I'm laughing at the comments about S. being an ass - hopefully he manages to redeem himself in the coming chapters. But maybe not. This chapter might be a bit controversial for some of you. I say you're entitled to your opinion, but just deal with it.
All characters in this story are over the age of 18.
*
Five minutes later, I took my seat in the second pew on the right. I had told S. to count to twenty before emerging, and he followed my instructions, appearing just after I had settled myself into my seat. He strode to the altar, a new shirt nipped from the closet poking out from underneath his jacket, and took his place next to his brother, who looked from S. to me with an uninterpretable expression. I crossed and recrossed my legs nervously until I got a glare from an elderly woman across the aisle.
"Sorry," I mouthed. I could still feel S.'s come slowly leaking out of me onto the inside of my dress. And then the music began to play.
Everyone stood and turned to watch the flower girl, then the bridesmaids, then finally the bride, accompanied by her father, slowly walk up the aisle. I stared at S.'s soon-to-be-wife, hating her and pitying her at the same time. If I was in her position, and found out my fiancΓ© had sex with another woman just moments before he married her...I couldn't even imagine. I loathed the fact that I was the other woman. But at the same time, I thought as I glanced up at S....I sort of enjoyed it, too. My cheeks burned as she walked past and I chose to stare at the back of the person seated in front of me. The priest rambled through his spiel and I bowed my head and shut my eyes until I heard him ask S. if he took this woman to be his lawfully wedded wife. I looked up and our gazes connected for a split second, and then S. said, "I do."
Using my better judgment for once, I decided to skip the reception. I received a text from S. on my way home -- "Where are you?" I couldn't reply. Instead I texted my roommate, slowly typing out the letters -- "I just had sex with S." She responded within seconds -- "OMG what about the wedding??" "Still on," I answered. "He is married now. Skipped the reception and on my way home. Can't even deal with this." J. let me know that she would pick me up from the train station and I leaned my head back against the plastic seat, silent tears running down my cheeks.
* * *
About a month later, during which I received seven text messages from S., all some variation of "Please talk to me," I felt sharp pains in my stomach and nearly collapsed in the shower. I called in sick to work, took a taxi to the hospital, and the ER doctor informed me of what I already suspected -- I was about four weeks pregnant. I had meant to take the morning-after pill the day after the wedding, but amidst all the other turmoil I was feeling I had somehow forgotten. "Fuck," I whispered as the nurse came in to get some paperwork, and she patted my shoulder sympathetically.
"Is there anyone I can call for you, sweetie?" I shook my head. J. was out of town, my parents were hundreds of miles away, and I couldn't think of another person to contact. Except S. I dialed the numbers slowly, reconsidering after every push of the button, until the receiver started to ring. At the sound of his deep, soothing voice, I almost broke down.
"S.?" I whimpered. "I'm at the hospital. Can you come pick me up?" He immediately agreed and I sat on a bench outside until I saw his car pull alongside me. I stood slowly and leaned into the passenger-side window. "Can we talk before I get in?" I asked. "Because you might not want me anywhere near you after I tell you what I'm about to tell you." He looked confused but nodded, parked his car, and came back to the bench with me. After we sat in silence for several minutes, he turned to me, grabbed my hand, and asked me, point-blank, what was wrong. I swallowed hard. "S...." I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm pregnant." A few seconds of silence passed and I raised my eyes to his face. He looked shell-shocked, and I couldn't blame him.
"B-but I thought you were on...birth control..." he said dazedly, and I shook my head.