Make It Last (18 page)

             
Could she handle being with Colin as he went through Shawn’s pregnancy, then as he helped raise a child with her, if he didn’t marry her?

S
he thought that she could.

             
She
breathed deeply in and out, trying to clear her head, and calm her shaking body.

             
She knew that what she and Colin had was special, and she wasn’t willing to walk away without letting him know that she was going to stick with him no matter what.
She knew what she had to do.

Chapter Eigh
teen

             
Colin sat in silence, his head in his hands, trying to make sense out of what Shawn had just said.

             
“We always used protection,” h
e said quietly,
unable to accept her declaration
as the truth. “Are you sure it’s mine?”

             
“Fuck you
,
” Shawn replied, finally losing the smirk that had donned her face since her arrival. “You know I never cheated on you, and I haven’t started seeing anyone new… yet.”

             
“I thought you said you were on the pill, and we used condoms. I just don’t get it.”
He
hung his head, shaking it as he tried to come to terms with yet another life changing event.

             
This didn’t have to ruin his plans, he assured himself
as it sank in
. He could be a coach and
help Shawn raise their child. P
eople did it every day.

             
When he looked up, Shawn was staring at him as she drank her coffee, studying hi
m as if his every thought played
across his face.

             
“Al
l right,” h
e said loudly, as if speaking
at a higher volume
would convince him that everything would be okay.

             
Before he could finish his thought, Briana came storming back in the door. He was surprised at the relief he felt at seeing her. She walked over to him and sat down, putting her arm around his shoulder.

             
“Are you okay?” he asked
, kissing her lightly on the cheek and brushing her hair back from her face.

             
She
nodded, closing her eyes
briefly
at his tou
ch
.

             
“I just needed some air,”
she
explained, giving him a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

             
Colin
held her gaze
and tried t
o convey his feelings for her. H
e hoped that she trusted him enough to understand what he was about to say to Shawn.

             
Then h
e looked at Shawn again
. She looked
very annoyed at having to wait for him to respond to her little bombshell.

             
“Al
l
right,” he began again. “I’ll help you with whatever you need. I’ll be there with you through the pregnancy. I’m sure we c
an
ge
t you a place here if you want to
be
close until you have the baby. Then I’ll
share joint custody with you and help you raise the baby. I’ll help with expenses and be a part of his or her life in every way possible.”

             
He turned back to Briana, to see if she was freaking out at what he’d just said, but she nodded and held her hand out for him to hold. She squeezed it and relief flood
ed
through him.

             
She was going to stick with him.

             
He noticed that Shawn still hadn’t said anything
. She
was staring at him with her mouth open, as if surprised by what he’d said.

             
“Have you lost your mind?” she
sputtered, putting the coffee cup down with a thud. “You actually think I’m going to keep this baby? You think I’m going to ruin my body for some washed up loser? No. I plan to marry someone who can take me places, and that won’t happen with a snot nosed brat at my hip.”

             
“What are you talking about, Shawn?
Why are you here
then?”

             
“I’m going to have an abortion,” s
he stated coldly. “I want you to pay for half.”

             
Colin stood up and faced her, his face turning red with anger.
“And that’s it?
You tell me that you’re pregnant with my kid, but I don’t get any say in whether it lives or dies?”

             
“It’s my body, Colin. The decision is mine.”

             
“Why’d you have to come here then?”
he asked, his
anger
fading
to sadness. “Why’d you even tell me about the baby if you never had any intention of keeping it?”

             
“I thought you should know,”
she
said smugly. “
You’re
just as responsible for this happening as
I a
m
, so you should pay half.”

             
Briana couldn’t stay quiet any longer. She stood up and
got in Shawn’s face.
“So you agree that he is
partly responsible
for this baby, but you don’t agree that he should have a say in what happens with the baby, is that right?”

             
“Yup,” Shawn responded. She put her finger in Briana’s face. “You
,
however
,
have no say in any of this, so
why don’t you sit your ass down?
”

             
“Hey,” Colin exclaimed, stepping in front of Briana to block her. “Don’t talk to her like that.
You’re
the one who is unwelcome here, so how about you te
ll me what you want and get out?
”

             
“I made an appointment for next
week.
I just need you to send your ha
lf of the money to this address.
” Shawn handed him a business card. “All of the information is on the back.”

             
“I’ll take care of it. N
ow please, just go.”

             
Shawn did as he request
ed and left as quickly as she’
d arrived.

             
He
walked back into h
is room and lay down on the bed, wondering how he’d ever recover from this latest development in his life.

Chapter Nine
teen

             
Briana followed him and lay down next to him, cradling his body with hers.

             
“I’m sorry,” she said
.

             
He turned to face her, his eyes glistening as he spoke. “I’m not mad at her for her decision. She never wa
nted to have kids, I get that. B
ut for one moment there, I was a father, and I found the possibility…exciting.”

             
She
pulled his head to her breast and caressed his hair, letting him come to terms with the loss of a precious thing that he’d never really had.
She couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened to their relationship if Shawn had been there to tell Colin that she was keeping the baby.

             
Briana was positive that he
w
ould be an amazing father. A
lthough she knew that she wanted to focus on school and wasn’t ready to have a child of her own, she didn’t think that Colin having a child would have effected them negatively.

             
She had to admit that seeing the w
ay he’d reacted to Shawn’s news
had really made her proud, and nothing could have endeared him to her more.

             
More than she ever had before, she loved the man he was today.

             
I love Colin
,
she thought to herself, the smile building until it took over her face.

             
She continued to play with his hair until he fell in to a light sleep, then hugged him to her and wondered what their future would hold.

             
When Briana went to work the next evening, she was happy to see Roni and Nicole manning the hostess stand.

             
“Hey, Roni. It l
ooks like you got the job. Congratulations
.
”

             
“Thanks, Bree,” Roni responded with a smile. “I appreciate the hook up. Nicole was just explaining everything to me before she goes to train with Kara. I think this will be fun
.
”

             
“Remember you said that in a few weeks, when you want to kill me for getting you into this,” Briana said with a chuckle as she walked towards the back. She noticed Kent sitting at the bar and wondered how long he’d been there. He looked like he was pretty hammered.

             
She went back to put her things down,
and noticed that she had a text from Colin.

             
“
Bree, I know I said this already, but
you’re
so amaz
ing. It really means a lot
that you were there for me yesterday. That was the craziest moment of my life, and you being there made it much more bearable
.”

             
Briana smiled to herself and replied, “
Anytime. Really.
I’m
happy that I was there. I’ll talk to you after work
.”

             
She put her phone away and
figured that she’d better man up and go out there and talk to Kent. She really did want to remain friends with him. She knew she wouldn’t be able
to handle it if he hated her. H
e just meant too much.

             
She approached
Kent and leaned against the bar next to him.
“Hey, Kent,” s
he said softly. “How’s it going?”

             
He
peered
at her with bloodshot eyes. He looked like he hadn’t shaved in over a week, and he may not have showered in just as long.

             
“Hey, Babe,” he
slurred. “You coming back?”

             
Briana felt sad in the pit of her stomach, unable to believe that he was this affected by her rejection. She knew that he liked her, but thought it was more of a passing fancy.

             
“No, Kent. I’m sorry.
Why don’t you put the drink down and go home and get some rest?”

             
His
face went from hopeful to angry. “How ‘bout you mind your own business?”

             
Nicole came up and stood in between Briana and Kent.
“Is everything okay here, Bree?”
she
asked, looking pointedly at Kent.

             
Before Briana could answer, Kent reached up and snagged Nicole by her waist, pulling her into
his side and
squeezing her tightly.

             
“See
, Bree?
I don’t need you
,
either. There are other girls who
are more than happy to take your place.” Kent leaned forward and tried to kiss Nicole, grabbing her bottom and trying to hold her to him.

             
She
smacked him and pulled away.
“Sto
p it, Kent. Don’t act like this,
” Nicole pleaded.