[FLASH BACK]
" You said it was urgent", his voice came out with concern.
This was was John in front of Paige. Before John left to become a gamer, they had agreed on the meeting spot which was the park, the time, exactly midnight. The park was less suspicious since it was an open place.
They would disguise themselves so no one could recognize them. But today was different, John had come out after the urgent call from Paige his girlfriend.
He wanted to decline since it was the most crucial moment of his life but he still came out.
He hoped to also share the good news with her.
He had officially become a gamer.
Now they were at the park not disguised this time. It was eleven in the night, everywhere seemed quiet. It was to their favor.
Paige was wearing a singlet with a jean trouser. She didn't look okay at all. She had been kicked out the house after her relatives found out she was pregnant.
It wouldn't have been a crime but she was to young to go through such. She was just eighteen.
John noticed her shivering and covering herself with her arms, so he took off his coat and covered her. It was really freezing outside yet she wore something light.
To her, that wasn't her concern she had more bigger problems to deal with.
" Paige", he called out, snapping her out of her thought. Since he arrived, he noticed that she has been trembling but he couldn't just set his mind on what would make her be in this state.
He thoughts that the news he had will maybe cheer her up. He gently pulls her to his chest and gave her a tight hug,
" Are you feeling better now?", he asked, his hands tightly folding her to his chest.
John had a figure every girl could die for. Even if he was just twenty two years old, he nearly had a figure like a fully grown man. In their area, people who knew the two were dating, also felt jealous because they were the cutest couple.
They were always clingy to each other. Not until when he decided to pursue what he really loved, everyone thought they had broken up. That wasn't the case, they were still secretly meeting each other.
She nods in response.
" I am officially a gamer, my team and I will officially go live by next month", he finally shared the news. But no response came, he pulls her away from his chest slowly to see her expression.
He couldn't read anything, she on the other hand noticed how happy he was about it, obviously that was all he dreamed of.
To become a gamer.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his hands around her shoulders.
She shook her head slowly, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"It is… It is….
"— You don't seem to look happy about it, or are you having problems at home?" he cut in. His mind took him back to her dressing, she never dressed like this maybe not while he was dating her.
Could something have happened to her at home?.
Still anxiously waiting for an answer,
" Just tell me already, you're making me nervous too". He broke out, his eyes were trembling, he thoughts that maybe she was being beaten up again at home or seeing her dressed like this, she could have been kicked out of the house.
They both came from poor background, but Paige came from a more worse family. Everyone in their neighborhood knew how they treated her.
She always get beaten up for small things and for no reason at all. She was a tool for lashing out your anger. She lost her mom when she was given birth too, maybe that was what brought the hatred.
They made her do all the work, at least the ones that won't kill her at her young age. She had senior brother but they were all useless.
John recently moved into the neighborhood with his parents, that was how they met. He had taken out the trash that night when he spotted guy beating up a girl. He went up to save her by throwing punches on the guy. By then he didn't know they were siblings.
She didn't know if disclosing this was going to ruin everything. Revealing her pregnancy could mean John giving up what he loved, she didn't expect anything from him but the aftermath, she didn't see coming,
"I- I'm pregnant," she blurted out, her voice trembling.
She twisted her fingers nervously in the hem of the coat.
His eyes widened for a split second, then narrowed back in shock.
"What?!!"
"I said I'm pregnant," she repeated softly, her voice cracking.
If there was a way for silence to be heard, maybe that would have been the only thing heard after she repeated those words.
He withdrew his hands from her shoulders and took a step backwards, she was surprised of this move of his.
'No! He can't also dumped her like her parents did', she cried silently.
This made tears run down her cheeks. Of course, she wasn't expecting much. She didn't even know what she wanted at the moment.
She was eighteen, getting pregnant wasn't part of her plan, she was barely managing to feed herself and her family and now another mouth has been added to her.
"You expect me to believe that's mine"
Okay, that tone came out of nowhere.
Was he really going to ditch her at this point of her life?
Paige flinched as if she has just been slapped.
"What are you saying?"
At this moment, he remembered everything Rachel his ex had topd him about Paige. He didn't believe her and chose to side with his girlfriend, but Paige revealing she was pregnant brought doubt.
" Since when did you go back to work at the club?", his voice came out with anger. That sweet, soft caring eyes changed to something dangerous. It was full of anger now.
" How did you know?", she asked back.
He scoffs,
" I asked a question?",
" Not long ago. But I swear it not what you think, I did it because I needed the money", she explains.
But he didn't want to hear,
"You think I don't know?" he said bitterly, stepping closer. "You've been out there with other guys before. How am I sure that baby is mine".
He wasn't wrong, Paige usually works in a club, that was her life until John pulls her out of it. He didn't expect her to go back to her old life just because she needed money. They were other ways to earn.
Tears stung paige's eyes. She became angry and embarrassed, yes she had a dirty life but all that was put away when she met John and he knows that.
She had just met a client the club, she was told to just keep him company and she will be paid fully. She didn't believe it at first but she tried it. Her client wasn't bad at all, he didn't even touch her, they just talked until time was up and that was it.
Even if she explains it to him, will he believe her?
"Yes, I used to go out with men, but I never slept with any of them! That you know, John!!. After we met, I stopped. I've been living my life decently now, working double shifts just to take care of myself and my family. You think I'd throw all that away?"
His jaw clenched. For a moment, he looked away from her while running a hand through his hair.
" I'm not talking about that Paige!! Can't you see, you're indirectly reporting yourself to me", his tone increased as he returned his gaze to her.
For a second she didn't understand what he meant by that,
" What are you talking about? W-what do you mean by what you said?", her voice came out trembling, what did he know that she didn't. And why did he sound so confident about it.
" I know you went out with James", he finally revealed, those eyes of his were fixed on hers. They looked betrayed.
Yeah, James was actually the client she had met and kept company with. He was her ex from a one year relationship.
Her eyes widens by how much he knew,
" Y-Yh, I met with him but nothing happened between us. We…
"— stop with the pretence joy!. I know you spent the night at the club with him. Rachel told me everything. I didn't want to believe her, that was also the reason I agreed for us to meet. I thought maybe I could share my success with you and we could talk about us. But here you are, trying to place a pregnancy on me. Do you know how you sound like?"
So he knew she met up with James, then why couldn't he reach out to her after that. Why didn't he call to know how she was doing. Most especially, how could he believe his ex without even hearing her own side of the story.
" So you are still talking to Rachel, when did that happen?",
She questions, tears running down her cheeks non-stop. It was aching, her heart. So much that she thought she wasn't breathing.
To crown it all she was tired, of her family, herself, this pregnancy and her relationship. She just wanted to end it all. Still that little hope of hers that he could change his mind lingered.
" Do you think I want to become a mom with how shitty my life is going on" she said, stepping closer.
"I was shocked too! I didn't even believe it at first. But it's true. I swear, John—this baby is yours."
He didn't bother looking at her though his eyes were red and teary. He just couldn't believe she could cheat on him. He didn't even want to have another conversation with her. To end it all, he had to make it look like he doesn't regret it,
"I don't think I can do this," he said finally.
Paige's breath hitched. "What? John please, I don't have where to go, I was just kicked out of the house, please I beg you. You don't have to accept it, just don't abandon me too like my parents did"
She begged, her eyes were red from the tears that came out tirelessly form her eyes. She held onto his hand tightly.
He shoves away not in a hurtful manner, he made sure no tears dropped and he didn't even show any sign of emotions,
"There's no need for you to come looking for me anymore. Whatever this is—this pregnancy—it's not my problem because I know it is not mine"
Her knees fe
lt weak, but she forced herself to stay standing. "You can't mean that," she whispered.
"I do." Those word, sounded final in her ears.
[ END OF FLASHBACK]