Just for Now

Chapter Fifteen

Day Seven
Morning

Allison was pregnant.

She was pregnant.

She didn't tell him.

She was pregnant and she didn't tell him.

How did he not see it? How did he not know? How did she not tell him?

Cole heard the bathroom door open, but he didn't turn around yet. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to face her right now. This wasn't how he imagined the night going. He felt dizzy with the amount of turns they had taken in the last hour alone. This wasn't a conversation he thought he'd have to have. He had no idea how to do this. How was he supposed to do this?

"Cole? Cole, you okay?" Allison asked as she tied a bathrobe around herself. She froze when she saw what he was holding, instantly opening her mouth to defend herself. "Did you read my notebook?"

"You're... you're pregnant?" Cole asked in a low voice, trying to stay calm. His entire being felt cold. He felt so cold. It took Allison a second to snap out of her shock, gasping harshly as she struggled to gather the words.

"Cole, let me explain, please," she pleaded desperately, tears welling in her eyes as she stepped towards him.

"Were you ever gonna tell me?" Cole pressed, taking a step back as his gaze wandered away from her. "Or were you just gonna have me sign the divorce papers and show up one day with a kid?"

"God, no, Cole—"

He tossed the notebook onto the bed, clenching his jaw harshly. "Is it mine?"

Allison jolted back, affronted. "Of course it's yours!"

"But... when—"

"You know when!" Allison cried out, pointing her finger at him.

Cole blinked rapidly, sucking in air harshly. He held his hand up and stepped back, his hand going to his hair. This didn't make any sense. They weren't gonna have kids. Hell, they were getting a divorce. But even if they weren't, they talked about this. It was clear kids weren't in the picture yet. At least not for years, if they stayed together. Cole was fine with that. His mouth felt numb as he tried to get words out. He had a million questions but no clue where to start. He wanted to know everything he didn't know. Cole looked at Allison helplessly, shaking his head and shrugging is shoulders, trying to silently ask everything he wanted to ask. She seemed to understand, swallowing thickly as she tried to explain.

"I... I didn't want you to think that I did something to make you stay... or have you only stay because I'm pregnant, I—" Allison rambled, cutting herself off when she seemed to get choked up. She inhaled sharply, her hand reaching for her chest. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you. So badly."

Cole nodded as his eyes slipped shut. He didn't know what to say. There was nothing either of them could say that would help him make sense of this. "How could you not tell me?"

"Cole, I only really found out last night," Allison explained as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I couldn't take the test until then and I didn't think there was a point in bringing it up if I didn't know for sure. I thought... I suspected I was, so I didn't drink anything while we were here. But I only just took the test last night."

"But you- you've been drinking, I've seen—"

She cut him off, "Cole, those drinks had nothing in them."

It felt like a slip in his reality. Like someone just took his world and tipped him to the side. He was trying desperately to get his footing, but he couldn't keep up. Everything was happening too fast.