Fools Rush In

~~~~ One Week Later ~~~~

I woke up and took a quick shower before blow drying my hair and straightening it. I pulled it back into a ponytail before rummaging through my drawers for a pair of shorts to wear.

It was warmer out today so I was definitely going to be wearing shorts. I found a pair of ripped Bermuda shorts that I pulled on. I was glad they still fit me. They had always been big but were now starting to fit snugger.

I found a t-shirt to wear that had music notes on it. I dug out a pair of dark blue converse which I pulled on before going over to my bin that held all of my hair stuff and makeup. I dug out a simple navy blue beanie that I situated on top of my head after pulling my hair out of its ponytail.

I glanced at the time and sighed.

I still had an hour before Declan and I had decided to meet up at the only Starbucks in town. We were meeting at 11am just so that we would beat the lunch rush and we could grab seats.

I put on my music necklace and put in a pair of cupcake earrings. I found my favorite flower and skull ring and slid it on. I made sure I had everything in my little clutch and pulled out my phone and texted Grace and Isabella while I waited until I had to leave.

They both didn’t know yet but I had decided to wait until I knew what Declan and I were going to do.

I had gone through all of the papers that the doctor at the clinic had given me and I was still unsure about everything.

Why can’t this be easier?

I groaned and laid back on my bed. I listened to the sounds of the nearby ocean while I laid there thinking about everything.

I put a hand on top of my stomach and rubbed it over the firmness there.

I wanna keep it…

Woah did I just think that?

“I want to keep you”

Well I guess I did

Well that was that. I wanted to keep this baby. I think in the back of my mind I just knew that I would regret giving it up for adoption.

Now to tell Declan…

I stood up and fixed my beanie before grabbing my clutch, keys, and phone. I yelled a goodbye to my parents who hollered back at me to not be too late tonight.

I left then and walked to my car. I slid behind the wheel and started it up. I headed across town to the nearby Starbucks.

I made it there at 11am on the dot and parked. I walked inside and looked around but saw no sign of Declan anywhere. I sighed and looked up at the menu. I wanted something to drink but I wasn’t able to get coffee right now. I had to monitor how much caffeine I took in every day now.

I finally decided on a green tea since my stomach was still slightly upset with me since I had puked this morning.

I was about to go up and order my drink when a guy with brown and blonde hair stepped in front of me.

“Anberlin right?”

I looked at him confused. He looked familiar but i couldn’t quite place him.

“Yeah?”

“Hey I’m Declan’s friend Tristan”

That’s why he looks familiar!

“Oh hey”

“Hey. Declan’s just in the back printing something out so I was sitting at his table. He’s right over there in the corner. Just go sit there and I’ll holler into the back to tell him you’re here. He’s b een waiting for you and I swear I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so nervous”

“OH…oaky. I was going to get a drink but…”

“What did you want? I’ll get it for you”

“Oh um just a larger green tea”

“You got it”

I went to pull out some money but he just held his hands up and pointed out Declan’s table once more.

“Declan said he’d get it once you got here. You’re good”

“Oh…thanks”

“Mhmm”

I walked over and sat down in one of the empty chairs. It was a small table and it was covered with various papers, books, and an empty coffee mug. There were three chairs there, one of which had a backpack sitting on it.

I looked up and saw Tristan coming out of the backroom and heading over to make my tea. A minute or two after he came out Declan came out carrying some more papers.

He looks exhausted

Declan walked over to me and set the papers down onto the table. He ran a hand through his curly hair and sat down.

“Hey”

“Hey. Are you okay?”

“No I haven’t slept at all this past week”

“Oh”

“Yeah I just…I’ve just been stressed a bit”

“Oh…”

I looked down at my hands in my lap and fidgeted slightly. Declan started to move papers around.

“It’s not your fault I’ve been stressed so much lately. I just have a big project due soon and I’ve procrastinated to all hell on it and my mom was getting on my case again over something stupid and…well…my mind was distracted a lot this past week too”

“Mine too”

Just then Tristan came over and set my green tea down in front of me and picked up Declan’s coffee mug before heading back behind the bar.

“How long have you been here?”

I pulled my tea towards me and dipped the tea bags in and out of it a few times.

“OH I don’t know. Ever since Tristan came it at like 7am”

“Wow”

“Yeah like I said I couldn’t sleep and I had told him I was meeting you here and he said he could try to save me a table but he couldn’t make any promises but I just decided to come in since I couldn’t sleep”

“They let you in the back even though you don’t work here?”

“Yeah Tristan’s in charge here right now and has long has I don’t kill anything he lets me go back there if need be”

“That’s really nice of him”

“Yeah he’s awesome”

I stood up and got some honey and lemon juice for my tea and sat back down. Declan was finishing moving papers around on the table.

“So…”

Declan looked up at me and smiled before sliding a bunch of papers into his backpack.

“Sorry I’m a disorganized mess right now”

“Aren’t you always?”

Declan just gave me a slight glare before shoving the rest of his papers and books into his backpack.

“I’m gonna work on getting more organized and not so messy though”

“Why the sudden change?”

Declan looked up and into my eyes, “Because I may or may not be helping take care of my kid”

I almost choked on my tea. I went to speak but Trist came back then with Declan’s coffee. Declan immediately took a sip while Tristan held out his hand for money. Declan dug into his pocket and put cash into his hand. Tristan just smiled and walked away.

Declan looked back at me, “Are you okay there?”

“Yeah I just wasn’t expecting you to say that”

“Why?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “I figured you’d want to give it up for adoption so that you didn’t’ have to worry about it”

Hurt flashed across Declan’s features before he sighed.

“I honestly don’t want to give it up for adoption. I really want to keep it and help raise it. I don’t know what it is but i just want to keep this baby”

He took a long sip of his coffee and I could just see the sincerity on his face.

Guess it’s my turn

I took a sip of my tea and took a deep breath.

“I want to keep it too”

Declan looked up at me and smiled, “Really?”

“Yeah. I just…I just realized this morning that I would regret it if I gave it up for adoption. I want to keep it”

Declan smiled and me and reached out taking my hand in his.

“So that’s it then? We’re keeping our baby?”

I took a shaky breath, “Yeah looks like it”

Declan leaned across the table and kissed my forehead. He sat back down and smiled at me.

“So what do you do now?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“I honestly don’t know. Tell our parents? Tell our friends? Figure out how the hell we’re gonna do all of this?”

Declan pondered everything before pulling his hand away and picking up his coffee mug.

“Well…do you want to talk about all of that here or go somewhere else? Just so no one accidently overhears and tells our parents before we tell them. Unless you want to go tell him now?”

Horror flashed through my mind and I gulped, “I’d rather not go RIGHT now. I’d rather try to figure a few things out first”

Declan nodded and downed the rest of his coffee. He leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath.

“Wanna go for a walk somewhere to talk? It’s beautiful out today”

I couldn’t help but smile, “Yeah sure”

Declan picked up his backpack and said bye to Tristan. WE left then and he led me over to his car. He tossed his backpack into it and started off in the direction of the beach. I followed him and we walked in silence until we reached the beach. We walked along the beach until I started to get tired and sat down. Declan sat down next to me and looked around before he laughed.

I looked at him curiously, “What’s so funny?”

“I think this is where this all started”

I looked around and frowned, “Really?”

“Yeah I think so anyway. It was dark though and I was drunk off my ass so I’m not 100% sure but it just feels like it was the place”

I thought about it for a minute.

“Yeah you’re right”

We sat in silent and watched the waves crashing on the beach before either one of us spoke.

“So what are we going to do now? What first?”

“I don’t know…maybe we need to see a counselor at that clinic to figure it all out. The doctor said they had some there to help out young couples like us”

Declan nodded his head in agreement.

“That sounds like a good idea”

I crossed my legs and looked up at the sky. I honestly didn’t know what to say. Everything was happening so fast and I was just so confused.

I didn’t know what to do first. Tell Grace and Isabella or tell my parents and Matt…oh God, Matt was going to flip out on me!

Not to mention kill Declan or seriously injure him

Yeah big brother is protective of his little sister. I sighed heavily and looked over at Declan to see him lost in thought. I waved my hand in front of his face and he shook his head before looking over at me.

“What are you thinking about there?”

“Just..everything. How are we going to manage taking care of the baby at night and even during the day when you’re across town from me?”

Shit I hadn’t thought about that

“I…fuck I didn’t think about that”

Declan looked back over the ocean and thought for a few more minutes.

“You could move in with me?”

“Frank has the other room doesn’t he?”

“Yeah but he could always share my room and you could be in yours with the baby”

“Yeah but how would you get up in the middle of the night?”

“I would have a monitor in my room too”

I just shook my head.

This is way more complicated then I thought

“Frank would need some sleep though. That would wake him up and he’s a pain in the ass when he’s tired”

Declan groaned and ran his hands over his face.

“We could find a small apartment together?”

“I don’t have that money right now and even then baby stuff isn’t cheap”

Declan sighed and looked at me before looking back at the ocean. He leaned back on his hands and started sucking on his lip ring.

“Maybe you’ll just have to come over a couple nights a week then?”

“No I want to be there every night. It’s not fair to you”

“Then I don’t know what we’re going to do”

“Anberlin…”

I looked over at Declan but he was looking out to sea.

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t we just get married?”