Chapter Two

I was curled around up on my bed, face buried in a golden shaded pillow while my fingers fretted unconsciously with the white duvet and matching golden sheets.

My mother had already came and went, giving up on dragging me out of bed for the moment. I didn't have to turn around and face the clock on my nightstand to know it was already nearing the late afternoon.

I couldn't bring myself to crawl out of my bed today, all I had done was yawn constantly and stare at my ivory washed walls, while my hands roamed over my still flat stomach.

I wasn't moping, far from. I just couldn't gather any motivation or energy to fully wake up and face the world.

I heard my door creak open slightly again but I didn't turn around.

"Athena," came the admonishing voice of my best friend, Nathaniel. His deep baritone and husky tone made it impossible to ignore him and I turned around with a small grimace.

His bulky football player form stood in my doorway and his stern grey eyes bored into me.

As I continued to stare at him, all of his 6'2" glory came over towards me and sat on the edge of my bed, before he pulled himself up towards me. Soon his tanned face was next to mine on the silky pillow.

"Your mother called me, said you were moping." I opened my mouth to protest but he just raised an eyebrow and continued on. "She also said you have something important to tell me."

I closed my eyes and took calm breaths, Nathaniel didn't comment, and waited it out as he usually did in such situations.

I took one of his large calloused hands eventually and gently placed it on my stomach, looking him straight in the eyes. "I'm pregnant." I declared.

The room was silent but it was nothing less than what I had expected. His warm hand stayed resting on my stomach for as long as he was silent, and then he gently retracted it as he started to speak, his calm voice and gentle manner soothing my nerves. "Are you keeping it?" was his first question. I wordlessly nodded my head.

"Who is the father?" He eventually questioned me, his voice steady and his eyes trained on mine.

"I don't know," I admitted to him. His eyes turned to steel, his lips thinning out into a white line. I watched as his mouth opened before snapping shut again.

I then went through the entire story of Jordan's party. His lips never regained their colour throughout, and his face stayed cold and angry.

I hadn't expected anything less from him;, I had been drugged and raped as far as I could remember. I watched fascinated when all it took to calm him down a fair amount was to place his hand back on my stomach and take a couple deep breaths, his eyes still trained on my own as he unconsciously followed my own breathing pattern.

My room was silent., I stared at the rose plant across the room sitting on one of the pale gold shelves. The ivy plant had decided to curl even farther up my wall and I admired how it had almost reached the top of the window.

The angel wind chimes tinkled softly as a gentle gust of wind brushed through the large open window. Nathaniel gently stroked my stomach as I picked at a stray loose string on the duvet. I pulled absentmindedly and frowned when it didn't come loose.

I watched as the first eye- reaching smile, since he had walked into my room, took over Nathaniel's face and he softly chuckled.

I huffed, abandoning it so as not to embarrass myself further.

He looked pensive before he opened his mouth, seemingly decided on something. The words "We have to call Alizabel." had my head thumping back on the pillow in distress, a soft sound echoing from my throat. I was so dead.

*

There was no person I knew of that could deny the beauty Alizabel possessed. My other best friend was one of the most gorgeous girls I had ever met in my lifetime.

Her tall, imposing 5'9" stature enabled her to tower over my petite, pixie like body, even more so when she wore the high heels she was so fond of.

Her beautiful midnight black, ringlets bounced whenever she walked and her hips had a natural sway to them. Her piercing silver- grey eyes had the ability to seem like they were always looking down on you, and before we had become friends, I was on the receiving end of my fair share of those.

When I heard the distinct rumble of her F-250, my head smacked down on the marble countertop.

I heard the distinct click of stiletto heels as she walked through the garden.

Nathaniel was watching me the entire time, sitting on the island countertop while drinking a bottle of water.

I heard my mother walk past the kitchen and I lifted my head with a smirk when she suddenly backtracked and narrowed her eyes on Nathaniel who looked at her with a sheepish grin.

"Nathaniel Lucian Brooke, get off that counter this instant or I'm not feeding you dinner."

The leap to the ground was almost instantaneous.

I heard her and Alizabel snort in unison and my head shot towards where she was leaning against one of the open French Doors.

She looked beautiful as ever, wearing designer boot cut grey jeans and a yellow tank-top which hugged her generous curves. Her pink lips were pulled into a slight smile and her silver beige and black stiletto sandals added another three inches to her height.

She came over and, in a generous show of affection, kissed the top of my head before taking her place across from me at the table.

I watched as she casually pulled a nail file out of her large black and gold Louis Vuitton purse, before looking at me expectantly.

Sighing, I started the story over again.

*

Saying Alizabel was angry was the understatement of the month;, she was furious.

Raging, disaster- like furious.

Halfway through the retelling of the story she had actually thrown one of the crystal water glasses across the room, watching as it smashed into thousands of tiny pieces, the tinkling of shattered glass echoing in the room. My mother hadn't even looked up from the cutting board. She was used to such tantrums.

Her lips were pulled over her teeth in a furious snarl and her hands were clenched into the glass table top.

She looked as though she were ready to leap up from the table and hunt down every single male who had attended the party.

Nathaniel's crystal blue eyes were dancing with mirth from behind Alizabel's back. It always pleased him when it was not himself on the receiving end of her anger.

I glared.

*

Later, when I was picking at a vegetable burger, the grains of wheat sticking to my teeth and listening to Nathaniel's constant whining about how there was no meat in this house, Alizabel finally looked to me with surprisingly compassionate eyes.

"I love you, I don't want to see you hurt."

My eyes widened., Alizabel was a very reclusive person who rarely showed her thoughts or affections. It got better.

"I will support you throughout whatever happens."

My smile could have lit up the town.

AN: Sorry for the late update, the beta-ed document wouldn't open on my computer.
Have a good week and a longer chapter next time.