parenthood | c. evans [✓]

20 | REAL LIFE

To say that there was a slight tension in Riley's living room would be an understatement. With her friendship group and mother sat together in the living room as they waited for Riley to come downstairs, everyone was worried. This was very out of character for Riley. She was always calm and collected and had everything in perfect order and she never shut anyone out. She had been through a lot and she always relied on those around her for support so they were surprised when she cut everyone out completely and for so long.

They all stood up when she came down the stairs and walked into the room, standing in front of them expressionless but looking exhausted.

"Thanks for coming at such a short notice, I've been doing a lot these couple weeks and I've needed time to think, but I called you hear so that I could speak to you all together." She began talking, her voice far quieter and emotionless as usual. She looked around at everyone's face, looking down at her hands when she saw how worried everyone was. "So, as you know, I ended things with Seb and threw his things out to him then I cleared my house out of everything that reminded me of him. Um, I also know why I collapsed that day at the awards ceremony."

"Dehydration, right?" Chris cut in, Riley nodding her head to let him know he was right.

"Yeah, and a bunch of other things but there was something else as well," she paused when her mother drew in a deep breath, watching her brace for the worst. "Um, the doctor told me that I was pregnant."

The four people in front of her gasped, her mother mumbling under her breath whilst Hannah and Seb congratulated her and Chris just stared at her. He noticed that the news wasn't exactly good to her so he waited for her to continue.

"But how will you be a single mother? It's hard, Riley, it's difficult. You shouldn't have ended things with Seb before the birth of your child, things will be hard for the kid if they're without their father," her mother started rambling, sounding panicked for her daughter. Riley simple!y pinched the bridge of her nose as she continued before rubbing her temples and then running a hand through her hair. "How does he feel about it? It's his-"

"He didn't want me to keep the child because it's not his, it's Chris's!" Riley snapped frustratedly, everyone's faces dropping. "And if you had just waited I could have explained."

"You slept with Chris?" Hannah asked, looking over to the aforementioned who was pale faced and looking scared. "You, and Chris? You slept together? And now you're having his baby?"

"While you were with Sebastian?" Her mother asked, a hand to her chest.

"It was after I found out that he was cheating," Riley defended herself. "I was angry and drinking and... And yes Hannah, me and Chris slept together."

Silence fell into the living room and she finally brought herself to look at Chris. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?" He said finally, scratching his chin and looking away from Riley. "You knew since that day and you didn't think to tell me I'm the father of your child?"

"This is not good for publicity," her mother mumbled, the thought of what the media would say about her daughter's character filling her with dread. Riley frowned at her, about to argue when Hannah laughed, hitting Seb's arm.

"I'm just fazed by the fact that she slept with Chris."

Riley buried her face into her hands and groaned, their reactions not at all what she expected. She thought she'd wait for them to finish talking about how they felt about this whole situation, but then she realised she wouldn't hear the end of it. She sighed and pulled her hands away from her face, placing them together and under her chin.

"You know what guys, this was a stupid idea, you all know your way out." She said, shaking her head and making her way towards one of the bathrooms that were downstairs, her mother stopping her in her tracks by calling her. Instead of going back over, she turned on her feet and bit her trembling lip as she looked at all of them, not caring anymore if she was crying in front of them. "You think I'm enjoying this? You think that you guys are the only ones affected? I'm the one who has to put my life on hold to carry a baby I didn't even ask for. I don't care about the media, mom, I don't care that I've broken my precious image of innocence, Hannah. And I'm sorry, Chris, that I've surprised you with a baby but you can walk out the door and not have to look back. Everything I thought I knew is gone, the love of my life didn't love me, I'm pregnant with my friends kid and you're either angry that I didn't tell you, or you're worried about the tabloids?" She ranted, wiping her eyes and shaking her head. "Yeah, guys, I'm very okay about this, and I'm very prepared and I'm fine, I'm totally fine, thank you for asking. Like I said, you all know where the door is." She finished, making her way into the bathroom and shutting it as loudly as she possibly could and then letting herself cry.

The others were quiet in the living room, all of them now feeling guilty for the way they handled things, Chris feeling the most guilty. She was supposed to know they were all there for her but instead made her feel far more alone.

He sighed and went over to the bathroom, knocking on the door and waiting a while before he heard the lock then footsteps. He opened the door shortly afterwards and stepped in, shutting it behind him and then looking at her sat in the bathtub with her legs brought up to her chest and her face red and wet with tears.

"Chris, I'm scared." She said before he even opened his mouth to apologize. "I've wanted kids but not this soon. And now I'm single, and I've probably ruined all prospects of your finding a relationship because I was stupid for not taking the pill and now I'm crying in my bathtub, two and half months pregnant with your baby and I'm so fucking scared."

"Well, if it's anything, you're not scared alone." He said to her, taking off his shoes and then getting into the bathtub with her, sitting on the other end and mirroring her seating position. "I'm the father, so I'm not going anywhere."

"But your life, Chris."

"I'm looking at it." He said, giving her half-smile and offering his hand for her to take. "And I'm sorry for not seeing how you were feeling about it. I mean, I would have liked to have known sooner but that's okay."

"So you're not mad at me?" She asked with a light sniffle, taking his hand and letting him give her a light squeeze.

"Oh yeah, I'm pissed." He answered her. "I'm pissed that you thought I'd walk away from you. Who'd you think I am, Sebastian Matthias?" He smiled when she laughed a little and when she started crying again he moved towards her and pulled her into his arms and began to rock her back and forth. "If you're carrying a little Evans inside of you, I'm not going anywhere, that's a promise."