*·º·×·º·*Shape Of My Heart*·º·×·º·*

Chapter 12

Nick walked out of his room to see Paradise asleep on the couch in the same clothes she was wearing yesterday.  Her fingers encirled her pencil while her arms hugged her sketchpad to her chest.  Her neck was leaning towards the arm of the couch, while her body was bent the other way.  "Ooo, she's gonna have a bad cramp in her neck." Nick said to himself while edging closer to Paradise.  He took the pencil and sketchpad out of her hands.  As he bent down to place them on the coffee table, the drawing caught his attention.  It was a little baby playing with some blocks.  There was a happy couple in the back, watching their son play. "Shit. This picture is making me feel bad....wait. Feel bad for what?" Nick thought.

Nick glanced over at Paradise. He set the sketchpad down and looked over at Paradise again....so content in her sleep.  He gently gathered her in his arms, walked into her room, and placed her on her bed. Then, without glancing back, he left the room.

Not long after, Paradise awoke, wondering how she got into her room. "Ow." She said, rubbing her neck.  A rushing feeling from the pit of her stomach took over her as she rushed to the bathroom. The feeling was becoming very familiar to her.  After a couple of minutes why the toilet, Paradise stood up shakily. She wiped her mouth and sweaty forehead before continuing with her morning routine.

As she exited the bathroom, her image in the vanity mirror caught her eye.  She decreased the proximity between herself and the mirror, staring intently at her image.  She was beginning to show, something which was unusual at only four months.  "Shit! I'm gonna get fat soon....and I don't even have any maternity clothes yet."  She examined her stomach, gently rubbing her hands over it.  "I love you, baby....even if your father doesn't." She murmured.

Deciding to go shopping for maternity clothes, Paradise quickly changed, grabbed her keys, wrote a note for Nick, and left.  She waved for a cab.  Within a few minutes a cab found her and she was off.

She entered the humongous mall with a somber expression.  "God....it's not supposed to be like this!....He's supposed to love me....want the child....." She thought as she scanned through the baby clothes.  She found an especially cute one.  Holding it out, she examined it.  Paradise could just imagine a nice chubby baby in it.  Her hair. His eyes. Her nose. His smile......"Shit, don't think about it."

Suddenly Paradise felt someone tug at her.  She turned around to be faced with two beautiful girls.  "Hey, there." She said, smiling.

One of the girls, a gorgeous blue-eyed redhead, asked, "Are you Paradise Carter?"

Paradise was about to correct her when she remembered that, indeed, Carter was her last name.  All she did was nod.

Now it was time for the blond to speak.  The blond seemed to have been observing her surroundings before she looked up at Paradise.  "Are you pregnant?" She asked out of nowhere.

Paradise's eyes widened.  She laughed it off to hide her shock. "Oh no. I'm not. I'm just...uh....shopping to Lieghanne's baby."

To Paradise's relief the girls bought it.  "Hi, I'm Charity and this is Lizzie." The redhead spoke.

Paradise nodded and shook their hands. "It was nice to meet you.  So what are you shopping for?"

"Well I'm trying to get some Christmas shopping done." Lizzie said. "Charity is helping me."

"Well, we just wanted to say congrats on your marraige. You guys make a cute couple." Charity said, smiling from ear to ear as if she had acomplished a great feat.

"Thanks." Paradise smiled, but inside her world was crumbling.  "Well, it was really nice meeting you, but I gotta get going."

Paradise managed to finish her shopping before she had any more encounters.  She unlocked the suite door and walked in with her shopping bags.  As she passed Nick's room, she stopped.  She heard her name....and it wasn't exactly used in a good tone of voice.  She pressed her ear against the door, straining to hear the bits of conversation.

".....I just hate her. Everything was perfect.....and then she came in...."  Nick cried.

"It's just as much as your fault as hers....or atleast a little bit of your fault. It takes two to tango, ya know." Melisa said.  "And everything was not perfect.  Maybe she was a sign."

Nick looked up at her. "W...what do you mean by that."

Melisa shrugged. "I don't know. It mean anything.  Maybe it's to teach you responsibility...or maybe it's to let us know that we may not be what we think we are.....us...maybe we shouldn't be...."

"Melisa....you know that's not what this is about! Damn sometimes I wish I could just poison her or do something!  It would take care of her and the baby!"

Paradise gasped. How cruel was this man? It's a baby. It has no fault......and yet he wants to kill it?

"Nick! It's a baby!" Melisa shrieked.

"....So?....Damn!"

"It's YOUR baby!" Melisa shouted, standing up.

"....Don't say that...."

"Nick, you need to admit it! It's your baby....and your mistake. Deal with it!"  Melisa grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

"Melisa, baby, don't leave. I love you. C'mon."

Melisa sighed. "What do you want from me? I can't handle this. Would you be able to? Imagine if I had gotten pregnant by some other man while we were apart....could you deal with it?"

"Baby, you gotta understan-"

"I'm trying to understand DAMMIT!  It's hard! Very hard..." Melissa said, crying.

Nick shook his head and looked down. "I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this....I just....I don't know what to do....I don't want her....Shit! I don't even want the baby! What am I supposed to do? I'm stuck with them!"

"Oh, Nick. I know it's hard....but you have no choice.....you gotta deal with it...I do. I have a choice...and I'm choosing to stick by you. I know it's hard....but after the baby is born....you can divorce her....right?" Melisa asked, unsurely.

"Yeah...."

Melisa smiled a little. "Then it'll be okay.  We'll be okay....hopefully."

"We will...but damn I just wish the baby was gone..."

Paradise wiped the tears on her face.  She ran into her room and shut the door quietly.  She was all alone. No one loved her....or cared about her. She had no one...except the baby.....

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