The Marriage Contract by Natasha Black (best novels for teenagers TXT) 📕

trash and tossing it into the can by the commode. I bent over to open the cabinet under the sink to get some cleaner spray, and the door knocked over the trash can, spilling its contents all over the floor.

Groaning, I went to go pick up the spilled trash. I had most of it shoved back in the can when something caught my eye. One of the bags that had been stuffed into the can was plastic, and I could see through it to the item inside it. It was a pregnancy test, and the bag was tied tightly. Why would she tie a bag with a pregnancy test in it and hide it at the bottom of the can?

Curiosity got the best of me, and I opened the bag by tearing into it. The test itself was back in the box, which seemed super odd. My heart started pounding in my chest as I opened the box and pulled out the test.

Chloe’s footsteps coming up the stairs were in the background of my thoughts as I stood in the center of the bathroom, holding the positive test. She passed me at first, going to the main bedroom, and then came back, ducking her head inside. She had her mouth open and had started to ask me a question that my brain failed to pick up the details of when she stopped cold. She was looking down at my hand, holding the test. When her eyes drifted back to mine, they were filled with worry and apprehension.

“What’s this?” I asked.

She didn’t respond, so I pressed and asked her again.

“Hannah’s,” she breathed out. I knew that wasn’t true. There was no reason for Hannah to have done a pregnancy test here. Jordan would be over the moon if she were pregnant again, and they famously had their own place now with plenty of bathrooms to stuff things in. She wouldn’t have come here and then hidden the test.

“Is that true?” I asked. “This is Hannah’s?”

A look of defeat passed over her face, and her arms sunk down. She leaned back on the doorframe and crossed her arms over her stomach and looked down at her shoes.

“No,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “It’s mine.”

I was so angry I couldn’t see straight. I sat down heavily on the closed commode and stared at the test, then back at her.

“You were going to hide this from me?” I asked. “Why? Why would lie to me, Chloe? What the hell?”

“I’m sorry,” she choked out.

I felt like the walls were closing in on me and I needed to get some air.

“Where are you going?” she asked as I stormed past her into the bedroom and changed. I went ahead and put on my work clothes since I had a shift that evening. So did she.

“Work,” I said. “The long way. I’ll see you there.”

I brushed by her again and went downstairs and out the door.

I had no idea what to do with myself. How could she lie to me like that? She willfully lied to me and let me believe she was just sick with a bug or food poisoning.

Then again, we’d built our entire relationship on a lie.

As mad as I was, I didn’t want to drive. I felt like I might just get on the road and end up in Canada or something. It was better if I just went for a walk before my shift. Maybe I could get to the bar before she would, and I could busy myself in the kitchen so when she came in I didn’t have to talk to her. Or maybe by then I would know what I wanted to say.

I walked around for a few blocks, frustrated with myself that I couldn’t think of something to do or somewhere to go. Finally giving in, I just headed to the bar. Why fight it? I had to go in anyway, and at least I could be there early and throw myself into the rhythm of making my menu.

When I arrived at the bar, Jordan and Hannah were already there. We weren’t doing an afternoon shift that day but opening earlier for the evening one. It meant I had a little time to go in and get myself situated. I used my key and got inside, locking up behind me, and headed directly for the kitchen.

It was the second or third time I pulled something out of a cabinet or off the hanging rack and slammed it on the countertops that Jordan came in to talk to me. I could see he was concerned, but also a little frustrated. He was likely going over the evening’s cocktail menu with the waitresses and didn’t want to be interrupted by the sound of cast iron slamming against a stove.

“What the hell is going on with you?” Jordan asked as soon as he got into the kitchen. Hannah showed up over his shoulder, and I suddenly felt disgust. Hannah had to know. She knew when she came to check on Chloe. I wondered how long she had kept Chloe’s secret.

“Chloe,” I said.

“Are you guys fighting again?” Jordan asked.

“You can call it that. That’s what happens when one of the people in the relationship lie about something really fucking important, right?”

“What?” Jordan asked. “What are you talking about?”

“Chloe,” I said. “She lied. About something big.”

“Like what?” Jordan asked. “What could make you slam around your precious cast iron like that?”

“Why don’t you ask Hannah?”

“Because I already asked you, Matt,” Jordan shot back. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Chloe’s pregnant,” I said, shooting my eyes over at Hannah. “And not only is she pregnant, but she lied about it and tried to hide it from me. I found her positive pregnancy test tied in a bag in the bottom of the trash can in the bathroom. Then when I confronted her with it, she tried to say it was Hannah’s before admitting it was hers.”

“Are you serious?” Jordan asked. “Chloe’s pregnant?”

“Apparently,”