Confronting the Unknown

Ashley stepped out of her apartment, her heart racing with anticipation. She scanned the street, her eyes locking onto Matty's figure standing by his car. He was pacing back and forth, his eyes fixed on her as she approached. Ashley felt a surge of anxiety as she quickened her pace, her hand instinctively going to her stomach. Matty stopped pacing as she drew near, his expression intense. "Ash, we need to talk," he said, his voice low and urgent. Ashley nodded, her eyes darting around the street, searching for an escape route if needed. "What's going on, Matty?" she asked, trying to sound calm. Matty's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched. "I know what's going on, Ash. I know about the pregnancy." Ashley's eyes widened in shock. "How did you...?" she started to ask, but Matty cut her off. "Don't play dumb, Ash. I know you've been to the doctor. I have my ways of finding things out." Matty's voice was rising, his anger simmering just below the surface. Ashley took a step back, her heart racing. "Matty, calm down. Let's talk about this," she pleaded. But Matty was beyond reason. His face darkened, his eyes blazing with fury. "You didn't tell me, Ash. You didn't even consider me," he spat, his voice venomous. Ashley felt a surge of fear as Matty's anger boiled over. She had never seen him like this before, and it terrified her. "Matty, stop. You're scaring me," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. But Matty just laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "You should be scared, Ash. You should be very scared." He took a step closer to her, his eyes glinting with menace. Ashley's instincts screamed at her to run, but her legs felt rooted to the spot. She was trapped, with no way out. Matty's anger was suffocating her, making it hard to breathe. Suddenly, Matty's phone rang, shrill in the silence. He hesitated for a moment before answering it, his eyes never leaving Ashley's face. "Yeah?" he barked into the phone. As he listened, his expression changed, his anger morphing into something else. He looked...concerned. "Yeah, I'll take care of it. Thanks for calling." Matty hung up the phone, his eyes still fixed on Ashley. For a moment, she thought she saw a glimmer of uncertainty there, but it was quickly replaced by his usual confident expression. "Let's get out of here," Matty said, his voice a little softer now. "We need to talk." Ashley hesitated, unsure of what to do. Part of her wanted to run, to get as far away from Matty as possible. But another part of her wanted to know what was going on, to understand what Matty's plans were. She took a deep breath and nodded, following Matty to his car. As they drove away, Ashley couldn't shake the feeling that she was in grave danger.