Brielle didn’t see Alex again until Monday afternoon. He disappeared Sunday evening and wasn’t at breakfast the next morning. Denise had no idea where her son had gone off to; she’d barely gotten to talk to him in his office telling Brielle and Lily he had rushed off on her and was out the door before she could even get out a hello. So the three dined without him and Brielle fretted about him being somewhere out there driving while intoxicated. But no phone calls came from any hospital or police station and Alex finally walked through the door Monday afternoon.

Brielle was seated at the grand piano in the corner of his living room plucking at the keys. When she was little, her mother had signed her up for piano lessons and she’d taken them begrudgingly for two years. Not enough to be able to sit and play like a pro, but enough to manage Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

“Do you play?”

She turned at the sound of his voice and found him in the doorway watching her. “Not really. I took lessons for a few years when I was little. But I don’t remember much.”

He nodded some then joined her at the piano, leaning against the side of it. “Where are the others?”

“Um, Lily is out back in the pool and your mom went to the grocery store.” She didn’t look at him, just traced her fingers over the ivory keys.

“Oh.” He was quiet a moment then slipped onto the bench next to her. “How are you?”

“I’m okay.”

Alex sighed and slipped the shades off his eyes. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Brielle turned to him at that, noticing the redness in his eyes and the dark circles beneath them. “What happened to you?”

He frowned. He was trying to apologize. “Nothing, but I wanted to apologize to you for yesterday. I shouldn’t have made you go out the window like that.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t very nice of you. I might have been hurt, or the baby could have been.”

“I know,” he fiddled with the arms of his glasses, “and I’m sorry. I just …panicked.”

“Why can’t your mom know about your drinking?”

Alex sighed and set his shades on the piano. “She doesn’t like it. So, I don’t tell her I do it.”

“You’re a grown man, why can’t you do what you want?” She shrugged and plucked at a few more keys.

“Because then I’ll have to listen to her bitch at me. And who likes to hear their mother bitch at them?” He nudged her playfully with his arm. “You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

“Okay, I’ll give you that much.”

Alex nodded and watched her a moment. “Are you sure you’re okay? You seem a little,” he searched for the right word, “off.”

She shrugged again. “I’m alright.” A pause. “How’s Renee?”

At the mention of her name, Alex gave a small groan and rubbed his forehead. “She is driving me crazy.”

“Is that where you went, yesterday?”

“Yeah, I kind of took off on my mom and went over there.”

“Yeah, she told us you did that.” She chuckled low. “I’m sure she is going to have a million and one questions for you once she gets back here.”

He nodded at that. “You didn’t tell her anything, did you?”

“No.”

“Good.” He sighed and studied her a moment. “You know, there was a point in my life where I didn’t think things could get any worse than they were at that time.”

Brielle blinked some at that, feeling a heavy weight in her chest. Here it was; where Alex told her to pack up and move out. “But um…they did, huh?”

“Well, not really, but right now they’re teetering dangerously close.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Um, I uh…talked to Lily last night and …we both think that I should go back to New York.”

Alex stilled at her words, staring at her as if she had pulled the rug right out from under him. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” she ignored the tears that were gathering in her eyes and concentrated on the piano keys before her. She refused to look at him and she had to keep this conversation to a minimal, “with Renee expecting now, it’s probably better for all of us.”

His eyes narrowed some. “How is that better for everyone? I think it’d be worse; you’d be back to no job and no place to live, our child would be living on the streets, I wouldn’t get to be there for them.”

“But you have Renee and her baby now.”

“So you think because she’s having my child too, that I wouldn’t want you around?”

“You just said you felt like your life couldn’t possibly get any worse.” She turned her teary eyes to him. “Do you think I want to be here creating more stress and drama for you?”

He frowned. “You think that’s all you are? Someone here taking up space and ruining my life?”

She looked away from him and wiped at her cheeks, damning herself for letting him see her cry. “You were…so upset yesterday and…and I didn’t know what to do.”

Alex felt his heart pang at the tremors in her voice and his anger just melted away. “Hey, come on now, don’t cry.” He reached and smoothed a hand over her back. “I’m not upset with you; just myself, okay? You haven’t done anything wrong and I don’t want you to leave.”

“What are you going to do?” She sniffed out, continuing to wipe at her cheeks. “Have two pregnant women here and cater to them both?”

“I don’t know yet, but we’ll figure it out.” He leaned in and kissed her shoulder in a touching gesture. “You don’t worry about that though, you’ve got enough on your plate with trying to eat right, take care of yourself and all the stuff that comes with being pregnant.”

Brielle cleared her throat and looked to him. “I’m gonna get a job. Tomorrow, I’ll go out looking and as soon as I can, I’ll get a place of my own.”

“Don’t rush it, sweetheart. We’ve got time. Besides, I told you I’d help find you something and I’ll do that. I don’t want you to stress yourself out.”

“I know,” she wiped the tears from her hands onto her pants, “but I can’t just sit around here.”

“Okay, tomorrow I’ll make some phone calls.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “How’s that?”

She nodded. “That sounds good.”

“Good.” He smiled and mentally cheered himself for getting her waterworks to stop. Glancing to the piano, he thought a subject change was probably best. “You want me to teach you a few things on here?” He questioned, stroking a few keys and letting the notes linger in the air before pulling his hand away.

Brielle looked to him. “You play?”

“Oh yeah,” a small grin formed over his lips, “I play alright.”

She had to chuckle at his expression. “Play something for me.”

“Okay.” He flexed his fingers then cracked his knuckles and ran a few chords to warm up. “Anything in particular you’d like to hear?”

She tilted her head and scooted some to make sure he had enough room. “Hm…no. Are you going to sing too?”

“I could.”

She smiled softly. “Please.”

He couldn’t tell her no, didn’t know if he ever could. “Okay.” Then turning to the keys before him, he relaxed his shoulders, closed his eyes and let his fingers do the talking.

The music was beautiful and Brielle felt entranced by it as she watched his fingers effortlessly glide across the keyboard. Inside of her, something stirred and when he began to sing, goosebumps flashed across her skin and her heart knocked against her chest.

“In the light of the sun, is there anyone? Oh it has begun...
Oh dear, you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed,
This world you must've crossed... you said...

You don't know me; you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,

Essential yet appealed; carry all your thoughts… across
An open field,
When flowers gaze at you... they're not the only ones who cry
When they see you
You said...

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,”

As he played, his hands began to stroke the keys with more feeling and the notes began to harden. His lids fluttered open and he looked to Brielle, their eyes locking and chills running down her spine. The breath in her chest caught in her throat and she found herself falling into him and his beautiful voice; his words touching her deep inside and exposing her vulnerabilities to him.

“She said I think I'll go to Boston...
I think I'll start a new life,
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
I'll get out of California; I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly him out to Spain...
I think I'll go to Boston,
I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...
I think I need a sunrise; I'm tired of the sunset,
I hear it's nice in the summer; some snow would be nice... oh yeah,

Boston... where no one knows my name... yeah
Where no one knows my name...
Where no one knows my name...
Yeah Boston...
Where no one knows my name.”*

He trailed off and his fingers stilled, the last of the notes echoing through the room and fading away.

Their eyes were still locked and Brielle knew hers were shimmering with tears. They could have been in a room filled with hundreds of people and she would have noticed no one but him. The way he was watching her made her heart skip a beat and she reached for his hand, finding herself being drawn closer and closer until their breaths became one and his lips brushed over hers, ever so slightly and with a hesitance that was a mix of nerves and emotions.

Then they were kissing and his hand found its way up into her hair as his mouth covered hers. She felt his lips trembling against her own and that fueled her to pull him closer, her arms wrapping around his neck and one hand moving to the back of his head.

Alex gave a small sound in his throat at that and he cupped her cheek, his thumb smoothing on the soft skin there. He nipped at her lips and she felt herself melting into his embrace, her thoughts going clear out the window as he pulled her under and they were intertwined together; body and soul. Hearts pounded against chests and they pressed closer, the heated kisses urging them on, becoming more insistent and demanding. Hands began to roam and they both became lost in the other, only aware of the sound of their heartbeats and that distant roar that filled their heads.

The sound of a door slamming interrupted the two and they broke apart as if they had been knocked off the pedestal that had become their world for the brief moment.

Alex wet his bottom lip and ran a hand over his face, sitting up fully. He looked to Brielle who was tucking her hair behind her ears and looking everywhere but at him, trying in a desperate attempt to gather her composure. “Um,” he had no idea what to say; completely at a loss for anything at the moment. Her touches had caused a reaction in him that he hadn’t felt in a long time and thought he’d never feel again and now it was taking all his willpower not to pull her into his arms and kiss her until neither of them had a breath left in their bodies.

“That um…” Brielle shifted her gaze toward the doorway then back to Alex, “that was a beautiful song.”

He didn’t know how to respond, not expecting her to blow off the intimate moment they had just shared. “Oh, yeah, thank you.”

She nodded and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “You’re welcome. Did you write that yourself?”

“I did.”

Brielle hated the tension that was suddenly there. “Well, it’s very beautiful.”

“Thank you.” He reached out and smoothed a finger over some keys, causing the notes to sound against the stillness that was enveloping them.

She sighed and glanced toward the doorway again, wondering who was the source of the slamming door and if they were going to appear in the room at any moment. “So, um…”

Alex frowned and looked at her. “What was that?”

Her eyes widened with uncertainty. “What was what?”

“That kiss.”

“I…um…that…” she struggled for words, “you…you kissed me.”

“I think you kissed me.”

She blinked, looked to the piano then back at him. “I did?”

He chuckled low, not fully sure who made the move first. “Hell, I don’t know. But we were both kissing each other.”

“Yeah.” Brielle nodded some and chewed on her bottom lip. “Why do you think we did that?”

Alex lifted his brows and sighed some, resting both hands on his legs. “The music?”

“It was really touching. Music can be that strong, can’t it?”

“Yeah,” he nodded some, studying her reactions and the expression in her eyes, “some of it was the music.”

“Some?” She gulped and began smoothing the wrinkles from her shirt.

He shifted his gaze toward the doorway then back to the blonde next to him. “Some. I think part of it was that we both wanted to.”

“You did?”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “Didn’t you?”

“Well, I um…you…we…um…” she faltered and began to fidget, wishing she could run away from this entire situation, but knowing it would get her nowhere. He’d still be there when she decided to come back.

Alex reached out and gently took hold of her chin, lifting it some and forcing their eyes to meet again. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I saw you again in New York.”

“Alex,” the pulse in her neck was beginning to race once more, “this…we…this can’t be happening. Not now.”

His thumb brushed over her bottom lip before he released her. “I know.”

She nodded, smoothing her shirt in a nervous habit. “We have to pretend like this never happened.”

“I know.” He sighed and glanced to his lap, his right leg wiggling. He really needed a cigarette, but wasn’t supposed to be smoking around Brielle.

“Okay,” she finally spoke after a long silence fell between them. She lifted her head and met his gaze again. “We just go on like we’ve been doing, this didn’t happen. We’re okay.”

“Right.”

She offered a tight smile then rose from the bench. “I think I’m gonna go join Lily out back for awhile. That is, if she’s still in the pool.”

He nodded. “Okay, have fun. Holler if you two need anything.”

“I will.” She touched his shoulder then strolled from the room.

Alex watched her go then leaned forward and dropped his head on the piano, where the music typically rests. Well if that hadn’t just fucked everything up, he didn’t know what would. She was supposed to be out here so he could take care of her and their child, not so he could start developing real feelings for her and want to kiss her into oblivion. And talk about timing. Renee was pregnant with his child and they had just had a serious conversation about continuing their relationship and marriage was still on the table. And here he was, not even two hours later, kissing the first woman who was pregnant with his child. His life was turning into a damn soap opera and he felt completely powerless to stop it. The only thing that might at least help him feel like he could somewhat cope was his Jack D, which he desperately needed at the moment. And he thought he might have a bottle or two still stashed in the wet bar in his game room. With that thought in mind, he hopped up from the piano bench and headed that way.

~*~*~*~*~

“So, when are we going to tell your mom the wonderful news?”

It was two days later and Alex was again at Renee’s, where he’d been every night since finding out about the baby. He didn’t know what his problem was, but she’d call and he’d go running. Sure, he felt bad about ditching his guests, especially his mom, but Renee would complain about morning sickness and tell him she needed him there with her. So he went. The others seemed understanding so far, well the girls at least because they knew the truth and he was managing to avoid any one on one time with his mother and her questions. But the end of the rope was coming soon and he knew his time was running out.

Alex glanced over to his fiancée, who was leaned all comfortable into his side. “Um, well…when do you want to?”

“Tomorrow.”

He lifted his brows. “Tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” she pushed herself into a sitting position and smoothed her shirt down around her midriff, “it’s a good a time as any.”

He didn’t think he was ready to announce it to his mom tomorrow, but what could he do about it. “Alright, tomorrow it is.”

A big grin covered her face and she grabbed his cheeks, placing a big kiss on his lips. “She is going to be so excited; I mean, knowing that she really is going to be a grandmother and not just maybe, cuz…you know, her baby might not be yours. I bet it’s not.”

He frowned and tried not to let her words upset him yet again. That was her daily thing; see what kind of shots she could take at Brielle in one day. “She has a name, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she waved it off, “and your mom and I can go baby shopping! Ooh, how exciting is that going to be? We’ll get to decorate a baby room and pick out pretty little clothes, ooh and come up with a name. Do you want a boy or a girl?”

He blinked some at her running excitement, wishing he had that much energy. “Uh…I haven’t really thought about it yet.”

“I want a girl; I mean, if it’s a boy, I’ll be just as happy, but little girls are just so adorable and they have so much more clothes.”

Alex suddenly needed to get away from the baby talk; it seemed to follow him everywhere and he was finding it difficult to breathe. “Um, Renee, how ‘bout we talk about something else for a bit.”

She arched a skinny brow. “You don’t like to talk about our baby?”

“No, that’s not it at all.” He shook his head and reached for her hand, but she yanked it away.

“I bet you talk with her about that baby that isn’t even yours.”

He frowned. “Brielle is her name and yes, we do talk about her baby because it is mine.”

“Yet, you don’t want to talk about this baby, which we know is yours.” Her gaze narrowed and she held a hand protectively to her stomach. “Are you fucking her again?”

He blinked. “What? No, no!” A frown line creased his forehead.

“Whatever.” She rose from the couch and placed her hands on her slender hips. “You know, I wasn’t going to say anything yet, but with all this attention you’re giving to Brielle and ignoring me, I think we need to have this conversation.”

His brow furrowed even more and he stood to meet her eye to eye. “And what conversation is that?”

“Brielle,” she spit the name out over extenuating the fact that she did know the blonde’s name.

He knew this was coming. “What about her?”

“She has to go. There’s no way that we’ll be able to have a healthy relationship and raise our child with her around.”

He frowned at that. “I’m not sending her away.”

“Then give her some money so she can get her own place and set up visitations with the child like any normal person does if they’re not together.” She eyed him like she knew she was right. “Besides, if we’re going to get married, I’d like it to be before the baby is born and I’d kinda like to just have the house to ourselves for awhile.”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’m not going to pay her off and send her on her way. She needs me right now, Renee, and I’d like to think that you can understand that.”

The brunette sighed and approached him, smoothing her hands up his chest to his shoulders and around to his back. “I do understand, pookie bear,” she began, using her nickname for him, “but can’t you at least try to understand where I’m coming from? I need you too.” Those long lashes batted at him and she offered up her most sincere pout.

He hated how that look made him weak. “What am I supposed to do? I told her that I was going to be there and help her; and I don’t want to miss any of the pregnancy.”

“Then you can go with her to doctor appointments and buy her a crib, but she doesn’t have to live in your house or take up all your time.” Her mouth nipped at his ear.

He shivered at that and tried to will the goosebumps away. “I’ll think about it.” He didn’t want to do it, but she had this uncanny effect on him and could always get her way.

“Well, I guess that’s better than no.”

His hands smoothed around her waist and slowly up her back. “That’s right.”

“Mmhmm,” she nibbled her way along his neck, “how ‘bout we take this into the bedroom and I try to convince you to say yes?”

Alex wet his bottom lip and felt his will weakening. But before he could agree or stand his ground, his cell phone gave its familiar ring.

Renee frowned and pulled back, annoyance evident on her face. “Who is that?”

“I don’t know.” He grabbed it out of his pocket and checked the screen. “It’s my mom; I should answer it.”

“Of course.” She rolled her piercing green eyes then turned and sauntered off toward the bedroom.

He frowned at her attitude then lifted the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Alex? Where are you?”

There was a note of alarm in her voice and immediately his stomach dipped. “I’m at Renee’s; what’s wrong?”

“It’s Brielle, she’s having these horrible pains in her stomach, I’m taking her to the hospital.”

“What? Shit, is she okay? Is it the baby?” His heart was suddenly in his mouth.

“We don’t know, we’re heading out the door right now. Can you meet us at Cedars-Sinai?”

“I’m on my way,” he didn’t even hesitate then severed the call and shoved the phone back into his jean pocket. Glancing in the direction Renee had gone; Alex swiped up his keys from the coffee table. “Renee? I have to go! I’m so sorry. I’ll explain it later, okay? Love you!” Then he was racing for the front door and outside to his car before she could respond.



*Lyrics to Boston by Augustana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X__jcMidPZI