- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:

Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback! It really did motivate me. Enjoy this next one. :)

Brielle arrived back in New York City on Wednesday evening. True to her word, Denise had purchased her ticket then taken her to the airport. She didn’t get a chance to see Alex before she left because Renee had him once again wrapped around her pinky and he was spending nearly every waking moment over at her place. But she had left him a note and Denise said she would speak to him. Brielle felt some guilt at taking off without a proper goodbye, but it was just for the weekend and she had waited around for him Wednesday morning to no avail. It wasn’t like she wasn’t making an effort.

Lily had been ecstatic to see the blonde again and wrapped her in a hug so tight Brielle thought her ribs were going to crack. Then the two had spent the rest of the night talking girl talk like the old days, so to say. Her friend didn’t bring up Alex that night and she was grateful for the break from trying to explain her thoughts and actions. It was nice that Lily seemed to understand that and instead filled her time with pictures and magazines and notebooks and information on the wedding.

Thursday they spent most the day visiting different bridal shops. Lily wanted to get a good head start on the bridesmaid dresses and since Brielle wasn’t sure when she’d be able to come back, they had to take advantage of every opportunity they could get. So Brielle tried on dress after dress until Lily decided that none of them had anything she was happy with and they finally headed for home, but not without stopping for some non-fat frozen yogurt.

Brielle teased her friend about becoming a bridezilla and Lily mused that maybe she would have the dresses made instead of store bought. She just needed a pattern or a color or a style that she liked. Then once they were back at the apartment, it was Brielle’s turn to pull out the books and the two looked up the week of Brielle’s pregnancy in her books and her brunette friend gushed about how exciting and wonderful it was.

“I can’t believe your little tummy!” Lily exclaimed as they lounged in her living room, the baby book across the brunette’s lap. She had made her friend pull her shirt taut over her tummy to expose the small rounded bump of her belly.

Brielle chuckled. “Little? You call this little? No way, this is huge and it’s only going to get bigger. I’m gonna be as big as a cruise ship!”

“Aww,” Lily giggled low, “you’re going to be adorable. I hope I can make it out to Cali in time when you give birth.”

“I’m not giving birth. Between now and June they just have to figure a way to transport the baby out of my tummy and into my arms.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s going to happen.” She chuckled then turned to the pages of the pregnancy book. “Okay, it says here that your baby is about the size of an orange. Aww, that is such a cute image; how precious!”

“Are you picturing my baby as an orange?”

“No,” Lily quickly responded with then engaged herself in reading the paragraph about the baby’s growth out loud to her friend, “Her ears have migrated to the sides of her head, and her eyes are moving to the front of her face. Plus, your little smarty-pants can now wiggle her fingers and toes and make breathing movements in preparation for life outside the womb. How amazing is that?”

Brielle couldn’t help the grin that was on her lips. “It’s pretty amazing,” she agreed.

Lily read a few more paragraphs from the book then looked to her bestie. “Are you hoping for a boy or girl?”

“I hadn’t thought about that yet.” She smoothed her shirt some and peered to her belly. “I don’t think I really have a preference right now.”

“Really?” Then she seemed to rethink her statement and nodded. “Well, yeah, I can understand that. You just want a healthy baby. Boy or girl doesn’t matter; you’re still going to love them the same.”

“That’s right.”

“You need to start thinking on names. Ooh, do you have a baby name book yet? Darn,” she snapped her fingers, “I wish I had thought about that while we were out, we could have picked you one up.”

Brielle chuckled, feeling all warm inside at her friend’s excitement. It was nice to be around Lily again and she could feel the vibes coming off her and knew it was already helping her mood. This trip had been a great idea. “I have time; I’ll get some, I’m not worried.”

Lily nodded then closed the pregnancy book and set it aside. “Next time we go out, we can get some.” Then she shifted her long legs and stretched out on the sofa. “Want to know the names I have picked out for my future children? But you can’t steal them.”

“I’m not going to pull a Rachel,” she teased, referencing the popular television show from the late 90’s, Friends.

The brunette chuckled. “Alright; well I want three kids; two boys and a girl. I want to name the boys Oliver Jordan and Gavin Jacob. And the girl will be Eve Noelle.”

Brielle smiled. “Those are very beautiful names. What happens if Jordan doesn’t like them?”

“Pfft, when he pushes something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of his nostril, then he gets a say in it, but until then…it’s all my choice.”

She laughed. “So you think I shouldn’t let Alex have any say in the name of our baby?”

Lily shifted to her side and rested her head on her hand, her elbow propped up on the sofa. “That’s up to you. You might want to start discussing names now though, because if you two vary at all on the sort of names, there might be a slight problem.”

The blonde made a face. She hadn’t thought about that yet. “What if he wants to name the baby something like…Esme or Nico?”

“Believe me, I’ve heard worse.”

She sighed and sank into the back of the lazy boy recliner she occupied. “Well, if I had to pick a name right now…I kind of like Grace for a girl and…” she tilted her head and her eyes drifted toward the ceiling in a thoughtful manner, “and…Aidan for a boy.”

Lily smiled. “Those are nice; I’m sure Alex will like them.”

“But what if I don’t six months from now? What if I’m all set to name the baby Grace or Aidan and then suddenly he or she is born and I hate that name?”

“Honey, the names aren’t set in stone until they’re in the birth certificate and even then I think you have a few days to change it.”

“I hope at least it’ll be something they won’t grow up hating.”

“I’m sure it won’t be. You’re going to take that into consideration when you decide on one.”

She nodded then pushed the thoughts from her mind. “Okay, we don’t even know if it’s a boy or girl yet and we’re already freaking out over names.”

“You are freaking out here, not me.” Lily pushed herself into a sitting position and swept her long hair behind her shoulders. “But okay, no more baby talk or baby name talk or wedding talk.”

“That sounds good.” Brielle glanced around the room. “We could make up some ice cream sundaes and watch chick flicks for awhile.”

“We could,” Lily tilted her head and studied her friend, “or you could tell me what’s going on with you and Alex that sent you running all the way to New York.”

The blonde shrugged a bit too quickly. “Nothing’s going on.”

“Right, I wasn’t born yesterday you know.”

She sighed. “What makes you think something is going on?”

“Because you called me Wednesday morning to tell me you would be on a flight that same day. Not to mention, it’s New Year’s Eve weekend and you’re not going to be spending it with the father of your child; you know, the man you’re in love with.”

She made a face. “Do we really have to talk about it right now? I’m having such a good time and I don’t want to ruin it by getting upset or unloading all the crap in my head onto you.”

“Oh, Brie, you know that I never mind when you talk to me. But we don’t have to discuss it tonight, just as long as it’s not something you’re trying to avoid or hide from.”

“Believe me, I’m not the one hiding anything,” but as she spoke the words, she only wished it were true.

~*~*~*~*~

Thursday bled into Friday and Brielle spent the late morning out at the store with Lily buying all the things they would need for the New Year’s Eve party she and Jordan were throwing that night. They threw a get together every New Year’s Eve and lucked out that they were only a stone’s throw away from all the festivities at Times Square. So they got to participate in the fun without being out in the cold or crowd.

It was then, as they were getting ready for the party and Jordan was off buying more champagne for the midnight toast, that Brielle let her guard down and told her friend all that had transpired over the last few days. She told her everything, from Renee’s miscarriage to Alex hiding his rehab stay from her to his drinking and then their huge argument after he’d ditched her at his friend’s.

Lily took it all in stride, listening intently and empathetically and without judgment. She finally told her friend that it sounded like she was making the right decision. Brielle needed to look out for herself and her baby first and foremost and if the drama with Alex was causing any stress then she needed to find a way out. She had faith in Brielle and in both of them as a couple and knew they would work it out. Just let everything calm down and once she could look at the picture rationally then she might be able to face him. Just don’t write him off, she had instructed the blonde.

It wasn’t until Brielle was in the shower later that day that she really let herself think about him again, on an aspect that was more than his recent behavior and all the lies. And she found herself missing him greatly. Even when they were together, he wasn’t the Alex she had fallen in love with. Why couldn’t he just get over this whole drinking thing and get back to the way he had been? Why was all of this so difficult?

She didn’t have those answers, but she sure wished she did. It would make everything so much easier. She didn’t want to write him off and she had no intentions of doing that, but she couldn’t be around him if he was going to get drunk every time something came his way he didn’t think he could handle. Having children was a situation like that in itself and the last thing she wanted was the father of her child going off to a bar because he didn’t know how to handle his own baby.

Gah, why was this so difficult and why hadn’t he called her yet. After she took off and only left a note, she half expected a phone call, but he hadn’t even done that. Was he that upset with her? Or was he already writing her off? Did he think she’d given up so he was too? Or maybe he was too busy drowning himself with Jack Daniels to even care.

That thought angered her and as she got dressed for the party and did her hair and makeup, she was stewing in her anger and just glad he wasn’t around to be on the receiving end. Well, if he didn’t seem to care about her then why should she even bother trying. Sure, she couldn’t drink at this party, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t find some kind of fun to keep herself entertained. Afterall, wasn’t that all he had been doing since they met?

“Brie, you ready?” Lily poked her head into the guest room and her eyes widened at the sight of her friend. “Wow, you look amazing!”

Brielle glanced down to the black dress she wore and smiled. She had to agree with Lily; she did look good, damn good. Her hair had been quite cooperative today and was clipped up with some loose trendils down and curled and her clear blue eyes were even more clear and blue with the eye makeup she’d applied. Not to mention the dress; which hugged her curves in all the right places and was cut just high enough to be sexy and not slutty. The small bump of her pregnancy showed, but the way the dress hung and being black, did make her look a bit smaller.

“I mean it, Brie, you are stunning.” Lily had entered the room and was now just looking her over. “Too bad Alex isn’t here to see what he’s missing. Hey, I should take a picture and send it to him.”

The blonde snorted. “You’ll do no such thing. I’m not even going to think about him tonight.”

“I can’t blame you, but he is going to hate himself when he finds out what he’s been missing.”

She took up her perfume and dabbed some behind her ears and at her cleavage then her wrists. “He’s not going to find out. I’m not telling him and you aren’t either.”

“What a party pooper you are. I woulda liked to see him tugging the collar of his shirt and trying not to get all hard as he looked at the picture.”

Brielle frowned and laughed despite herself. “Stop it, Lil.”

Her friend chuckled. “Alright, alright. Will you come help get the punch poured into the big bowl? Jordan’s still in the shower and our guests will be arriving any minute now.”

“Of course.” Brielle capped the perfume then set it down and followed Lily from the room.

They got the punch poured with no problems and within moments the guests began arriving. When Lily and Jordan first began throwing their annual shin dig it was only a few of their closest friends and it was before the two girls had even met. Now, five years later, the party goers had multiplied to about forty people, the size of the apartment the only reason it wasn’t any bigger. The finger sandwiches had turned into a full blown buffet and there was a champagne toast at midnight. Though in Brielle’s case, sparkling cider.

So far the party seemed a big hit; music flowed from the speakers at just the right volume and the furniture had been pushed all to one side so people could dance in one corner. Jordan had set up his game system and at the moment, a group of his work buddies were in a heated game of Wii Football. Brielle didn’t know the majority of the people, but she chatted and mingled with the ones she did know and introduced herself to the ones she didn’t.

Everyone seemed to want to know about the baby and Brielle found herself giving as little information as she could get away with. She just wasn’t in the mood to discuss who the father was and when it had happened and whatever other inappropriate questions they’d come up with. No one seemed to notice the slim tidbits she would give and were satisfied enough with what she did say.

Lily would flit between the different groups of people as she played the merry host, checking to make sure her guests were all satisfied and no one needed anything. She managed to spend a few minutes with Brielle, and apologized that she couldn’t hang out more, but she had hostly duties to attend to. Brielle thought Jordan should have been playing host a little more instead of getting drawn into the Wii Football tournament. But Lily didn’t seem to mind and she didn’t want to cause any waves or give her friend any ideas.

She managed to have a good time though. But as the minutes ticked away closer to midnight the determination she had to forget about Alex and enjoy herself was starting to ebb away and she was left with emptiness inside and a longing to have him near. Maybe coming to New York had been a bad idea, because at the moment all she wanted was to be wrapped in his arms tight as he whispered comforting things into her ear and made all her pain and worries go away.

Brushing some locks of hair from her face, she turned away from the window where she’d been watching some of the Times Square festivities and her now cloudy blue eyes shifted to the clock on the wall. 11:25; just 35 more minutes until the new year and the time you were supposed to start fresh and leave the past behind. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t get to do that this year. Oh well, there was always 2012.

Just then Lily appeared at her side. “How ya doing, hon?”

Her shoulders hunched and she didn’t even try to disguise the pain in her voice, “I miss him, Lily.”

“Aww, Brielle.” She wrapped her arm around her friend and gave her a squeeze. “Why don’t you call him?”

“He probably wouldn’t answer the phone.”

“You don’t know that. I bet he would; he adores you.”

Brielle shook her head and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “He’s probably with Renee,” she spit the name out like it was poison. “He hasn’t bothered to call me, he doesn’t care anymore.”

“Hey now,” Lily gently steered her friend to a quiet corner, well as quiet as could be considering, “you and I both know Alex a little better than that. That man looks at you with so much love and admiration in his eyes, that you taking off to New York for a mini vacation isn’t going to make him change his mind.”

“Maybe not, but the way I treated him and talked to him and refused to let him explain himself will.”

“I doubt that.” She squeezed her friend’s arm. “He loves you as much as you love him.”

She cut her teary eyes her way. “What?”

Lily’s look didn’t waver. “You heard me; that man is head over heels in love with you and you’re as head over heels in love with him.”

“I…no,” she shook her head, feeling her hands starting to tremble and the beat of her heart speeding up, “we aren’t.”

“You are, honey, and you can deny it until you’re blue in the face, but it isn’t going to change anything. I think part of this whole problem is that you two aren’t admitting it, instead you’re hiding and disguising it by drinking or taking a mini vacay to New York.”

Brielle frowned and took a hesitant step back. “You’re wrong; I came to New York so we could have some time apart. Not to…hide from anything.”

“Sometimes you forget how well I know you, Brielle. You-”

But she wasn’t hearing anymore. Instead, she turned to escape from Lily and pushed through the crowd before running smack dab into a hard chest. She would have surely stumbled back and fallen had strong hands not grabbed her arms and righted her back on her feet.

“Whoa, you alright?”

The voice sent a chill straight down her spine. Slowly stepping back, with his hands still gripping her arms, she brought her eyes up to his face and felt her heart slide right down into her shoes. Alex McLean was standing right before her and she surely thought she was dreaming.

“Brielle?” His brows drew together at the look on her face. “Are you alright?”

That snapped her from the shock that was settling over her body and she pulled from his grasp. “What…what are you doing here?”

Alex stood straight and wet his bottom lip, his eyes darting the room then returning to her. “I…wanted to see you.”

“You thought you could just show up here?” Anger wasn’t how she had wanted to react, but she felt like she’d been backed into a corner and that was the only way out. Besides, he had caught her at a vulnerable moment and she didn’t want him to see it.

“I wanted to talk to you. And it wasn’t a conversation we could have over the phone,” He added quickly before she could retort that he should have called.

“Now is really not the best time to talk,” she motioned around the room, “can’t you see there’s a party going on and there isn’t a quiet spot in the place.”

He shrugged. “We’ll find one.” Then he reached for her arm again. “Please talk to me.”

Brielle wanted to pull away and demand good reasons on why she ought to. But instead, she found her defenses going down and allowed him to lead her through the room filled with party goers and to the front door. She caught Lily’s eye on the way and frowned at her friend who only sent back a smirk and then they were out in the hall heading for the elevator before she could respond.

Once they were inside the elevator, Alex let the doors close and the box begin its descent before he reached and pushed the red stop button.

Brielle blinked and her eyes widened. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Finding a quiet place.”

“You can’t just stop the elevator. People might need to use it.”

He shrugged like it was no bother to him. “They can use the stairs.”

She sighed then moved and leaned against the far wall. “Alright, you found your quiet place to talk…so talk.”

“Are you going to drop the attitude?”

That made her frown. “Hey, you have no right to talk to me that way.”

Alex let out a breath and rubbed his eyes. “You’re right; I’m sorry,” he apologized then looked at her again. He studied her a moment and neither spoke until he shoved both hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. “I’ve missed you.”

She wasn’t really sure what to respond with. “You couldn’t tell me that on the phone? You had to fly all the way across the country to tell me you missed me?”

“No, there’s more, but I had to start with something.” She didn’t respond, so he drew a breath and continued, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, about us. And I can’t just let you leave being so angry with me.”

This time she spoke up, “Are you going to apologize again?”

“No,” Alex shook his head and took a step closer to her, “I know you don’t want to hear that. But I am going to tell you that I haven’t had a drink since Sunday. It’s killing me, but I haven’t done it. And I’ve been writing in my journal, every day, sometimes two times a day.”

“Oh, that’s really great, Alex, I’m proud of you.”

His eyes searched her face. “Are you? Or are you not going to be happy until I call my sponsor?”

Instead of getting angry like he expected, her eyes filled with sorrow and a sliver of hope. “I just want you to get the help you need.”

“You’re all I need, Brielle.”

She felt her heart skip a beat. “What?”

He took another step closer. “I’ve been going crazy not having you around and it’s only been a few days. I don’t know what I’d do if you were gone a week or more.”

She wasn’t really sure what to respond with, so she didn’t.

Alex moved even closer until he was standing right in front of her. “I’m going out of my mind without you around. I’ve tried so hard not to drink and it’s taken all of my willpower not to do so.” He reached out and gently brushed his fingers over her cheek. “You’re my strength, baby, and without you around things are so much harder. I don’t know how much longer I can go on before breaking down and having some JD.”

She studied him, seeing the truth of his words shimmering in his eyes. “Are you trying to convince me to go back home with you?” Her voice came out in an unintended whisper.

“No,” he responded with his own whisper, brushing some stray hair behind her ear. “I’m just putting all my cards on the table. I need you more than you realize and without you around I’m going crazy. I’m so scared I’m not going to be able to stay strong. I don’t think either of us realized the effect you have on me until you left me.”

“Alex, I-” Brielle started to say, searching her brain for any kind of anything that might make sense at the moment. “It was only a weekend trip; I’m going to be back on Sunday.”

“I can’t wait that long.”

Brielle was rendered speechless. She wasn’t sure what to make of all of this information and her head was spinning too fast to really comprehend her own thoughts. “What…are you saying, Alex?”

He wet his bottom lip and his hands sought out hers, bringing them to his chest and holding them close and securely. It was now or never; if he didn’t say it now he didn’t know if he ever would. “I’m saying that,” he hesitated, faltered, but then gathered his courage and came back strong, “that I’ve fallen in love with you and I need you in my life, Brie. I don’t want you to move out and I don’t want you to find some Prince Charming who sweeps you off your feet. I want you to be happy with me; the messed up, can hardly keep my head on straight, screw up of a man that I am.”

Inside her chest, her heart was hammering away and making the pulse in her neck throb. “Alex…I…I…it’s just a weekend.”

“I know and I’m not saying I don’t want you out here visiting. I just don’t want you to come back to California and move out and away from me. And I couldn’t wait until Sunday to talk to you.” He reached and touched her cheek. “That’s how much you mean to me and that’s how badly I need you.”

Brielle just stared at him, taking it all in. “I…are you being for real here?”

“Of course.” He chuckled low at the way she worded it then sombered up again. “You feel something for me, right? Please tell me you do, because if you don’t then I’m going to walk right out of here and to the nearest bar.”

She frowned at that. “Don’t say that.”

Alex took her hands again. “I can’t lose you, Brielle. And I know you don’t want any apologies, but I’m so sorry for my behavior and how I acted with you.”

“Oh, Alex,” she sighed softly as tears began shining in her eyes. How could she stay so upset at someone who was laying his heart on the line? She couldn’t keep him at a distance, not when she needed him as much as he needed her. He was definitely trying not to drink and that was a step in the right direction. But did he really mean it? That question burned in her brain.

“Why are you doing this?” She finally forced herself to ask. It was beautiful; his words, his demeanor, everything about the moment, but she had to know what was the real reason. She’d only regret not asking if she let him persuade her to forget what had happened and fell into his arms.

“Because I want you back,” he spoke the words softly. “I don’t want to lose you.”

She stiffened and slowly drew back from him until her back was pressed against the side of the elevator. “You’re…doing this so you don’t lose me? That’s why you haven’t been drinking?” A pause as if realization was finally setting in and then a frown creased her brow. “You’re not doing it because you want to?”

Alex hesitated and that was all Brielle needed. She crossed to the opposite side of the elevator and put distance between them because she knew she wouldn’t be as strong if he stroked her cheek or took her hands in his. “I can’t believe this. Are you just spewing things off to try to convince me not to leave? Do you even mean what you say, because right now I’m not so sure I believe you.”

“Yes, I mean it!” He frowned at her. “My feelings for you are real, Brielle. I’m not trying to talk you into my bed, or some shit like that.”

“No, you’re just trying to talk me into not moving out.”

“I’m trying to tell you that I need you,” he enunciated the words slowly for effect. “I’m stronger with you around. If I’m going to stop drinking, I need your support and I need you there for me.”

“Do you want to stop drinking, Alex?” She needed an answer. The future of their relationship hung on it.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“It’s a yes or no question.”

“Okay, yes, yes, I want to stop drinking! Are you happy now?” His eyes flashed and his shoulders became stiff. “I put my feelings out there and you just cut me to the quick. I was speaking from my heart and the only thing you can ask me is if I want to stop drinking. How the fuck do you think that makes me feel?”

“Like going and getting smashed?” She shouldn’t have said it, and the minute it left her mouth she immediately regretted it.

Alex reacted with a growl and he punched the red emergency stop button to start the elevator moving. “Fuck this shit, I don’t need it. That’s the last time I put my feelings on the line for anybody. Tell a woman how ya feel and they kick you in the balls. You really know how to hurt me when I’m already down, don’t you?”

Brielle frowned. “You’re acting like a hormonal teenage boy. Would you just calm down some and we can talk rationally?”

“Taunting me about drinking is not talking rationally,” he retorted with.

She sighed. “I know and I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said it. Alex,” she reached out and took his hand, “I just want you to get better. And I don’t want you doing it because you don’t want to lose me. I want you to do it because you want to and because you want to get better as much as I want you to.”

His eyes cut her way. “I do want to get better. It’s just so damn hard and there are going to be times I stumble. It’s not a cakewalk, every minute can be a struggle and this last week has been a big one,” as he spoke, his body turned to face hers fully. “I just want you to see how much you do for me; even just your presences calms me and helps me get by. That’s one of the many reasons I don’t want you to move out.”

Brielle wet her bottom lip. “Even if I do, I’m still going to be there for you. I want to help you as much as I can and so does everyone else who loves and cares for you.”

“I just don’t want to lose you,” he muttered softly, reaching for her again, but this time in a strong need to be held and comforted.

Brielle moved into his embrace and wrapped her arms around him. He smelled like musky cologne and cigarettes and it felt so nice to be close and feel him surrounding her. “I’ve missed you,” she spoke muffled into his chest. She was ready to take a break from the conversation and knew he felt the same way.

“I’ve missed you too, baby.” He kissed her head and held her tighter.

The elevators gave a ding and the doors slid open to reveal the lobby. Brielle pulled back and tucked some hair behind her ear. “How ‘bout we go back to Lily’s and get my coat. Did you get a hotel room close by?”

“Well, it was a little hard considering it is New Year’s Eve, but there are a few perks to being a celebrity.” He chuckled low and glanced toward the lobby, the echoing shouts of the countdown to midnight drifting into the lobby. “Hey, six seconds until New Years.”

Brielle slipped from the elevator, Alex behind her. “I hear them.” A smile lit her face and she looked out the large glass windows of the lobby to the crowded street before it.

Alex slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, a tiny grin tugging at his lips. “Four,” he counted with the crowd. “Three.”

“Two,” Brielle joined in.

“One,” they spoke together and their eyes met. And then as the crowd exploded and cheered, fireworks going off and confetti flying through the air, he bent his head and his lips met hers.

The kiss was soft and warm and made her heart flutter. She found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and returning it with as much emotion as he was giving her; the heat and chemistry between them undeniable.

“Happy New Year,” Alex spoke softly after breaking contact and lifting his head. He pressed his lips to her cheek then her temple before resting his forehead against hers.

Brielle smiled at that and smoothed a hand over his cheek. “Happy New Year, Alex.” Maybe 2011 wasn’t starting out so bad after all, sure, there was still a rough road ahead and quite a bit to talk about, but they'd work it out. At least she hoped so for both their sakes.

Chapter End Notes:

Just wanted to thank everyone for stepping up and leaving some feedback. I was able to write most the chp the day following my last update. So please, continue to let me know your thoughts and feelings. I know some aren't happy with the direction and I still welcome those reviews. :) Thanks again!