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Author's Chapter Notes:
Gosh, thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback! I appreciate you all letting me know if you want the baby to be a girl or boy. If you haven't left your opinion on it yet; please do! Hope you enjoy this next chp! :)

 

“Hey, can we talk a minute?”

Brielle looked over to see Alex in the doorway of the guest bedroom the following day. “Of course, come in.” She set the baby magazine she’d picked up the other day, down and watched him. “What’s up?”

“Actually, I was kind of hoping we could take a drive.” The last thing he wanted was to have this conversation with his mother just down the hall.

The blonde nodded some and slipped from the bed. “Yeah, that sounds good. Do you think we could get some tacos while we’re out? I’m having a huge craving for some sour cream.”

Alex chuckled. “We’ll get you as many as you want.” He waited until she got her shoes on and grabbed a jacket then followed her down the hall and downstairs to the foyer. “We’ll be back!” He called out to his mother then ushered Brielle from the house and to his waiting SUV.

Once inside, Brielle got buckled and settled into the seat then glanced his way. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s good. I just wanted to talk about a few things.”

She watched him get buckled and start the vehicle. “Did I do something wrong?”

Alex looked her way as he put the SUV into gear and pulled out from his spot. “Oh, no, Brie, you haven’t done anything.” His eyes turned toward the windshield as he headed from the driveway. “There were a couple things I thought needed to be discussed. Mainly from the doctor’s visit yesterday.”

“Oh.” She nodded some, wondering what it was about the visit that was bothering him.

Alex glanced her way. “How ‘bout we get you some tacos and find somewhere to park and then we can talk; or I can talk and you can listen.”

“Sure.” She had a funny feeling in her tummy, not sure where this conversation was going to lead to.

Fifteen minutes later, they had the tacos and were parked at a quiet overlook that led down to a secluded beach.

“Mm, this is so good,” Brielle sighed as she took a bite out of her taco, holding it carefully so she wouldn’t spill lettuce and cheese all over her lap.

Alex watched her with a grin. “Hits the spot, huh?”

“Oh yeah.” She closed her eyes a moment, just enjoying the taste.

Her companion watched her a moment, letting her enjoy the taco before he finally spoke a few moments later, “So, um…I thought it might be a good idea for us to talk about a few things.”

Brielle turned his eyes to him, her long lashes blinking slowly. “What kind of things?”

“Well,” he wet his bottom lip and shifted some in his seat to a more comfortable position, “remember yesterday when we were filling the sheets out about our medical history?” When she nodded, he continued, “I guess I just wanted to explain about some of my answers.”

“The drug and alcohol ones?”

She’d seen the answers he’d put down. “Yeah.”

“Well, what about them?”

Alex fiddled with the steering wheel. “I guess you could say I have a pretty shrouded past when it comes to those vices.” A beat. “I don’t exactly have the best record and for awhile I spent a lot of time drunk, stoned or high off cocaine.”

The blonde’s brows arched. “Geeze.”

“Yeah,” he sighed heavily, avoiding her gaze, “but I don’t do those things anymore; ‘cept sometimes I still drink, but I’m completely free of drugs.”

Brielle licked some sour cream from her finger and set the taco on the wrapper in her lap. “Why are you telling me this?”

His dark eyes lifted to her face and she could see the anguish in them. “I …guess I thought you should know.”

“Because it might affect the baby?” Those stunning blue eyes widened. “Can something like that affect the baby?”

“I…I don’t know. But I wanted to tell you just in case…in case, you know…” he trailed off, not sure if he could say what he was thinking.

“In case something is wrong with the baby,” she finished the sentence for him.

Alex gave a silent nod and looked off out the window.

The two were quiet for a moment, Alex lost in his thoughts and Brielle studying him. Finally, she wiped her hands on a napkin then reached and took his hand in hers. “The doctor said everything looked good so far. She didn’t see anything alarming or would make her think there might be problems.”

“I know,” he turned his attention back to her, “but if something is wrong and it’s because of something I’ve done …then…” a heavy feeling was settling in his stomach, “I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“How do you know it wouldn’t be because of something I did?”

“Did you do drugs?”

“Well, no, but I’m the one carrying the child. What if I do something that causes some kind of complication or problem?”

He hadn’t thought about that.

She sighed and gave his hand a small shake, as if she were trying to convince him otherwise. “What I’m trying to say is that there isn’t going to be any way of telling what caused what. Heaven forbid, if something does happen with the baby, then we’re just going to have to handle it and do what we can. Placing blame or feeling guilty will get us nowhere. And sitting here worrying over something that might not even happen just can’t be healthy. We’re just going to stress each other out and you know that can’t be good for anyone, even the baby.”

She was right and he knew it, but it didn’t mean he could convince himself to believe it. “You’re right.”

“I know.” She finally released his hand and reached for her taco again. “So, unless the doctor tells us there’s reason to worry, then I say we just put all that behind us and focus on the here and now; like these tacos.” She flashed a teasing grin at that and took a bit bite, uttering a savoring mmm.

Alex was a little taken back with her nonchalant attitude about his news. Most girls either freaked out or had a million questions; but Brielle just went about her way as if it didn’t bother her in the least. That was different and he wasn’t sure how to interpret it; but it was nice not to have the added pressure of being judged or questioned on everything he thought or did. That was very nice and the more he thought about it, the better he felt. Someone just accepting him for who he was; faults and all. That was definitely very nice.

“So, what’s going to happen now that the press thinks you’re fathering a child?”

He blinked out of his thoughts and looked at her. “What?”

She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Well, the paparazzi were all up in your business so I’m sure rumors are gonna spread fast.”

He chuckled then leaned his head against the back of the seat. “Shit, that is really the last thing I want, or need, right now.”

“Are you going to like, make a statement, or something?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged and turned his head to see her, “my mom wants me to. She says I need to nip all the rumors in the bud and just put out a statement.”

Her brows lifted in a questioning look, but her mouth was full of taco so she couldn’t speak.

“It’s probably what I should do,” he replied, knowing what her look meant. “But it’s going to mean more attention. They’ll follow us around more and it’s going to come out who you are and what happened between us.”

“If it’s the truth, then what’s wrong with that?”

Alex paused at that. “Well, nothing I guess. Except I’m engaged and now this girl is coming from the woodwork claiming to be having my child.”

Brielle frowned. “I’m not claiming. I am.”

“I know that and you know that, but the rest of the world doesn’t. And until the baby is born and an actual DNA test can be done, then it’s just hearsay and I’m just being honest here, but the press can be very, very harsh and hurtful in what they print.”

“Well, I just won’t read it.”

He chuckled. If only it were that easy. “Or watch TV?”

“I won’t do that either.”

“So, you want me to make a statement?”

Brielle sighed and finished the last bite of her taco, wiping her mouth and taking a sip of her lemonade before responding, “You do what you need to do, Alex. I don’t want to come into your life and disrupt it or make it harder for you. I’ve already screwed up your relationship with Renee and now I’m causing you to get all this attention and the last thing I want is for it to cause you bad press.” She was quiet a second and when she spoke again, her voice was softer, “Maybe I should just go back to New York; let you get your life back on track.”

Alex frowned at that. “I’m not letting you go back to New York and you really need to stop talking like that.”

“But it’s true; all I’m doing is messing things up for you.”

“Hey,” he reached and took her arm gently, causing their eyes to meet, “you are not messing anything up for me. I got us into this mess. I could have left you alone and not taken you back to my hotel room that night in New York, but I did.”

“And now you’re having a baby with a woman you hardly know, your fiancée wasn’t nothing to do with you and the public is going to think you’re some scumbag who cheats on your girlfriend then moves some stranger into your home.”

“I told you, I don’t care what anyone thinks about me.”

“I know,” she sighed and sank back into the seat, her shoulders hunching some, “I’m sorry. I just can’t help but feel like I’m just messing it all up for you.”

“You’re not. Hey, remember what you said to me the other day? About Renee maybe not being the right one for me?” She nodded and he continued, “Maybe you’re right. I’ve been thinking about it and I think you have a point; if she can’t support me and be there for me for this, then what is she going to be like if we were to get married?”

“Oh, please don’t say you two aren’t meant to be on my behalf.”

He reached for her arm again. “I’m not. I’m saying it because it’s quite possibly true.” He hesitated. “I’m going to go see her on Monday and ask for the ring back.”

Her blue eyes stretched some in surprise. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Only if you’re sure. I don’t want you to make decisions just because of something I put in your head.” She shook her own head. “You have to be really sure, Alex, like completely and a hundred percent positive about it. I don’t know if I could carry the guilt that I caused you to do it and you really didn’t want to.”

But he wasn’t swayed. “I want to.”

She studied him a moment then sighed. “Okay. And, if you need anything, you’ve been so gracious and wonderful to me; the least I can do is repay the favor somehow.”

“You’re having my baby.”

She chuckled. “That is not repaying the favor. That’s what got us both into this mess in the first place.”

“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Brielle nodded then gathered the taco wrappers and shoved them into the plastic bag from the restaurant. “Hey, do you think we could stop and get some Chunky Monkey ice cream? I’m having a sudden craving for it.”

Alex laughed. “That actually sounds good. How ‘bout I get enough for the both of us.”

“Deal.”

He grinned at that and started up the SUV again. “Alright, let’s roll then.”

~*~*~*~*~

Sunday, Denise took Brielle and Lily out for the day; Alex had some work to do so she kept the two occupied with shopping, lunch, a movie and then a stop at the spa. It was a nice outing and to everyone’s surprise, Brielle and Denise got along rather well. The tension that had been in the house since her arrival seemed to melt away and the blonde wasn’t sure if it was because of the mud wrap or avocado facials, but she would take it none the less. Denise didn’t treat her like an outcast or like someone who was trying to weasel her way into her son’s life, but instead she was treated like she was the mother of the older woman’s grandchild. Brielle just hoped this behavior wasn’t short lived.

The trio arrived back to the home that evening and while Lily was putting the spa goodies she’d purchased away and Denise was rummaging around the kitchen to decide what to have for dinner, Brielle sought out the homeowner, knowing he’d be pleased at finding out that his mother and Brielle were getting along rather well.

“Hey,” she greeted Alex upon locating him in his office. He was seated on the loveseat in the room, his legs extended on the coffee table and a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand.

He glanced to her, not moving from his spot except to raise the bottle to his lips and take a long swallow. “Hey,” he finally uttered after lowering the container and using his arm to wipe his mouth.

Brielle remained in the doorway, picking up something in his demeanor and expression on his face that wasn’t good. “Um…you alright?”

Alex gave a snort then took another long drink.

She shifted her gaze around the room then finally moved into the room. “What’s going on?”

“Nothin’, just enjoying my drink.” He held up the bottle in a salute.

“You don’t look like nothing is wrong.” She closed the office door securely behind her. “What happened while we were gone?”

“Shit hit the fan.” He took another drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Renee came by?”

“Fuck,” his eyes squeezed tight, “yes, she came by.”

Brielle frowned. “What…what happened?” Slowly, she sank down next to him.

Alex seemed to slouch even further down into the loveseat. “You’re gonna laugh at this.”

“At what?”

He propped the bottle against his stomach and picked at the label with his other hand. “Funniest damn shit ever.”

“She hocked the ring?”

He snorted. “No, she still has the ring.”

The blonde was slightly confused by his behavior. “Then what is it?”

His dark eyes rose to meet her clear ones and she felt a punch in her stomach at the desolate expression on his face. “She’s pregnant.”

“Wh…” she blinked. “Come again?”

“Heh, yeah, she’s having my baby. Imagine that; I’m having two babies with two different women…within a few months of each other. Shit, my life is fucked up.” His head fell back into the couch and he lifted the bottle to his mouth, taking another drink.

“I…” she was speechless. Quickly, she racked her brain for something, anything she could offer for support or help. “Is she sure?” And that’s all she could come up with? Seriously?

“She went to the doctor and everything; said they confirmed it.”

What was one supposed to say in a situation like this? “I…I don’t know what to say.”

He shook his head and held the bottle towards her. “Me either, have a drink.” Then he was pulling it away again. “No, you can’t have a drink. I’ll have a drink for you.” And he proceeded to down more of the potent liquid.

Brielle was pretty certain he was drunk and it wasn’t a good drunk either. They were lucky to have come home when they had. “How ‘bout you give me the drink.” She reached for the bottle, but he held it from her.

“No, you can’t have any. You’re pregnant. Just like Renee…both having my baby. Damn, and I was worried all the drugs and drinkin’ would have made me impotent.” He snorted then drank again. “Gonna have two babies, ain’t married to either woman, my mother is going to just love this shit.”

“Um, Alex,” again, Brielle reached for the alcohol, “how much have you had to drink?”

Alex pulled it from her grasp and motioned toward the desk which had two empty bottles on it. “Not enough.”

It looked like more than enough to her. “Okay, alright, it’s okay. We’ll…figure this out.” She rose to her feet and surveyed the situation, wondering what the best course of action would be.

But before she could come up with a solution, a knock sounded on the office door followed by Denise’s voice, “Alex, honey, are you in there?”

“Shit!” The man in question was suddenly stumbling to his feet and shoving his nearly empty bottle at the blonde. “Hide this shit; if my mom catches me, we’re both dead.”

She blinked and grasped at the bottle, nearly dropping it. “What?”

“Hide them, hurry!” He hissed at her before pulling a stick of gum from his pocket and wavering towards the door.

“Alex?” Denise knocked again.

“Uh, just a minute, Mom,” he slurred out, looking back to Brielle and motioning at her like ‘hurry it up’.

She frowned and glanced around the room, hurrying to the desk and collecting the two empty Jack Daniel’s from there. “Where am I supposed to hide these?”

“Go out the window.”

“What?” Her eyes widened.

“The window. Hurry!” He motioned towards the half open window that led out to the side yard.

Brielle was about to object, but Alex moved to the window and shoved it up.

“Alex, what is going on in there?” Denise called through the closed door.

“I’m on a call, Ma, just a minute!” He called back to her then waved the blonde over and nearly shoved her out the window to the yard below.

Brielle tumbled to the ground, the bottles slipping from her hands and falling into the grass. Slightly dazed, she sat up and frowned up toward the office, but Alex had already shut the window and pulled the blinds closed.

“What the hell!?” She dusted her hands off then pushed herself to her feet and brushed off the seat of her pants. He was damn lucky it wasn’t a long drop to the ground and he was lucky she hadn’t hurt herself. Something like that could be dangerous to the baby. Frowning at that thought, she smoothed a hand over her tummy then smoothed her hair and checked herself over for any types of bumps or scrapes. There didn’t seem to be any so she collected the alcohol bottles and started back around the house to the front door.

She had no idea what was going on and why Alex felt the need to send her out the window. Though being drunk probably didn’t help the situation. But she was damn sure she was going to find out because that was never going to happen again. What was so wrong with his mom knowing he had been drinking after finding out something as shocking as his fiancée being pregnant with his child? Normally, something that like would be wonderful news, but because of Brielle it was only going to add stress to the already stressful situation. Alex had told her he didn’t want her to go back to New York, but now that he was having a child with the woman he loved, maybe he wouldn’t care. Lily was supposed to be heading back the coming Friday, they could easily turn her first class ticket into two coach and she could join her. That would probably be the best thing for everyone now.

With that thought in mind, Brielle found her way back to the front of the house. She spotted the large trash bins next to the garage and quickly disposed of the alcohol, making sure to hide it under a pizza box in case Denise wanted to add trash, then wiped her hands off and headed back inside.

Lily was coming down the steps when Brielle stepped in through the front door. “Hey. What were you doing outside?” She questioned the blonde, joining her in the foyer.

Brielle glanced toward the living room and hall, but found it empty. “Alex made me go out the window.”

“What?” Her brown eyes furrowed in confusion.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “we were in his office and his mom knocked on the door and he freaked out and practically shoved me out the window.”

Lily frowned at her friend. “Why would he do that?” Then her eyes widened. “Ooh, ooh, Brie!” She grabbed her friend’s arm and gently pulled her closer, speaking her next words in a hushed tone, “Were you two, you know…”

Brielle arched a brow. “Were we what?”

“You know…”

The blonde shook her head. “No, I don’t know.”

Lily sighed. “Getting it on, making out…getting busy. Geeze, do I have to spell everything out for you?”

“What?!” Brielle frowned and pulled out of Lily’s grasp. “We most certainly were not doing any of that!” She started for the stairs.

Lily followed her. “Then why would he make you go out the window? What would be so bad of Denise seeing you two together in there?”

“I don’t know,” she lied. She hated hiding information from her best friend, but it wasn’t her place to announce the news of Renee’s condition nor did she feel right gossiping about his drinking and Denise not liking it.

“Are you sure you two weren’t getting freaky?”

“We weren’t getting freaky.” She sighed and moved down the hall to the guest room she was using and inside.

Lily was right behind her. “Cuz you know, if you wanted to, it’d be perfectly okay.”

Brielle thought she was going to fall over. She turned to her friend and stared at her. “Are you drunk? You’re talking like a crazy person. Alex and I doing anything like that is most certainly not okay!”

“Geeze, calm down; you don’t have to get your panties in a bunch.” Lily held her hands up in a defensive gesture. “And why wouldn’t it be okay? You two have already bumped nasties, quite a few times that night from what I’ve come to understand. What would be wrong with you two doing it again?”

Brielle shook her head and headed for the bathroom, moving in and to the sink so she could wash her hands. “Um, because he has a girlfriend and we’re not like that with each other.”

Lily took a seat on the bed. “But you’ve already done it; so you are like that with each other.”

“It was one night,” her friend called from the bathroom. “One night that two people shared. It wasn’t because we liked each other or were attracted to each other; it was two people seeking solace and comfort from the shit in their lives with each other. Two people just trying to forget their problems and get lost in the moment.”

“So, do you find him attractive?”

Brielle rinsed the soap from her hands then shut the water off and took the hand towel from the towel rack. “Why are you asking me that?”

Lily shrugged. “Just curious.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, or even matters.”

“So, you do.”

Brielle appeared in the doorway. “Okay, so I think he’s a nice looking guy. So what?”

“So everything. I bet he thinks you’re attractive. You tell him, he tells you…” she tilted her head, “do I really need to continue?”

“Um, he’s engaged.” She sent her friend a look and crouched by the bed, pulling her suitcase from beneath it.

“Only in words; they haven’t talked in days and days. You and I both know it isn’t meant to be with them and it won’t work out.” She lifted a brow at her friend’s action. “What are you doing?”

“Packing a few things,” came the response.

Lily shifted onto her tummy and peered off the bed at the blonde who was crouched on the floor getting the suitcase opened. “Why? Did you find a place to stay already?”

“Not exactly.”

“They why are you packing your things?”

Brielle sighed and sat back on her bottom on the floor. “Because I have this feeling that I’m not going to be staying here for very much longer.”

Lily frowned then sat up and eyed her friend with the most serious of looks she could muster. “Okay, what’s going on? And you better tell me or I’ll go ask Alex.”

“Nothing is going on. I just don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“I told you, I’ll ask Alex if you don’t tell me.”

Brielle eyed the brunette then her shoulders drooped and she turned her gaze to the gray colored carpet. “Renee is pregnant.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, he just told me.”

“Are…is…seriously?” She was as much as a loss for words as the blonde had been.

“She told him she went to the doctors and they confirmed it. He’s taking it hard; very hard.”

“Well, yeah, I would too.” Lily slipped from the bed and sank down beside her best friend. “How are you taking it?”

“How am I supposed to take it? She’s his fiancée; the woman he loves. If I’d never come into the picture, I bet he’d be walking on cloud nine right now.”

The brunette reached and rubbed her back in a soothing manner. “You don’t know that.”

Her cloudy blue eyes met Lily’s cocoa colored ones. “Oh come on, you and I both know that it’s true. He didn’t hesitate in any of his decisions when it was me. They’re already engaged and were planning a life together, if I’d never contacted him, or you had never rather, then he’d be overjoyed instead of drowning his sorrows in Jack Daniels and getting drunk off his ass.”

“He was drunk?”

“Yeah,” she wiped at her eyes, trying to will the tears away, “that’s why he made me go out the window, so I could take the alcohol with me and his mom wouldn’t find out.”

Lily frowned; something about that picture wasn’t right. And she could vaguely remember reading something about his alcohol issues in the past. “Well, that’s terrible and I’m sorry that happened.”

“Thanks,” she sighed and took a breath, clearing her throat, “so, I thought that we could cash your first class ticket into two coach and I could go back with you on Friday.”

“Well, did he say what he wanted to do?”

Brielle shook her head. “No, he was drunk and too upset and I didn’t know what to say.”

Lily nodded then drew her legs up and hugged them to her chest. “Brielle, you can come back with me if you want to; I’m not going to make you stay out here. But I think you should at least talk to him before you decide for sure.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

She sighed and made a face. Ugh, why did Lily have to play her conscience and make her think about what was right and what wasn’t? “I guess you’re right.”

“I know I am; besides, you sort of owe it to him after everything he’s done for you.”

“Yeah,” she relented, picking at the zipper of her suitcase.

Lily nodded and studied her friend a moment. “So, let’s talk a bit more about how hot you think he is.”

Brielle frowned at that. “Let’s not and pretend we did.” She rose to her feet and smoothed out her shirt.

“Oh, come on, Brie, please?”

“I’m not going there, Lil. Things are good between us and right now, especially with the news of Renee, is not the time.”

Lily sighed. “I guess you’re right.” Then she sent her friend a crooked grin. “Can you at least tell me how good in bed he is?”

Brielle responded with a pillow to the head and that was the end of that conversation.