Let Your Heart Win

Resting her hand on her growing stomach, Cali dialled Brian’s number and waited for him to answer.

“Baby? Is everything okay?” Brian asked as soon as he answered.

“I’m fine, just thought I’d call to say happy birthday.” She replied with a chuckle.

“Shit, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon, I just panicked.” He replied.

“Well your daughter wouldn’t let me sleep so I thought I’d give you a call.” She explained placing her phone onto speaker phone before placing it on her stomach. The first day he was away Brian had asked Cali to put the phone by her stomach so that he could talk to the baby and she’d gotten in the habit of doing it ever since.

“Cool, so she’s my daughter today?” he asked.

“Yeah, you know how this works by now. She’s being a pain in my ass so she’s yours.” She stated.

“I guess I can live with that. How are you feeling anyway?” he replied.

“Fat, tired, fat, hot and bothered, fat, hungry and oh did I mention fat?” she replied.

“Babe, you’re not fat. You’re six and a half months pregnant.” He replied with a small chuckle.

“I’m still fat.” She muttered. “I’ve been comfort eating for the past two and a half weeks.”

“I’m sure you still look fucking beautiful and sexy.” Brian replied and Cali knew he must have been smirking.

“I highly doubt it, and you’re biased so your opinion doesn’t really count but thank you.” she replied.

“I may be biased, but it’s still the fucking truth.” He replied.

“Babe we could spend all day arguing about this, what you up to for your birthday?” she replied.

“We’re just going to head out and have a few drinks later.” He replied simply.

“A few drinks?” she asked sceptically.

“Why don’t you believe me?” he asked feigning shock.

“Babe, I’ve known you guys long enough now. And remember the state you all got in the last time you were in Germany.” She replied.

“Hey, I was the only one who managed to last that night remember?” he replied.

“Of course I remember, I may have been slightly intoxicated that night but I’ll always remember that night.” She replied suggestively.

“Hmm, me neither. So are you still going out with the girls?” he replied.

“Yeah, apparently we’re having a few drinks in Johnny’s bar and then heading up to Perqs.” She replied.

“You promise you’ll keep safe won’t you?” he replied seriously.

“Of course I will, and you know the girls will look out for me too, not that I’ll need them too.” she assured him.

“Yeah I know, but it’s not going to stop me worrying. It’s hard being this far away from you.” he admitted.

“Yeah I know, it sucks.” She replied sullenly.

“I know I’ve said this every day so far but I’m fucking missing you like crazy.” He said.

“We miss you too.” she replied, running a hand over her swollen stomach.

“It won’t be long now baby.” Brian replied softly.

“I know. Babe I’m gonna have to go, unless you wanna listen to me pee.” She said as she lifted herself off the bed.

“Okay baby, have a good day and call me later so I know you got home okay and shit.” He replied.

“I will. I love you babe.” She replied as she walked towards the bathroom. “And give my love to the other guys.”

“Will do. I Love you too, talk to you later.”

~*~

“We’ll have four Raspberry Margaritas and one Nojito please.” Val told the bartender with a large smile.

The girls had been out celebrating Brian’s birthday for three hours and had just arrived in Perqs. They were handed their cocktails and wandered over to a booth.

“Let me guess, he’s checking to see if you got here in one piece.” Rachel teased as a message tone sounded from Cali’s phone. Cali chuckled as she read the message and nodded.

“Yeah, although he’s trying to be all casual about it, I think the guys maybe giving him a hard time.” She replied.

“Knowing those guys, yeah that is probably true, but I’ll tell you something, Matt’s exactly the same.” Val replied. There was a unified agreement from the other three girls and they all laughed.

“Right, who’s coming to dance?” Rachel asked.

Each of the five girls made their way over to the dance floor and all started dancing together, each of them making sure that no one got too close to Cali and her bump.

As the song changed Andrea suddenly grabbed Cali’s arm and with wide eyes, fixed on something across the bar she whispered into her ear. “Michelle’s just walked in.”

“What where?” Cali asked turning to scan the room.

“She’s stood at the bar with a blond dude.” She replied watching as Cali’s eyes found her.

“What’s wrong?” Rachel asked noticing that they’d stopped dancing.

“Michelle’s here.” Cali replied quietly, turning to face the others.

“What where?” Jenni asked.

“Who’s she with?” Val asked.

“She at the bar with a blond guy.” Cali muttered.

“Do you think she’ll cause trouble if she see’s Cali?” Rachel asked Val.

“I don’t know, I haven’t really spoken to her all that much since her and Brian split up.” she replied.

“She better not start anything.” Andrea warned.

“So is that the guy she was cheating on Brian with?” Jenni asked.

“No, that relationship didn’t last too long after it was all put out in the open, and I don’t think that’s Callum neither.” Val said.

“She’s got around a bit the past couple of months then.” Rachel replied.

“Looks like it.” She replied as they all sat down at a table away from the bar.

“Do you want to go?” Andrea asked Cali.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to leave because of her, but I don’t want to risk having a run in with her.” Cali replied.

“Let’s just go somewhere else. No of us will be able to have fun with her here anyway.” Val replied.

“Okay, but I need to use the rest room first.” Cali replied with a smile.

“Do you want me to come with?” Rachel asked.

“No, I’ll be fine.” She replied with a smile as she stood from the table. As she walked over to the rest rooms her eyes scanned the room looking for Michelle.

Her heart skipped a beat as she pushed open the rest room door to find Michelle stood at the sinks fixing her make up. She looked at the sound of the door opening and immediately stopped what she was doing. Cali tried to ignore her and walked into one of the stalls.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight. I thought you’d be out having a romantic meal with Brian or something.” Michelle said through the door.

“He’s on tour.” Cali replied simply.

“On tour? And you trust him to be away from you after what he did last year?” she asked with a snigger.

“That was different. He wouldn’t cheat on me.” Cali replied.

“You keep telling yourself that sweetie. He cheated on me and he’ll cheat on you, especially now that you’re all fat and ugly because of that baby you’re carrying.” She replied.

“No he wouldn’t. He loves me.” Cali yelled back, fighting the tears.

“He thinks he does, but honey I’ve known him for a lot longer than you have and I’m telling you now, he doesn’t like fat chicks, and he’s got the perfect opportunity to play the field if he’s on tour.” She sneered.

“Cali! Are you…Michelle?” Val called as she entered the rest room.

“Oh hey Val how are you?” she replied with a fake smile.

“I’m good just looking for Cali.” She replied quietly.

“I’m here.” She replied stepping out of the stall.

“Are you okay?” Val asked.

“I’m fine.” She replied unconvincingly as she walked passed Val towards the door.

“Buy guys.” Michelle called after them as Cali stepped out of the rest room.

“If you’ve done or said anything to upset her, I swear to God Mich, you better stay away from me.” Val warned before following Cali.

“Hey, she was the one who split me and Brian up remember. And I was only trying to give her a friendly warning.” She called after them.

“Cali, are you okay?” Val asked as she caught up with her.

“What happened? What took you so long?” Rachel asked.

“I’ll tell you outside.” Cali said walking past them towards the exit.

The other girls followed her, no one saying anything until Cali stopped at sat down at one of the benches in the parking lot.

“Honey is everything okay?” Jenni asked sitting down next to her.

“What did she say?” Val asked earning confused looks off the other girls. “Michelle was in the rest rooms too.”

“She basically told me that I couldn’t trust Brian, that he cheated on her and that he’ll cheat on me, especially since I’m all fat and ugly now.” she explained as tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

“She did what?” Rachel yelled.

“She said she was giving me a friendly warning and that he’s got the perfect opportunity to be cheating on me with him being on tour.” She replied.

“I’m going to knock her out!” Rachel yelled.

“She has a point.” she muttered.

“What, no. you know none of that was true. She’s just a vindictive bitch.” Andrea told her.

“Don’t listen to her Cal, Brian loves you.” Val told her.

“Exactly, he’s crazy about you, just look at all the times he’s texted you or rang you tonight.” Val told her.

“I know, it’s just not the best thing to hear is it?” she replied.

“No, but consider the source.” Jenni replied.

“Exactly, now, why don’t we head back to mine and have a sleep over. I have margarita mix.” Rachel offered with a smile.

“Sounds good to me.” the other girls cheered in unison.