Two weeks later, on a Saturday afternoon, Nick and Brianna were out at lunch. They had arrived in L.A three days previous and were now celebrating the fact that he had finally ditched Paris.
Being away from all the heartache she’d gone through in Florida was good for her. She hadn’t been all that attentive to herself in the past few weeks. She had drunk or anything like that--though she’d been sorely tempted to—she just hadn’t paid much attention to herself. The baby, whom she still hadn’t told anyone about, was fine.
Brianna laughed at a corny joke Nick had just told, “It feels good to laugh again.”
Nick smiled and signaled for the check. They were going out to the tar pits. When Nick had found out that as much as she had been in L.A she’d never seen them he considered it his duty to show her.
They had gotten up to leave when Brianna stopped; she didn’t feel right. “Nick….” She faintly. He spun around and she repeated his name just before darkness took over.
Wiping the sleep out of her eyes she looked around the room, “Where am I?”
Jumping up at the sound of her voice Nick rushed to her bedside, “DON’T EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!! YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!”
“What?? I didn’t do anything did I??” Seeing the look on Nick’s face she asked, “What happened?”
“We were leaving the restaurant and you called my name. I turned around just in time to catch you before you fell.”
“So I’m in the hospital. Why?”
“When I couldn’t wake you up I called 911. The paramedics came and couldn’t wake you so we brought you here.”
“How long have I been here?”
He glanced down at his watch before answering, “Seventeen hours.”
She closed her eyes and sunk into her pillow for almost a full minute before popping straight up, “Did they give me anything?”
“An IV and some kind of medication. I don’t know what……why?”
“Get the doctor!” she half shouted. When Nick disappeared out the door, she said out loud, “Please God don’t take my baby too.”
Nick returned moments later with the doctor in tow.
“Mrs. Cooper,” being called by her married name stung. “It’s nice to see you awake. Mr. Carter tells me that you want to speak with me. What can I do for you?”
Avoiding Nick’s gaze, she looked the doctor straight in the eyes. “I need to know if the medication you gave me is going to harm my unborn child.”
“You’re pregnant?” Nick and the doctor asked simultaneously.
“Yes. Eight weeks along now. Is my baby going to be okay?”
“I’ll run a few tests, but your baby should be fine.”
“Thank you,” she said as the doctor left the room.
After a long silence she turned to Nick and said, “Ironic isn’t it? The one thing Brent wanted most in the world was a baby girl and now if I have one he won’t be her for her.”
Nick stood and went to Brianna’s side. What she must be going through right now. He wrapped his arms around her just as she burst into tears. “It’s not fair Nick. It’s just not. Why Brent?? Why us?? He shouldn’t have died, he shouldn’t have.” She dissolved into tears once more.
Nick held her until she calmed down. “Brie, there’s nothing I can to do make him come back but if I could I would. You’ve got to remember what he was always saying though. ‘Everything happens for a reason.’”
Brianna opened her mouth to reply but the nurse walked in to draw blood for the tests the doctor had ordered.
Within an hour and a half the results came back and Brianna was happy to hear that her baby was fine.
Brianna was released the next morning.
Nick took her home. Well back to his L.A home where they had been staying and told her, “You have to tell your families,” once they had gotten settled at the kitchen table.
“I know, I know. But just because I should doesn’t mean I’m going to.”
“You might not want to but you have to. What’s going to happen if the next time they see you, you have and infant?” Brianna had told Nick that she wanted to stay and give birth in LA on the drive back to his house.
“Hmmmmph,” she said crossing her arms over her chest and turning her back to him.
After arguing with him for ten minutes more she finally gave in, “You’re not going to give it up are you?”
“No because you know I’m right.”
Yeah, yeah.”
She picked up the phone and dialed her parents’ home number.
“Hello?” he mother answered on the third ring like always.
“Hi mom. Is dad there? I need to talk to you both.”
“Of course. I’ll get him.”
Moments later Brianna was greeted with, “Hi Nikki, what’s going on?” Her father had been calling her ‘Nikki’ ever since she could remember. She thought it was because her middle name is Nekaylah.
“First I have to tell you that I’m in LA and I’m staying here. Secondly, I’m pregnant.’
There was a silence on the other end so she asked, “Are you guys still there?”
“Yeah,” her father answered. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yeah,” she said smiling. “I am.”
“But how?” her mother asked. “Brent’s gone.”
“I was pregnant when he died,” she answered quietly. “Listen guys I’ve got to call Brent’s parents. I’ll call again soon. Love ya.”
“We love you too.”
She wiped her eyes before dialing Brent’s father. He wasn’t home so she left a message for him saying to call her back.
She didn’t want to call Belle because she knew what her reaction would be. Belle had never liked Brianna and had accused her, on more than one occasion, of cheating on Brent with Nick.
She tucked her legs up under her as she dialed Belle praying she wouldn’t answer the phone.
No such luck, “Hello?”
For a second Brianna couldn’t speak; how could Belle sound cheery only tow weeks after her son had died?
“Hello?” she repeated.
“Belle?”
“Brianna, what is it?”
“I need to tell you something.”
“Again, what is it?”
Brianna took a deep breath and prepared herself for Belle’s reaction, “I’m pregnant.”
“And why should I care?”
“Because I’m carrying Brent’s child.”
“No you’re not. My son is dead.”
“I know that. I was pregnant when he died. I was going to tell him when he got home that night,” she said in almost a whisper.
“You are such a liar! My son is not the father. Its Nick’s isn’t it? How could you do that to Brent and with his best friend no less?”
“Belle,” Brianna struggled to control her mounting anger. “I loved Brent too much to even think about cheating on him.”
“Obviously you didn’t.”
“Belle, if you had ever bothered to get to know me you would know that I loved my husband. And that I would never do anything to hurt him.”
Brianna hung up and hugged her knees to her chest and cried. “You know Belle never liked me. Wanna know why?”
Nick nodded and she continued, “Before Brent and I began dating he confided in Belle on a lot of things. Once we started dating, he confided in me and not her. So she turned against me.”
“Belle’s always been like that. I don’t think she likes herself.”
Brianna laughed and threw a pen at him, “At least I told them.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry it's taken so long to get this up. I hope you enjoy it.
