This Is Me and You Until We've Got Nothing Left

The entire street was frozen over the next morning and it was hailing. The snow would be following that night, so my dad told me he would take me to pick up Lewy once the hail stopped. It was late into the afternoon when it had; the electricity was going in and out, but it wasn't all that bad.

My dad took me and Abbey to the Wentzs, where that thought was fresh in my head. I didn't sleep all that well while it was there. I really wish I hadn't known, or that they hadn't have done it at all.

Though, the thought melted when I saw my baby boy with bed head running towards me. I smiled and picked him up, "Oi, look at you! Did you sleep good, bub?"

He nodded, "Hemy sleeps!"

"He slept in the bed with you?" Lewy nodded, "Did he sleep on you?"

Lewy giggled, "No!"

I carried him to the living room where Pete was, fiddling with his phone; Abbey rushed in and hugged him, "Hi Pete!"

Pete chuckled, "Hey Abigail, long time no see."

Again, my anger swept through me. I sat with Lewy and combed his hair back. He climbed to the floor and called to Abbey so they could play with Hemy.

Pete got up and sat next to me, "Hey, I know you don't wanna talk to me, but I really do need a favor from you."

"There's a lot I wanna do than just not talk to you, Pete," I felt a sharp kick and exhaled, "Dammit."

"What did I do now?" He asked, slight annoyance.

I rubbed my stomach, groaning, "Shut up," I spat out and then stood, "Oh my God, this kills."

"What's wrong?" I felt Pete's hand on my back.

"The baby's kickin'...must be the cold," I sighed, feeling the kicks slow, "Okay, okay. I'm good," I sat, "This kid'll be the death of me."

Pete looked at me, sitting beside me and looking at my belly, "They're okay?"

"Over active is what the doc says. They're definitely your kid," I scoffed.

"Sorry," he touched the spot on my belly, "I'm sorry...look, I really wanna ask you somethin' but I'm unsure now. I think I'm gonna ask Andrew."

"What? What were you gonna ask me to do for you?" I grumbled.

"Take Hemingway for me," he said shortly.

"Take Hemingway for you?" I raised a brow, "What?"

"It's complicated."

"Everything with you is complicated. You want me to take back the dog I wanted to keep in the first place?"

Pete nodded slowly, "Yeah..."

"You're seriously mental," I muttered, "Like, off your rocker. Derailed off your tracks, dude."

"Look, I'd tell you, but you'd just get mad."

"Try me."

He blinked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay," he scooted away from me, "This girl I'm seeing doesn't like bulldogs."

"Are you just boyfriend of the year," I spat, "Just the greatest. Ya new girlfriend is too good for ya dog, and you decide to give him to your baby's mama, huh?"

Pete sighed, "Naomi--"

"I don't need an excuse from you, Pete," I stood up, groaning softly, "I'm gonna go get Lewis's stuff."

"Lemme help," he said lamely.

"I don't need help, I can walk up some stairs on my own."

"It'd be quicker if I did it."

"Too bad, you stay and watch him."

I started down the hall; our folks were in the kitchen, talking and having coffee. I went up the stairs, managing to make it without any ache. I went to Pete's room and gathered up Lewy's things that were on his bed; a moment later, I heard Pete come in, "Naomi, can I talk for a second?"

"Your second's up, Pete," I folded his clothes.

"You broke up with me!"

"I don't care about your new girlfriend, alright?" I looked at him, "I don't care if you have 10 new girlfriends!"

"Then what's the fucking deal?"

I looked at him and leaned against the bedpost, "Kate told me that you guys fucked."

The color drained from his face.

"First, Eric told me. He said he did me a favor by causing my miscarriage, because Kate told him, you told her that I didn't want to end up like her," Pete looked ready to spit out an excuse, but I raised my hand, "Don't you dare try and lie, or weasel out of this. Every time you breathe, the air comes out crooked, so don't even think about it!"

"It just came out."

"Yeah, I bet it did. After you fucked her."

"It was nothing, Naomi, goddamn. I was fuckin' stoned all the damn time, I barely remember it!" He exclaimed angrily.

"Great excuse, Pete!" I snarled at him, "I never heard you use that one before!"

"Why do care, you don't even talk to Kate anymore."

"No, I did. She was my friend, Pete! What if I went off and fucked Andy or Joe, or Nick, or Chris?" I sputtered.

"You did, I'd fuckin' kill you."

"Oh, but a man gets a pass to fuck his girlfriend's friends, but can't fuck his?"

"No, that's not how this works."

I crossed my arms and glared at him, "You're great, Pete, such an amazing role model for our son."

"I only say that because I know you, you wouldn't even dare sleepin' with one of my friends," he affirmed with a growl.

"I'm not you, of course I wouldn't. You're a pig," I got off the bedpost and continued putting Lewy's stuff into his bag.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Yeah, don't care," I zipped up the bag, "I'm leaving now, I'll take Hemingway off your hands, and you can do whatever it is you do out in LA."

"Naomi, c'mon, it was a million years ago!"

"Yeah, well a million years ago me and you were together. A million years ago you fucked my friend while we were together."

"You can't be mad at me forever."

"I'm not mad at you," I shook my head, "I just don't like you anymore. I don't like who you are, Pete, you're a terrible person, especially to me."

He exasperated, "Do you know how long she had been after me? That's the only reason she was your friend in the first place! That's what she told me."

"You couldn't be a good man and say no to her? You couldn't stick up for me, or do you like making me look like a fool?"

He grabbed my arm, "Naomi, I swear, I never meant to do it, I was just...I dunno, I was all fucked up."

"Twice, Pete. Twice, you never meant to do it?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"We were broken up the second time--"

"She was still my friend!" I shouted at him, "Kate was MY friend!"

He grabbed me and shut the door, shushing me, "Stop yellin', okay?"

"No," I shoved him off, "Get away from me."

"Naomi," he grabbed me again, "Please, I am sorry--"

"You should've been sorry when you were screwing her."

"I was," he stared at me with wide eyes, "I knew it was so wrong, but I was so fuckin' out of my mind. I was beyond getting my shit together, believe me."

I felt myself coming undone; a Pete specialty.

"Please, sit down, okay? Just gimme a minute to talk to you."

"I'm done talking. I wish I never met you," I spat.

"Don't say that," he pulled me over to the bed and pushed me down onto it, "You don't even mean that."

"Yes I do," I felt tears welling up, "I feel sorry for Lewis...poor Valen..."

"Who?" He mumbled.

I placed my hands protectively around my belly, "I'm calling my baby Valen."

His brows raised, "Valen? It's a boy?"

"I don't know," I sighed, feeling a small kick, "I'm naming them Valen regardless."

"Why?"

Another few hard kicks caused me to groan and bit my lip, "Ow! Cuz I can."

"No, seriously?"

I panted softly, trying to sooth the baby, "Think about it, jerk off."

His brows furrowed and looked at me, "...Oh, your last name. Valentino...Valen."

"Yeah," I mumbled; I did my Lamaze breathing.

"I kinda thought it was a Van Halen joke."

"I hate heavy metal."

"No one hates heavy metal," Pete scoffed, "Plus Van Halen ain't heavy metal."

I inhaled through my nose and exhale through my mouth. Pete rubbed my back and sat with me; I exhaled and inhaled over and over again. Finally, the painful kicks slowed to a stop, Pete brushed my hair back, "Do ya feel better?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Still mad at me?"

"You always ask that, Pete. I told you before, I'll never be mad at you, you just disappoint me. You made me hate you."

"I don't mean to, it's just how I am," he excused.

"Don't talk to me anymore," I stood up slowly, "After I have the baby, I only expect to see you at birthdays, holidays and when you come visit the kids. That's it, Pete, that's all."

"Okay," he said quietly, I knew there was more, but he didn't speak up. "Okay."

I looked at him before leaving, saying, "Ya'know, me and you are like water and oil--"

He cut me off, "I don't like that metaphor...water and oil don't need each other."

"We don't need each other, Pete."

"I need you," he said shortly, "I'll always need you."

"You never seem to think about that when you're hurting me."

"You're right," he responded. "I won't bug you anymore."

"That's a lie, you manage to bug me all the time."

He shrugged, "I'll try and stop it."

I hummed, "Yeah...good luck with your girlfriend."

Pete shook his head with a lame laugh as I left the room with Lewy's bag.

Downstairs, I returned to the living room, breathing in deep. My dad had come around with Lewy in his arms, "You alright?"

I nodded, "Yeah...I think the baby is just cramped inside."

My dad smiled, "Say goodbye and we can head out."

"Okay, gimme a sec."

I went off and said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Wentz before heading to the front foyer where my dad and Abbey were putting on coats. Just as I got Lewy's on, Pete came down the stairs, carrying a package and one of Lewy's blankets. "Hey, here's his blanket," he handed it to me, along with the package, "This is the album. Andy told me to give it to you."

I raised a brow, but took it anyway, "Thanks."

"Yeah," he exhaled, "Uh, hope you like it. It comes out in 2 days, I'll be in New York for the album release."

"Good luck," I patted his arm.

"Thanks." He went over to Lewy and kissed his head, "I'll see you soon, buddy."

Lewy smiled, "Bye daddy."

Pete ruffled his messy hair and laugh, "Bye, Lew."

Pete waved bye to Abbey and my dad before retreating to the living room. I took Lewy from my dad and bundle him in the blanket and followed them out. Abbey took the liberty of holding the package as we headed out; I wasn't sure what to think of it, honestly.

I don't think a song could make me forget Pete's infidelity.


I didn't open the package. I had simply put it away and had taken a nap with Lewy. I had forgotten about it for awhile, even after Pete had come and seen Lewy before heading to New York. I was just trying to distance myself from the thought of Pete, but it's really hard when you got his mini-me playing with you, and another moving inside of you.

It was about 2 weeks after the album's release that I actually had to listen to it. It wasn't on purpose, it was because Lewy had opened it and my dad brought it over. Lewy had seen the sheep and thought it was one of his fairy tale books.

"Lewy, this is a CD," I told him.

"Play it," he said happily, "Please?"

I shut my eyes and nodded, "Okay."

I had turned the TV off and turned on the stereo, placing the CD inside. I saw that there was a note taped onto the booklet that read: "I wrote this for you." It was in Pete's chicken scratch, and I set the case on the stereo, not giving it a thought. I played the CD, Lewy sat by the speaker and listened to the first song, Thriller, featuring Jay-Z. I returned to the couch, reclining back as the baby began to kick gently.

Just as the second song began, there came a knock on the door; I got up, seeing Lewy dance to the song. I laughed, "Go, bubba!"

He giggled and continued to dance. I went to the door and opened it. Babette stood there, giving me a small smile, "Hey, can I come in?"

"Sure."

I stepped aside and let her in; B laughed as I shut the door, "Look at Lewis!"

Lewy paused and turned, "Auntie B!"

Babette went over and picked him up, "Hey! I haven't seen you in forever!"

Lewy hugged her around her neck, "I miss you!"

"Oh, I missed ya, too!"

I blinked, wondering what she was doing here; she and Chris were supposed to be in Niagara Falls. They were going to marry on Valentine's Day, which was just the day before. "B, what're you doin' here?"

She turned to me, "Thats what I need to talk to you about."

I licked my lips, confused, "Okay."

I went over to the stereo and turned it off, Lewy frowned, "Hey!"

"Hay is for horses, bub."

He pouted at me, "Mommy, I likes that."

"Sorry, but me and Auntie B need'a talk."

Babette set Lewy down, "It's okay, you play the music and dance your butt off while we talk, sound good?"

Lewy nodded vigorously, "Yes."

I turned the stereo back on and turned the volume down a bit, then I went and sat on the couch with B. She looked at me, then down, her hand threading through her hair, "What happened?"

I frowned slightly, "What do you mean?"

Babette frowned back, her eyes meeting mine, "Chris and I are suppose to be out of town having the time of our lives, but something happened with Pete and Kate. What?"

I shut my eyes, then opened them, "I don't even know why they involved you guys--"

"No, just Chris is involved and he's pissed, and he and Pete got into a fight about Kate. Chris won't talk to me, what's going on?"

I slowly began to tell Babette everything. It didn't take long to explain; "I don't know what happened now, B, honest."

"You started all this?" She asked in disbelief.

I furrowed my brow, "No, I didn't start anything."

She stood, "You're the reason Kate's pissed and Chris is angry and won't talk. You and Pete," she spat out, "Always with this mess between you two."

"What? B, I didn't drag Chris into anything! I dropped this over 2 weeks ago."

Babette didn't listen to me, just straight up left my apartment, closing the door hard behind her. I was shocked that she just left without even letting me explain to get a real explanation out of her. I felt bad, I didn't know what the hell was going on.

"Mommy," Lewy gained my attention, "Auntie B left?"

I nodded, "Sorry, bub."

He frowned and came over to the couch with me; I helped him onto the couch, beside me, while the music played. I was forced to listen to it, still confused by what the hell was going on.