Status: Completed - thanks for reading!

Uncharted Territory

Aunt

Grace

“Sorry for taking so long. I’m ready now.” I smiled as I walked into the room where John was waiting for me. We were going on a date and, as usual, I took longer than expected getting ready.

“Oh, ok. Let’s go.” John quickly said as he threw something down on the table.

“What were you looking at, babe?”

“What? Oh…uh…nothing. I was just looking at something random while I was waiting for you. Come on, let’s go.”

I walked over to where John was and picked up what he had been looking at. Confusion was etched across my face as I saw what it was. “You’re reading ‘The Truth about Forever?”

John was obviously embarrassed. “Yeah, well I mean no, not really. I was bored while I was waiting for you so I just started reading it.”

“You’re over halfway done with this book. There’s no way you read this many pages in just fifteen minutes.”

“Ok, I may have been reading it for a couple days.”

“I never took you to be a Sarah Dessen fan, John.” I smirked.

“I’m not. You see Reagan told me about the book because we’ve been playing a game similar to the truth game they play in the book. I decided to read it.”

“Oh, ok.” I shrugged.

“Yeah, the game’s actually kind of fun. I mean it’s a little different from the book and Reagan calls it honesty instead of truth but it’s still fun. Maybe we should play it sometime.”

“We can but I don’t really see the point. I mean I’m sure it’s a fun came but isn’t it kind of a getting to know you game? It’s fine for you and Rae because you guys are getting to know each other but I know almost everything about you and you know almost everything about me.” So John didn’t know the biggest secret of how I was still married but that was beside the point. He knew everything else about me.

“Yeah, you’re right. Are you ready to go?”

John and I walked out to his car and headed towards the restaurant. We were about halfway there when I received a text from Colin, my sister’s husband.

“Hey John, can you actually turn around and take me to the hospital? Ashley just went into labor.”
_______________________________________________________________

Ryder Colin Brooks was finally born at 4 a.m. I had stayed up all night walking in and out of the room to get Ashley anything she wanted or needed. Needless to say, I was exhausted. I decided to go out into the one of the waiting rooms and curl up in a chair and get a little bit of sleep.

“Grace?” I heard a voice break through my sleep as someone began shaking my shoulder.

I was still groggy but looked up and saw Kennedy standing by me. “Kennedy…what time is it?”

“It’s about 9 a.m. Sorry to wake you up but your mom told me that you were out here and I should talk to you. Plus that guy in the corner was definitely staring at you while you were sleeping.”

I looked over at the guy Kennedy was referring to and shuddered. “He looks like a creeper.”

“You didn’t see the way he was looking at you while you were sleeping.” Kennedy smirked.

“So what brings you to the hospital this morning?” I asked as Kennedy sat down.

“Well I wanted to say congratulations on becoming an aunt and I figured I could keep you company. I talked to John and he said he stayed here with you for most of the night but he had to leave. I figured you were bored so I decided to come and hang out with you…in the hospital, which is weird by the way.” Kennedy said as I laughed.

“Well thank you for coming. I was pretty bored. Plus hospitals depress me. I didn’t want to leave Ashley and Ryder though.”

“Speaking of that, here you go.” Kennedy said as he handed me a wrapped box.

“You got me a present?”

“Yeah, I know people generally get new mothers gifts and I didn’t know if you were supposed to get new aunts gifts also but I did anyway. Oh, it’s from Rae also. She’d kill me if I didn’t tell you that.”

I unwrapped the present and a smile immediately spread across my face.

“It’s a little cheesy but Rae said you’d love it.” Kennedy mumbled nervously.

“It’s perfect. I love it. Thanks Kenny.” I said as I looked as the photo album that said “aunt” across it. I leaned over and gave Kennedy a kiss on the cheek.

He blushed as he said, “Well I’m glad you like it.”

We sat in silence for a couple minutes until Kennedy cleared his throat and said, “So…you and John, huh?”

I took a deep breath and let it out. “Yep, me and John.”

“Just like old times.”

“Yeah, it is just like old times. That’s good though, right? I mean John and me getting back together is for the best isn’t it?”

Kennedy was just staring at me as if I were some sort of crazy person.

“Sorry, I’m rambling. Don’t listen to me. I’m just tired from lack of sleep with the baby being born and all.” I said.

“Yeah, I figured.” Kennedy said and nothing more was said about my doubts. I had to know if they were valid though or if I was just imagining them.

“Do you think that John and I getting back together was a good idea?” I blurted out.

Kennedy was looking around the room at everything but me. “You know Grace it’s not my life so I can’t really answer that. As cliché as it sounds, the only person that can answer that is you.”

“You’re right. Sorry I’m acting so weird.”

“It’s fine. I will always be here for you, Gracie, even when you’re acting weird.” Kennedy smiled as he wrapped his arms around me.

I smiled and leaned into Kennedy’s hug. “Well I think it’s time for a subject change. How’s Kenny’s love life going?”

“Kenny’s love life is nonexistent.”

“I don’t understand how you don’t have a girlfriend. Gosh Kennedy, you’re smart, funny, sweet, and pretty sexy.”

“Did you just call me sexy?” Kennedy smirked while I just rolled my eyes. “You see Grace, I may be all those things but it doesn’t matter. It seems as if I always like the girls who just see me as ‘the friend.’ My luck with love is pretty bad.”

“Well someday some girl is going to see you for the amazing guy that you are instead of just a friend and she’ll snatch you up. She’ll be one of the luckiest girls in the world.”

Kennedy just shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Nope, no maybe. I’m telling you it will definitely happen. Although when you do get a girlfriend you better introduce her to me because she’ll have to get my approval. I can’t have one of my best friends dating a bitch or a slut.”

Kennedy laughed and said, “Fine, when I finally get a girlfriend you’ll be the second person I introduce her to, right after Reagan.”

I laughed along with Kennedy but in the back of my mind I realized that I really didn’t want to meet a girlfriend of Kennedy’s. In fact, I didn’t want him to get a girlfriend at all.

I didn’t completely understand why though. I guess that was just one more unanswered question left to swirl around in my mind along with the one about whether or not John and I getting back together was the right thing to do.
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I needed to get Kennedy in to the story more. Poor boy is alone and I'm not writing about him much. I just hate writing about him being sad and lonely.

Now Grace is starting to have doubts about her and John's relationship.

And John reading the Sarah Dessen book just because he and Reagan are playing that game? Adorable, at least in my opinion lol.

Tell me what you think!

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