Piecing it Together

Chapter 31

Jordyn POV

The rain has been coming down for days. If you go outside there will be random puddles standing in the grass or sidewalks. Even though there has been rain every day this week, something feels off about this rainy day. There is a bad feeling in the atmosphere.

I'm in my room lying in my bed reading the book Divergent. I'm not much of a free reader, but Paige suggested this book and I can't put it down. It's amazing. I think what makes reading it so easy for me is that the movie is coming out. I know who is playing the main characters, so I just picture them in my head as I read.

When I finish the chapter after Tris and Four goes through the landscape, I set my book down. There are footsteps downstairs that sound unsettling. I sit up in my bed and stare at my door. I expect someone to walk through in seconds.

Just as my gut thought, my door handle opens. The door whips open with Paige standing there with tears coming out of her eyes. I jumped out of bed.

"What happened?" I ask as I go straight to her.

Paige wraps her arms around me as she cries. The sound of her cries sends my heart into pieces.

"We have to go." She finally says.

"Go where?" My stomach is flipping, seeing Paige crying means something is wrong, but what is wrong? "Paige what is happening?"

"The hospital." Paige breaks the hug and starts out my door.

I trail behind her. The hospital? Why are we going there? The first-person pops in my head is Alexis, but if that was the case my mom would have called me before Paige had the chance to tell me.

I follow Paige down the stairs and I see it's empty. The TV in the living room is on while the PS3 is still on. Christian never do that.

"Where's Callie?"

Paige stops. She turns to me, giving me a look. That's when I feel tears in my eyes.

"Paige, what's wrong with Callie?"

Paige looked away as she spoke. "Something's wrong with the baby."


My heart feels like it's breaking. I need to get to Callie. I need to be with my best friend. Paige grabs her keys, and we go to her vehicle.

"What happened? Who took Callie? Wasn't she just downstairs an hour ago?" I start firing off questions.

When I went downstairs to get a drink she was downstairs with Christian and Paige.

"Christian did." Paige starts explaining. "Callie came out of the bathroom and called me in. There was blood everywhere. She started to freak out as did I. I called her doctor for her, and they said she needs to come in right away. I guess the blood has been happening all week, but not that serious until now. Callie didn't tell anyone because she thought it was normal."

I feel like I'm going to get sick.

"Does Derek know?"

Paige turns her head for a second at me and shrugs.

Derek has football. The season is right around the corner. If he isn't in practice or in the weight room, he is in the film room. Last year he wasn't as busy, but this year he has been. I don't know if it's because there is a new coach or if he is trying to avoid being around Callie.

Derek didn't take the news of Callie being pregnant well. He blamed her. He first tried to say Callie did it on purpose to trap him in the relationship. Callie ripped him a new one and so did I. Callie isn't the type to trap someone to be with her. They have gotten better, but Derek does take advantage of being away when he can be.

I get my phone out and call him. There was no answer.

"Do you think we should try to find him to let him know?"

"No." Paige says. "She is your best friend. You need to be with her. If you want, when we get there, and no one can get a hold of him I will go find him."

I put my hand on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you."



Paige POV

We got to the hospital, and I felt like I was going to get sick. I know I need to be strong for Jordyn. If I'm not strong then she won't be.

We walked in the emergency room and the person at the desk told us she has been moved to the Neonatal Unit.

We walked through the hospital to the unit. It happens to be on the other side. Hospitals give me the chills. It brings back so many bad memories.

The smell from the hospital makes my stomach feel nauseated. I look at Jordyn. As we are walking, I see she is fidgeting. This is a common trait of hers when she is worried. I take her hand in mine as we walk down the hall.

We get to the room and my stomach sinks. Callie is staring off in a daze and Christian is sitting in the chair trying to console her. Jordyn walks over to Callie and it's like Callie doesn't see her even though she is looking straight at her.

"What did they say?" Jordyn asks Christian.

He closes his eyes for a split second and reopens them. "She lost it."

Tightness came in my chest and my heart broke for Callie. Jordyn hovers over Callie giving her a hug, but she still acts as if Jordyn isn't here. I don't blame her. I can't even begin to think about the shock she is in.

"Does Derek know?" I ask Christian since Callie is nonresponsive.

"No, I can't get a hold of him."

"What about her parents?" I look down at Callie.

"They aren't coming." Christian sounds angry.

When it comes to parent support, Callie has had none through this complete process. Neither her parents nor Derek's parents have supported her.


**** Flashback ****

It is the middle of June and Jordyn is visiting her dad. I stayed behind so she could spend time with Mr. Hartley.

I am at our house that we are renting. Christian is gone for a week, and I thought Callie was going to be too. That was until I was in my room and heard a cry coming from the hallway. I walk down the hallway and towards her room.

Her door is closed. I knock lightly on it. "Callie it's me." I called out.

There was no response, but faint cries. I open the door slowly. When I walk in, I see Callie crouched in the corner of her room on the ground. I walk slowly over to her. I kneel and rest my hand on her back.

"Callie, what is wrong?"

She takes her head from her knees and looks up at me. Her eyes were swollen with red marks under them.

"I can't do this Paige. I can't be pregnant and have this baby. No one thinks I can do it and I don't think I can either."

I shift from my knees to my butt to sit beside her. I put her hand in mine as I rub it with my thumb.

"You can do this Callie. You are going to be an amazing mom. You can't listen to what others think. If you believe in your heart that you can do it, that's all that matters."

"Neither of our parents wants me to keep it. Even Derek himself says I'm trapping him."

Callie starts to cry more. I put my hand on Callie's face and turned it to me. "You can't listen to them. You will be fine. You have your friends that support you. You will be an amazing mother, trust me."

"You really believe in me?"

I nod my head up and down. "Yes, I always have. You are one of the strongest people I know."

Callie snuggles her head into my shoulder.

****Flashback over****

"I'll go find Derek." I offer.

I give Jordyn a kiss on the head before heading out.

"Can you tell him?" I turn around to the sound of Callie's fragile voice. "Please?"

I give her a nod and go off to find him.

Finding Derek was easy. He is in the middle of practice at the practice facility. I told one of the coaches what was going on.

I wait on the sideline as the coach calls Derek over. When he sees me I think he could tell something was wrong.

The coach said a couple of words to him and he came jogging to me. Derek holds his helmet in his hand as he stands in front of me.

"What's wrong Paige you look like you have been hit by a bus?"

I nod my head for us to walk away from the practice field.

As we were walking off the field Derek started talking. "So, I picked out names."

"What?" I questioned him, confused about what he was talking about.

"I have always liked the name McKenna for a girl. If Callie and I have a boy..." Derek for the first time throughout Callie being pregnant had excitement in his voice.

I couldn't even hear what name he said for a boy. The sound of my heart breaking for him was overtaking my hearing. Why does he think I am here at his practice?

"Derek." I say as we are out of sight from his teammates. "Callie is in the hospital. We need to get you there now."

I started walking again hoping he would follow. He grabs my arm with a firm grip to hold me still. "What happened? Is she okay? Is the baby okay?"

It feels like a thousand knives are jabbing me right through my heart. I can't imagine what it's going to feel like for him.

"We should go."

"Paige, tell me what's going on." He demands.

I take a deep breath. "Callie lost the baby."

I watch as Derek falls to his knees. I put my hand on his shoulder to try to console him.

"You're lying." He yells at me throwing my hand off his shoulder.

"Derek, I wouldn't do that. You know that." I try to keep my voice calm even though I want to fall apart.

"Is everything okay here?" One of his teammates appeared out of nowhere. "Coach sent me to make sure everything is okay."

I hear loud sobs coming from Derek. I look at the guy who looks familiar, but I don't know why.

"Do I know you?"

He looks offended. "Ouch."

"Well sorry, I'm kind of dealing with more important things. Can you help me get Derek to my vehicle please?"

We help Derek up as we walk towards my Jeep. Derek wasn't helping much. I think he went into shock like Callie at the hospital.

He is twice my size and I'm trying to hold him up with the help of the guy, but it isn't easy.

We finally got him to my vehicle.

"Why don't you take your pads off and I take them back for you." The guy says to Derek. Derek slips out of them and falls into my passenger seat.

"Thank you." I told the guy. There is no way I could have gotten Derek to my Jeep by myself.

He nods his head. "No problem, I hope everything is okay. By the way, I'm the guy you call Neff."

He takes off jogging back to the practice facility. Neff? I get on the driver's side. As I take off it dawns on me. He is the guy from the first night I waitressed. Wild.

"Who is there with her?" Derek asks when we get to the hospital.

"Jordyn and Christian." His jaw clinches instantly and the vein in his forehead becomes visible.

We walk to Callie's room. It appears that Callie is sleeping. Derek doesn't even go by her side.

Instead, he goes straight for Christian. "You can leave."

"Derek stop." I try to get in the middle of him, but he pushes me aside.

"You can get the hell out of here, I got it from here." Derek's voice was cold. I don't know if this is anger or hurt, but it's uncalled for.

Christian didn't try to fight him. He walks out of the room so there isn't any more confrontation.

"What the hell Derek?" I hate this side of Derek. I thought this side of Derek was gone.

He takes a seat, but still won't look at Callie. "You two can leave too."

Jordyn looks at me and I shrug my shoulders. She goes over and gives Callie a hug even though she is asleep.

"I'm just a call away." She whispers in her ear. Maybe Callie really isn't asleep.

I go over and give her a hug as well.

Jordyn and I walk out of the room. I wrap my arm around Jordyn's waist as she leans her head on me as we walk.

"This is not how I was expecting to start this school year off." Jordyn sighs.

"Me either."

"Callie didn't say a word the whole time I was there." Jordyn tells me. "I don't know how she is going to get through this."

I stop walking to turn Jordyn to me. "We will be there for her every step of the way. It's going to take a lot of
time."

When Jordyn and I get in my vehicle, she gives me a small, sweet kiss.

"I love you, Paige. Thank you for being strong. I know you are torn up about this too but thank you for being a rock."

I let a small smile form. "I love you too and that's what I'm here for."

We get home and go to my room. We both lay under the sheets in my bed. Jordyn rests her head on my chest as I wrap my arms around her. The house was silent and all you can hear is the sound of the rain hitting the roof.