Chapter Twenty One

Breaking news!

Ashley POV

"Ashley." I heard my Stepmother calling me from downstairs.

"I'm busy.'' I yelled, hoping she would hear as I continued to type an essay on my laptop while laying on my bed.

It was finally Saturday afternoon and I was having a slothful day while trying to complete my overdue literature essay.

"Ashley, we need to talk to you." I heard my Father calling me from downstairs as well and I groaned in frustration.

"Give me a damn break..." I grumbled as I closed my laptop after saving the unfinished essay.

I stood up from the bed while grabbing my phone.

"...for God's sake!" I rolled my eyes as I went down the staircase.

Then I encountered my Stepmother hugging my Father in the living room and I slowly approached the sofa.

"What's going on?" I asked as I sat on the armrest of the sofa and I watched as they broke the hug.

"We got news." My stepmother was the first to speak as she happily turned to me.

I curiously looked at my Father.

"Spill the beans." I gestured a hand towards them as I crossed my legs on the sofa.

"I am pregnant." My stepmother squealed while clapping her hands.

"For my Father?" I blurted with wide eyes as I stared at her in surprise.

She gasped, looking offended.

"Yes...of course." She awkwardly raised an eyebrow at me with a puzzling expression on her face at sudden my question.

I looked at my Father in silence.

"Aren't you happy for us?" He questioned my silence as he narrowed his eyes at me and I turned my attention to my Stepmother.

"Of course I am." I admitted as I touched my cheek while looking down at my phone when they smiled.

"A bit shocked...but yeah." I whispered too loud to myself and I heard my Father chuckling.

"But, I thought you couldn't have any children." I recalled as I slowly looked at my Stepmother and she sighed with a nod.

"That's what the Doctor claimed, but I have been taking medication for months now and I tested, then I found you I was pregnant." She informed me with a slight smile.

I slowly nodded.

"And here I was, thinking you were too old." I chuckled as I went through the notifications on my phone.

I looked up when she scoffed and my Father laughed, softly, at the moment.

"I'm 37 years old, Ashley." She placed her hands on her hips and my Father smiled in silence.

I shrugged it off since my Father is in his late 40s.

"How many months until you give birth?'' I asked my Stepmother as I gestured a hand towards her.

She smiled at me.

"Well, I found out when we were on the trip, but we would have to do more checkups at our family Doctor to ensure everything is great." She told me while looking at my Father as she held his hand and he nodded with a smile.

I slowly nodded.

"Have you mentioned the breaking news to Justin?" I asked since my brother doesn't like to be kept out of the loop on surprises.

She nodded.

Justin is my twin brother and he's currently living with our Mother's sister, Aunt Sue in our hometown to earn his football scholarship.

"He says we will be seeing him soon if everything goes well for him in the Winter." My Father informed me while he looked at the watch on his wrist.

I smiled, widely.

"I can't wait to see my little baby boy or girl." My stepmother cooed at her belly and my phone buzzed in my hand as I looked at her.

"Me too, sweetheart." I heard my Father saying and she giggled, happily.

I checked the notification on my phone to realize it was a message from Chad and he was requesting my thoughts on going to the movie theater tonight.

I sighed.

"Dad, can I go to the movies tonight?" I asked while looking up from my phone and he knitted his eyebrows at my question.

He's most likely going to say no, either way...

"Aren't you supposed to be stud...?" My stepmother cut him off by tugging on his sleeve and he looked at her while she motioned her head towards me.

He exhaled a deep breath before he looked at me and I continued to sit in awkward silence while looking between them.

"I want you to be home before midnight." He cleared his throat before he muttered on his words.

"Yes, sir." I saluted him as I stood up from the sofa and there was a frown on his face while he watched me.

"I'm serious, young lady." He informed me and I nodded while slowly exiting the living room.

"Roger that." I gave him an angelic smile and my stepmother slightly chuckled while I walked out of the room.

***********

"Ashley...someone is here to see you." I heard Gracie, the housemaid calling me from downstairs.

"Who could that be?" I asked myself as I straightened my skirt while looking in the mirrors.

It was approximately minutes after 5 o'clock in the evening.

However, I was wearing (A/n - Picture below) and my hair was combed in a high ponytail with a side swept fringe.

"I will be down in a second." I yelled in respond while touching my hair as I approached my doorway.

I went downstairs and I curiously looked at the front doors before I entered the living room to encounter a male figure sitting on the sofa.

"What are you doing here?" I asked after I walked around the sofa to realize it was Tyson.

He was wearing a black customized hoodie with his surname 'King' written all over in gold alongside a pair of black jeans and shoes.

I realized he was holding Beauty in his arms with her doggie collar when he stood up from the sofa.

"It's great to see you too." He said in a sassy tone and I stared at the slight bruise on the corner of his lips when he fake smiled.

"How's your daily detention going?" I questioned as I crossed my hands underneath my chest while realizing his hair was messy at the moment.

"It ended yesterday, but it's been boring." He smoothly shrugged his shoulders and I looked him in the eyes.

Then I saw Beauty slipping out of his arms and I smiled as I scooped down to play with her while she rolls on her back.

"I missed you too, girl." I cooed at the puppy.

"Even though you left her behind at my place." I heard Tyson scoffing while he held out the doggie collar.

I rolled my eyes as I stood straight.

"I didn't leave her behind on purpose." I said as I took the dog collar from his hand.

I narrowed my eyes at his hands when I realized his knuckles were bandaged then I recalled the fight between Chad and him.

"Then, what did you do?" I heard Tyson asking as he slide his hands into his pockets.

I looked up at him.

"I just thought she would be better off at your place." I admitted while I slowly brought my hand to his face and he watched me in silence.

I softly ran my thumb over the slight bruise on the corner of his lips and I slide my hand against his jawline when he curiously looked me in the eyes.

"Are you planning on going out tonight?" He suddenly questioned while he looked down at my clothing.

I retreated my hand from his face.

"Yeah." I told him as I stepped aside while touching my ear then I looked down at Beauty.

She was chasing her tail in circles on the floor.

"Where?" I heard Tyson asking while I felt his hand touching my ponytail from behind.

"To the movies." I turned to him and he raised a brow while slightly tilting his head to the side.

I smiled for a short moment at his bad habit of tilting his head to the side.

"Obviously not alone." He claimed as he gestured a hand to my skirt and I rolled my eyes.

"So, who's accompanying you?" He insisted on knowing while he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why do you want to know?" I scoffed at his audacity while I extended my hands to Beauty.

"Curiosity." I heard Tyson saying and I picked up Beauty from the floor.

I slowly turned to look at him.

"Kills the cat, I know." I told him with a wink and he slightly chuckled at my point.

"It better not be that Chad dude." He suddenly warned me.

"Or what?" I challenged him while he stepped into my personal space and he looked down at me with a straight face.

"So, you're actually going out on a date with him." He assumed with a small snort before he shook his head.

"I'm not going on a date." I said, though I was a bit uncertain about the situation as I walked around him.

"But you are going out with him." He claimed as he turned to look at me with a slight glare and I rolled my eyes in respond.

"Tyson, what's your problem?" I asked, bluntly.

"Because..." He scoffed then he rolled his eyes.

"I was just about to leave." He told me and I stared at him in silence.

Then I watched as he walked out of the living room while pulling the hoodie over his head.

I sighed when I heard the front door closing.

I looked down at Beauty as she wiggles her tail in my arms with her tongue sticking out.

"What am I going to do with you, girl?" I said as I quickly started to return to my bedroom while remembering my stepmother's allergies.

Beauty suddenly barked and my eyes widened while I encountered Gracie, the housemaid, on the staircase.

I watched as her eyes widened as well and she started to shake her head while pointing at me.

"Gracie, I know what this looks like..." I was telling her as I slowly approached her on the staircase and she shook her head while saying...

"No...no...no...Miss Ashley, you know you're..." I interrupted her while nodding as she took small steps backwards on the stairs.

"I know...I know...but I need your help." I told her while holding out the puppy and she quickly looked away as she shook her head.

"Please." I said in a low tone while I finally managed to stand beside her on the stairs.

"Gracie." I held the puppy close to her and she slightly groaned at me before grumbling in spanish.

"Okay...fine...what do you need me to do, Miss Ashley?" She said as she slowly caressed the puppy's head while looking the other way and I smiled, happily.

"You're the best maid ever!"

***********

"Did I mention, you look lovely?" I heard Chad asking while we took our third row seats in the movie center.

"Yes, twenty times." I softly chuckled while looking at him.

He smiled as he handed me a bucket of popcorn.

He was wearing a blue plaid shirt, a pair of pants and boots with his hair combed backwards while the small bandage remains over his nose from the fight.

I realized his eye wasn't swollen anymore and the bruises were slightly showing on his face, so I assumed he might have used makeup to cover the bruises.

"You were actually counting?" He whispered to me while the lights were switched off.

I slowly looked around to realize everyone was already seated and the movie was soon to begin.

"I started after the fifth time." I whispered as I returned my attention to Chad.

He smiled in response while he started to eat his bucket of popcorn.

I diverted my eyes to the screen as the flim started and I found myself smiling in return.

Hours later, the movie ended and we both were eating ice cream while sitting on the hood of his car in the parking lot.

I looked at my phone to realize it was minutes to midnight and I exhaled a small breath while I continued to eat my ice cream.

"What's wrong?" I heard Chad asking and I looked up at the few stars in the dark sky for a moment.

"I have a midnight curfew, tonight." I told him before I finished my ice cream.

I saw him nodding.

"Well, I had a great time tonight." He said as he stood up from the car and I smiled at him when he extended a hand towards me.

"Me too." I agreed while I took his hand and he pulled me up from his car.

"Let's get you home before your parents start worrying." He told me and I nodded while he took the empty ice cream cups.

I entered his car and I silently sat in the passenger seat beside the driver's seat.

Then I watched as he disposed the trash in the nearest garbage bin before entering the driver's seat and he placed his seat belts on.

He gestured me to wear my seat belts before he started to drive out of the parking lot and I smiled as I strapped on my seat belts.

We drove in silence.

When we arrived at the mansion gateway, I slipped out of the seat belts and I turned to look at Chad while he spoke...

"Thanks for spending the night with me and I really hope you forgive me for snapping, the other day at school." He told me while he leans back in the driver's seat and I nodded with a small chuckle.

"I will see you at school, Chad." I said as I opened the car door and he nodded with a smile.

I exited his car and I closed the door before I slowly walked towards my gateway.

Then I watched as he drove away while waving through the window.

After I entered the estate, I waved 'goodnight' to the security guard on duty at the gate and I started to walk up to the mansion.

I smiled to myself.