Stained Red Chapter Sixteen
Natalie rolled her eyes as she sat on the front porch of her house. It was the middle of the afternoon and Theodore was in school while Zoe had offered to take Audrey and Henry for the day an offer Natalie had taken her up on. Isaac had taken the day off and she had hoped that they could spend the day together but it seemed that fate had other things in store in the form of Nikki.
Nikki had been calling non-stop saying that she had a doctors appointment today and since Taylor refused to go with her that she wanted the other possible baby daddy to go and of course Isaac had agreed because as much as he didn't like Nikki there was still a possibilty her baby was Isaac's and Isaac could never abandon his own child or a baby that could be his.
Running a hand through her hair she sipped on her coffee. It had been three weeks now since Isaac had came back and in those three weeks not a lot had changed. They were still slowly making progress trying to get past the hurt her Theodore lie had done. She had hoped that by now they could have had a hot romantic encounter something they had been on their way too two weeks ago when Kate interuppted them but since then neither seemed in the mood.
Isaac was either too busy or tired and she well she had come down with a bad case of the stomach bug this week. She was sure it was the stomach bug because Henry had had it the week before even if his had only last two days. Hers had been lasting now for four days. Isaac had told her she should go to the doctor just to make sure it was the stomach bug but she had said no.
Truth was Natalie was afraid it was something much bigger than a stomach bug. She had done the math in her head this morning when she had been bent over the porcelain gods. She could be pregnant. She knew her period should have came on or around the twenty-sixth but here it was April third and still nothing except for her getting sick.
A part of her wanted so bad for this to be a fluke that maybe she was just too stressed out but hell Taylor had knocked her up from a one night stand before. It seemed with the two of them they were just destined to have tons of fuck ups when they weren't being careful and they should have been. Yes they had been drunk but she shouldn't have been so careless with Taylor again not when she loved Isaac this time. Not when she had been hoping for him to come back. She shouldn't have even let Taylor get in her pants but she had.
Taking another sip of her coffee she closed her eyes. If she was pregnant Natalie couldn't help but worry that Isaac would leave her again. She knew he could accept Theo but that was because he had been raising Theo since birth. Could Isaac really accept this baby if there was one? Could he handle looking at a child that had been made during a careless one night stand while they had been separated?
Then besides her Isaac questions she had questions on Taylor too. Like would he want this baby? She knew he wouldn't be stupid. This time he would know this was his baby. She couldn't get away with passing it off as Isaac's. Taylor would know and Natalie wasn't sure what he would do once he did. Hell she hadn't seen him since that night he came here while drunk and kissed her. Accusing her of not loving Isaac.
Natalie figured he was just pissed. Pissed that she had rebuffed him but she had too because giving him even the slightest clue that he could have been on to something well it could ruin everything she was trying to keep together, everything she had grown to love and felt safe with. She couldn't risk that one whatever it was Taylor made her feel, especially not when she had her children to think of.
Looking out at the neighborhood in front of her she raised an eyebrow when she saw a familiar car heading toward her house. Watching as it parked she kept her eyebrow raised. "What are you doing here?"
Zac rolled his eyes as he looked down at Natalie, "Oh you know I was just driving around and wanted to come say hi," he replied sarcastically as he sat down beside her on the porch. "I just wanted to let you know Kate left me. She left me because your husband had to go and run his mouth to that bitch Taylor used to date."
"I'm sorry about what Nikki did," Natalie apologized feeling bad that Kate had left Zac. "I think she's only upset because Taylor left her. She's just looking to make everyone feel as miserable as her."
Chuckling Zac shrugged, "Well it's working," he admitted as he chewed his lip. "Without Kate I am miserable. I have resorted to eating frozen pizzas every night now," he laughed though it wasn't a joke. He had been eating frozen pizzas for the past three nights. "Kate says she can't trust me. She says if I lied about being a virgin what else could I lie about."
Frowning at Zac words Natalie reached over and comforted him. It was the least she could do. "If it helps she hates me right now too."
"Doesn't really help," Zac said shaking his head. "But it makes me feel less alone in the dog house."
Natalie laughed at his words, "Well it better be a really big dog house. I mean I don't want to have to share a bed with you," she smiled as she spoke. She may have shared a bed with him once when they were teens but those days had passed. At least with him she could say with certainty she wasn't attracted anymore. He was just someone she was better with as friends.
"And like I want to share a bed with you?" Zac asked before nudging her shoulder. "I think I will pass because I really don't need Taylor or Isaac trying to kill me for getting in their territory."
"I don't think they will kill you," Natalie replied before shaking her head.
Now it was Zac's turn to laugh at that question. Natalie wasn't the one who had to work with them ever since Isaac had came back home. "The tension since Isaac came back to you is enough that you could cut it with a knife. I'm almost glad for the day off even if I do get lonely without Kate."
Natalie raised her eyebrow at Zac's words, "Tension?" she asked knowing Isaac hadn't mentioned having troubles with Taylor. So far she had figured things were fine and that Taylor was trying to move on as was Isaac. Why hadn't Isaac told her that things weren't okay? He could have mentioned it during their counseling sessions which they had started.
"Yes tension," Zac nodded at her question. "They hardly talk to each other and when they do it's only a few words. I keep waiting for the big epic fist fight to happen because I know it will at this rate."
Shaking her head as Zac spoke Natalie frowned, "I never meant for them to be like that Zac," she sighed as she chewed on her lip. At least she knew now if she was pregnant that it could really make things worse than what they were. Taylor and Isaac may have that fist fight Zac saw them having soon.
Zac looked over at Natalie and shrugged, "I never said you meant for them to be like that but you are the cause," he sighed. "You and Nikki are the cause for everyone's troubles lately," he teased. "It's a good thing we all like you a bit better or we'd vote you out of Tulsa and keep the kids."
"Funny," Natalie muttered before nudging Zac playfully. "Really fucking funny."
"I thought so too," Zac smiled as he stood from the porch. "I should get going. I have to go invest in more frozen pizzas," he pouted before turning to head to his truck.
Watching Zac leave Natalie stood from the porch herself. It was the idea of frozen pizzas that made her stomach start to flip-flop and she quickly picked up her half full coffee cup and head inside. She barely had enough time to take the cup to the kitchen but she did before running to the bathroom where she found herself getting sick again.
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Sitting on the couch later that night Natalie sighed, she had finally given in and went to the doctor and now she held the results of the test they had done in her hand. A simple piece of paper told her what she had known and been afraid of. She was pregnant with Taylor's baby and now whenever Isaac came home from god knew where she had to tell him. She had to tell him she was carrying his brother's baby again.
When the door opened Natalie looked up forcing a smile as she folded the paper up and put it in the pocket of her jeans. "Hey baby," she said when Isaac came into view. "Dinner is in the stove to keep it warm and the kids are in bed so don't make too much noise," she spoke knowing it'd be better to tell him after he ate. He was always grouchy if he was hungry.
"I already ate before coming home," Isaac half-smiled as he walked to where Natalie sat on the couch. "I'm sorry it took me so long getting back but Nikki was being over-dramatic and so I just decided to go for a really long drive after seeing her. I ended up at mom's and I kind of ate there."
Laughing some Natalie moved closer to Isaac as he joined her on the couch, "Your mom's food is better than mine so I don't blame you for eating there," she sighed smiling some as she felt Isaac's arm slip around her. Now was the chance to tell him but damn it she was so nervous because she kept remembering what Zac had said earlier. The tension between him and Taylor. If he knew she was pregnant by Taylor it would make things so much harder but she knew there was no way she could keep it a secret forever.
"I went to the doctor today," she finally said deciding to pull the band aid off. "I found out what's wrong with me."
Hearing Natalie say she had been to the doctor Isaac looked at her curiously, "And is it a bad case of the stomach bug?" he asked when she said she had found out what was wrong with her.
"No," Natalie muttered as she reached into her pocket and took out the folded up paper. "I'm pregnant," she said as she handed it to him.
Taking the paper from Natalie, Isaac opened it and looked it over. She indeed was pregnant according to both the blood and urine test they had done. "It's his baby," he stated knowing there was no way this baby was his.
Nodding Natalie chewed on her lip, "It is Taylor's baby."
"Are you going to take care of it?" Isaac asked handing the paper back to her.
When she took the paper back from him Natalie eyed him. She was sure of what he was asking but she wanted to make sure she had heard him right. "Take care of it?" she asked her voice raising some.
Isaac nodded as he looked at Natalie. Her voice being raised took him by surprise, "An abortion," he said feeling shitty for even saying it but he just assumed. It wasn't like she wanted this baby and a baby would just make things more complicated especially with Nikki's pregnancy and not knowing who the father was. Not to mention Isaac knew this baby would make Taylor even more of a fixture in their life more than he already was with his feelings for Natalie and him learning that he was Theo's father.
It was petty Isaac knew but in the end a part of him just wanted one less reason for Taylor to be in the picture. Heck he was doing a good job at staying out now even with the truth about Theo being out in the open to him, though Isaac figured Taylor was just getting over the hurt Natalie had dealt by rejecting him.
"I haven't considered abortion," Natalie told Isaac as she stood from the couch feeling rather appalled that he would think she would. "I don't see why you would even think that," she spoke before turning and heading upstairs. Right now she wasn't even sure if the man who spoke that word was her husband. She hadn't thought Isaac would even want that. Yes she figured he would be mad but asking her if she planned on an abortion. He should know she wouldn't do that.
Natalie rolled her eyes as she sat on the front porch of her house. It was the middle of the afternoon and Theodore was in school while Zoe had offered to take Audrey and Henry for the day an offer Natalie had taken her up on. Isaac had taken the day off and she had hoped that they could spend the day together but it seemed that fate had other things in store in the form of Nikki.
Nikki had been calling non-stop saying that she had a doctors appointment today and since Taylor refused to go with her that she wanted the other possible baby daddy to go and of course Isaac had agreed because as much as he didn't like Nikki there was still a possibilty her baby was Isaac's and Isaac could never abandon his own child or a baby that could be his.
Running a hand through her hair she sipped on her coffee. It had been three weeks now since Isaac had came back and in those three weeks not a lot had changed. They were still slowly making progress trying to get past the hurt her Theodore lie had done. She had hoped that by now they could have had a hot romantic encounter something they had been on their way too two weeks ago when Kate interuppted them but since then neither seemed in the mood.
Isaac was either too busy or tired and she well she had come down with a bad case of the stomach bug this week. She was sure it was the stomach bug because Henry had had it the week before even if his had only last two days. Hers had been lasting now for four days. Isaac had told her she should go to the doctor just to make sure it was the stomach bug but she had said no.
Truth was Natalie was afraid it was something much bigger than a stomach bug. She had done the math in her head this morning when she had been bent over the porcelain gods. She could be pregnant. She knew her period should have came on or around the twenty-sixth but here it was April third and still nothing except for her getting sick.
A part of her wanted so bad for this to be a fluke that maybe she was just too stressed out but hell Taylor had knocked her up from a one night stand before. It seemed with the two of them they were just destined to have tons of fuck ups when they weren't being careful and they should have been. Yes they had been drunk but she shouldn't have been so careless with Taylor again not when she loved Isaac this time. Not when she had been hoping for him to come back. She shouldn't have even let Taylor get in her pants but she had.
Taking another sip of her coffee she closed her eyes. If she was pregnant Natalie couldn't help but worry that Isaac would leave her again. She knew he could accept Theo but that was because he had been raising Theo since birth. Could Isaac really accept this baby if there was one? Could he handle looking at a child that had been made during a careless one night stand while they had been separated?
Then besides her Isaac questions she had questions on Taylor too. Like would he want this baby? She knew he wouldn't be stupid. This time he would know this was his baby. She couldn't get away with passing it off as Isaac's. Taylor would know and Natalie wasn't sure what he would do once he did. Hell she hadn't seen him since that night he came here while drunk and kissed her. Accusing her of not loving Isaac.
Natalie figured he was just pissed. Pissed that she had rebuffed him but she had too because giving him even the slightest clue that he could have been on to something well it could ruin everything she was trying to keep together, everything she had grown to love and felt safe with. She couldn't risk that one whatever it was Taylor made her feel, especially not when she had her children to think of.
Looking out at the neighborhood in front of her she raised an eyebrow when she saw a familiar car heading toward her house. Watching as it parked she kept her eyebrow raised. "What are you doing here?"
Zac rolled his eyes as he looked down at Natalie, "Oh you know I was just driving around and wanted to come say hi," he replied sarcastically as he sat down beside her on the porch. "I just wanted to let you know Kate left me. She left me because your husband had to go and run his mouth to that bitch Taylor used to date."
"I'm sorry about what Nikki did," Natalie apologized feeling bad that Kate had left Zac. "I think she's only upset because Taylor left her. She's just looking to make everyone feel as miserable as her."
Chuckling Zac shrugged, "Well it's working," he admitted as he chewed his lip. "Without Kate I am miserable. I have resorted to eating frozen pizzas every night now," he laughed though it wasn't a joke. He had been eating frozen pizzas for the past three nights. "Kate says she can't trust me. She says if I lied about being a virgin what else could I lie about."
Frowning at Zac words Natalie reached over and comforted him. It was the least she could do. "If it helps she hates me right now too."
"Doesn't really help," Zac said shaking his head. "But it makes me feel less alone in the dog house."
Natalie laughed at his words, "Well it better be a really big dog house. I mean I don't want to have to share a bed with you," she smiled as she spoke. She may have shared a bed with him once when they were teens but those days had passed. At least with him she could say with certainty she wasn't attracted anymore. He was just someone she was better with as friends.
"And like I want to share a bed with you?" Zac asked before nudging her shoulder. "I think I will pass because I really don't need Taylor or Isaac trying to kill me for getting in their territory."
"I don't think they will kill you," Natalie replied before shaking her head.
Now it was Zac's turn to laugh at that question. Natalie wasn't the one who had to work with them ever since Isaac had came back home. "The tension since Isaac came back to you is enough that you could cut it with a knife. I'm almost glad for the day off even if I do get lonely without Kate."
Natalie raised her eyebrow at Zac's words, "Tension?" she asked knowing Isaac hadn't mentioned having troubles with Taylor. So far she had figured things were fine and that Taylor was trying to move on as was Isaac. Why hadn't Isaac told her that things weren't okay? He could have mentioned it during their counseling sessions which they had started.
"Yes tension," Zac nodded at her question. "They hardly talk to each other and when they do it's only a few words. I keep waiting for the big epic fist fight to happen because I know it will at this rate."
Shaking her head as Zac spoke Natalie frowned, "I never meant for them to be like that Zac," she sighed as she chewed on her lip. At least she knew now if she was pregnant that it could really make things worse than what they were. Taylor and Isaac may have that fist fight Zac saw them having soon.
Zac looked over at Natalie and shrugged, "I never said you meant for them to be like that but you are the cause," he sighed. "You and Nikki are the cause for everyone's troubles lately," he teased. "It's a good thing we all like you a bit better or we'd vote you out of Tulsa and keep the kids."
"Funny," Natalie muttered before nudging Zac playfully. "Really fucking funny."
"I thought so too," Zac smiled as he stood from the porch. "I should get going. I have to go invest in more frozen pizzas," he pouted before turning to head to his truck.
Watching Zac leave Natalie stood from the porch herself. It was the idea of frozen pizzas that made her stomach start to flip-flop and she quickly picked up her half full coffee cup and head inside. She barely had enough time to take the cup to the kitchen but she did before running to the bathroom where she found herself getting sick again.
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Sitting on the couch later that night Natalie sighed, she had finally given in and went to the doctor and now she held the results of the test they had done in her hand. A simple piece of paper told her what she had known and been afraid of. She was pregnant with Taylor's baby and now whenever Isaac came home from god knew where she had to tell him. She had to tell him she was carrying his brother's baby again.
When the door opened Natalie looked up forcing a smile as she folded the paper up and put it in the pocket of her jeans. "Hey baby," she said when Isaac came into view. "Dinner is in the stove to keep it warm and the kids are in bed so don't make too much noise," she spoke knowing it'd be better to tell him after he ate. He was always grouchy if he was hungry.
"I already ate before coming home," Isaac half-smiled as he walked to where Natalie sat on the couch. "I'm sorry it took me so long getting back but Nikki was being over-dramatic and so I just decided to go for a really long drive after seeing her. I ended up at mom's and I kind of ate there."
Laughing some Natalie moved closer to Isaac as he joined her on the couch, "Your mom's food is better than mine so I don't blame you for eating there," she sighed smiling some as she felt Isaac's arm slip around her. Now was the chance to tell him but damn it she was so nervous because she kept remembering what Zac had said earlier. The tension between him and Taylor. If he knew she was pregnant by Taylor it would make things so much harder but she knew there was no way she could keep it a secret forever.
"I went to the doctor today," she finally said deciding to pull the band aid off. "I found out what's wrong with me."
Hearing Natalie say she had been to the doctor Isaac looked at her curiously, "And is it a bad case of the stomach bug?" he asked when she said she had found out what was wrong with her.
"No," Natalie muttered as she reached into her pocket and took out the folded up paper. "I'm pregnant," she said as she handed it to him.
Taking the paper from Natalie, Isaac opened it and looked it over. She indeed was pregnant according to both the blood and urine test they had done. "It's his baby," he stated knowing there was no way this baby was his.
Nodding Natalie chewed on her lip, "It is Taylor's baby."
"Are you going to take care of it?" Isaac asked handing the paper back to her.
When she took the paper back from him Natalie eyed him. She was sure of what he was asking but she wanted to make sure she had heard him right. "Take care of it?" she asked her voice raising some.
Isaac nodded as he looked at Natalie. Her voice being raised took him by surprise, "An abortion," he said feeling shitty for even saying it but he just assumed. It wasn't like she wanted this baby and a baby would just make things more complicated especially with Nikki's pregnancy and not knowing who the father was. Not to mention Isaac knew this baby would make Taylor even more of a fixture in their life more than he already was with his feelings for Natalie and him learning that he was Theo's father.
It was petty Isaac knew but in the end a part of him just wanted one less reason for Taylor to be in the picture. Heck he was doing a good job at staying out now even with the truth about Theo being out in the open to him, though Isaac figured Taylor was just getting over the hurt Natalie had dealt by rejecting him.
"I haven't considered abortion," Natalie told Isaac as she stood from the couch feeling rather appalled that he would think she would. "I don't see why you would even think that," she spoke before turning and heading upstairs. Right now she wasn't even sure if the man who spoke that word was her husband. She hadn't thought Isaac would even want that. Yes she figured he would be mad but asking her if she planned on an abortion. He should know she wouldn't do that.