The rest of the day went by quick after talking with Jasper. There was so much that needed to be done before the day was over with such little time. I was so swamped with work I didn't see Miguel stop by my cubicle with yellow roses in hand. I look around to see if anyone is watching and we are in the clear."

"Miguel, this is a surprise." I clear my throat.

"I tried calling you--no answer. I can see why you are buried deep in work." he shoves the roses forward. "These are for you."

"Yellow," I take them and smile.

"Is something wrong?" he asks taking a seat at the edge of my desk.

"Oh, nothing. I just wasn't expecting yellow roses--I mean any roses for that matter."

"I just want to apologize for avoiding you lately. Not really one of my best moments." He looks down.

"I did hurt that you guys have been steering clear of me."

"That was never our intentions. We have been giving Chase some space as well so dont think it was just you." He shrugs. I feel a tiny bit better knowing they didn't choose sides. Chase has been getting the same treatment as me, good.

"Don't some of you live with him?"Not too sure how they can avoid him when some of them live with him.

"Nope, everyone has been crashing at Everett and them place. Chase has the apartment to himself for right now. So, about dinner tonight--"

"For my lady," Vincent interrupts our conversation, holding a bouquet of yellow roses as well.

"I said in ten minutes. Damn, do you listen." Miguel looks at him.

"What, I thought you meant from the time to you left the lobby," he looks at me and smile. "You look lovely today."

"Thank you," I take the roses placing them Miguel's. "And thank you. I put little effort into my attire today."

"Oh," he says.

"What do you guys want? Dinner?" I ask just cutting to the chase. Miguel opens the door for it so I might as well get it over with.

"That and to apologize for everything. The past couple of days have been wicked. You and Chase not talking. Us not talking to you and Chase." Vincent winks at me. "We should--"

"Did she accept?" Tristan asks holding yellow roses. Behind him are Everett, Austin, and Darren all with a bouquet of yellow roses. I am actually overwhelmed by all of this. "Oh, hell do not cry Charles."

"Why are you so emotional." Darren states and I just shrug my shoulders crying more. I finally feel appreciate for something.

"Are you pregnant because that's the only way to describe this behavior. No one is this emotional about everything." Everett asks and I freeze.

"Charles, your pregnant?" Austin's voice goes up an octave.

"Are you?" I snap my head at the sound of Chase's voice. The guys move out the way so I can get a better look at him. The red roses are now at his side as he watches me warily. His eyes flicker from my face to stomach. "Well?"

"N-no noooo way." I sniffle. "I can't be. We haven't done anything since last month."

"I think you dont know how it works. So just because you had sex last month doesn't mean you might not be pregnant now." Tristan looks at me weirdly. I know I am not pregnant. My period is due any day now.

"I think she knows how it works, stupid." Austin hits him upside his head with the roses he is holding. "Besides, she should be on it now."

"What?" everyone said turning to him.

"Dude, you should not know her cycle." Miguel backs away slowly. "That's gross."

"No it's not gross, I have sisters and a girlfriend. It's normal to know these things. Charles always gets super moody and becomes a crybaby...around this time every month. I just picked up on it."

I look down at my phone and frown. He is right. I was so busy I didn't notice it before. I am three days late. I mentally calm myself down, not wanting to freak anyone out. I can not have a baby right now and Chase and I are not ready to be parents--we can't even communicate properly.

"Are you bleeding?" Vincent whispers.

"Guys, I don't want to talk about my period."

"Aww hell, she is pregnant," Darren shouts. "We need to baby proof all the apartments."

It is like a chain reaction. They are all freaking out, pulling out there phones ordering God knows what. Chase just stares at me and I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Darren and Everett start to argue about who is going to be the favorite uncle. Everything just feels like its moving in slow motion.

"Guys...guys!" I scream, slamming my hand on the desk. "Please stop," I beg.

"Cool down everyone. Mama is talking." Tristan winks at me.

I close my eyes, trying to keep my attitude in check.

"Charlotte, can we talk in private?" Chase speaks up and I am thankful. I need to get away from these six clowns before I blow. Opening my eyes slowly I look at Chase and smile.

"Sure, I was calling it a day anyway." I stand collecting my things. The guys hand me the rest of the roses and Chase helps me to the elevator. We don't speak as we wait for the elevator to reach our floor.

"Did you catch your umm...lady thingy?" Chase asks as we step onto the elevator.

"No."

"Do you think you might be?"

"I dont know," I look at him. "I dont feel different. It could be stress which is preventing it from happening."

"Do you want to grab a test before heading home?"

"Yeah." I look away. "Thank you."

****

"How long does it take?" Chase asks me for the fifth time in less than thirty seconds.

I wasn't one hundred percent sure if I wanted him here when I took the test, but he is just involved in this as I am. I could be carrying his child. The thought of me being pregnant is scaring the crap out of me. I wouldn't even know where to being. I reach out for Chase's hand stopping him from pacing back and forth.

"You're making me more nervous," I tell him. "The box said rapid results in a minute. So about thirty seconds to go."

"You know no matter wha--"

I stand up. "Let me go check." I don't want us to be having this kind of conversation. We are too young for this and in all honesty, not very mature at the moment. I go into the bathroom and pick the stick up off the countertop.

"What does it say?" Chase asks from behind.

I look in the mirror at him. "We are not pregnant." I smile.

Oh, thank the heavens I am not pregnant. I still have so much to do and a whole world to see.

"That's great." Chase looks at me through the mirror.

"Then why do you look sad?" I turn to him.

"I dont know," he shrugs. "A part of me wanted a little you or me running around."

"Chase, we aren't ready for that."

He sighs. "I know, but a guy can wish." he leaves out the bathroom and I am right on his heels.

"We need to talk...like actually talk." I sit next to him on the couch. "What are we doing? We are so good together and our love is real, but yet we are always at each other throats. Why is that?"

"Charlotte, I honestly dont have an answer for that. I just want to make everything right again. I want us to be able to talk to one another and not hide anything. I just dont know how or where to start." he leans back on the couch.

"I do." I stand up rushing to get some pens and paper. I come back to the living room handing him a paper and pen. "So, I've learned verbally we are horrible at communicating, which we should work on ASAP. For now, we will write down our secrets--well things we've been hiding from each other or things we recently just found out and also, things we just want the each other to know. No holding back and then after we write it down, we can discuss it."

"That's too much work. How about we just talk about it?"

"No Chase, we aren't very good at that. We will argue about one thing and then never get to the other things. This way if we do argue we have a list of things we can just pick to defuse the other situation." I explain.

"You make no sense, but I will try it your way." He grabs a magazine and starts to write on his paper. I watch him for a few seconds and start to write my own things. I dont know if this will really help us or be pointless like he said. Either way, I am trying to make it work. About thirty minutes later Chase and I finish our list and we exchange papers. Sweet hell, his penmanship is horrible. I try to make out what he has written so I can ask a question, but he beats me to it.

"You saw Raven, how was that?" he looks at me smiling.

"I didn't fight her again if that's what you wanted to know." I playfully glare at him. "We talked and I realized that I am not in the right mindset to forgive her and move forward with anything pertaining her." I take a deep breath. "I really wanted to slap the hell out of her."

Chase chuckles. "I figured that much. Glad you didn't."

"Okay," I skim over his page. "You're babysitting Autumn next weekend?" I know my face it lit like a Christmas tree. He nods his head. "Oh, my can I babysit with you? I would like to spend more time with her...wait why are you babysitting?"

"As you know Jasper and my dad are flying to Ireland next weekend with Rebecca. My mother is going on some shopping trip with her girlfriends. I always watch Autumn when I come home to visit, so no biggie. And yes--yes you can babysit with me. My turn." he looks down at the paper. "Why do I love you?"

"Just curious." I bite down on my bottom lip.

"Easy." he scoots closer to me. "You fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You're the object of my desire, the reason for my existence. I love you very much and can't wait to share many more years with me by your side." he gives me a quick kiss on the lips.

"My turn," I say looking down at the paper. "Why do I lie so much to you?"

"You lie a lot, why is that?"

"I don't think I lie a lot, I just don't tell you the entire truth."

"Cupcake," he says sternly.

"Fine. I lie because I am scared to disappoint you and I want to show that I am strong. I can take care of things myself and I dont need you there all the time to fight my battles. I am not weak nor a damsel in distress. You just make me feel like I am some pretty arm candy. I am not Natalia."

"Whoa, I never said you were." he quickly defends himself. I shake my head.

"I never said you did, but that is who you were seeing before me and she loved to be arm candy. I don't. You are used to girls doing as you say and I am not like that. I left my dream school behind to help you out and yet you still dont see--"

"I didn't ask you to give up PRCA for me. I didn't want you to come here at all. We could've been back in Croakington, fucking like wild rabbits right now. I never saw you or ever will see you as a damsel in distress or arm candy. You are everything those other females weren't. I asked you to marry me because you are my other half, we were made for each other. The lies are whats tearing us apart."

"So why didn't you tell me about Lily?"

"I didn't want to tear up your household and it really wasn't my story to tell. Eventually, you would have found out because we would be getting married. Lily was a manipulator in a way. My brother and parents didn't even know you were related. Lily blackmailed me not to say anything."

Lily must have had a great reason for not wanting him to tell anyone I was her half-sister. I think it has to do with my mother at that.

"Chase," I pull him in for a kiss and he stops me.

"Let's get through all the bullet points we have an then I will devour you, cupcake." he winks at me licking his lips. "Alright, let's see what we have here." He brings the paper closer to his face and I think I know what bullet point he just spotted. "Rebecca is trying to get my father voted out the company. As in Rebecca Michaels, his partner and long-time friend for centuries? That Rebecca?"

I nod my head.

"Where or who did you hear this from?"

"Ember told me today." I dont think I should have written that one day. Ember could be lying for God sake. "I dont know how true it could be, I mean Ember could be lying. I should have never written that down." I rush out.

He stands up. "No, I had my suspicion about Rebecca since working for her. She especially intrigued about my family and why I dont want to take over after my father retires--whenever that is. Shit. Shit. Shit." he pulls out his cellphone and then stops. "You know what. I will deal with that stuff tomorrow. Tonight, it's about you."

Music to my ears, but that is more important. "Chase, you should deal with that first. I will be here."

"It's too late and I rather not bother my father tonight. You are my main focus and I want us to be stronger than ever after this. No more lies, no more secrets and we come together as a united front. I cant lose you. Rebecca will get whats coming for her, but I am not worried about it."

I get off the couch and leap into his arms. "I love you so much, Chasey."

"And I love you more, Cupcake."