The Pregnant Scam

Chapter Forty-Four

The walls in the kitchen seemed to crumble down around me as I stared at Anthony in disbelief and confusion trying desperately to hold it all together. Don't freak out, don't cry, don't close yourself down my mind spun on repeat to myself. "Anthony, what did you do?!" My voice crumbled as I spoke.
Anthony looked at me with such remorse in his brown eyes as he spoke, "When I saw the extra baby announcements I took that extra one, and after school I drove to their house and left it in the mail box with a note."
I remembered the day he asked if he could have one of the extra announcement cards. I had assumed it was for himself that he wanted for his wallet, or to put in his locker. I stared at him dumbfounded that he could do such a idiotic thing. The Perez' house wasn't even on the way to school. Which meant he had to literally go out of his way to their house and leave a baby announcement for my rapist.
"Jules...." he whispered, "Please say something...." Anthony said quietly.
"How could you!" I looked away from out the kitchen window, "After everything he's done to me, why would you go and practically hand him a picture of her! Of us!" I threw my arms out, "Might as well open the door and shout hey over here everyone my girlfriend is a victim of rape and here's her daughter that can prove it!" I broke down crying placing my hands over my eyes, "He's going to take her away from me."
"I.....I didn't mean for anything of this to happen Jules, I'm sorry." Anthony took my hands in his so he could look into my tear stained blue eyes, "I... I just wanted to show him that he doesn't have control over you anymore, that you've moved on and have a better life."
I sniffed, "It's like the past ten and a half months meant nothing to you, don't you have any idea of what that monster did to me? He hurt me Anthony more than you could ever imagine and now you've just handed him the key he needs to reopen all those doors of hurt."
"I do care Jules, I love you, and it's because I love you and care that I know exactly what he's done. I've seen the way your body gets tense and you jump when people unexpectedly touch you, how you're self conscious about showing too much of your body, how he haunts your dreams at night, and how you try to hide the silent tears when we're together having sex because you still get flash backs of what he did to you."
Tears fell down my face as I stared back at him, "If you really loved me then you wouldn't have done this!" I spatted standing up.
"Jules wait," Anthony said standing up as well.
"No!" I turned to face him pointing a finger at his chest, "You should have know better than anyone! I...." I placed a hand to chest feeling it tightening and getting harder to breath. I turned and marched towards the front door.
"Wait Jules! Where are you going?" He said heading after me.
Grasping the door knob I turned to him, "I'm leaving.... I..... I can't do this right now, I can't stand to look at your face." I sobbed closing the door behind me.
Anthony was left there feeling upset and angry at himself. What was he thinking when he left the announcement in the Perez' mailbox? It had made sense to him at the time that he was doing it for Jules, to show that son of a bitch that he had no control over her life. That they were going to raise the mistake he made from his crime. "Idiot!" He muttered to himself running his hands through his black curls.
Lexi came downstairs holding baby Aria, the look she gave him made him feel even worse than he already felt. "Whatever you do Anthony you better fix this." She stated. She grabbed a soda from the fridge before taking Aria back upstairs with her.
He sighed and sat down to look at the court document papers. He read it through word for word, it sure was legit. If they didn't show to court the Judge will take legal action and place Aria in the foster care system till things could be worked out. He picked up his cell phone and google searched till he found a phone number. He held his phone to his ear as it rang, "Hi I'll like to speak to one of your lawyers, I have a few questions." He said knowing that this wasn't going to be the first Lawyer office he would call.
Anthony wrote down every information each Lawyer gave him including how much it would cost. He rubbed his forehead as he hung up with the last Lawyer. It wasn't going to be easy, but he think he had a plan.
I stayed away for hours, just walking up and down streets. I didn't trust myself to drive, I didn't want to start panicking and drive off the side of the road. I placed my hand to my chest rubbing over the spot where just a few hours ago I felt like I couldn't breath. Everything closed up and I couldn't think straight let alone look at my boyfriend. I sighed looking towards the sun that was setting over the trees. It would be dark soon and knowing Anthony he's probably going crazy with worry and would be out looking for me. I didn't want to go home, I didn't want any of it anymore.  I felt empty like nothing else mattered anymore. I didn't like the feelings I felt, but I couldn't help but feel them. They were there weather I wanted them or not.
I trudged slowly up the sidewalk towards the Baez' home and let myself in through the front door.
Anthony stood up from the brown leather couch as I entered. Was he just sitting there waiting to pounce on me and finish our conversation? "I don't feel like talking right now Anthony, so don't even bother." I turned away from him.
He took my hand gently, "Please hear me out Jules." He pleaded, "I'm sorry, I messed up and I made a mistake, but I figured out how to fix it." He waited for me to say something, but when I didn't he continued. "I've called every lawyer in town and I got a load of information and I....."
"A LAWYER, Anthony!" I interrupted, "They're super expensive."
"I know, but we can use money from my college fund my mom as saved for me, and if that doesn't cover it then I'll use money I make from the Movie Theater, or get a second job, anything! I want to make it up to you." He rubbed my shoulders thumb."
I shook my head tears falling down my cheeks, "I can't let you throw your money on this, that money is for your future."
"My future doesn't mean anything if you and Aria are not in it!" He rested his forehead against mine, "I love you Jules, we're in this together. It's all going to work out okay." He whispered his face inches from mine.
I pulled away "How! How can you possibly say it's going to be okay?!" I sobbed, "Can you guaranteed that they're not going to take Aria away from me?!" I sniffed, "Or that we're even going to be a couple in a few months, because I can't! I screamed at him. I covered my mouth as I sobbed, "I don't want to do this anymore." I turned and ran upstairs to his room slamming his door behind me. I hurried over to his dresser as my mind raced and tumbled like a hamster on a wheel. I could hear Anthony's footsteps on the stairs as I dug in his drawer.
He opened his bedroom door just has I found what I was looking for, "Jules can we talk about this?"
Twirling around to face him I held up his pocket knife the blade resting against my throat. "Stay back!" I screamed, "Or I swear I'll slit my throat right now." I cried.
His brown eyes widened as looked from his pocket knife to me, he held out his hand, "Jules, you don't want to do this." He whispered, "This isn't you."
"Anthony, I can hear the screaming from my room, what's going on?" Lexi asked coming to the door with Aria in her arms. She let out a scream as she saw me holding the knife to my throat.
"It's okay Lexi, don't panic." He said holding his arm out to tell her to stay back. He looked back to me, "Jules I know you're hurting right now, but think about what you're doing for a moment."
I sniffed, how did I get like this? How did I become this person? What happened to the junior who had so much to look forward to? She was going to go to college and make something of herself, but then one man changed everything and wiped all the sunny days out of her life. Now..... Now dying seemed a whole lot easier than living. Tears fell down my cheeks as I looked from Anthony who was holding his hand out to Lexi who stood in the door holding my baby.
"Jules...." Anthony said slowly taking a step towards me, "Give me the knife so we can talk about this."
I shook my head the blade pressing against my neck was cool, but welcoming. "I....I never wanted any of this." I said crying uncontrollably.
He nodded, "I know, and none of this that has happened is your fault do you hear me? None of it. I sobbed as he continued, "It's not your fault Jules, what happened to you was a terrible crime that I don't wish to happen to anyone, but think of the good things that came from it. Look at me, look at Lexi, look at Aria." He looked back at her and smiled then turned back to me, "Would we even be together if the circumstances were different? Think about it we became a couple to hide the truth about your pregnancy. If you never got pregnant then we would probably still consider each other as just close friends, and Lexi. You guys have been through so much and you're still going strong. Now Aria look at her, she was created from a horrible crime, but she is something beautiful and she's all yours. She needs her mother in her life, to raise her, to teach her how to be careful in life so the same thing doesn't happen to her. We need you Jules and we all love you so much."
I hadn't realized that he had slowly moved closer to me till now he was right beside me. I cried softly, "It hurts so much Anthony. I just want the pain to go away."
He rubbed my back softly, "It will, just not this way, please let us help you Jules."
I sobbed as I lowered the knife and Anthony wrapped his hands around the handle. I fell into him holding onto him with all I had while he tucked the knife into his pocket so that he could wrap his arms around me tightly. "I love you Jules." He whispered in my ear.
Lexi had tears in her own eyes as she came over to. She laid Aria on the bed so that she could hug me for what seemed like an eternity. I sniffed as I looked down at my precious baby and couldn't believe how close I came to taking my own life.