Status: Hiatus
First Comes Love
Part Eight
Collin didn’t speak. Brooklyn was sure it was a good five minutes before he even moved.
“You’re… you’re what?” he croaked out.
“I’m pregnant,” she said again, a bit softer than before. Collin stared at her. A look of terror swept over his eyes.
“A-Are you sure it’s mine?” he asked.
“Well, yeah! I don’t make a habit of sleeping with people I don’t know,” she said.
“How was I supposed to know, you slept with me!” he said, raising his voice a little. Brooklyn took a step back, feeling a bit hurt and embarrassed. She didn’t have to say anything; Collin knew he took a step too far. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean that.”
“No. You did. And it’s fine,” Brooklyn said softly. Collin frowned, scratching the back of his head.
“I didn’t, really. I’m just sort of… freaking out right now,” he said, his voice cracking a little.
“And I’m not?” she asked, tears swelling in her eyes. A quiet sob left her lips. Collin blinked away a few of his own hot tears and pulled her into a hug. Brooklyn didn’t expect this, so she didn’t hug back until a moment later. As soon as her arms wrapped around him, she broke down. Her sobs echoed in the empty hallway. Collin rubbed her back gently, struggling to keep his tears away.
“Look. I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do here…” Collin said, pulling away from her. Brooklyn wiped her eyes, which were red and puffy.
“Me either…” she said softly.
“Should I… tell Adrienne?” Collin asked. Brooklyn shook her head.
“I don’t want her to know. Not yet, anyway,” she said.
“Well, I have to tell her eventually. I mean, I can’t just leave her hanging, you know?” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. Brooklyn looked in his eyes.
“What do you mean you can’t leave her hanging? What, you’re just gonna leave me hanging?” she asked.
“N-no, that’s not what I meant,” Collin said.
“Then what did you mean?” she asked, softening her voice a little. Collin sighed, scratching the back of his neck before putting his hand back in his pocket.
“I’ve got a reputation to keep around here, you know? I’ve got a scholarship, good grades, a spot on the football team, a hot girlfriend. I can’t just give that up for some girl I got knocked up,” he said. Again, he immediately knew he took things a step too far. Brooklyn shook her head.
“You should of thought of that before you slept with ‘some girl’ then,” she said, gritting her teeth.
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t-“
“Yeah, I know! You didn’t fucking mean it!” she yelled, pushing his arms away as he tried to hug her again.
“I j-“
“You know what? Save it. I shouldn’t have wasted my breath talking to you. I have more important things to worry about right now than you and your ‘hot girlfriend.’ Forget this conversation ever happened,” she said. Turning on her heels with eyes full of tears, she walked out without another word. At this point, she didn’t care if she ever saw Collin Mack ever again.
“You’re… you’re what?” he croaked out.
“I’m pregnant,” she said again, a bit softer than before. Collin stared at her. A look of terror swept over his eyes.
“A-Are you sure it’s mine?” he asked.
“Well, yeah! I don’t make a habit of sleeping with people I don’t know,” she said.
“How was I supposed to know, you slept with me!” he said, raising his voice a little. Brooklyn took a step back, feeling a bit hurt and embarrassed. She didn’t have to say anything; Collin knew he took a step too far. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean that.”
“No. You did. And it’s fine,” Brooklyn said softly. Collin frowned, scratching the back of his head.
“I didn’t, really. I’m just sort of… freaking out right now,” he said, his voice cracking a little.
“And I’m not?” she asked, tears swelling in her eyes. A quiet sob left her lips. Collin blinked away a few of his own hot tears and pulled her into a hug. Brooklyn didn’t expect this, so she didn’t hug back until a moment later. As soon as her arms wrapped around him, she broke down. Her sobs echoed in the empty hallway. Collin rubbed her back gently, struggling to keep his tears away.
“Look. I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do here…” Collin said, pulling away from her. Brooklyn wiped her eyes, which were red and puffy.
“Me either…” she said softly.
“Should I… tell Adrienne?” Collin asked. Brooklyn shook her head.
“I don’t want her to know. Not yet, anyway,” she said.
“Well, I have to tell her eventually. I mean, I can’t just leave her hanging, you know?” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. Brooklyn looked in his eyes.
“What do you mean you can’t leave her hanging? What, you’re just gonna leave me hanging?” she asked.
“N-no, that’s not what I meant,” Collin said.
“Then what did you mean?” she asked, softening her voice a little. Collin sighed, scratching the back of his neck before putting his hand back in his pocket.
“I’ve got a reputation to keep around here, you know? I’ve got a scholarship, good grades, a spot on the football team, a hot girlfriend. I can’t just give that up for some girl I got knocked up,” he said. Again, he immediately knew he took things a step too far. Brooklyn shook her head.
“You should of thought of that before you slept with ‘some girl’ then,” she said, gritting her teeth.
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t-“
“Yeah, I know! You didn’t fucking mean it!” she yelled, pushing his arms away as he tried to hug her again.
“I j-“
“You know what? Save it. I shouldn’t have wasted my breath talking to you. I have more important things to worry about right now than you and your ‘hot girlfriend.’ Forget this conversation ever happened,” she said. Turning on her heels with eyes full of tears, she walked out without another word. At this point, she didn’t care if she ever saw Collin Mack ever again.