Chapter 47

Kyle started becoming more active after a few weeks passed. She started spending more time outside with Violet and did everything she could to avoid Cannin.

She only saw Cannin at night, and he didn’t pay her any attention, which Kyle was thankful for.

“Here you go,” Violet said, setting lunch in front of Kyle. She was starving and started eating the sandwich and chips that were in front of her.

When she finished the sandwich and chips, she headed out to the garden. She had started a vegetable garden and planted some flowers, and some of them had started to sprout out of the dirt.

“There you are.” Kyle turned around and was greeted by Cannin. She hated being around him.

“What do you want?”

“I want you to come in for a while. We have an engagement to be at tonight, and I need you to pick out a dress.”

“Take someone else.”

“Don’t push me; I don’t have the patience for this today, Kyle.”

Kyle just shrugged at him and kept clipping the flowers in the garden.

“Damn it,” Cannin growled and yanked Kyle up by the arm and pulled her into the house with him.

“You’re a real pain in the ass. If you’d just listen, things would be easier for you. Now, pick out a fucking dress.”

Kyle didn’t care what dress she picked; she knew they were all pretty, so she randomly picked one.

“There. I’m done.”

“Take this seriously, Kyle. It’s important.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

Cannin walked over to her and took the dress out of her hand and handed her a red dress. “You know I like red, so you’ll wear this.”

“Why give me a choice when I really don’t have one?”

“I’m getting tired of your attitude,” he said as he grabbed her chin in his hand and held it firmly. “You’re walking a thin line, and you need to shut up.”

“Let go,” she mumbled. Kyle wasn’t feeling well, and she felt as if she were going to be sick.

“I’ll let go when I know you are listening to me.”

“Seriously, let—” Kyle couldn’t finish her words; she was cut off by the throw-up coming out of her mouth and all over Cannin.

“What the fuck!”

“I told you to let go.”

Cannin walked off to clean up while Kyle ran to the bathroom to finish throwing up her lunch.

***

“I shouldn’t be here, Cannin; I don’t feel well.”

“Suck it up and get through it,” he snapped at her.

The evening event was a dinner that allowed Cannin to make deals with people throughout the country.

“Cannin, dear, it’s nice to see you.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Lydia. This is Kyle, my girlfriend. Kyle, this is Lydia—I work with her husband often. Where is Stan?”

“He’ll be here shortly. He had some business to take care of.”

“I’m sorry, but please excuse me,” Kyle interrupted before running to the bathroom.

Kyle had her head in the toilet when the door opened.

“Here, let me help you.” The lady that came in was Lydia. “I saw you come in here and told Cannin I would check on you. How far along are you?”

“What?” Kyle was confused.

“You can’t hide it from me. You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

Kyle gasped and remembered that she was due her period last week. “I don’t know.”

“Hmm. Freshen up while I talk to Cannin.”

Kyle leaned over the sink, trying to keep herself from panicking. She couldn’t be pregnant. Max and Dimitri wouldn’t want her if she had some other guy’s child. She started crying.

***

“Did you know she was pregnant, Cannin?”

Cannin spit out his drink. “What?”

“I’m pretty sure your girlfriend is sick because she’s pregnant.”

Cannin was shocked. He didn’t even think of the possibility of knocking her up. “I’ve got to go. Tell Stan I’ll call him.”

He found Kyle in the bathroom, crying. “Is it true?”

“I don’t know; my period is late though.”

“Let’s go home; we’ll stop and pick up some tests on the way.”

Cannin was quiet the entire ride back; he didn’t know what to say to Kyle. He always wanted children, but was it right for the child to be conceived the way it was?

Cannin didn’t think he was a horrible guy, but his anger got the best of him. When he got angry at someone, he stayed mad for a while.

When they got home, it was late, but Cannin handed her a test. “Take this now—it’s better to know sooner than later.”

“Can I get Violet to stay with me?”

“Go to the bathroom, and I’ll have Violet here waiting for you.”

When Kyle got back, Violet was sitting on her bed, and Cannin was gone.

“It’s going to be all right,” Violet said to her. She thought it was funny that she saved Violet and Violet ended up becoming her comfort.

“He raped me,” Kyle said in a whisper. “I don’t think I can have his child if I am pregnant.”

“Let’s not think about that right now.”

After the recommended time passed, Kyle got up to look at the stick. There was no denying that there were two pink lines.

Kyle sobbed. She was heartbroken. She knew that she could never go back to Max and Dimitri with someone else’s child, and she wasn’t sure if she could raise this child knowing what happened.

After she calmed down, she went to find Cannin and found him in his office. She didn’t say anything and handed him the pregnancy test.

He thought he would be angry or overwhelmed, but he was happy, he wanted children, and while it wasn’t planned or created in the family way, he was pleased with it.

“I’ll make sure you and the baby are taken care of.”

“What if I don’t want it?” she sobbed out.

“You’ll carry it, and then I will raise the child, and you can leave. That’s the only option.”

Before Kyle could answer, loud bangs sounded from other parts of the house, and one of them came running into the room.

“We’re being attacked!”