Snow drifted down in heavy flakes from the sky, it covered your shoulders and the top of your head, a few flakes laying softly across your lashes. Across the sidewalk laid a thick sheet of snow, each step you took was punctuated with a soft crunch under your feet. The streets luckily were almost empty this time of morning, most people were still asleep in bed or they just went home after a long night of partying. You on the other hand were looking for a specific male socialite.
You caught Chuck just as he was leaving his home, quickly hurrying up the snowy pathway towards him. You reached out, catching his arm just as he was sliding into his town car.
Chuck’s head reared, his eyes shooting daggers at you. Your hand was clinging to his coat sleeve, not letting him free.
“ We have to talk. ”
“ Not now, I’m busy. ”
He yanked his sleeve from your hand before sliding into the backseat of the car.
“ Chuck, it's important! ”
“ Listen, whatever petty drama you want me involved in, I don’t have time for. ”
He reached out, slamming the car door shut, leaving you to stand alone on the sidewalk as his car departed.
-
You came back that evening, walking into ‘ The Empire ’. You stood in the lobby, gently brushing snow from your coat and wiping your feet on the entry rug. There at the reception desk sat the receptionist who knew you quite well from your many visits. You stepped up to the desk, a smile across your lips.
“ Angela, hi! I was just wondering if you could let me up to Chuck’s, I wanted to surprise him tonight. ”
“ Of course, just don’t tell. ”
She slid a spare key discreetly across the counter.
You thanked her before heading over to the elevator. You pushed the key she gave you into the elevator panel, before pressing Chuck’s floor number. The elevator opened straight into the suite, letting you enter into his living room. You slipped off your wet snow covered boots at the door, hanging your jacket on a coatrack along with your hat and scarf.
You padded across the room, sitting down on his plush sofa. Your hands anxiously smoothed over the orange fabric, impatiently awaiting Chuck’s arrival home. You sat alone in the penthouse for what felt like hours, normally the time you spent there was light and fun, but now your nerves were getting the better of you.
Your breath caught in your throat when the doors of the elevator slid open. Chuck stood there, jacket draped over his arm, his suit perfectly tailored without a wrinkle in sight. His eyes raised from the screen of his phone, landing on the figure sitting on his sofa. His eyes focused, and he quickly realized it was you.
“ What are you doing here? How the hell did you even get in here? ”
“ I told you I needed to talk to you. ”
“ So what, when I tell you no, you break into my place. ”
“ I didn’t break in! Would you just listen for once, it’s important! ”
A sigh escaped Chuck’s lips, he threw down his coat onto the back of the couch, running a hand over his exhausted face.
“ What drama is so fucking important, did someone steal your lip gloss? ”
His words dripped with sarcasm and annoyance. The man you had spent two years of your life loving and worshipping, now couldn’t even be bothered to hear what you had to say.
“ Vanessa heard me talking to Blair, about you, well.. About us, and she’s going to tell everyone. ”
“ We’re broken up, there is no us. ”
-
“ Blair, it's serious, just be late for one class, for once in your life. ”
You grabbed onto Blair’s wrist pulling her along into the girls bathroom. You shut the door, flipping the lock shut before checking under the stalls.
“ God what is wrong with you, did you kill someone? ”
You slid your bag off your shoulder, slipping out a small white stick, before putting it in Blair’s hand. Her eyes widened, her face in a state of shock as she stared at the positive pregnancy test.
“ You’re sure? You took more than one? ”
“ I took like seven, it’s definitely positive. ”
“ Whose is it? ”
“ Jesus Blair, I’m not a whore. ”
Blair only nodded, knowing exactly whose it was, Chuck’s.
“ Do you know how far you are? ”
“ We broke up like a month ago, so maybe four weeks. ”
“ Are you going to tell him? ”
You paused for a moment, staring down at the small pink test in your hand.
“ I have to, don’t I ? ”
Blair only nodded, her hand reaching out to gently stroke your arm.
“ Please don’t tell anyone, not even Serena, or, or Dan. ”
Blair only nodded, pulling you into a sympathetic hug.
You left the bathroom together, not even speaking of what you two just shared. As you left one of the stalls creaked open, out stepping Vanessa who had heard it all, managing to get a small audio snippet on her phone.
-
“ Just listen to me Chuck, please. ”
The weakness in your voice gave way at Chuck’s composure, deep down he still harboured care and love for you, something we would never admit even on his drunkest night.
“ Fine, you have ten minutes, I’m busy. ”
“ I’m pregnant, it’s yours. ”
Chuck froze, his face paling, had he heard you wrong?
“ What? ”
You didn’t respond, the reality of those words leaving your lips was too much. You stared down at your lap, your fingers fiddling with the hem of your skirt as tears welled in your eyes.
“ You’re pregnant with my child? How long have you known? ”
“ Two days. ”
Chuck began to pace, his shoes clicking against the hardwood that covered the penthouse floor. The sound abruptly came to an end before he turned to face you.
“ Have you been to the doctor? ”
“ No, I didn’t want anyone to know yet. ”
“ We’re going to go tomorrow, I have a private doctor. ”
Chuck walked over to you, sitting down beside you on the sofa. He reached out his fingers tangling in your hair, he pulled your head to rest against his chest. He stroked your hair, holding you in a strained silence.
Chuck’s mind was filled with loud thoughts, he felt like his father, and that feeling made him want to crawl out of his own skin. He hated his father, and he hated the parallels of the situation.
“ I’m not going to let Vanessa tell anyone about this, we’ll figure it out. Go lay down in my bed, I’ll be in soon. ”
You crawled off the sofa, doing as Chuck said. You shut the door to his bedroom, doing as you always did, stealing clothes from his wardrobe. Once you were changed you slipped into Chuck’s bed, curling up under the blankets. As you laid there you could hear Chuck on the phone, pacing the floor of the penthouse.
Chuck was on and off the phone with several different people. First he handled Vanessa, paying off Society Gossip not to publish any articles about him or you, entrusting his lawyers to handle the rest. After that call was finished he had an appointment set in place for tomorrow afternoon with a trusted obstetrician. Once everything was sorted Chuck set his phone aside, before pouring himself a full glass of whiskey. He sat on his sofa, his face buried in his hands. He had always wanted a child, but not like this, not so soon. He didn’t want to become his father, he fought so hard in his life to avoid his shadow, and now he had fallen right into it.
Chuck rose from the sofa when his glass was empty. He set it aside on his coffee table, walking towards his bedroom. He paused just outside the door, his hand ghosting just over the knob. Quietly he entered the room, the light from the living room shining in on your sleeping face. He shut the door behind him, stripping off his clothes as he made his way over to the opposite side of the bed. He crawled in beside you, his body pressed against yours from behind. Slowly he wrapped his arms around your waist, his hands cradling your stomach where he knew his child was growing.
Chuck’s face hid in your hair smelling the sweet scent of your shampoo. He made a promise to you and to himself that he would be nothing like his father. He didn’t want to disappoint his child like his father had disappointed him. All Chuck wanted was to love this child, but he was scared, scared he would mess up, scared he would ruin it all.
You began to stir as Chuck’s arms tightened uncomfortably around you. Your eyes slowly fluttered open before you turned over in bed to face Chuck. You could see his eyes were glossy and teared filled even in the dim moonlight. Your arms slid around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. Chuck’s arms slipped around your waist, holding you tightly against him.
You knew he was scared, you were just as terrified, but you knew you would have to get through this together.
You held one another that night, leaving your anxieties unspoken in the night air. All you had was each other in that moment, two people harboring the same secret.
