by Wanda Edmond
“Fine, I’ll tell you. I’m pregnant,” she told him.
He stepped back, shock plastered on his face. Great, this was so going to happen like that. She didn’t want to think about the damn fact that she would have him looking at her like that as her first response to this. Of course, Alex berating her wasn’t that much better, but Alex was her best friend, and she had full reason to chide her. But this, this was just getting to her.
“Wow,” he responded.
“Wow, finally you said something,” she told him.
“I know that it took me a moment to respond, but it’s kind of the fact that I never expected this to happen. I mean, we did have sex, but I didn’t think that this would come from it,” he told her.
“Well it did, and I’m worried. I’ve been scared of telling you because I thought you would hate me, and I thought that you would leave me no matter what,” she told him.
“Not at all. Why would you even think that Jackie? Do I look like the type who would leave a girl in that sort of situation? Yeah I can be a bit of a fuckup, but to be honest, if I care about the person, I’ll stay with them. I care about you a lot, and I’m wondering what you’ll choose. To be honest, I’ll let you know right now that it’s your body, and I’m not going to control what you do with it. I’m worried about you if you do continue to carry it, but to be honest, this is your decision. You’re the one holding it for nine months, not me. But I will take care of you. I care a lot about you, and I’ll take care of the baby as well. It’s your choice on its fate, but if you do keep it, I’ll take responsibility for my actions,” he stated.
Jackie heard this, and she felt so happy. She couldn’t believe that she was going to have this baby if she chose to, and that Brandon wasn’t too pissed about it. In fact, he seemed gentle and happy about everything, not pissed off like how she imagined. She knew that this would be a major change for them, and she wasn’t going to have to worry about that.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be the type of person who doesn’t let the man have a say in things,” she offered.
“To be honest Jackie, whatever your decision is on this, I will agree to it. If you want to keep the baby, great. If you don’t, then I’m not going to be pissed off and make a hissy fit over it. I don’t want to make things turn out that way, especially with you and me. You’re my stepsister, and if worst comes to worst, we can make this work, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to agree with the demands that you want to have on this. I want to help you out Jackie, and I want to make sure that you’re happy with the outcome that you choose as well. You’re the one who determines the fate of yourself and this child, and if you choose to abort it, let me know. I’ll take you to the clinic myself and stay with you while the doctors do it,” he offered.
Jackie couldn’t believe this. He was a lot better about this than she thought. Maybe it was because he seemed to understand all of the shit that she was going through, but in her mind, and it made sense to be doing this. She thought that it was right, that it was the great thing to be doing, and she wanted to go through with the demands with support on her side.
“Thank you so much Brandon. I was terrified of telling you. I’ve had anxiety for weeks because of it,” she admitted.
“I noticed that. I was getting scared too and was about to take you to the doctor myself. But now that I know the cause of it, I’m here for you, and I’ll always be by your side. To be honest Jackie, I will always be there for you, whether we are together romantically, sexually, or just in a sibling manner. I don’t’ see you as a sibling, but as more of a friend and someone that I want to protect and care about. I mean, I know that we have the lovely problem of telling our folks about this when it does come out and rear its ugly head, but when it does, just remember that no matter what they say, I’ll always be there for you,” he offered.
Jackie looked up, beaming at him and feeling something within her stomach start to lurch a little bit.
“Thank you so much Brandon. I really appreciate it,” she replied.
“Not a problem my dear. You deserve it,” he stated.
She nodded, feeling gracious about everything. The two of them kissed one another, and Jackie realized that it was the first time she hadn’t felt anxious in a very long time, and she knew that she was helping Brandon as well. It seemed liked things were going their way, and she would tell him her decision in due time, but little did she know that at that moment, another problem would come up, and they would have to deal with the options from that first and foremost before anything else could come their way.
Chapter 4
Jackie and Brandon had a great time together after that. The two of them connected once again, and they realized that they did have feelings for one another that weren’t going away. To Jackie, this seemed so new to her, but at the same time, she felt happy to be experiencing this. Of course, she was a bit scared by this, especially since these new feelings were not what she was expecting.
Whenever she was around Brandon, she felt this giddy sort of feeling that came with him, almost like butterflies in her stomach. It made sense in a way, because he did make her feel that way, but at the same time, it was still a bit nerve-wracking, especially since she didn’t know what to do about this whole shindig. She never really felt this way about a guy before and the fact that it was her stepbrother still scared her to this day.
Would she ever be able to tell anyone about this besides Alex? She honestly didn’t know, and the fact that she didn’t did seem to worry her. She was ready to figure out what was going on with her mind, and why she was feeling so anxious all of a sudden whenever she was round him. She did feel happy to have him in her life, but she was also ready to experience the pleasure of telling him her true feelings, and to figure out how to let him know about that.
She then heard her phone go off after class one day. She picked it up, and immediately it was her dad.
“Hey there dad,” she chirped.
“Hey there sweetie. Just checking in. Is everything all right?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s been great. How are you?” she asked.
“I’ve been swell. By the way, your mother and I were thinking about going over to your place to visit you sometime this week, that is if you’re okay with it,” he told her.
She paused. Shit, that would mean that Brandon might have to encounter them. They didn’t’ know about what had happened to Brandon, and the fact that they might run into him definitely didn’t help.
“Well that should be okay. What day are you thinking of showing up?” she asked.
“I was thinking perhaps next Friday or so. What time are you out of class that day?” he asked.
“About six pm or so. I’m sorry, I might be a little bit late as well if the teacher keeps us. I don’t want to have to keep you guys though if possible,” she admitted.
“That’s fine my dear. I know that you have a lot going on, but we do miss you. We want to visit you. Have you heard anything from that bastard Brandon? I have tried to contact the military, but they seem to not want to answer my messages regarding him,” the man huffed.
Jackie felt like she was in between a rock and a hard place. If she told him everything now, it could backfire on her and blow up in her face. That wasn’t what she wanted, that’s for sure.
“I haven’t. I hope that he’s okay,” she offered.
“Well I hope so too. I know that he’s a bit of a fool, but he’s a good boy, and I can imagine that the military is good for him. It’s probably where he belongs more than anything,” he told Jackie.
“Right,” Jackie said, trying to hold back the bile that was in her throat. The way they were disrespecting her stepbrother, the man that cared about her and the one that knew how to treat her right, pissed her off to no end, but Jackie had no clue what in the world was going to happen next. She was definitely not happy with it, but at the same time, she was trying her best to keep clam.
“Well, I hope he’s okay. I’ll try to
contact the military as well,” she offered.
“Thank you sweetie. I hope that idiot is doing okay,” he stated.
Jackie tried to bite her tongue. Why did they hate him so much? Was it because he was a bit of a bad boy? He was a good person, even though he did fuck up when he got her pregnant, but she was trying her best to forgive him for that. Of course, she didn’t want to tell them that just yet. She would try to at least kind of keep her pregnancy secret for now.
“Well I’ll see you then,” she offered.
She hung up, and immediately called Brandon. She told him everything, and she could hear the groan on the other side of the line.
“Well shit, I guess I’ll have to hide everything for now. I’ll try to leave the house during that time as well,” he stated.
“That’s fine. I’ll text you when they’re gone,” she offered.
They made a plan for him to temporarily put all of his stuff in one of the secret closets in her room. He also made plans to hang out with friends, but of course, she didn’t know if those plans would even work. She hoped that they would. It would make her damn life so much easier to manage if so. Of course, she was nervous about everything, because that would mean that she would have to execute this plan correctly, and she didn’t know if she can.
Then, it happened. They showed up on time, with Jackie right at home. Her teacher let her off early, and when the doorbell rang, she went to get it. When she did, her dad was there, along with her stepmother.
“Hey there dad, Priscilla,” she told them.
“Hey there sweetie,” her father stated. He embraced her, and Jackie did the same to her stepmom. They both acted like nothing was wrong, but Jackie could tell they were secretly scrutinizing everything.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“Oh, we just wanted to check in on you. How is this all going? I’ve noticed that you’re doing well in school recently. Is it going okay?” he asked.
She remembered that they monitored her grades online, and she was happy that they didn’t notice that she failed a recent test.
“All right. I’ve been pretty stressed,” she admitted.
“Why’s that?” her stepmother asked.
“Oh, just the usual. Lots of stuff going on, lots to prepare for. But I’m working hard, and I hope I can continue to impress you,” she admitted.
“I’m sure you can. So let’s have a seat, chill out. I just wanted to visit you since it’s been forever,” he admitted.
“And I wanted to make sure that you weren’t getting into too much trouble,” his wife said.
Good old Priscila. She was always like this, a total bitch who had to stick her nose in everything. Jackie wasn’t too keen on her, and Jackie would rather not talk to Brandon’s mother. She was honestly a bitch, but if she found out that Brandon was here, she would probably have an aneurysm. After a b it of time, they started to talk, and Jackie talked about life. They did the same, and soon hours were passing on by. Jackie tried to text Brandon, but she couldn’t get to her phone, being chided each time by her dad every time she tried to grab it. She was trying to excuse herself, but they seemed so deep in conversation that it wasn’t working out for her.
Little did she know though, that after a moment or so, she heard the clicking of the lock.
“Fuck,” she whispered to herself. She tried to prevent this, but it was too late. The door opened and Brandon walked in.
“Are they gone Jackie—“ he stated. Of course, when he saw them, he blanched, and soon his mother was looking at her.
“Oh great,” Jackie muttered to herself. Her father was looking at Brandon with an angry glance, and his mother was in shock. So much for a smooth family outing. This was going to be bad.
Chapter 5
“What the hell are you doing back?” her father asked.
“Well, I managed to get out of the military,” he stated.
“And why’s that? Did you fuck up?” her father stated.
Brandon gulped, feeling terrible already.
“Leave him alone dad. You’re bullying him. Why don’t you stop acting like an asshole, and let him talk,” she stated.
“I am letting her talk. And thanks for hiding him this entire time. I can’t’ believe that you just let him hang out here. Nothing but a goddamn moocher. I should take away all the money I’m sending over to you, especially since you apparently lied to me,” he stated.
“But dad, there was a reason for that. He didn’t want to dishonor you, and he didn’t want to make things awkward for us. He had a reason for not running over to you and telling you everything, so don’t’ be an asshole to him,” she stated.
“I can, and I will be an asshole to him. So tell me Brandon, why are you at your stepsister’s house? What did you do to get your ass sent back to the states?” he asked Brandon.
“Well, I had a bit of a mishap at the base, and I messed something 8up. They did put it on the record, but I wasn’t dishonorably discharged. I could go back in within a year if I wanted to. But to be honest, I missed it here so I came back. I’m working on changing up my life so that it becomes something of worth,” he told her father.
“But Brandon, I thought this was what you wanted to do,” his mother stated.
“I do mom. I do want to be in the military, but I’m working to be local. The last thing I want is to go back there. I’m trying, and I have worked hard. She’s helped me out a lot, and to be honest, I wanted to live with Jackie because she’s a smart girl, and she doesn’t judge me like you guys,” Brandon said.
“Well we wouldn’t be judging you if you actually didn’t fuck things up all the time. You’re a piece of work, you know that Brandon? I can’t believe my daughter actually allowed you to stay here,” he stated.
“That’s because unlike the two of you, your daughter actually cares about people. The two of us have been friends for a very long time, and unlike how you treat me, I know I can talk to Jackie about just anything and not get treated like dirt because of it,” he admitted.
“Well maybe you should think twice before using my daughter like this. I can’t believe you,” her father stated.
“Maybe I wanted to do it out of the goodness of my own heart dad. You guys don’t’ seem to give two shits about Brandon. Yes he’s done some bad things in the past, and that doesn’t really get excused, but you should also look past the bad and look at the good a person has within them. Brandon is a really good person, and he’s someone that I can trust. Unlike you guys, I feel like I can actually tell him about my life and what’s going on, and he doesn’t judge me as harshly as you guys do. It sickens me that I can trust my own stepbrother rather than the flesh and blood that brought me into this world. It’s so gross,” she admitted.
“Well maybe you should think twice before biting the hand that feeds you Jackie. You know that the two of us actually do work hard, and we want to give you the best life possible. I know that you care a lot about him, but he’s a bad person,” her father stated.
“No he’s not dad! He’s better than you are sometimes. I love you guys, and I care about you, but to be honest, what you guys are doing to him isn’t fair. It’s not fucking fair,” she stated.
“Well it’s not fair that he’s using you as well. I know that he’s using you Jackie. I brought him into this world, and I know that he’s only keeping you around because you pay the bills. It’s gross,” his mother stated.
“Wow, I can’t believe that even his own mother thinks of him as nothing but scum. Man, I’m so glad that I don’t’ live with either of you anymore. You guys are pieces of work, you know that?” she spat.
“We know that. But you are as well Jackie. I don’t think we should be hanging around here anymore. I’m glad to see that you’re all right. I’ll be sending money to you, but only you and not that lowlife that’s living with you. He should get out of here as fast as he can before I give him a reason to,” her father stated.
“The place is in my name. If anything I’l
l be telling the two of you to get the fuck out of my house right now,”
Jackie spat at them. She hated that she had to talk to her own father in this manner, but he didn’t seem to listen, and it was only going in one ear and out the other. It wasn’t worth it to try and reason with the douchebag. He only cared about his own ass and saving that, not anyone else who mattered to him. He was only helping her to pander to her, and she knew that once it was all over, he would leave her as well.
The door closed with a slam behind them, and Jackie looked over at Brandon. He was slumped into the couch, and Jackie knew that she had some work to do with this man, and that things were probably going to be harder for her than she thought when it came to spilling the truth to her parents about what had happened between Brandon and her.
Chapter 6
“I can’t believe this. I can’t believe they said all of that to me,” Brandon moaned.
“I can’t either. That was so dickish. Wow, what the hell is goi9ng on with my dad? He’s never been this rude to you, even though he’s always been that way towards you in the past,” she stated.
“I know. It pisses me off that it’s happening like this. I can’t believe that it is Jackie, and that our lives are going in this fashion,” he told her.
“I can’t’ either. But I know that he’s not really thinking with his head on straight. I think he’s got a few screws loose, courtesy of your mom and probably his work. I’m just worried about me. I mean, I don’t’ want to lose the support that I had, but I think I might have to if he’s going to continue to be a douche and act like he’s the best thing since sliced bread,” she stated. She hated that her own father thought of himself as be3tter than everyone, and it made her angry to no end.
“I can’t believe that it was going this way either. But, I guess that’s the way life works,” he told her.
