Safe Haven

Licking over her bottom lip, Marnie pulled into the driveway, glad to be home. Her feet were sore, her spine was throbbing from her awful posture, and she was very hungry and also craving a chicken salad, which was exactly what she was determined to make herself. Not only was it healthy for her and the baby, but it would ease the craving.

She climbed out of her car with her purse slung over one shoulder and a bag in her other hand that held her baby’s first article of clothing. Marnie had been busy all morning with running errands and visiting her new doctor. She was officially 19 weeks pregnant and she had been lucky enough to find out the sex of her baby, so she had decided to head straight to a baby store and pick out a few outfits seeing as she was so excited.

She almost wished that the father of her baby was her actual partner and that she was able to share the excitement with him, but knew that she needed to get rid of that little fantasy because it wasn’t going to happen. Even though she was bummed about not having anyone to share the news with other than Scott and Melina, she didn’t allow that to ruin her mood, because she was having a precious little girl within just four short months and she couldn’t wait.

Humming to herself softly, Marnie started up the front porch steps and over to the front door. She slipped the key into the lock and turned it.

“Marnie!”

She swiveled around curiously at the familiar voice and her eyes widened at the sight of Brian Haner Jr. Aka: her best friend in the entire world, and the father of her baby. She couldn’t believe he was headed across the lawn and towards her. She started to panic slightly.

“Brian, hey,” She smiled as he came towards her.

Panting slightly, he breathed out, “I’ve called you about fifty times in the past three days. Where the hell have you been?” He grinned.

“Just been busy,” She shrugged her shoulders.

He laughed at her before stepping forward and wrapping his muscular arms around her. She melted into his arms and against his chest, feeling safe and secure suddenly by just being in his arms, as if he could protect her from the world.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you so much, Marnie,” He muttered, kissing the side of her head.

She tightened her grip slightly, “I’ve missed you too, Brian.”

The two finally parted ways after a moment and Marnie invited him inside. She knew it wasn’t the right choice considering, but she couldn’t help it. She really wanted to sit down and catch up with him and see how things were going in his life, seeing as she hadn’t really spoken to him that much lately, especially with the busy life she was currently being forced to take part of.

They walked into the kitchen together. Brian immediately walked over to the fridge to find himself something to drink, while Marnie stepped aside to set her purse and the bag that held proof of her pregnancy down onto the counter. She tried her best to cover the bag with her purse.

“You don’t have any beer?” Brian shook his head, grabbing a Coca-Cola that had been in there from when Scott and Melina were living in the house. “That’s just not normal.”

Marnie turned to him and licked over her bottom lip, “I don’t drink anymore.”

His eyes narrowed together in disbelief, “You’re kidding right?”

“No, Brian, I’m not,” She laughed, “I haven’t had a drink in months.”

Brian shook his head, not believing how much Marnie had seemed to change since he had seen her last. He supported her on her decision not to drink though. It was none of his business if she was to change certain things in her life such as not drinking or not smoking anymore, and it wasn’t his place to say anything about it either. Of course, that wouldn’t stop him from teasing her often because of it.

“Well,” He muttered, “Good for you. Maybe it’s for the best with everything that’s happened in the past.”

Marnie nodded as she picked up her water bottle off of the counter beside her and chugged some down before twisting the cap back on. After a moment she exhaled a deep breath and motioned for him to sit down at the table.

They sat down from across each other and immediately started speaking about the upcoming wedding that was being held in just a matter of a few very short weeks. It was almost stunning that the Brian Haner she had grown up with was getting married on June 21st and starting a new life with his fiancé, and he just seemed so incredibly happy and fulfilled, and Marnie felt guilty that she could ruin that within just seconds by telling him that he was the father of her child. It was making her really think about what was the right choice or not, and what the consequences of telling him were going to be. Marnie knew that either way, nothing was going to turn out the way she hoped it would. In the end, somebody was going to get hurt.

“So uh, you look… good,” Brian said, “Different but good.”

Marnie raised an eyebrow at her best friend and he swallowed hard knowing he had probably said the wrong thing. “Different how, Brian?”

“Uh, you know, just different,” He chuckled slightly.

Marnie grinned, “Go on, tell me,” She insisted.

“Well, uh, you’re not as I guess…skinny. But it’s not a bad thing!” He saved himself, “You look a lot healthier these days.”

She laughed at him, “I know I’m not as skinny as I was a few months back. It’s okay that you pointed it out.”

He smiled sheepishly, “I didn’t mean it as something bad,” He assured her.

“I know,” She nodded, “But the fact that you pointed it out is nice actually, considering everyone else has just given me strange looks and asked me if I was okay instead of being forward with me.”

Brian chuckled, “Well I’ve always been the blunt one out of the group.”

“Yes you have,” She agreed, smiling softly.

“So when are you gonna get together with everyone? We all really miss having you around, Marnie,” He said, frowning slightly.

Brian didn’t want to feel like he was pressuring her to spend time with him and the other’s, but the fact was simple, they had missed the hell out of their best friend, and now that she was back, they really wanted to spend time with her.

Marnie shrugged, “Whenever I have time, I guess.”

He smirked, “Are you really that busy?”

“Pretty much,” She nodded, “Between unpacking, settling in, trying to find a job, and doctor appointments, it’s been hectic.”

Brian narrowed his eyes, “Doctor appointments?”

Marnie raised one eyebrow, “What?” She asked.

“You just said doctor appointments.”

“I did?” Her eyes widened slightly, not realizing what she had said.

“Yes,” He nodded, “Are you sick? Is that why you’re home?” He asked, “You’re not gonna…die, are you?”

“No! Of course not, Brian!” She exclaimed, shaking her head. “It’s no big deal.”

“So you’re okay?”

She nodded with a soft sigh, “Yes, Bri, I’m okay.”

He breathed out and ran a hand through his short hair, “Then what the fuck is going on? If there’s something wrong with you then I demand to know, Marnie! I mean fuck, you’re practically my sister!”

“Would you calm down, please?” She murmured, “I’m not sick or anything, and I’m most certainly not dying.”

“You swear?”

“I swear.”

Brian leaned back in his chair and stared at her for a moment, “Then what’s going on?”

“Nothing, Brian,” She shook her head.

A gap of silence hung in the air between them for a few seconds before he narrowed his eyes, “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

Marnie licked over her bottom lip and thought carefully about her response. Being honest with Brian could really cause some damage right now, and she didn’t want that. She hated to lie to him and to make him worry about her, but if she told him the truth then things would change for good, and she wasn’t ready for that, and honestly, neither was Brian, whether he said he was or not.

Being a father was going to be tough. There were of course going to be some good times, but there were also going to be hard times, and Marnie knew that Brian wasn’t ready for it. Plus, he didn’t seem to want kids right now.

“I assure you, I’m fine. It’s nothing I can’t handle on my own."

He sighed heavily, “Just…please don’t keep me out of the loop too long if there is something wrong, Marnie. I want to be here for you, and if you ever need to talk, then let me know. I can be here in minutes if you need me.”

“Okay,” She murmured.

He forced a small smile her way, “I care for you, you know. You can talk to me about anything, just like when we were kids. Our friendship is still the same, even after what we did a few months back.”

She bit down her lip nervously. Marnie hadn’t expected for him to bring that up so suddenly. She figured that it would just be one those things they never spoke about if they could, even though she was pregnant because of it.

“It was a mistake,” He goes on to say, “And it shouldn’t have happened. We shouldn’t have gotten that drunk and did what we did, but I’m hoping we can move forward and put that behind us. You have your life and I have mine. We have no business in intercepting these two lives of ours.”

Marnie damn near broke down into tears right then and there. She couldn’t stand hearing Brian speak of the night they slept together being a mistake. If he thought that was a mistake, then she knew he was going to think of the baby as a mistake. And of course she wouldn’t deny that the baby wasn’t planned, but Marnie refused to think of her as a mistake.

She cleared her throat and nodded, “I agree. It was stupid of us, and it won’t happen again.”

“Of course not,” He seemed to agree with her, “I’m marrying Michelle in just a few short weeks, and well you, you still have some time to find a man,” He smiled at her.

Marnie struggled to smile back, feeling her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t help but wish that Brian was marrying her in a few short weeks, not Michelle. She felt as if Brian should be hers. It only made sense in her head, seeing as they’re the ones who had grown up next door to each other, they’re the ones who had lost their virginity together at sixteen, and they’re the ones who had been madly in love with each other at one point, and now they were having a child together. A child Brian didn’t know of yet, but that’s beside the point. Marnie wanted more than anything for Brian to be hers, but unfortunately that wasn’t going to happen.