“I’m so sorry, I had no idea whose it was,” I whisper, “I need … I need to call my father.”
Standing up, finding it difficult to even tap the correct keys into my cell phone, I turn around so I can no longer see the torment that’s taking over his features.
***
“Are you okay?” I ask him, placing my hand onto his thigh to try and gain his attention. “You haven’t said a lot since before we left Seattle.”
Keeping his focus away from me, and away from everyone else in the car whenever they’ve tried to make either general conversation with him, or ask more about what had happened, he finally brings his gaze around to meet mine.
“I don’t know,” he answers, both sounding and appearing completely withdrawn. “I kinda don’t wanna get my hopes up on this, but I also think that it might be a little late for that …”
Averting his gaze back out of the window, I turn and see my father watching us both through his mirrors.
Once I’d explained to my father about finding a diary when we were sorting through my mom’s possessions, and that it was most likely something that my mom would have kept a hold of, if it had have had something to do with Brandon’s case, he decided to cut his trip here short.
He and Diana came down pretty much straight away to the cabin to collect the both of us, offering to drive us all the way to Salem, so we could see if what I was both thinking and saying was accurate.
I’m feeling more than relieved that he and Diana were staying in the city for a little while longer, because now at least we’ve almost reached the outskirts of Salem, and that wouldn’t have been achievable if we’d have had to have made our own way here.
It could be nothing, but I just have this feeling deep within my stomach and running over and over in the back of my mind, that it could be everything.
As soon as my father pulls onto our driveway, I jump out of the car as fast as I possibly can and make my around to Brandon’s side door. Opening it up when I don’t see him making any effort to do so, I put my hand out to him, gaining a sad and small smile in return.
“This could be it,” I try to reassure him, feeling him placing his hand in mine as he takes a hold of my hand, and comes to join me on the outside.
“Alex, some of the boxes are still in the garage, the rest are up in the spare room,” my father tells me as he hands me his set of keys.
I’m thankful, now more than ever, that when he said he was having his neighbor, Diana, take her things away on the Monday morning after Neil and I had left, well, she wasn’t able to do it.
Unlocking the door, I grab Brandon’s hand again and lead him straight upstairs and towards the spare room. I figure it would be best if we searched through them together, in case he finds anything that may upset him further.
***
After having searched through all of the boxes in the spare room, with only one more to look through out in the garage, we find ourselves becoming desperate as we open the last one up.
Whispering a silent prayer up towards the sky, I ask that it’s in here, for both Brandon’s sake and his sanity.
“Well I guess this is it,” Brandon shrugs and takes a breath, seemingly becoming increasingly nervous as he lifts a few of the items out. “I guess if it’s not in here, then we’ll know that it was definitely Holly’s, and like you said, what they’d been here looking for.”
We take our time, making sure we haven’t missed anything, but after the third time of going through that last remaining box, I watch as Brandon takes a deep and shaky breath, placing his hands crossed behind his neck and closing his eyes.
“Nada,” he says flatly, and with what appears to be pure frustration finally overcoming him, he walks over to the garage wall, lifts his clenched fist, and only just manages to find enough self-control to stop himself from breaking his hand on the stone bricked wall.
Walking over and wrapping my arms around him with everything I have, he turns around, leans his head onto my shoulder, and finally allows his emotions to take over.
Holding him as he sobs, I find myself having tears roll down my cheeks. I really thought this was it. I thought the day of clearing his name might have actually finally arrived.
After having spent some time in the living room with my father and Diana, Brandon leaves the room to take a call when his cell phones sounds out.
“I should have kept reading it, I should have,” I say, just as Brandon walks back into the room after having spent a few minutes on his cell. “I’m so sorry.”
Narrowing his eyes on me, he shakes his head ever so slightly as he comes back over and sits beside me, “This is not your fault, Alexis,” he assures me, even though I still believe that it is.
16.
The Willing Hostage
“What do we do now?”
“I really have no idea, beautiful,” he speaks softly, stroking his hand through my hair as I rest my head in his lap. “I guess we just sit with the hope that something else arises soon.”
Turning back to face the television, I hear my cell phone vibrating over on the coffee table, but I have no intention of moving from where I am. Whoever and whatever it is can wait.
It’s been five days since we found out the reason why my father’s home was broken into, and since then, things have become a whole lot quieter. Although they say no news is good news, I most certainly beg to differ in this case.
“I wanted us to have had this all figured out by now,” I say, my voice laced with sorrow because I know that I’ll have to leave him soon and head back to campus, before my classes resume tomorrow.
“I’m not giving up, Alexis,” he assures me, leaning down and brushing his soft lips over mine. “We’ll get this figured out, even if I have to die trying.”
I know he means it.
Sitting up and turning around, so I have my legs placed on either side of him, I see a look of suspicion entering his eyes.
“Alexis, what are you doing?” he asks with a curious tone.
“I’m heading back to campus in less than two hours, and I’m not going to be able to see you until the weekend, so …”
And with that, I brush my lips over his, pulling away when he reaches up to kiss me back. My actions cause for him to narrow his eyes on me.
Lowering myself down, until I’m kneeling on the floor and in-between his legs, I keep my eyes firmly trained on his as I run my hand over the zipper of his pants.
Watching his eyes widen, with a new brightness shining within them, I see him swallow as I lick my lips slowly, with a smile now appearing over my face.
Rubbing my hand over his crotch, I can feel just how excited he is already from what I’m doing.
Unzipping his fly, never allowing our eye contact to be broken, I slide my hands up to his waistband, noticing him lifting his hips up off of the couch, enabling me to tug them down until both his pants and boxers reach his feet.
“How about I hold you captive all week instead?” he smirks. Usually that kind of remark would scare the hell out of me, but when it’s Brandon saying those types of things, I think I would most probably welcome the idea.
Taking a hold of him in my right hand, I lean in closer as I slide my hand up and down his hot hard length, hearing his breathing becoming ragged.
Skimming my lips over his crown, I swirl my tongue around him before lowering my head, until I feel him touching the back of my throat, “Fuckkkkk!” he groans, and I feel him reach down and begin stroking my hair softly again. Feeling as he moves my hair away from my face, I look up at him again, and see him watching me attentively.
Running my tongue around him as I lift my head up higher, I move my hands up and down him slightly faster, before plunging him deep back into my mouth again.
Hearing his sharp intake of breath, I move faster, and feel his hands now clutching my hair tightly as he lets out a growl and his length begins to swell.
Emptying himself into my mouth, the warm liquid oozes and slides down my th
roat, and that’s when I feel the grip he had on me beginning to weaken.
“Yeah, I think I’m most definitely holding you captive for the rest of you days,” he pants as I move higher, directing my gaze back into his as he tries to get his breathing back to a slower rate.
Nestling into him, I hold onto this very feeling that I have right now, because although I know that its only five days until I see him again, for some reason it feels more like it’ll be a lifetime before I’ll see him again.
17.
The Surprise
Every night we’ve talked for hours over the phone, but it’s not the same as having him holding me in his arms, and him in mine.
Luckily for me, it’s Thursday and so I only have one more night alone in my bed, before I get to see him again.
There’s one last thing I need to do before I get myself ready for my first class of the day. Making sure the living area’s clear, I grab the test from my purse and make my way into the bathroom.
My hands are shaking so badly that it’s taking me a lot longer than it usually would to rip open the packaging. Taking a deep breath and trying to rationalize my thoughts, I realize that I’m about to find out my fate, our fate, and what the future may hold for the both of us.
After following the instructions, I find myself pacing the length of the living area, while I wait the two minutes I’m supposed to for the result.
I’m excited. I’m nervous. I’m terrified.
Not knowing how Brandon will react terrifies me the most. We’ve never discussed having children, we’ve haven’t ever had any reason to before. We’re still so young and everything between us has happened so fast.
Now I feel sick. What if everything’s about to get back on track, he manages to clear his name, and then this, well this could break us. What if he doesn’t want a baby? What if he doesn’t want our baby?
It would crush me. It would break me.
Hurrying back into the bathroom when I hear Ryan’s bedroom door opening, I grab the test from the sink and find myself staring at the white stick that’s sitting in my hands. My mouth falls open when I see the answer I’ve been putting off finding out ever since I missed my monthly cycle. I tried to put it down to stress, stress from everything that has been going on in my life, but I’m never late … never, and now I know why. I thought that becoming a parent would be way off in the future, but as it turns out, that particular future begins today.
“Alex!” the sound of Ryan’s voice startles me. I wasn’t aware any of the guys were still here, their classes start at nine on a Thursday, where mine begin at ten. “Whatever you’re doing in there can you hurry the hell up? I’m running late and I really gotta pee!”
“On my way out!” I call back to him, hoping the shakiness in my voice doesn’t betray me. Placing the test in my robe pocket, I wash my hands and splash some cold water over my face, before making my way out.
Ryan nods at me once, before practically breaking into a sprint through the doorway, and I jump at the sound of the bathroom door slamming closed behind me.
Walking through to my room, I grab my cell phone, knowing that I really need to be making a couple of phone calls. I call James first, asking him to inform our Professor that I won’t be making an appearance today, and as the nervous feeling intensifies in and around my stomach, I dial the second number on my list.
***
“Miss. Alexis Harper?” the receptionist asks, placing her hand lightly on my shoulder and leaning over me to gain my attention. I was miles away. “The doctor will see you now.”
Nodding slightly and thanking her, I stand and walk over to my regular doctor’s room, with my hands still shaking and my palms becoming sweaty.
Deep breaths, deep easy breaths.
“Alex, have you not been taking your pill as advised?” she asks me, her eyebrows shooting up as she awaits my answer.
“Yes, every day, I’ve taken it without fail every day,” I tell her, noticing the anxiety in my own voice as I answer her.
She throws me a scrutinizing glance while removing her glasses from her eyes, “At regular times, and …”
“Every day!” I raise my voice, my hands still trembling as both the feelings of anxiousness and anger collide. “I’m not irresponsible, I’m not and I swear to you, this is—“
“Okay, calm down, just calm down and I’ll have a look through your medical records,” she smiles sympathetically at me, before turning towards her computer and typing a few things into the keyboard.
The clock that’s hanging on the wall is disrupting the silence, and all I can focus on is the tick tock sounds that it’s making, although the hands seem to be moving at a much slower rate than what I’m sure is normal. I feel like I’m back in high school and about to sit a test.
The doctor proceeds to ask me a few questions, a few really personal questions.
When was the first time you had sex?
Was it always with the same partner?
Do you use anything else to protect yourself against pregnancy other than the contraceptive pill?
When was the last time you had sexual intercourse?
Really personal things to establish how far along I actually am.
She informed me that home pregnancy kits don’t usually pick up a positive result until you’re about four weeks in. She told me that it’s very likely to receive a negative when it’s actually a positive if you take the test too early, but a positive result can never be wrong.
“So you’re saying I’m how far into the pregnancy?”
“Approximately four to five weeks,” she answers, jotting a few things down on her notepad while flashing her eyes over on me every so often. “We won’t really know a definite date until you have your first screening.”
Counting back the weeks on my fingers, that would make the time of conception on … on my birthday, “I don’t understand how this could—“ I begin, but she already seems to know what I’m about to ask her.
“After viewing your medical records, Alex, it shows that you were prescribed a drug to help and control your migraines,” she begins, crossing her hands over in her lap while keeping her eyes firmly glued on mine, “now, for some reason, you were given something different to what I would have personally prescribed, but that’s not really going to make much of a difference now. Some forms of medication interfere with other prescribed drugs, including the pill. It seems highly likely that the contraception you have been taking became less effective during the time you were treating your migraines.”
Oh.
A single tear falls onto my cheek, and I watch as the doctor hands me a tissue, with her face beginning to fill with what appears to be concern, “Alex, does the father know you are here?”
“No … no, at least, not yet.”
***
I don’t even remember walking back to the dorm. It felt like I’d floated here, it’s a really weird feeling and so hard to try and explain.
I’m pregnant.
Pregnant with Brandon’s baby.
Although I did the home test earlier, only now does it seem a whole lot more real, after having had it confirmed by the doctor. I need to tell him, I know I do, but I don’t think calling or messaging him is the right way to go about this.
No. No, I’ll wait until tomorrow. I’ll tell him when we’re face to face, that way, I’ll really know how he feels about the news. Over the phone or in written form is really not the best way to break this type of news. At least if I tell him when we’re together, I’ll be able to read how he feels by looking into his eyes.
Glancing at my watch, I feel relieved to know the guys won’t be home when I walk through the door. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to hide all of the emotions I’m feeling, and most likely displaying, from them. Besides, the first person I should tell is the father of my baby, the father of his baby, the father of our baby.
Stepping inside the dorm, I still when I see three pairs of eyes gazing right over on me, “Alex, thank Go
d!” Alyssa calls, seemingly relieved to see me as she runs over to meet me by the door. “Tell them! Tell them that I’m not up the freaking duff!”
“What?” What? I feel my jaw almost hitting the floor at what Alyssa just ask me to do.
“If it’s not yours, Alyssa, then who the hells is it?” Ryan demands. Wow, he looks majorly pissed at her.
“We found this in the bathroom earlier,” Neil adds, holding up the … shit. Neil’s holding up the empty pregnancy box that I’d completely forgotten to move because Ryan rushed me out of the bathroom earlier this morning,
Closing my eyes as a sudden wave of nausea flows threw me, I’m guessing that I’m not going to be able to hide this news from them until I’ve spoken with Brandon, after all.
“Alex?” Alyssa places her hand on my shoulder as she says my name. “Alex, are you…? Are you having a baby?” her voice is filled with mainly shock, and I can see the surprise washing over her face as she continues to stare at me.
Glancing over towards Neil and Ryan, I see them standing in the same positions they were in when I arrived back, only this time, they’re wide eyed and not saying a word.
After having taken a seat on one of the couches, I beg with them to not breathe a word until I’ve managed to talk with Brandon. It’s not fair that he’s out in the cabin all by himself as it is, without him having to learn he was fifth in line to hear the news. To hear our news.
The guys don’t say a word, not one, but judging by the shock they’re both expressing over each of their faces, I don’t expect for them to say anything for quite some time.
“Alex, we’ve gotta run,” Ryan finally speaks. “We’ll catch up with you later, alright?” he throws me a small, although expressionless smile as he and Alyssa make their way out of the dorm. Alyssa kisses me on the cheek and whispers her congratulations in my ear, before following Ryan out of the door.
Misplaced Trust (Misjudged) Page 14
