I hope everybody is enjoying this so far. It will be dripping with drama, so I'm excited.

I really love writing, so I'm sorry if anybody absolutely hates the story. I'm good with criticism, so don't be afraid to tell me what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks and enjoy!

As Clare came to, she saw Eli staring intently into her eyes, hovering over her with a look on his face of sheer concern and adoration.

"Eli, what's going on?" she whispered, disoriented from her unconsciousness.

"You passed out. You had a panic attack." He shook his head and let out a stressed chuckle. "You scared the living shit out of me." He walked away from her and to the wall, his hands locked behind his head. He looked deep in troublesome thoughts. "Have you had anything to eat today? You really need to eat. I'll make you some toast."

"I'm not hungry."

"Clare, you're going to eat. You passed out and you…you need to eat for the baby." Clare's face got red at the word. Her stomach churned and she felt like she could faint again. "Oh no you don't! I know that look! You aren't doing that again." He rushed over to her and put his cold hand on her forehead. He eased her up off of the floor. Her legs wobbled and Eli carried her, wedding style, to the couch.

Clare couldn't believe how he was treating her. He knew she was pregnant, and he was taking care of her. She'd hoped that this would happen, but she hadn't realistically expected it.

She prayed silently that it would stay this way. His strength would give her strength, but his weakness would tear her apart.

She feared Eli in an inexplicable way. The power he held over her was so immense that it smothered her being and left her but a pawn in his game of life. She didn't think he knew the weight that his attitudes and actions had on her life and her well-being. And that's probably what scared Clare the most; the fact that this man could destroy her with a few reckless words, and he wouldn't even know it.

When his jealousy and insanity kicked in, Eli became a monster that didn't see Clare as a beautiful, smart woman, but a possession that was his, and only his.

She shook the thoughts from her head and tried to replace them with positivity.

Dammit, Clare! Be positive. Be happy that he's here. Don't jump to paranoid conclusions.

She would do anything to keep him happy and with her. Her love for him just overwhelmed her in every way.

Exhaustion overwhelmed her and she closed her eyes, letting her body relax and drift into a fitful sleep.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

She awoke to Eli sitting next to her, with a plate of eggs and toast and a large glass of milk on the table in front of them.

"Eat up, blue eyes." Eli passed the food to her and pecked her on the cheek. "After you're finished, we are going over to my house to talk. We can watch a movie and talk about what we are going to do."

Clare nodded and forced down the entire plate of food, painful bite by bite. She knew if she didn't, Eli might get upset. She needed to make sure he was happy.

When did my life become about making sure he is stable?

She stared at him intently as he played with one of the many bracelets on his arm. He was so cute. And sexy. He turned her on in every way possible. She went from depressed to paranoid to horny in three seconds flat. She just had to have him, right there, on that couch.

"D-D-Do me." She stuttered, scooting as close to him as her shaky legs would allow.

Eli laughed heartily and smirked. It wasn't until he saw her unbuttoning her blouse that he realized she wasn't joking.

"Clare… For real?" He seemed dumb-founded that his pregnant girlfriend was throwing herself at him, only minutes after having a panic attack and passing. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Clare ignored his comment and continued to strip off her clothing. He stared at her in shock until she was sitting in only a bra and her panties.

"Make love to me, Eli. Please?"

The way her eyes were filled with lust and adoration melted Eli. He felt himself hardening to her requests. He couldn't resist himself. As he stripped off his own clothes and lowered himself into Clare, all of his worries about being a father and seemed to disappear.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

They lay on Eli's bed, silence engulfing the room in a way that made the panic creep back into Clare's mind. "Eli, can we watch a movie?"

"We need to talk first."

"I don't want to talk about it yet, Eli. I'm scared. I just wanna watch a movie." Clare felt a sob rising in her throat. She was so confused. She had been fine on the windowsill, in the night, with her thoughts. The second she saw Eli, however, she broke apart in a way that she didn't quite understand.

"Clare, we're going to talk about this. I need you to talk to me." He sat up on the bed and grabbed both of her hands. He kissed them and stared intently into her eyes. "We're going to be parents, beautiful. How do you feel?"

"I'm scared."

"I know, I know." Eli sighed deeply. "I'm scared too, Clare. More than you think. But I have to be strong for you. I'm going to be here, through all of the good times and the bad. I promise you this."

Clare smiled up at him as sincerely as she could muster. She wanted to believe him, but she knew Eli better than that after three years. On his good days, he would be with her. And on the bad ones, he would put her through more emotional distress than she could probably handle. The way he talked to her was warming her in a way that almost made her cry all over again.

"Clare, you believe me, don't you?" Eli's voice changed. He went from harmless to scary in 3 seconds flat. He was unpredictable in every sense of the word. He almost sounded threatening. Clare's stomach lurched at his tone and she instantly perked up. She nodded convincingly and tried to keep her strength from wavering, her façade from breaking. "Good. Now what are we going to do?"

"I was thinking we could get an apartment. We have all of that money in our account. We could—"

"—what if you just move in here?" Eli interjected. Clare's eyes widened at that idea and she shook her head with disbelief.

"Eli, no. I want to raise my baby—"

"—our baby, Clare." Eli interrupted, once again.

"Fine, Eli. I want to raise our baby in our own place. We're adults now. We have jobs and a savings. We can do it."

Eli laughed. "Adults? Clare, you're still afraid of spiders, you sleep with a stuffed panda bear. Despite our relationship, you are still a naïve, innocent little girl. That hasn't changed at all."

Clare scoffed angrily at him. "I sleep with that panda bear because you gave him to me. And fears don't necessarily change with age. My mom is still afraid of spiders and she's in her forties. I'm not naïve, Eli. I know how I want to raise my family. I want my own place, my own home to take care of my own son or daughter."

"Well, it's not all about you. I don't want to move out yet." Eli stated stubbornly. "And if you move into an apartment, I won't come visit you and the baby."

Clare felt a pang in her chest. The other Eli was rearing his ugly, selfish head in a big way. Hours ago he was helping her, holding her, making love to her so gently and passionately that the thought of it sent perfect chills up and down her body. And now he was threatening to ignore her and his child if she didn't do what he wanted? She scoffed. He's calling her a child, yet he is giving her the most ridiculous ultimatum that she has ever heard in her life.

She didn't understand how Eli could be everything she ever wanted and her worst nightmare at the same time. She just wanted him to be different. She wanted him to go back on his pills, the ones that calmed and regulated his bipolar disorder. He wasn't exactly the most artistically motivated man when he was on the pills, but he also treated her with more respect. She yearned for those days again. She wondered if he could ever be convinced to take that medication again.

Maybe for our baby. Maybe someday, I'll get that Eli back.

"So you're willing to throw me away like a piece of garbage because I won't do what you say?" Clare angrily inquired her head hurting at the intensity of her glare. "You're going to abandon your own child for something as ridiculous as this?"

Eli shrugged and flashed his signature smirk. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't."

Clare jumped up from the bed and shook her head. "Maybe I won't stick around to see what you decide."

Again, she jumped emotions like there was nothing to it. Sadness, anger, hope, rage and more rage.

Her own courage surprised her as she stormed out of the room and down the stairs. Eli's mom, Cece, was sitting in the living room and startled when she saw Clare.

"Hi Sweetheart! How are you doing?"

Clare quickly composed her anger and smiled sweetly. "I'm doing just fine. How are you?"

"I'm doing well. Are you heading out so soon?" Cece asked sweetly, almost making Clare feel guilty for leaving.

"Yes, I was just heading home. I have church in the morning and—"

"Clare's pregnant." Eli yelled down from the top of the staircase.

Clare froze.

Well? Thoughts?

Vann