Fuel to the Fire

“Pr-pregnant?” I repeated.

“Pregnant? What the fuck?” Tim asked, enraged. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back a laugh. “I’m going to kill Garrett.”

“Hey!”

Pat and Abbey stared at us, more lost than anything.

“Pregnant? Are you sure?”

I couldn’t do it anymore. A long, loud chuckle escaped my lips before I could clasp my hands over my mouth. Even with my lips pressed into a tight line, my hands over them, small giggles still shook my body.

“Call Garrett, now” Tim said, pointing his index finger right at me.

“First, don’t point your finger at me, I hate when you do that. Second, don’t be obnoxious towards Garrett ever again. Third, I’m not pregnant.”

A burst of shouts and yells filled the room, most of them coming from Tim, and I cut them off.

“I AM NOT PREGNANT!”

“She’s trying to protect Garrett” Tim said. I smacked the back of his head and he cussed.

“How can you be so sure?” Lauren asked. I snorted.

“Honey, I just know.”

I think they believed me, because they – they equals Tim – shut up. Just then, my phone buzzed on the coffee table. I knew it was Garrett, but before I could get the call, Tim snatched my phone away from me.

“Garrett, come home. Now.”

There was a small pause. Probably Garrett asked is everything was okay, because the next words Tim said were “no, everything is not okay”.

“That’s bullshit, Gare” I yelled. Tim snorted. “Seriously!”

Tim hung up and sat on the couch next to me.

“Dickhead.”

“Shut up” he mumbled. I giggled.

“But seriously, if I were pregnant, do you think I’d be this calm now?”

“She’s right” Pat mumbled. I gave them my best triumphant smile.

It took a while to Garrett come home; sometimes Tim blurted out some stupid comment and scowled when I told him to shut up. Abbey and Lauren believed me; they know Garrett wouldn’t be this stupid. And Pat… he was the lost puppy in the story. As always.

“What’s up?” Garrett asked, rushing to the living room.

“Leigh is pregnant” Tim said simply. Gare froze in place, looking right straight at me. I kicked Tim in the butt. “Okay, she’s not pregnant.”

“What?” was all Garrett managed to say.

“The fucker” I snorted. “Nothing, Gare, nothing. You know, I’m not feeling well today and Lauren came with the completely, utterly stupid idea of me being pregnant.”

“What the fuck, Tim? You scared the shit out of me. Do you think I’m crazy enough to get your sister pregnant?”

“He said he was going to kill you” I told him with a laugh.

“Yeah, I don’t doubt that.”

Tim snorted again, his arms folded on his chest.

“Let’s leave them alone, shall we?” Abbey said, tugging at his hand. They got up and Tim glared playfully at us. I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard Garrett sigh relieved by my side.

“Come on, it wouldn’t be that bad if I were pregnant” I said, taking his hand. He gave me an incredulous look. “Yeah, it wouldn’t be that bad… If we weren’t young. And totally inexperienced. But our baby would be cute.”

“A cute baby, indeed” Gare said and kissed my cheek.

“Pat would have someone to play with” I smiled at my brother.

“I’d teach him-“ Garrett started.

“Or her…”

“Whatever… how to play Left For Dead and Halo.”

“Are you making plans for the future again?” Lauren asked.

“Nah, we don’t want a kid.”

“Yeah, we want a dog.”

“I want a kid… one day” Pat told us simply. Lauren smiled widely.

“Aw, that’s cute!”

“Ew, stop being mushy” I grimaced.

“Look who’s talking… I’m going to my room” Pat said and got up. Lauren followed him, after smiling and winking at me.

I sighed, lying back on the couch. The tv was still on, but this time tuned into some news channel.

“Are you feeling better?” Garrett asked. I nodded. “Good.”

He laid next to me, pulling me to his chest. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, closing my eyes. And that’s when it hit me. I was so close to him, with the fabric of his shirt pressed to my face, it wasn’t impossible not to feel it.

I froze at first, then grabbed the collar of his shirt, sniffing it. His shirt smelled like a different scent, it wasn’t his. It was feminine, like candy and flowers. And I knew exactly who it belonged to.

Garrett froze, his arm tightening around me. I looked up at him; his eyes were squeezed shut, like you do when you’re feeling guilty. I pushed him out of the couch, getting up. His back hit the floor with a loud thud and he grunted loudly.

“Get out” I said, my voice low, it didn’t sound like me. I was pissed, hurt. I couldn’t believe it.

“Leigh!” He said, rubbing his back as he got up.

“Rachael again, Garrett? How could you? What were you doing? I can smell her perfume on your clothes! Ew, I don’t wanna know. Just get out.”

“Let me explain” He said, trying to bring me closer to him. I pushed him away again.

“I don’t wanna know. It is the third time, Garrett, third. Don’t you get enough of that Garrett, of hurting me? No? I bet you like it. You know I’ll cry for days and feel bad, and I’ll come back to you. Newsflash, I am not coming back this time. Goodbye, Garrett.”

“But Leigh-“

“Get the fuck out!” I shouted. His eyes went wide and he stepped back a little. Tim and Pat appeared by the doorstep, and having no idea of what was going on, just stared at us.

Garrett’s eyes showed rage, but hurt was stronger than anything else. He left without any other word. Garrett slammed the door behind him, and soon, I could hear his car speeding out through the streets.

“What the hell is going on?” Pat asked, after a minute had ticked by. I rushed upstairs, not even bothering to say a word.