"Steve...I" stuttered Michelle praying he hadn't heard Carla's little outburst.
"What's going on?" He asked in a raised voice, looking a little hurt and stepping further into the scene.
Carla glared at Michelle with wide warning eyes, if she didn't tell him right now she would. The poor man had a right to know he was due to be a father before Michelle made a decision without him. Carla wouldn't usually be so concerned and in the past none of this would have mattered but now her and Michelle were more like best friends and sisters she was concerned for her happiness and well being.
"Michelle?" asked Steve when nothing came but silence. He glanced at her, then at Carla and then back to Michelle expectantly before feeling himself getting agitated. "Will someone please tell me what is going on?" he stressed.
"Michelle's pregnant" Carla just blurted out.
Michelle's eyes widened as she stared at Carla with a building rage. That was completely unnecessary, she didn't have to do that and it wasn't her place. Michelle was fuming, in temper she screamed and screamed at Carla to leave until she choked herself and was breathless. Taking deep breaths Michelle tried to calm herself as she watched Carla collect her things and go. She looked pleased with herself for causing all this havoc which just infuriated Michelle further.
Inside Steve and Michelle were left in an awkward silence. Neither of them knew what to say to one another. It was a shock for Steve to find out this way and he was horrified when Michelle returned to her seat on the sofa and grabbed the half glass of wine she had been drinking with Carla earlier. He rushed and grabbed it from her before she managed to get it to her lips.
"I don't think so" he chorused comically as he whipped it away and hurried to pour it down the sink.
"Hey" yelled Michelle. She'd really wanted to drink that if for nothing more than to try and relax herself.
"You're pregnant 'Chelle you can't drink that" he stated firmly as he came and sat bedside her. "When were you going to tell me?" he asked as he made a reach for her hand as an affectionate gesture.
Huffing and puffing she snatched her hand away from him and pulled her knees up to her chest as she stared forward. She wasn't ready to talk about this and was becoming increasingly annoyed by Steve's babbling on about the baby. She had stopped listening as he continued on and on getting excited as he began to discuss baby names and how wonderful this news was to celebrate with their engagement, oh and how thrilled his mother would be.
"Will you just shut up!" snapped Michelle eventually. He had officially pushed it as far as she was going to allow.
Steve looked hurt by his finance's outburst and sat back slumping moodily at the other side of the sofa. He didn't understand her mood. This was good news surely, their own little family what more could she want.
"What is wrong 'Chelle?" he eventually mustered up the courage to ask.
"Nothing" she snapped quickly.
"Well I think something is wrong why aren't you happy about the baby?" he questioned.
Michelle ignored the question, just for a minute though as it became obvious that Steve was expectant of an answer. She still didn't know how she felt about the tiny being growing inside her and she hadn't made the decision to keep it yet or not. She was frustrated and angry when she snapped back the impulsive response that came to mind.
"You know why Steve, because there is no baby"
No sooner had the words passed her lips she realised what she had said. but Steve was mumbling back at her trying to process what she had said and what Carla had said. He was confused, why would Carla say that if it wasn't true. He had to know.
"Then why did Carla..." he started but didn't get to finish his question before Michelle interjected.
"Because Carla is a bitch"
Getting up Michelle went to leave the room, she had come home to take some time to think and that is what she really needed to do right now. As she walked in the direction of the bedroom Steve tried to ask again, still not understanding why Carla would say such a thing out of spite.
Michelle turned and growled as she glared at Steve. "Carla and I fell out, she's doing this to be vindictive and nothing more Steve, there is no baby and there never was. Now will you drop it" she screamed as she entered the bedroom and slammed the door to mark the intensity of her anger.
Carla would be sorry for doing this to her she thought. She had put her in an impossible position Michelle didn't appreciate it in the slightest. Flopping down on the bed she curled herself up the best she could into a ball and began to cry. Her outburst to Steve in anger must confirm how she felt she thought, she had denied the existence of her unborn child and that must mean she did not want him or her. She cried hard, very hard at the thought of having had no time to assess the situation appropriately and that the decision had been forced out of her hands by Carla. At least she had someone to blame she thought.
In the living room a dumbfounded and still shocked Steve tried to get all the facts straight in his head. He just didn't believe Carla would say such a thing and be so hurtful over a stupid fall out at the factory. Surely she wasn't that cold, maybe a few years ago but not now after all she had been through. He made a decision that he would go and confront Carla on all of this. If she was doing this out of spite it wasn't fair to distress Michelle like this and try to cause such disruption in their happy little home.