Chapter 5 Chapter Five
ELENA
Pregnant.
That word created a long silence between us, and Cal didn't move, he just stared at me without words.
For a moment, I was trying to predict his next move. I thought he would laugh and tell me I was lying, or call the security on me, but he proved me wrong. He stepped closer until there was no space between us.
"Say it again” he said.
"I'm pregnant.” I said, "Two months."
His eyes went down to my stomach and then back to my face. I saw shock in them, but also something else. Maybe fear.
"You just showed up here?" he asked, his voice quiet. "No call? No message?"
"I didn't know how to call you, Caleb” I said. It felt strange to say his full name. “Since you only told me your first name that night."
"And you didn't check who I was?" he asked.
"I didn't think I had to” I said. "We both said one night, no names, no past. That was the deal."
"Yeah, that was before you got pregnant with my child."
The word “child” hit me hard, and my chest felt tight.
"I'm not here for money” I said fast. "I don't want your house or your name. I just wanted you to know. My baby should know who his father is."
Caleb looked past me to the White House gate where reporters were gathering. If they saw me now, it would be all over the news by tonight, and he let go of my hands as his face got hard.
"How can you be pregnant?" he said. "You’re telling me you don’t know about protection?"
"I didn't come here to fight” I said. "I just told you. Why didn’t you use protection since you clearly know much about it”
"It’s not safe for you here, you can't stay," he said.
"Then where should I go?" I asked. "Back to my apartment and act like this isn't real?"
He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair the same way he did on the balcony that night, then said, "Come with me. Now."
He took my arm and led me away from the gate, and the guards didn't stop him because no one dared stop Caleb Sterling. He took me to a black car with the door already open.
"Get in” he said.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Away from the cameras and away from people who shouldn't know you were here," he said as he looked over my shoulder.
I turned and looked, but I didn't see anyone. Caleb saw me looking and held my arm a little tighter.
"Get in, Elena. We will talk inside."
I had no choice, because if I stayed here I would be on every news site by morning, so I got into the car and Caleb followed. The door shut and the car zoomed off, and the ride was quiet.
"How far along are you?" Caleb finally broke the silence.
"Eight weeks” I said. "I found out this morning."
He leaned back and closed his eyes like the news was too much, then said, "Goddamn it, Elena!”
"I know."
"No, you don't," he opened his eyes and looked at me. "My father has an election in three months, and if this comes out it will ruin him, ruin me too. My company, my name. Did you fucking plan this?” He was angry.
“No. Do you think I want to be pregnant?”
“I don’t know. For all I know you could be a desperate woman trying to find who to leech off”
“Don’t you dare!” I warned him.
"I’m sorry. I’m just confused” he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"You think I'm lying?" I asked in a shaky voice.
"I don't know you, Elena” he said.
“I have spent two months thinking about a woman I didn't even know her last name and now you show up saying you’re pregnant. How did you expect me to react?”
Tears came to my eyes, but I held them back.
"Fine. Don’t believe me” I said.
“Have you seen a doctor?” He asked in a gruff voice.
“No. I just took a home test”
“Are those 100% accurate?”
“I haven’t seen my period and I’ve been nauseous”
Caleb's face changed for a second.
The car slowed down at a big gate I didn't know, and Caleb turned to me.
"Here is what we will do. You are coming with me to my house, and we will do a DNA test in private. If the baby is mine, you and the baby will be safe with me. If it's not, then we go our separate ways, and we never see each other again”
The car stopped, Caleb got out and opened my door.
"But if it is mine..." He paused. "Then we have a big problem and we have to keep it hidden” I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll know after the result. For now, just come inside” he said.
The guard on my side opened the door and held out his hand.
"Ms. Vance” he said nicely.
I took his hand and came out. Caleb didn’t bother to wait for me and he was already strolling into the house.
I had gotten myself into such a big mess. Caleb’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he looked at it and frowned.
“It’s my father. I need to take this” he said.
He stepped a little away and spoke in a low voice. I couldn’t hear the words but his tone was serious, and when he hung up he looked at me again.
“He wants me at the White House in an hour for dinner with foreign guests and I can’t miss it” Caleb said.
“So what about me and the reason I’m here?” I asked.
“The doctor would take the test here in private. When he’s done you can go home”
“And after that?”
“When the result is out, I’ll find a way to handle it” he said.
“So what if it comes out positively? What then are we going to do?”
“Like I said I’ll handle it. Your only prayer should be your claims are true, if not you’ll regret ever meeting me. I promise you” I sculpted nervously.
“D-don’t threaten me. This is all your fault” he turned away and spoke on the phone and after a moment he turned back to me.
“The doctor would be here soon. Go and get ready”
The next morning, the ringing from my phone woke me up. It was Tessa, my best friend, sounding scared.
“Elena! Have you seen the news?”
“No, why?”
“You’re on it. That’s what is trending. Paparazzi caught you with President son yesterday and ‘Mystery Woman Meets Sterling Heir’ is everywhere.”
My stomach dropped.
“Tessa, what are they saying?”
“That you’re pregnant and he’s hiding a secret child. Elena, it’s all over the internet”
I sat down on my bed. So much for keeping it quiet.
“Don’t talk to anyone” Tessa said. “Call me when you’re ready. I’m coming over.”
I hung up and stared at the wall. So that was what he meant by ‘he’ll handle it’.
