The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

95

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO tell her.

I mean, it hadn't seemed proper or right to tell her to get the hell out of my face even though a tiny part of me was raging with that feeling.

But mostly, I was in shock, unable to make sense of everything and what will happen from now on. I couldn't map out anything in front of me anymore, the future was suddenly too unpredictable. Too dangerous.

"Well?" She leaned closer to me, eyes almost sparkling.

Why wasn't she scared? I stared at her. Why is she smiling at me like that? Does she expect me to welcome her back open handed just because she was pregnant? That doesn't erase any of her mistakes. It doesn't, and she should know that.

Hate, I think that's what I was feeling at the time. I gawked at her swollen belly, not knowing what to say. I think all I saw was a...

Those thoughts faded when she took my hand and brought it to her stomach.

And then I felt it, my eyes widening.

"Is that...?"

She nodded, her hand landing on top of mine that's already on her delicate belly. So fragile. But at the same time, there was a wildness in there.

I think I should have said something during the moment I found out. Except I didn't. I never said anything.

At least not to her. Not directly.

IT TURNED OUT CAMERON already knew, and begrudgingly, the three of us sat down together to have a talk. At Klarise's place.I didn't want Cameron coming back and inviting him into my place—or ours—because then that would hint to the fact that I've forgiven him. I didn't want him to get any bit of an idea close to that planted in his mind.

Because there was, in no way and under no circumstances, I thought at the time, that I would forgive him.

He wasn't happy, by all means. He was very stressed. But when he saw who had followed up behind Klarise, his eyes lowered a small fragment of its intimidating snarl, softening.

"Maeve?"

I looked away, finding after all these months, I still couldn't match my eyes with him. Or more so, I didn't want to see or talk to him at all.

My silence of no response for him seemed to deeply hurt him, and the fact that it did made me feel the slightest bit guilty. I didn't want to feel guilty. I wanted him to know how mad I was at him and how wrong he had done.

"I am keeping this baby," Klarise said before any of us had even sat down.

I bit the inside of my mouth, feeling the metallic taste of blood spilling onto my tongue.

"Here we go again," Cameron said, throwing his weight onto the nearest chair and rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

Quietly, I sat down on the soft loveseat next to me. The softness of it comforts me, my hand digging underneath a throw pillow. I glanced at Cameron, noticing how in distress he was. It surprised me though. I wasn't able to put a finger to it during those few minutes we shared—which would be over soon. But now thinking back, or the many times I've visited this memory, I think I thought Cameron would team up with Klarise and go against me. That I'd be totally alone.

Except he didn't want the fetus in her stomach either. Like me. But unlike me, he spoke out about it. I had hid. And I wonder which of the other was better.

"Klarise, you can't keep this baby."

Klarise had her arms crossed over her belly protectively, as if Cameron might get rid of it from where he sat. "Yes I can. Of course I can."