Wilson's Hard Lesson (22 page)

“Cassie, sweetie. Are you okay?” Gerald asked, wrapping his
arm around his wife. “You look upset.”

Cassie shrugged her shoulders, then leaned into her
husband’s arms. The arms that had caught her, held her, and supported her for
the last fifteen years. He was a good man, an amazing man. It still bothered
her when people would look at them cross-eyed in the super market as they
shopped and held hands. Though the fifties had come and over half a century
ago, some people still didn’t like seeing white women with black men, or vice
versa.

But Gerald, no matter what color he would have been, was her
husband, the love of her life. As she leaned into his arms, he wrapped them
closer and kissed her temple. He could always tell when something was wrong, he
was observant like that.

“I’m worried about Kylie,” she said with a sigh. Her eyes
darted over to her daughter, who was lying on a pillow on the floor, watching
the TV in fascination. Brandon sat in the blue lazy boy, watching Kylie in
fascination.

“Ever since they got back last week they’ve been different,”
Cassie whispered. “Like something bad happened.”

Gerald followed his wife’s line of sight, trying to see what
she saw. He did find it odd that Brandon was watching Kylie so raptly. He
wasn’t even trying to pay attention to the TV anymore, but instead staring
straight at the back of Kylie’s head, as if he were silently willing her to
turn around and talk to him.

“Son,” Gerald said, a little too loudly, “will you come out
to the garage with me? I need to get to fixing that old table leg, and I could
use a hand.”

Brandon tore his eyes away from Kylie and looked over at his
father. “Sure dad,” he answered simply, getting up.

“Kylie baby,” Cassie said, standing up as well. “Why don’t
you come with me to pick dinner huh? We can stop in at the consignment shop and
pick out some new things while we wait for the food.”

“Okay,” Kylie said softly, as if she didn’t care one way or
another.

~

Brandon pushed open the door without knocking, letting
himself into Kylie’s room. She looked up from her book startled. They had
barely spoken since they’d returned from their camping trip, and she had been
locking her door. Tonight however, she’d simply forgot.

“What are you doing?” She whispered, her eyes full of anger.

“Talk to me,” Brandon begged, sitting on her bed and
reaching for her hand. “Tell me what’s going on. Dad pulled me into the garage
and started talking to me about family values and whatnot. I think they know
something is up.”

Kylie’s heart began to beat faster as she heard the story.
Her mother had had the same conversation with her. They were definitely on to
them.

“What are we going to do?” Brandon asked.

“What do you mean?” Kylie said softly. “We’re not doing
anything. Anymore.”

Brandon looked over at her as if she’d struck him in the
face.

“What?” He asked.

Kylie felt tears prick at her eyes, but she refused to let
them fall.

“I mean, you’re leaving next week, right?”

“Yes I am,” Brandon replied. “And I think we should make the
most of it, Kylie. I don’t want to be pushed away from you. I want to get as
close to you as possible before I leave.”

“And what will that accomplish?” Kylie hissed. “Except for a
broken heart, nothing!”

As she said the words, a wave of nausea rolled through her
stomach, and she brought her hand up to her mouth. Brandon was there in a
flash, his hands bracing her shoulders as she swayed.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” He asked, reaching up to feel
her forehead. “You have a fever. Hang on, I’ll get you a Tylenol.”

Before Kylie could tell him no, he disappeared into her
bathroom, coming out a second later with a pill and a glass of water. “Here.
Take this.”

Though she didn’t want to, Kylie felt a wave of warm, fuzzy
emotions watch over her as she took the medicine from Brandon. Even when she
was being so mean to him he was sweet as ever. Obediently she swallowed the
pill and the water, and handed the glass back to Brandon.

“You probably just have a little summer flu,” Brandon said,
leaning up to kiss her forehead. This time Kylie didn’t pull away, but instead
cherished the intimate contact between them. She missed him so much, and
suddenly regretted spending the last three weeks mad away from him.

“Try and get some sleep and we’ll talk about this in the
morning, okay?” Brandon said, turning off her light.

“Are you okay?” Daisy asked, her eyes full of concern as she
watched a very pale Kylie slide back into her booth. They had once again met at
the pizza parlor to catch up on their lives. Unfortunately, this time, Kylie
had spent a good portion of it in the bathroom throwing up.

Before Kylie could answer, Leo walked up to their table and
slapped their money onto the counter.

“What’s this?” Kylie asked meekly, already feeling like she
shouldn’t have left the safety of the bathroom.

“Your refund,” Leo replied, his eyes full of remorse. “You
have food poisoning.”

“I do?” Kylie asked.”

Daisy shook her head. “I don’t think so Leo. We ate the same
pizza, and I feel fine.”

Leo shrugged his giant shoulders and pushed the money back
to the girls. “Either way, you didn’t get to enjoy your food, so you shouldn’t
have to pay for it. Please, I insist.”

Before either girl could protest, Leo walked back towards
the counter where a line of customers had formed. It was a Friday night and a
lot of the working moms had come in pick up pizza for their families. It was a
long-standing tradition in the small town, and the main reason Leo was able to
stay open despite barely having customers any other day of the week. Every
Friday, nearly every household in town ordered one to three pizzas.

“Are you sick?” Daisy asked after Leo left. “I think we
should get you home.”

Kylie shook her head slowly, reaching for her water.

“I’m not sick,” she whispered. “I’m pregnant.”

Daisy’s eyes went as wide as dish plates as she heard the
news.

“Are you sure?” She asked.

“Positive. Or at least that’s what the three pregnancy tests
have told me.”

“Oh, God,” Daisy whispered. “How did this happen? What are
you going to do?”

Kylie looked around to make sure that no one in particular
was paying attention to them, then leaned in closer. The truth was a little
hard to admit, and she didn’t want anyone to hear it but Daisy.

“About two or three weeks after Brandon and I started
hooking up I ran out of my monthly supply of birth control. I kept meaning to
get it filled, but then I would forget about it.”

“What, you don’t use condoms?” Daisy asked.

“We did the first time,” Kylie replied. “But it broke. That
was the only time we used one. I’ve just been so spaced out you know, about the
whole falling in love with my stepbrother thing. It’s like I’ve been in a
dream, and this baby is a wake up call.”

Daisy gave her best friend a sympathetic smile. “Are you
going to…going to keep it?”

Kylie bit her lower lip and nodded her head. “It’s still
early. My little bean is only a few weeks along. But yeah. I am. I fell in love
with it as soon as I saw the little plus sign. I’ve already thought about it,
and here’s the thing. I’ve worked my ass off in school to graduate early this
December. I already submitted my application for Grad School and should be
hearing back from them next month or so. If I get in I would start in January,
and the baby would come in May, which means I’d have the entire summer to be a
stay at home mom before going back to finish in the fall.”

“That’s all well and good honey,” Daisy replied. “But what
about Brandon? He needs to know too. The baby is half his, and he needs to know
what’s going on.”

“Yeah,” Kylie sighed, putting her hot forehead down on the
cool surface of the table. “I know.”

Brandon stared down at Kylie in disbelief, not sure of what
he just heard. He had said his goodbyes to his parents at their home, and he
and Kylie had gone alone to the airport. He had to catch his flight back to
Germany. They had held hands and hugged and kissed, but as he had turned to go
check in for his flight, Kylie had grabbed his arm and gave him the surprise of
his life.

“A baby?” he echoed.

Kylie burst into tears as he said it. Shock was written all
over his face and she knew that she had picked a horrible time to tell him
about the baby.

“I’m sorry,” she rasped. “I didn’t mean to be so
irresponsible,” she told him.

Brandon looked dumbfounded, and for a long two minutes he
said nothing, and only stood there in disbelief. He had been expecting her to
say she loved him, and but then surprise, a baby! A baby that they had created
together.

“I messed up,” Kylie cried. “I should have spent these last
weeks attached to you, but instead I pushed away and I’m so sorry. I love you,
Brandon. I love you so much. Please, please don’t be mad at me,” she begged.

“Mad at you?” Brandon said, suddenly coming to life. He
pulled her into his arms and held her tight. “There’s no way in hell I could ever
be mad at you.”

Kylie felt a flood of relief wash over her as she felt his
strong arms wrap around her. She leaned into his chest and let herself cry out
her tears. It felt so good to tell him the truth, and knowing that he wasn’t
furious with her had taken a huge load off of her mind.

“What are we going to do?” She asked when the tears finally
stopped. “I mean, I can still go to school, and I can do this by myself if I
don’t”-

Brandon put his finger up to her lips and shook his head no.
“No way. I want to be here for you. For both of you. We’re going to do this
together.”

“We are?” Kylie asked, her eyes lighting up with joy.

“Absolutely,” Brandon promised, bringing her into his arms
again. “I love you Kylie. I love you so much. My eight-year contract ends in
January,” he explained. “I’ll be home then, and when you graduate from grad
school, I’ll go with you on your missions. We’ll save the world together. As a
family.”

Love, appreciation, and happiness all flooded through Kylie
as she felt a new wave of tears wash down her face. Brandon was no boy, no
irresponsible lover. He was a man,
her
man, and he was going to do right
by her.

They kissed a final time, and Brandon promised to call her
as soon as he landed in Germany. After watching him board the plane, Kylie
walked down to the parking lot and got in her car. A lot had happened over that
fateful summer, and she would be forever changed. With her hand resting on her
belly, she smiled and thought about the man she loved. She trusted him, and
knew that when he said something he meant it. She only had to wait five months
for him to come back. Five months, and her family would be whole again.

By: Casey Newman

Oh Baby!,
A Best Friend Romance

©Casey Newman, 2016 – All rights
reserved

Published by Steamy Reads4U

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the
publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles
or reviews.

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, businesses,
places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s
imagination or used in a fictitious manner.  Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental.  This book is
licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

This book may not be resold or given away to other people. 
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Warning

This book contains graphic content intended for readers 18+
years old.

If you are under 18 years old, or are not comfortable with
adult content, please close this book now.

The Claremont High School three-year class reunion was held
at Stony Brook Park. It was the absolute perfect setting – most of the class
had spent the days they ditched class hanging out alongside the river, watching
the clouds float overhead and fighting over the one swing that wasn’t busted.

“I can’t believe my eyes!” Erica exclaimed, upon arriving at
the park.

“What’s that?” Shannon asked. A petite brunette, she got up
on her tip toes to see what had attracted her best friend’s attention. “Did
they actually fix the swings?”

“Well, yes,” Erica said, “but that’s not what I’m talking
about. Check out Brendan – he’s absolutely ripped!”

“Brendan?” Shannon asked. “Where?”

She looked where Erica pointed and shook her head. “That’s
not Brendan. There’s no way that could possibly be Brendan.”  She’d been tight
with Brendan all through high school, to the point that many people assumed the
two of them were a couple. For every minute of that time, Brendan hadn’t
weighed an ounce above 120 pounds; he spent all of his time playing World of
Warcraft. The only muscles Brendan ever exercised were in his fingers, whereas
the guy Erica was pointing to spent serious hours in the gym.

“It is!” Erica insisted. “Let’s go say hi!”

“I don’t know,” Shannon said, but her protest was lost.
Erica grabbed her by the hand and dragged her over to the small knot of people
surrounding Brendan.

He was talking. “My roommate was really into rowing, and he
just wouldn’t stop talking about how I needed to try it. So I did, just to shut
him up and…oh my God! Shannon?”

Shannon felt herself blushing as everyone turned to look at
her. “Hey,” she replied.

Brendan opened his arms for a hug. “My God, you haven’t
changed a bit!”

She stepped into his embrace, which was familiar and
completely new at the same time. “You really have.”

He laughed. “Blame the weight room. I’m lifting four days a
week now.” He stepped back and looked Shannon up and down. “What’s new with
you? Tell me everything!”

“There’s not much to tell, to be honest.” Shannon shrugged.
“I’ve been helping Mom with the store, and that’s pretty much it.”

Brendan was still holding onto her hand; a fact Shannon was intensely
aware of. When he looked at her, his intense brown eyes were exactly as she’d
remembered them: searching, insightful. “I know that’s not pretty much it,” he
said, “But I know how you are. We’ll catch up when things aren’t so busy.”

Shannon felt a shiver go through her body, an electric jolt
that traveled all the way down to her toes. “All right,” she whispered, letting
go of his hand. “That’ll be…nice.”

The rest of the reunion passed in a whirl. People kept
arriving by the carful and before too long, the park was full to overflowing.

“This is a blast!” Erica announced. She handed Shannon a
beer. “I can’t believe how many people showed up.”

“I didn’t know we could drink in the park,” Shannon replied.
“Not legally.”

“I’m pretty sure that bonfire’s not too legal either,” Erica
countered, using her bottle to point to the curls of smoke coming from a tripod
of picnic tables stacked together near the river’s edge. “But it appears to be
happening anyway.”

Shannon felt her heart sink. “I think we’d better get out of
here before the cops come.”

“The cops aren’t going to come,” Erica said. “They’ve got
better things to worry about than some people having fun in the park.”

Shannon shook her head. “You don’t know. Things have really
changed around here since we graduated.” The opiate epidemic hadn’t passed
Claremont by; the small town had a pretty big meth problem on its hands. “The
cops are a lot more uptight.”

“What are they going to do?” Erica scoffed.

Shannon handed her back the beer. “I’ve got to live in this
town,” she replied. “I’m not going to give them any reason to hassle me.”

“You didn’t used to be this uptight,” Erica replied. “I seem
to remember you did your fair share of drinking right in this park.”

“Yeah, when it was you and me and Brendan and Steve,”
Shannon replied, referring to Erica’s former boyfriend. “Four kids in the
middle of the night aren’t as noticeable as four hundred setting fires.”

“There’s only one fire.” Erica replied.

“Still,” Shannon replied. “We should go.”

“You can go,” Erica answered. “I’m having a good time. I
haven’t seen half of these people in like forever, and I’m not going to bail
just because you’re scared.”

Shannon looked at Erica for a long moment. Her friend was
already a little glassy-eyed, and she’d finished her own beer and had started
drinking the one Shannon had given back to her. “You probably shouldn’t be
driving anyway.”

“Probably not!” Erica replied blithely. She lifted her hand
in the air and waved at Shannon. “Later, tater!”

Shannon shook her head and started walking down the park’s
driveway. She scanned the crowds as she went, hoping to see Brendan. He usually
had a good head on his shoulders, she thought – or at least he used to.  Her
heart sank when she saw him standing very near the bonfire. Maybe Brendan’s
physique wasn’t the only thing that changed.

Claremont was a small town, but Shannon had some miles to go
before she made it home. She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and
started walking purposefully. There was no sense sticking around where she
obviously didn’t belong; once Erica had abandoned her, there was really no one
left for Shannon to talk with.

In a way, this was a lot like high school. Brendan and Erica
had been her two best friends – the gaming guy, the artsy girl, and the
bookworm made an inseparable trio that had stuck together through thick and
thin. No one else really had any interest in them or what they were doing.

But now, there were plenty of people who were very
interested in Brendan.  The crowd he was captivating now was composed almost
entirely of the most popular high school kids – jocks and cheerleaders as far
as the eye could see. And Erica had learned to use her charms effectively too:
she was already arm in arm with a guy Shannon only vaguely remembered from
chemistry class.

“I guess I’m the only one who hasn’t changed,” Shannon said.
She had always been a fast walker; feeling hurt and embarrassed made her
faster. She’d gone the better part of a mile when the first police cruiser
passed her, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Shannon waved. There were two
more cruisers behind it. The reunion was about to get really interesting. “Too
bad I missed out on all the fun!”