Speaking of which, I was now at a point where my pre-pregnancy clothes no longer fit. I had grown a small little baby bump that was visible to the rest of the world. People at work noticed and were all supportive, and they loved to rub my tummy. At first I’d thought it was weird that people were touching me, but I’d gradually grown accustomed to it. Generally speaking, people loved baby bellies. Their hands would automatically reach out of their own accord and give my belly a little rub—some speaking to the baby as if it could hear them—and then go about their day. This became part of my new routine. I worked four days a week, and the other three days I stayed at home and cleaned, shopped, or stopped by my Dad’s office to help out with any extra little errands that needed doing. He was worried about me overdoing it and exhausting myself, but frankly I loved being busy. It made me feel like I had a purpose. I didn’t want to sit around and ‘rest’. Resting allowed for too much thinking time, and thinking was something I didn’t feel like doing.

It was a Wednesday afternoon when everything changed. It had started out as a normal day. I’d gone to work, done my usual six hours, and come home to do some laundry and start dinner. Harper called me as soon as I walked in the door and set my keys down.

“Hey, what’s up?” I said picking up a pair of shoes that had been left in the middle of the floor. I forgot all about them when she spoke.

“Don’t panic okay? I just got a phone call from Kyler, and apparently he’s in town for the next couple of days. I wasn’t expecting him until next week. I’m going to show him some places today and go to dinner tonight.” She was right, I was panicking.

“You’re not coming by here are you?” My breathing coming out in short bursts.

“No, don’t worry about that. I figured we could stop by that new Mexican place in town and then I’d drop him back at his parent’s house. Besides, can’t let the bastard think he is going to get laid.” She laughed, probably to try and calm my nerves.

I sat down on the couch, and hugged my growing mid-section. “He can’t find out Harper. I don’t want him running back to Finn, and telling him about this.”

“Sweetie, it’s okay. I’ll keep him away from the house.”

“Promise?”

“Of course I promise! Now don’t get yourself worked up. I’ll be home this evening. Why don’t you order a pizza or something and kick back until I get in.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” I started to relax. “Text me if you’re going to be in late.”

“I won’t be, but okay.”

We said our goodbyes and I sat on the couch with my face in my hands, the pair of shoes from earlier on the floor beside me. I knew that this wasn’t something I could keep from Kyler and Finn forever, and at this point I wasn’t hoping for much beyond getting through the pregnancy and coming out on the other end with a happy and healthy baby. Once again I was faced with a situation that was out of my control. Harper knew what she had to do in order to keep Kyler from seeing me and I trusted that she would keep her word. I could only control my own actions so for tonight I would sit, relax, and watch one of my favorite movies. Harper was right about something else too… pizza did sound good.

For the next few hours I went about my plans as usual. I did some laundry and vacuumed the floors. I found it odd that the simplest and most mundane of household tasks gave me such pleasure. When I lived with West, we had a housekeeper. He didn’t like me doing the job that could pay someone else to do. No wonder I was always bored. When the house was cleaned, I changed in to an overly large pair of gray sweats and a white camisole and ordered an extra large supreme pizza. I found ‘The Notebook’, popped it in and let it run through the opening credits while I went to the bathroom and put my hair up in a messy ponytail. As I was walking back into the living room the door bell rang. I grabbed my wallet and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. I was starving and ready to gorge myself on wonderfully greasy, boxed food. But when I opened the door I wasn’t greeted by a teenage delivery boy. Instead Kyler was standing in front of me dressed in a pair of rugged jeans, a blue Henley and holding a bouquet of daisies—Harper’s favorite flowers. He was smiling and was about to say hi when his eyes wandered down to my visibly pregnant belly. He was as still and as I was and both of us were unable to speak.

He finally moved, and started to walk into the house towards me. I backed up, giving my head a slight shake back and forth. I was confused as to why he was even there, because he was supposed to be with Harper. How could she ask him to come over to the house knowing that I was here? When I’d backed all the way up into the living room, Kyler spoke.

“What the hell is going on Emilyn?” He rarely ever used my full name when talking to me so I knew he was shocked, and likely didn’t know how to process what he saw.

“I-I thought…” I cleared my throat. “I thought you and Harper were going out to eat?” I knew changing the subject wouldn’t do a damn bit of good but I tried anyway. Kyler’s face had a hard edge to it as he looked from my face to my stomach.

“Huh uh Em, no diverting me like you’ve been avoiding Finn for the past two months.” He was still holding the bouquet as he used it to point at my mid-section. “Is this why you’ve been avoiding him?”

Tears pricked my eyes. “I haven’t been avoiding him. I’ve just been trying to deal with things on my own.”

He set the flowers down on the sofa table behind the couch. After pacing back and forth for a short while, Kyler stilled in front of me and pointed to the couch. “Sit.” A one word command that I obeyed, simply because I didn’t know what else to do with myself. He continued to pace, running his hands through his already unruly hair. He stopped in front of me with an angry look on his face. “I’m assuming that the baby is West’s?”

Jesus! What was it with people assuming it could be anybody else’s? It’s not like he knew that West and I were getting a divorce, so what kind of question was that?

Unless…

I was going to fucking kill her!

Now it was my turn to be pissed off. “Harper told you, didn’t she?”

“Told me what?”

“Oh cut the crap Ky! She told you about me and West didn’t she?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit!” I got up and started pacing in the same tracks that he just walked. “You better tell me right now Kyler Lewis, or so help me I will hurt you!”

That must have amused him because he was clearly trying not to laugh. He had a stupid look on his face that I just wanted to slap right off of him. “What? You don’t think I can?”

“Oh come on Shorty. You’re barely bigger than a five year old, and you’re pregnant. You think you can hurt me?” His shoulders shook with the laughter he was still trying to contain.

“You know what, if I wasn’t so pissed off at Harper, I’d tell her to hurt you, since you think I can’t.”

With that, his face went from trying not to crack a smile, to frowning. “That’s not funny Em. Don’t even joke about that shit.”

“Yeah well lucky for you, I don’t even know if I can talk to her right now.” It should have been funny to see Ky shaking in his boots from the idea of Harper getting her hands on him, but I was too upset to care. She was my best friend and she betrayed me. I had to find out what the hell was going on. I needed to know why she told Kyler about my divorce, and why he was here at the house after we agreed she wouldn’t let him come over. Picking up my cell, I dialed her number.

“What are you doing? Are you calling Harper?” He was scared.

I put my finger to my lips to shush him. She answered, “Hey Em! Enjoying your night alone?”

“I can’t believe you told Kyler about me and West! Seriously Harper?”

“What are you talking about?”