You Drain The Life From Me.

There was a scraping sound as a chair was pushed back. Feet were padding across the dining room floor and into the main hallway. A door was yanked open and slammed. I looked up from Stephen and to the empty chair.

The empty chair that belonged to Garrett.

I turned back to Stephen.

"Stephen, I-"

"If you don't wanna, you know, rush into things, I totally understand. I do. I just figured, I wanted to make us permanent. Because I can seriously imagine my future and you're in it. You're in every single part of my future. You and our baby."

"The baby-"

"The baby, you, and I will make a beautiful family, Leigh. So, once again, will you marry me?"

I felt like I was stuck in a life or death situation. Garrett or Stephen? Waffles or pancakes? Converse or Vans?

I was comparing my choices to very simple questions, but I knew it was so much more than that. If I chose Stephen, I would be falling into the life that John predicted for me so many months ago. I would be playing it safe. And I would never be completely happy.

But maybe it was time I made choices for the baby instead of myself. Maybe, just maybe, something good would come out of marrying Stephen. I did love him, after all, but I didn't know if that love was enough.

But I didn't want to let Stephen down. He had done so much for me. He had picked me up when I was down. He had basically stitched my heart back together. He had seen me and some of my most vulnerable moments.

So with difficulty, I choked out, "Stephen, I would love to marry you."

And before I could change my mind - or even blink - Stephen was slipping the ring on my finger and kissing me. I kissed back halfheartedly. Is this really what I wanted?

No. It wasn't. I wanted the boy that sat in the empty chair.

"Stephen, I-"

"Baby, this is going to be so great," he told me, his eyes full of promise and optimism.

My mom was crying, as expected. My dad smiled at me when I looked in his direction, but I couldn't smile back. The boys looked so disappointed in me, and I couldn't handle it. I knew. I knew they wanted me to pick Garrett. I knew they were angry with me for picking Stephen over him.

On the way out, not one of them hugged me. They mumbled quiet, "Congratulations," and gave me crooked smiles. But none of them wrapped their arms around me in the time I so desperately needed them to.

Not even Pat.

"Bye, Phatty Patty!" I tried.

"Congrats, Leigh. I hope you're happy."

I closed my eyes and sighed.

He walked out the door without a single look back and I closed it, almost ready to take a bat and swing it at the next person who came down the stairs.

I couldn't do that, but I could swing a bat at a self-pitched ball. Feeling the need to release my frustration, I opened the door once more and stepped outside into the hot Arizona air.

Shane's bike was propped up against the wall next to the door. I adjusted my shorts and hopped on the bike, heading for the safe haven I always ran away to when things went wrong.

What I didn't expect to find, though, was another person who was most likely there for the same reasons I was.

And he didn't look happy to see me at all.

I was tempted to get back on my bike and pedal away. I was afraid. Someone must have told him about my answer. And if they didn't, I would have to. And he would hate me. And quite frankly, I didn't blame him. Not at all.

He was sitting inside the dugout, his legs stretched out in front of him. When I stepped inside, he didn't even look at me, or acknowledge me at all. He just kept picking at a loose thread on his jeans.

"I-I, uh-" He didn't even let me finish.

"Yeah, I'm outta here. The bat's out by the plate, same with the ball."

"Garrett-"

He stood up and set his sights on my hand. He spotted the ring and smirked the most sarcastic smirk I had ever seen, if there even was such a thing.

"Congratulations."

As he was walking away, I thrust my hand out and grabbed his wrist as tightly as I could.

"Stay with me, please."

He turned around and for a second I thought he was actually going to stay and we would talk and everything would be fine.

"Why should I?" he spat.

I flinched. The amount of venom in his voice was enough to kill me. I could almost hear how much he hated me at the moment.

"I thought you loved me, Leigh."

The tone of his voice was a stab in the heart and what he said was the twist of the knife.

"I do love you, Garrett," I replied with all the sincerity I could muster.

"Bullshit."

"It's not-"

"No. Don't lie to yourself. You're a bunch of crap, Leigh. You told me you loved me. And you told me that you would break up with him. You could've said no. You should've said no. I'm tired of dealing with all this bullshit. It's not fair anymore. It's like tug of war with you, you know? I can only handle so much."

"I'm so-"

"Don't even dare. Make up your fucking mind, because I'm done with all these games you're playing. It's either I have your whole heart or not. It's not fair to Stephen, either. The ball's been in your court for the longest time. I'm tired of you controlling this relationship. I'm done with you, Leigh."

He twisted his wrist out of my grasp and stepped away, giving me one last chance to defend myself.

It was funny how at one point, it was me telling him these things. It was me having to deal with him being the one controlling the relationship. It was me that had to stop loving him when he found someone else.

The tables were turned.

An eye for an eye?

All my stupid decisions in the past few months were crashing down on my head and I wasn't sure if I could climb out of the mess I had made.

When Garrett realized that I wasn't going to say anything, he just shook his head and walked away.

He had looked at me like I disgusted him.

I disgusted me too.