapse onto the sofa.
Chase chuckles.
"Ah, the famous button problem." I raise an eyebrow at him.
"What do you know about the button problem?"
"Let me guess, jeans?" He questions smirking as he sits down beside me, Emily follows his lead and collapses next to him.
"Shut up." I mumble as I cross my arms over my chest grumpily.
He laughs loudly and reaches over to pat my little bump.
"I have three sisters. All had the same problem." He grins widely. Emily nudges him to drop it and I smile gratefully.
Just then, Jack walks in. As he comes into my view, my jaw drops.
His jaw is bruised and he has a black eye forming.
Damn.