Baby, Baby • OBX

2. We're Off On A Pougeventure!

As soon as Holly heard Rafe's voice, she felt a pang of regret. Maybe she should have taken a little more time to think about her decisions. If only she could turn back time to seconds ago when she answered the call without hesitation. But life doesn't work like that, and now she's stuck with the father of her unborn child on the other end of the line, panic creeping up her spine.

"Holly, are you there?" Rafe's voice is like honey, and Holly can't help but feel a shiver of longing run through her.

"Yeah, I'm here," she replies, trying to keep her voice steady. The tension between them is palpable, and Holly doesn't know how to act around Rafe anymore.

"Sorry for calling so late. Just wondered if you were doing all right in the hurricane," Rafe says, and Holly can't help but roll her eyes. Boys can be so clueless sometimes. There were clearly more important issues they needed to discuss than the hurricane.

"I'm doing all right. Staying with my aunt down at the Cut," Holly replies, her tone curt.

"Yeah, I heard. Hayden told me. Uhm, I don't really know what to say..." Rafe trails off, and Holly feels her frustration mounting.

"Then why did you call?" she asks, her words blunt and to the point.

Silence once again filled the room as Holly waited for Rafe to speak. When he finally did, she could hear the hesitation in his voice.

"I've been thinking these past few months. I think I might have made a mistake with you," Rafe said, and Holly felt her annoyance growing with each passing second. Of course, he had made a mistake. That much was obvious.

"Well, you were an asshole to me last time we talked," Holly replied, throwing off her covers and feeling suffocated by the sudden heat in the room. She would rather be outside, drenched in the rain, than on the phone with Rafe.

"I know, but how did you expect me to take the fucking bomb that you dropped? We're not even together like it was one night," Rafe's frustration was palpable, and Holly couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

"Well, how do you think I feel? My entire future changed because of that one night. You can run from it, but I can't. Every day is a reminder of that," Holly's hand subconsciously went to her bump, seeking comfort in the life growing inside her.

"I don't know if I want to run anymore. It was easier when I could run away to school, away from you after you told me. But now I can't. It's all I can think about since I've been back. I mean, I see your brother and parents everywhere," Rafe's words caught Holly off guard. It was more than she could say, especially today, as she had just seen someone in her family for the first time in months since they disowned her.

"So you're calling because of guilt?" Holly asked, her voice laced with bitterness.

"No, Holly. I'm calling because what I thought I wanted turned out to not be what I wanted. I'm not going back to school in the fall," Rafe revealed the shocking new information.

Holly's heart raced as she listened to Rafe's words. It was as if the whole world was spinning out of control, and she couldn't catch up. "How'd Ward take that?" she asked, knowing that Rafe's family could be difficult to deal with.

"He wasn't thrilled, but he'll come around. Especially when he finds out it was for the baby," Rafe replied, his voice strained.

Holly felt like she had been punched in the gut. "What are you talking about? I never asked you to do that. You can't just expect to waltz back into my life and be a part of our child's life. You didn't even bother to call me until tonight," she said, her voice shaking with anger.