Familiar Breath of My Old Lies

About twenty minutes later, Brian came into the room and laid down beside me.

“I kicked everybody out.”

I just nodded and let the tears fall even more. He pulled me closer to him.

“Baby, why are you crying?”

“Because, I’ve lost my best friend and my brother…..and Clarissa, as much as I hate her, she’s right.”

He gave me a confused look.

“What if I end up pregnant? I mean, I’ve been on birth control since I was fifteen. What if it just stops working?”

“Baby, we can start using condoms too, that way we’re double protected. If that will ease your worries,” He suggested.

“It would. I mean, for one, we haven’t been dating that long and I also can’t afford to have a baby. I have school and cheerleading. I’m not ready to give all that up yet.”

“I know, and its completely fine with me.”

I smiled, “I love how you’re so understanding about everything. Ya know, when I first met you, I thought you were a jerk.”

“Well, I thought you were a bitch….so I guess we’re even.”

We both laughed.

“What is Brooke going to do about school?”

“I don’t know. She said she would do online classes or something, but she went to school on a full scholarship so I don’t know what she’s going to do about that….”

“Cheer scholarship?”

“Yep. I’m in college on the HOPE and some other scholarships I got. That’s really the only way I could afford college.”

“Oh..”

“Yeah, there was no way I was going to ask Austin to pay for college.”

“You know he would’ve done it in a heartbeat.”

I just nodded.

Twenty minutes later I was halfway asleep on Brian’s chest, when my cell rang. Brian and I both groaned, but I picked it up anyway.

“Its my mom.”

I rolled my eyes and answered knowing I was about to get an ear full if Brooke and Austin had told them already.

“DELILAH LANE WINKLER!” My mom yelled.

“What mom?”

“I should have known that Austin would pick one of your slutty friends. Now he knocked her up. That is going to ruin his career.”

“So its all my fault, right?”

“Of course it is.”

“Oh right, like I can really tell Austin who he fucks, let alone who he dates. Fuck you.”

I shut my phone and threw it across the room.

“Baby, calm down,” Brian whispered, “Don’t let her get to you.”

“I hate her. Everything is always my fault. Still being alive after she tried to kill me is my fault.”

“What?!” He exclaimed.

“Yeah, I’m a survivor of a failed abortion. When my mom found out she was pregnant again, she freaked out. I mean, for one, they couldn’t afford me. Two, they were happy with Austin. They got their little boy on the first try.”

Brian stayed silent, but tightened his arms around me.

“She was two months along when she tried to get rid of me. She honestly thought it worked. Five months later, I was born two months premature. I stayed in the hospital for three months and then my aunt and uncle adopted me. I don’t even know why I call her mom. She’s not the least bit sorry in what she tried to do. Brian, promise me, if we end up together forever, and I get pregnant, don’t even think about telling me to get an abortion.”

He kissed me on the temple, “I would never dream of making you do that. Do you think she told Brooke she had to get an abortion?”

“I don’t know, but Brooke is very pro-life. She wouldn’t even give it a second thought.”

Not even a minute later, my phone rang again. Brian got up and picked it up from where it had landed.

“Lilah?” Brooke asked through her sobs.

“Brooke, what happened?”

“It was awful. She told me I was trash and that I would never be accepted into the family. Your dad said about the same thing.”

“Brookelyn, don’t you dare listen to my mom. She’s evil and likes to bring people down. You are not trash. I want to talk to my brother.”

She sighed and handed the phone to Austin.

“How could you let those monsters talk to her like that? Brooke deserves nothing but the best in this world.”

“I know sis, trust me, I never been more in love with someone then I am with Brooke. I cussed mom out….and then dad kicked us out of their house,” he said.

I laughed, “Are you serious?

“Yeah, she was talking trash to Brooke and taking trash about you. She’s not going to bash my baby sister or my pregnant girlfriend. That shit don’t fly.”

“She called me and bitched me out.”

“See, she has no right what so ever to do that. She’s just….ugh….God….I don’t know. Then she told us that she would pay for Brooke to get an abortion. Brooke went off on her. You should have seen her. She was brilliant.”

“I have no doubt about that. Tell her I love her and I’ll see her soon. I’m gonna head to bed. It’s been a stressful day. I love Austin,” I said.

“I love you too sis. Goodnight,” Austin said and I heard a dial tone.

“Baby, will you cuddle with me?” I asked Brian.

“Yeah,” He replied and I buried my head in his chest. I fell asleep with him singing Dear God to me.