Second Chance

Michelle’s POV

I stand there with a huge smile on my face, waiting for the cheers & hugs & congratulations, but instead, all I got where mouth hung open in shock & stares. Not exactly how I thought they would react when I told them the big news. I mean, this is an Avenged baby. They’ve always been talking about how all of our children would be best friends like the we all are now. They always used to talk about how would be the first one to get pregnant, turning out to be Leana. & they would talk so excitedly about it & how the Avenged family was gonna be so big & great, that I’m confused why it is that now that is actually happening, they all look shocked. Could it be that they didn’t heard Val? But that can’t be. They wouldn’t be looking at me like this… like… I just confessed a crime or something.

“Aren’t you guys gonna say something?” Val says in an annoyed voice.

“Uh… yeah. Congratulations, I guess” Zacky says after what seemed like hours, but not before exchanging looks with the rest of the guys. He comes & gives me a hug. & that’s all that is… just a normal hug, not the special hug I was expecting. This seems to faze everyone out of their stupor, because everyone starts making its way towards me, forming a line to congratulate me. Everyone except Annabelle & Brian. I glance at them while hugging everyone. Not that I’m not interested in their hugs, or don’t appreciate them. It’s just that I don’t get the feeling that they are truly happy about me being pregnant. I didn’t expect a line either. I expected more like a group hug like the one they gave Jeremy & London when they first announced they were pregnant. London was almost deaf from all of our screams & shrills & Jeremy looked like he would snap in 2 from all the guys hugging him. That was the kind of reaction I was expecting. They even were more overenthusiastic when we got engaged. I see Anna make her way towards the door, Brian following her. But that’s nothing new either. Where Anna goes, Brian goes. Where Brian goes, Anna goes. I’ll never be his first person & I, somehow, am cool with that. But at this time, when I just announced what should be the best news for Brian, he walks away with her.

“Don’t mind them” Jimmy says, noticing my staring.

“He didn’t look happy” I say, holding back the tears that are threatening to spill from my eyes. I don’t think that these tears are because of the hormones. Unless my hormones are fucking named Brian Elwin Haner Jr. & Annabelle Hurley.

“He’s just shocked. We all are. We thought Val was gonna be the first one to pop out a child. Guess we placed the bet on the wrong twin” He says, hugging me again. I smile briefly. I want to believe him. I truly want to. But something inside of me is telling me that he’s lying. Brian’s face wasn’t one of shock… it was one of sadness. Like if I just ruined the rest of his life.

Annabelle’s POV

Why is it that whenever my life seems to be on the right track, that everything seems to be working out for me, that whenever I’m happy, something has to happens? Why? What did I do in my past lives that I’m destined to be miserable in this one? Was I a Nazi? Did I killed people & chased heretics on the Inquisition?

“Belle” I hear Brian’s voice as I make my way towards the door. “Stop” & I do as he tells me. “Where are you going?” He asks & I turn shocked at his question.

“What do you mean where am I going? I’m going home, Brian” I snap at him.

“Why?” He asks & that fuels my anger/impotency.

“Why? I’ll tell you why. Because you’re fucking wife just announced she’s pregnant with your baby” I say.

“Belle-“ But I stop him before he says anything else.

“No, Brian. What are you doing?” I ask. My thoughts aren’t clear right now. My feelings are just fucked up right now. I don’t know what the fuck I feel anymore.

“I’m stopping you from walking out of my life again” He says & I feel a tear rolling down my cheek. Great, now I’m crying. Fucking great. It’s like I’m the one pregnant with these fucking mood swings.

“Well… you should be with your pregnant wife, congratulating her for the baby you guys are expecting” I say & I feel a sharp pain in my chest. A pain I’m used to feel. A heartbreak pain. He ponders on my words. I don’t think reality has set for him yet. I don’t think that he knows what this means now. We stay there, just in front of each other, just staring at each other. “You know what this means, right?” I ask him & he just lowers his gaze, nodding.

“I know. But I don’t want to stay with her just because she’s pregnant with my child, Belle” He says.

“I was willing to meddle in your marriage, Brian. But I won’t be the reason for you to walk out on her & your child. I won’t let that poor baby grow up with a weekend dad” I say, my voice cracking at the end. I see a tear escape Brian’s eye. I know he knows I’m right. & I know he knows he can’t do that. His parents raised him better than that.

“So what now?” He asks, clearing his throat after. “You’re just gonna give up on us now? Our feeling will be forgotten & we’re gonna stay fucking unhappy?”

“Now… we’ll pretend that none of this happened & we’ll carry on with our lives. You with Michelle & the baby, & me with John” I say. Just saying John’s name feels wrong. & now, aside from feeling heartbroken & feel guilty.

“But I don’t want that. I don’t want to forget these past days. It’s the happiest I’ve been in 3 damn years. & that’s because you’ve been here with me. Because I’ve been able to hold you & kiss you & make love to you. I don’t want to fucking forget that… I don’t want to forget you” He says through gritted teeth. “Why the fuck does this had to happen?” He growls, punching the wall. I’ve noticed he has a habit of doing that when he’s pissed. “Fuck” He hiss in pain, clutching his hand. He turns to look at me & the pain that his eyes show is the same kind of pain I’m feeling, cuz this time I’m not losing Brian… this time I really lost him.

Val’s POV

I walk into a Brian punching the wall. Annabelle is crying. Are these 2 still fighting? It’s time to put an end to this for good. “What the fuck are you doing?” I say, grabbing their attention. They slowly turn to look at me. “I can’t believe you 2 are still feuding. It’s getting a bit tiresome. It’s time you put whatever it was that caused your friendship to end in the past once & for all. I can’t believe that after the news my sister just gave you, you guys are more interested in being at each other’s throat than trying to be civil to each other. You would’ve thought that this kind of news would bring you closer, but you guys are more interested in bitching at each other than to realize how big this is” I say, rolling my eyes. This asshole didn’t even congratulate his wife. The soon-to-be mother of his child. So yes, I’m pissed.

“Shut the fuck up, Val. You have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about” Brian snaps at me & it takes me back a bit. He has never, never, spoken to me in such an awful manner.

“Well, excuse me if I want to rip your balls off for making my sister cry in what should be one of the best days she’ll ever have. Not only you walked out on your wedding, scaring her to death, but now she’ll remember the day she told her husband that she was pregnant as the day that her husband was too busy fighting with his best friend instead of being smothering her in kisses & happiness. So you’ve pretty much have fucked up 2 important memories for her” I snap back at him. “You’re such a dick. You didn’t even congratulate her” I say, my temper getting the best of me.

“It’s my fault” Annabelle says, sniffing. “I kinda stole him away. We’re not fighting. I was just congratulating him” She says, stepping from behind Brian towards me. “I guess I should go find the mommy-to-be to congratulate her too” She says, wiping her last tear & reentering the living room. I turn to glance at Brian who is still trying to shake off the pain in his hand.

“I’ll get you some ice for that” I mutter signaling his hand before walking back into the living room. I stop to see Anna hugging tightly Michelle. Both of them have stopped crying & that’s good. It just makes me wonder why would one guy make the both of them cry. I’m not stupid. I know something’s up with Brian & Anna. I also know that something had to happen for her to come back out of the blue & for Matt not speaking to her. Brian is the common denominator in all of this & I pray that my gut is wrong. I don’t want to believe that Brian & Anna have something more than a love/hate friendship. They just can’t.