You Drain The Life From Me.

Garrett took me in his car because John wouldn't have any space in his truck for Jared, Kennedy, Pat and I. Plus, Garrett whined about being lonely.

But I kind of figured he just wanted to be corny again.

"So, are we gonna be discreet about this?"

He sighed. I knew he didn't want to, but we couldn't risk it.

"Kennedy might tell him."

Garrett was right. Kennedy and Stephen were best friends. They told each other everything.

"And John might, you know."

John hated infidelity. He didn't approve of it at all.

"Well, I guess we're gonna be discreet about this," he concluded.

He stepped on the gas pedal and the car lurched forward.

"Leigh, I don't care if we don't tell anyone, you know. As long as I get to call you mine."

He and I both knew what we were getting into. He and I both knew that we would be risking a lot of things. For him, it would be John's trust. For me, it would be the same, plus Stephen.

But that just made this all the more fun.

And Garrett's lips were worth it.



"Austin!" Austin was visiting from Texas. I loved Austin Chandler Gibbs. If the kid lived nearer, he'd probably be my best friend.

"Little Ohh! How you doin?"

"I see you've taken up smoking again," I observed with a disapproving click of my tongue.

"You sound like my mom!"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Garrett grumbled beside me.

I elbowed him in the stomach. "It's not my fault you don't match your outfits, baby."

Austin chuckled and nodded towards the two of us. "You, uh, you two together yet?" he asked with his Texan drawl.

My eyes widened and my cheeks grew warm. "Um, n-no."

Now it was his turn to click his tongue in a disapproving manner. "Shame, you two make a cute couple. It's like you're already married. Damn shame, it is."

Austin was a closeted romantic. And a meddling matchmaker. The boy tried harder than anyone to get Garrett and I together whenever he was around.

"W-we, uh, I-I have a b-boyfriend and u-uh ba-baby."

His eyebrows raised and his eyes traveled to my slightly bulging stomach.

"Who's is it?"

"I-I uh, um, w-we, um-"

"Her boyfriend's," Garrett spat, then he walked off to greet Pat and Lauren.

My hand went to my forehead, brushing my bangs aside. My eyes closed tight for a few seconds as I let out a sigh. When I opened my eyes again, Austin was studying me carefully.

"You okay, darling?"

"No."

He opened his arms. "Come here."

I crumbled into his arms and wrapped mine around his waist, squeezing hard.

"What's wrong, honey?"

One of the things I loved about Austin was that he rarely ever called me by my name. He would call me things like sweetheart, darling, sweet cheeks, etc. And another was that I could tell him anything, and he'd take those secrets to the grave. He'd never tell a soul, no matter what. But he'd also look out for me. If I told him something, and he felt like I needed to take action, such as telling Stephen someone the truth, he would tell me to do it, and he wouldn't leave me alone until I did.

"I feel like such shit, Austin. I thought it would work. I wanted it to work so bad. Why couldn't this have worked?"

"Baby, what are you talking about?"

"Get your hands off my sister, Gibbs!"

John.

"Relax, dude. We were just talking!"

I heard John's footsteps come closer and closer, but I couldn't actually see him since my face was still buried in Austin's chest.

"W-wha-is she okay?" he fretted when he saw that I had been crying.

I myself hadn't even realized I was crying.

"She's fine, John. I got her."

"Leigh, are you okay?"

I nodded against Austin's chest and wrapped my arms around him even tighter. With the hand that wasn't holding a bottle of beer, he rubbed my back.

"I'll talk to you later, okay, Leigh?"

I nodded again and John's footsteps retreated.

"Now, tell me what's wrong, sweet cheeks."

"Can you keep a secret, Austin?"

"Oh, come on, now. Do you even have to ask?"

"Well, so um, I have a boyfriend. His name is Stephen. And um, he, I think he got me pregnant."

Silence. I mentally thanked Austin for not being one of the people who interrupts with questions.

"But it also might be Garrett. I don't know who's baby it is. But Stephen thinks it's his. And he, well, I live with Stephen now. And the guys, other than John and Garrett, also think the baby is Stephen's. And well, I don't, well, I do, I mean, I love Stephen, but not like I love Garrett, you know? I love Garrett with all my heart."

Still silence. Austin just rubbed my back more, calming me down.

"And, um, Stephen's on tour right now. And the day after he left, Garrett came over and he, we, well, um, we, got into an argument, and he left. I followed him outside and we, eh, we kissed. And um, we, um, sl-slept together. And now I guess we're together but me and Stephen are still together and Garrett wants to be together-together but we can't you know because John and Kennedy and Stephen and I just I can't, I don't know what to do."

He took me by the shoulders and held me at arm's length.

"Little Ohh has a decision to make."

"Can't I wait until he gets back?"

"So you want to put off the inevitable?"

"Yes."

"I don't know what to tell you, baby. I don't know. But I think it's obvious who you want."

"B-but what about Stephen?"

"So it is Garrett you want."

A small, ashamed smile made its way onto my face.

"You trickster."

"I do what I can, babe, I do what I can. You'll figure out what to do."

"I'll call you and tell you what happens. Thank you, Austin. I love you. And your mustache."

He laughed. "Alrightie little girl. Have fun, okay? I might need a ride home."

"Who are you staying with?"

"My friend Chee."

"Chee Tram? Yeah! I'll definitely give you a ride over there later."

With one more hug and one more thank you, he walked off in search of another bottle of beer. I, on the other hand, went to find my part-time boyfriend.

My stomach churned at the term I had used.

"Leigh!" called Pat.

"Hi, Phatty Patty."

"Is that spelled with a ph or an f?"

"Oh come on," Lauren scoffed, "You're skinnier than I am!"

"Have you guys seen Garrett?"

"Yeah, he grumbled something about tacos and chipmunks and then he left. I think he's sitting over by the fire," answered Pat.

Lauren shot a suspicious look my way. "Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah. He j-just needs, um, y-yeah. I better go, um, okay. B-bye, guys."

If my sudden stutter didn't give away how nervous I was, I didn't know what did. I didn't know how long we would be able to keep up this "relationship" until someone found out.

Garrett was indeed sitting by the fireplace, watching as everyone talked and sang. John and Jared were playing Dance All Night by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, the same song Garrett and I had sung to each other the night of the apartment warming party.

I plopped onto his lap. It was like someone had woken him up from a nap or something.

"Daydreaming?"

"N-no. Just thinking."

"You were staring pretty hard into that fire, babe."

He didn't say anything. He just placed his hand on my thigh and rubbed circles in it with his thumb.

"Garrett, are you alright?"

More silence.

"Gare-"

"Leigh, I just, I really love you, okay?"

"I know-"

"No, you don't. I love you. I love you so much. I need you to need me to survive. Every day that I realize that someone else gets to wake up to your eyes and your nose and your mouth and your hair like I used to be able to, I lose it. I want to be able to have you all to myself. I can't handle knowing Stephen gets to do all of these things."

"But you get to do that now."

"But I won't when he comes back."

"How about we just take this one day at a time? No what ifs, no when he comes backs, no chipmunks. Just Leigh and Garrett. You and me. No one else. Let's just focus on us. We'll deal with that when it comes. But let's just enjoy the time we have right now, okay?"

"But-"

"No buts, no coconuts. You and me."

"No one else?"

"No one else."

"For a month."

"A month."

He sealed the deal with a smile.