(Ruby's POV)

I grab some tissue after flushing the toilet for what seems like the tenth time in the last three days. To say I feel horrible would be the understatement of the year. I feel like shit. There is no simpler way of putting it. My lower back hurts, I'm constantly throwing up, I've never-ending cramps in my stomach and I'm constantly tired due to the fact that I'm not sleeping well.

Who, in their right mind, would go through this kind of torture voluntarily? They'd have to be completely insane. The thing that worries me is the fact that I'm only nine weeks along. How the hell am I suppose to survive another seven and a half months?

God only knows what kind of condition I'll be in by the time I'm almost full term. I feel sorry for anyone who has to put up with me in that state. I know for a fact that I won't be a pleasant sight.

I pull myself up from my position on the bathroom floor and brush my teeth yet again. After cleaning them thoroughly, I still can't seem to get the rancid taste from my mouth. I reach for the toothpaste, hoping that I'll be more successful in round two.

As each day passes, I never cease to amaze myself as to how I hide my secret from my parents. How do I do it? I honestly don't know. If I asked myself for tips on how to keep a pregnancy a secret from parents, I'd come up blank.

I know that I really should tell them, but I just don't know how to put it into words. How do I tell them that they're going to be grandparents at such a young age? Both of them, my Mom mostly, were always convinced that I would have kids first, even though Matt is four years older than me. I bet they never thought that it would happen when I was only 19.

I jump at the sound of knocking on the bathroom door as the toothbrush clatters into the sink.

"Ruby, sweetheart," my Dad calls. "Are you okay in there? I thought I heard you getting sick."

"I'm fine, Dad," I reply, trying to sound calm.

"Okay, honey. Come downstairs when you're ready. Your Mom and I want to have a chat with you."

"Sure, Dad. I'll be down in a minute."

Once I'm happy that the taste is gone, I put my toothbrush back and tie my hair into a messy bun, before making my way into the living room. There, I find my parents seated side by side on the sofa. They both have a concerned look on their face. I take a seat beside Matt on the other sofa that is placed across the door I just walked through.

"Mom. Dad. What's wrong?" I ask them. I can tell by their expressions that something has happened. Something is wrong. I try to think of anyone in the family who is sick or any family friend who could be in trouble, but I come up empty handed.

"We're worried about you, Ruby," Dad answers.

"You're worried about me? What? Why?" I ask, thoroughly confused. Why would they be worried about me? I feel Matt stiffen in his seat beside me, but I ignore him as I rack my brains as to why my parents would have cause to be concerned about me.

"Well," Mom starts. "You've been different lately. You're not yourself at all. You used to always go out with the girls every weekend but you haven't gone out to any nightclubs or parties in the last few weeks. Not that I'm complaining about your lack of drinking, mind you."

"You haven't even gone shopping in about two or three weeks. I think my credit card is suffering from separation anxiety it's been that long," Dad adds, jokingly.

"Come on, honey. Tell us what's wrong," Mom pleads. "Have you and the girls fallen out?"

"No," I say quietly.

"Then what is it? Why don't you go out anymore? Come on, sweetheart. You can tell me."

"It's nothing, Mom."

"Okay if you won't tell us about that, then tell us what happened up in the bathroom earlier? What was that about?" Dad asks.

"What happened in the bathroom?" Mom and Matt both ask at the same time; Mom's voice full of curiosity, Matt's full of worry.

"I was walking by and I heard Ruby getting sick, well, at least I thought I did. She told me she wasn't though."

Mom gasps. "Oh my God!" She stares at me wide eyed. Oh, no! I don't like the look she's giving me. Is it possible she figured it out? No, she couldn't have. Jas and Matt are the only ones that know. There's no way they would have told her.

"What?" Dad asks, his voice laced with concern. "What is it?"

Matt looks between Mom, Dad and I warily, as if he knows what's about to unfold.

"Why didn't I notice it sooner?" Mom mutters. "What kind of mother am I that I didn't notice? How could I be so blind?"

"What didn't you notice?" Dad asks, more impatient now.

Mom turns to face him. "Ruby's pregnant."

There's a moment of absolute silence before all hell breaks loose.

"WHAT?" Dad roars. "SHE'S WHAT?"

"She's pregnant," Mom whispers, looking back at me now.

"Is this some kind of sick joke? How the hell could my daughter be, I can't even say the word?" He turns to look at me. Hurt, disappointment, betrayal and fear all evident in his tear filled eyes. "Ruby, tell me it's not true. Tell me your mother is just acting crazy and that what she is saying is just a figment of her imagination. Tell me," he pleads with me.

Tears stream down my face and a sob slips through my lips as I try to find the words to tell my Dad that it's not true. That she's only messing with him. That this is a joke. However, I fail. My tears are truth enough for him. I can't lie to him at this point. There's no going back from this.

"Oh, God!" Dad chokes out. I feel my heart breaking as I watch the scene before me.

Dad falls to his knees, puts his face in his hands and silently cries. His body racking from his sobs. Mom hasn't moved from her position on the sofa. Her face is as white as a sheet while she stares at me, as if trying to figure out why she didn't notice the signs before now. Matt is watching Dad on the floor. He can't seem to move. I think he's in shock from seeing Dad cry.

"Daddy," I sob, breaking the silence in the room. My tears are running freely down my face. I can't hold them back any longer, knowing how much pain I'm causing my parents. "Daddy, I'm sorry. Please, please say something."

After another minute or two, he lifts his head up and faces me. His eyes are red from crying. "How could you do this to us? How could you do this to your mother and I?"

I sob louder at the disappointment which is so crystal clear in his voice. I hate disappointing him. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry? What good do you think sorry is going to be when you have a baby? A baby that you will, more than likely, have to raise on your own as a single mother."

My lip trembles as I absorb his words. I never thought about it like that before. What am I going to do? I can't raise a baby on my own.

Dad runs his hands through his hair and stands up. He begins pacing the room, muttering things to himself that I can't understand. He looks so heartbroken. It's as if this revelation has put years on him.

"Ruby," Mom finally whispers, her voice hoarse. "Who's baby is it?"

On those words, Dad stops pacing but doesn't face me. I can tell by the way his shoulders tense that he's waiting to hear my answer. My answer that doesn't come.

"Ruby," Mom repeats. "Who's the father?"

"Ryan," Matt answers.

I stand rooted in the doorway as Ryan's eyes continue to hold mine. My heart is thumping in my chest at the thoughts of telling him. I scared to stand out from behind this sofa, the sofa that is the only thing keeping him from seeing my once flat stomach.

Every time I tell those close to me, particularly the men, I seem to hurt them. Matt completely flipped, I was convinced he was going to kill his best friend and that he'd never talk to me again. I thought Dad would have a heart attack when he found out. I watched him as his heart broke, right before my eyes.

Each time I tell someone my news, it hurts me just as much as it hurts them, if not more. I don't know how much more of this emotional pain I can take. I know that if Ryan reacts badly to this, it will cause me the most pain. He may not know it but I need him so much right now. If he rejects me and the baby, I don't know what I'll do. There won't be anyone that will be able to pick up the pieces if he breaks me.

(Ryan's POV)

I turn, laughing at Matt, I see Ruby standing in the doorway. God she's beautiful. I missed her so much. "Hey," I say, smiling like an idiot.

"Hi," she smiles. My heart races.

"Long time no see."

"Yeah," she whispers. She looks down at her hands.

Our parents move into the kitchen, then Susan calls Matt. It's just the two of us in the room now. I presume they had this planned so that Ruby and I can talk together, although I don't really know why. I mean, it's not as if they ever done that before, not that I'm complaining. They don't know about the feelings I've recently discovered I had for her, so I can't think of any reason for them to act in this manner. I'm so focused on Ruby that I don't even notice that there's silence in the kitchen, as if everyone is waiting to hear what plays out between us.

"How've you been?" Ruby asks timidly. My attention is solely on her. I take in everything about her, from her long blonde hair to the freckles dancing across her cheeks.

"I've been good. Much better now that I'm finally home," I tell her honestly. "What about you?"

"Eh, yeah. I've been o-okay, I guess." I frown, something is different about her, something has changed. "So," I say, trying to lighten the mood. 'You gonna just stand there or do I get a hug?" I grin as I slowly make my way over to her.

"Um, sure," she says. She looks worried. Before I can ask what's wrong, she stands out from behind the sofa. I smile at her, I can't wait to have her in my arms. It's like she belongs there, she fits perfectly in them. All these months I've been craving her touch. And now, finally, here I am just steps away from her.

God, she's so beautiful. She's so perfect. She's so- She's pregnant!

I can't believe what I'm seeing. My heart just breaks at the sight of her standing in front of me. The girl I have thought of everyday for the past seven months is pregnant. Pregnant! Here I was hoping that there'd be some chance that we could finally get together, but it seems that she's moved on and found someone else. I feel like my heart has been ripped from my chest.

I stagger backwards slightly. "You're pregnant?" I finally gasp. My eyes move from her stomach to her face and back again.

"Yeah," she barely whispers.

"Since when?" I ask. I can't seem to get my head around this. This can't be happening! It's not happening. Ryan, wake up. This isn't real. It's just some sick and twisted nightmare. Ruby's not pregnant. Ruby can't be pregnant.

"Seven months," she replies faintly. Seven months. That means she hooked up with some guy just after I left. I feel sick. I run my hands through my hair.

"Seven months," I whisper to myself. I fall back onto the sofa behind me. "Seven months." We stay in silence for several moments as I absorb the information I've just been given. I feel like my whole world has been taken away from me.

All that I have lived for throughout the war is gone in a matter of seconds because of five little words that are causing such huge, unknown destruction to my life, my hopes, my dreams.

Five words, that's all.

Ruby is seven months pregnant. Fuck!

"Who?" I finally ask, shutting my eyes. I don't know if I want to hear the answer. I know I don't want to hear this. I place my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands as I hear her take a deep breath. Oh, God. Here it goes. I'm going to find out who has ruined my life.

"You." God, isn't this just sad? I'm so heartbroken that I just imagined Ruby, the girl I love more than anything in the world, telling me that she is seven months pregnant with my child. As if.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you properly. Who?"

"You, Ryan." My jaw drops and my eyes almost pop out of their sockets as they snap up to her face. Did I really just hear that? Did she actually say me?

"M-me?" She nods. "But...But." I stare at her dumbfounded. "We were safe, Ruby. Are you sure it's me?"

She nods again. "I'm positive. I haven't been with anyone else."

Ruby's pregnant.

Ruby's seven months pregnant.

Ruby's seven months pregnant with my child.

I'm going to be a father in two months. Wow.

I feel my heart in my chest. I'm pretty sure it stopped when I seen Ruby's bump, but now after learning that I'm going to be a Dad, it's slowly starting to beat again.

I'm going to be a Dad. I run my hands through my hair again and rub the stubble on my jaw. I'm going to be a Dad. Shit! How am I suppose to deal with that? I've got no job. How the hell am I suppose to raise a kid? I'm only twenty-three for God's sake.

"Ryan, are you okay? You look kind of sick." she asks quietly.

"No. I'm not okay. I'm just. I don't know." I run my hands through my hair once again as I stand up and begin to pace the room.

"If you hate me, I totally understand." I turn and look at her, tears are forming in her eyes.

"I don't hate you, Ruby. I could never hate you. I'm just in shock. I thought you were about to tell me that you had a boyfriend and that you were having his baby."

"No, there's no boyfriend. Sorry to disapoint..." She turns to leave. "I'll go. You need to think things through. Think about what you want to do. I won't judge you, no matter what you decide." She glances at the floor and plays with the sleeves of her top, something I know she does when she's nervous or upset. "I've been prepared to raise this baby on my own up to now and I still will be, no matter what your decision is. I'll be upstairs."

I grab her arm softly just as she takes a small step towards the door.

"No. We-we need to talk, Ruby"