Tempest In A Teacup Chapter Nine

Parking my car outside Arnie's Bar I get out hoping Austin hasn't left already. I am running late but only because the baby decided it didn't agree with the lunch I had this afternoon and it was going to make me sick for the rest of the day. Hell I was taking a risk coming out now because I still felt like I could hurl at any moment.

Opening the door I go inside, looking around until I spot Austin sitting at a table not far from the bar. Walking over I sit down opposite him, "Sorry I am late. I..I'm pregnant and my baby didn't agree with my lunch choice."

Austin just shrugs as if my being late doesn't bother him. "All that matters is you came," he says as he takes a drink from the beer he must have ordered before I got here.

"True," I smile before taking a deep breath. A part of me feels anxious to know what he wants to tell me about Bethany. "So, you said you had something to tell me about Bethany. Something Zac wouldn't believe if it came from you."

Austin confirms my words by nodding his head yes, a hand running through his long locks. I hate to say he looks scared but he does. He also looks a little sad as well. "You know Bethany was pregnant," he starts off before taking a long drink. "She said the baby was Zac's and then she had a miscarriage a few weeks back. It wasn't a miscarriage," he frowns and I can see a few tears going down his cheek.

"What do you mean it wasn't a miscarriage?" I ask him feeling confused. I know if it wasn't a miscarriage there is only one other option but that doesn't make sense to me. She is too obsessed with Zac to want to abort his baby. She knows having his baby would tie them together for life.

Swallowing as I see more tears go down Austin's cheek it's then I know but I need to hear him say it. I need him to confirm what I am thinking.

"She had an abortion," Austin confesses before taking another drink of his beer. "That crazy bitch had an abortion because when she went for her first check-up she found out she was only two weeks pregnant not two months. There was no way that the baby was Zac's. She was having my child and she killed it."

I can't help but look away from Austin as I feel a lump form in my throat. I knew Bethany was crazy but I had never pegged her as being that crazy or cruel. "I'm sorry," I whisper when I look back at him.

Austin just wipes his tears away, "Sorry won't bring the baby back," he speaks with sadness I have never heard before. "I'm just sorry that she and her sister concocted the miscarriage story and blamed her visit with you as the reason."

"Visit with me?" I ask him feeling confused again. "What visit with me?"

A look of realization passes over Austin's face as he shakes his head. "Figures she'd lie about that too. I guess she wanted to make you look bad with that asshole Hanson."

Crinkling my nose I shake my head, "What in the hell are you talking about?" I ask again wanting to know how she has made me look bad to Zac.

"She said she went to visit you. It was the day you first came back in November. She said you guys had words before she went to the hospital for her appointment. She told Zac your argument is what lead to her cramping," he informs me and I feel my blood boil because I know that I hadn't seen Bethany once during that time except the day she dropped by Zac's apartment but only then it was in passing.

I shake my head, "I never saw her that day except at Zac's apartment," I tell him before shaking my head. I should say more to him but right now I don't know what. It seems now Bethany and I our both keeping things from Zac. Bethany is letting him believe she miscarried his baby while in actuality she aborted Austin's baby and I am letting him believe the baby I am pregnant with is our first when I know River is our first child together.

"I figured I would tell you this in case you wanted to tell Zac, try to get your man back," Austin says as he looks down at his now empty beer mug.

I smile some before chewing my lip, "But Zac is going to wonder how I know this and I'll have to tell him. Who says he'll believe it when he knows it came from you?"

It's almost as if Austin was expecting my question because I watch him reach into his pocket and he soon slides a folded up paper across the the table. A paper which I take and unfold my eyes widening as I look at Bethany's hospital discharge papers and the procedures for her to take once she is released.

"How did you get this?" I ask him as I slip the paper into my purse. "I mean I don't think Bethany would willingly tell you these things."

Austin smiles finally and this time it looks real, "I gave her sister Leigh some attention. Leigh has a big mouth if she thinks you love her more than Bethany. I asked Leigh for proof myself after she confessed stuff too me. Those papers are what she gave me as proof."

I nod before taking a deep breath, "T..thank you for telling me," I smile feeling a bit hopeful that now maybe I have something to use against Bethany to get Zac back. That if I tell Zac he will believe me. "I should get going though," I say as I slip off the chair at the table.

"Can you let me know when she loses Zac?" Austin ask right after I turn my back to him. "I just want to know so I can laugh in her face because karma sucks for her."

Nodding my head again, I close my eyes before answering him. "I'll let you know," I say before walking off.
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The next day I find myself torn on what to do. Should I tell Zac or just hope he finds out on his own? What good would it be for me to out Bethany when I too am lying about something just as big. Something that could jeopardize my ever getting Zac to want to be with me.

There is only one thing I know to do and that's to get an outside opinion. I had called Nikki earlier and asked her to come over. I still had time to spare before Taylor brought the kids back so I knew we had time to talk. I needed to tell someone else about this stuff. Someone who had no hidden agenda's and whose hands were clean in this mess.

By the time she arrived I was sure I had paced back and forth so much in the living room that there was a hole in the floor. It was a relief just to hear the knock and know she was here. Opening the door I give her a grateful smile.

"Sorry if I am abusing the option to hang out with you," I laugh, trying to cover up my nerves. "I just needed someone to talk too about things."

Nikki shakes her head as she comes inside, "It's fine Natalie," she assures me and I am surprised at how honest she sounds. "It gives me a chance to leave the house which I don't get too do much at the moment. Though I am curious what it is you need to talk about."

Closing the door I head into my living room, sitting down on the couch. "Zac and Bethany," I admit watching as she just gives me a look as if she should have known it was them. "I have a secret on Bethany but I'm not sure I can reveal it. Not when I am just as bad as she is."

"What kind of secret?" Nikki asks as she sits down beside me. "And I'm sure you aren't as bad as her."

I want to laugh at Nikki saying I am not as bad as Bethany. Once she knows everything she will probably take that back. "I...I know she didn't have a miscarriage," I confess watching as Nikki just gives me a confused look. At least now I know what I probably looked like last night with Austin. "She had an abortion."

"Why would she abort Zac's baby? We all know she is crazy about Zac and a baby would ensure a piece of Zac forever," Nikki states which makes me laugh some because I had almost those same exact thoughts last night.

"Because it wasn't Zac's baby," I answer. "You remember our waiter yesterday? It turns out he is Bethany's ex and the baby she was pregnant with was his. When she had her first check up and ultrasound she found out she was only two weeks pregnant not two months."

By the end of my words Nikki's face almost looks as if it could fall off, or well just her mouth does. It's obvious she is shocked by all of this. "When did you find out?" she asks finally speaking after several attempts of her mouth just moving and nothing coming out.

I look down from her glance, "Last night. Before we left the restaurant Austin asked me to meet him at some bar so I did. That was when he confessed what he knew and he gave me her discharge papers from the hospital," I say before pointing to where the proof lays on the table. Proof that Nikki picks up and reads. Again her mouth almost looks as if it could fall off.

"And what makes you think you could be as bad as this?" Nikki asks me as she locks eyes with me.

Looking away I chew on my lip, "Because River is Zac's son," I confess my eyes finally looking at her again. "Zac was drunk one night before his wedding to Kate. He came over and things just happened. He doesn't remember it. Taylor always knew though, he knew the moment I found out. We hadn't had sex in three months so he knew it was impossible for him to be the dad and I confessed everything to him. He decided that we'd keep the truth to ourselves for Zac's sake. He didn't want to ruin his happy upcoming marriage to Kate. "

Nikki just stares at me for the longest time after that. I'm almost afraid I may have scared her into silence or something but eventually I see her open her mouth to talk, "And you feel guilty now?"

I nod shrugging my shoulders, "Now that I have fallen in love with him yeah. Now that I'm having another one of his babies I do feel guilty but Taylor has already said I can't tell him the truth. I'll be certain to lose him once he knows," I frown knowing that sounds pathetic.

"Well Taylor is an ass and I think Zac deserves to know. About Bethany's secret and your own," Nikki tells me as if a mother is scolding her child. "I really don't see how you even pretended Taylor was the father when pregnant with River," Nikki says as she puts a hand on her stomach.

Giving her a confused look I raise my eyebrow, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well I mean Zac's positive rh wise," Nikki tells me though I already knew this. "And you're negative...last I remember when I was pregnant with Everett and Diana was listing the family history she said Taylor was negative too. Two negative parents can't have a positive child. That means by pretending that Taylor was the father you put yourself and River at risk for Rh disease."

I shake my head at her words, "I didn't lie to the doctors. I was honest with them that the baby wasn't my husbands and that the baby's father had a positive rh. Just like I have told them with this baby."

Nikki's expression softens some at my words, "That's good then but it is still horrible you lied..are lying. You may lose him but I say tell him. Tell him when you tell him Bethany's secret that way he knows you telling about Bethany isn't just out of jealousy."

"O..okay," I reluctantly agree. "I'll tell him."

Nikki seems satisfied with my answer and soon she says she has to get back before Isaac goes crazy watching both boys. I have to laugh at that but I bid her goodbye and spend the rest of my afternoon trying to talk my nerve into deciding how I will tell Zac.

It isn't until that night when I am getting ready for bed that I decide I will tell him while we are in Jamaica, a trip that I asked Taylor about today, telling him I wanted to go. I'd leave my kids with our nanny Carly.

Even though Taylor and Bethany will both be there in Jamaica I will tell him then. Telling him there may keep him from reacting too badly. At least I hope so.