Listen to Your Heart

“Ahhhhhhh” I screamed a little too loudly. “W-what are you doing here?”

He got up from the desk and walked over to me. “Wow, that was not the initial reaction I was looking for.”

I started to hear feat scrambling from the other room as they reached my room.

Kennedy came in first, then Jared, and John? This couldn’t get any worse can it?

“What’s going on in here?” Kennedy half screamed. Jared grabbed onto his shoulder motioning him to lower his voice.

Then, he turned his attention to me, wondering what I was staring at, than he noticing the elephant in the room.

“Holy mother fucking shit,” He mumbled backing up.

“What the hell is he doing here?” John asked coldly.

Before anyone could answer, Angela walked in. “Whoa who’s the hot guy?”

Everyone stared at her in disbelief, was she for real right now?

“Angela—get the fuck out!” Jared demanded in a harsh tone.

She made an annoyed face and retreated back to Kennedy’s room.

“Okay, hold up a minute. Declan, what are you doing here?” Kennedy asked.

He jammed his hands into his pocket and looked to me then Kennedy. “Well uh—I got this letter the other day from the hospital.” He took the envelope that was on the table and handed it to Kennedy. “I read it and it turned out to be a hospital bill. At first I was a little confused to why I had this but, I noticed the carrier and it was from Arizona. It hit me that Annie was in Arizona. So I started to get worried because she hasn’t been answering my calls. So took the first flight here to Phoenix—hoping to get an answer.”

My mouth was still opened and my eyes began to fog up. “Um…”

“I see that she’s okay and looks—“ John cut him off before he could finish.

“Pregnant? Yeah she’s pregnant.” He said bluntly causing Jared and Kennedy to slap him.

“You’re what!?!” Declan screamed. Boy was there a lot of yelling and screaming today. “Whose baby is it?”

I just stood there and stared at the ground, ashamed and wordless. “Whoa bro, hold your horses.” Kennedy stepped in. “ No need for the yelling, and she doesn’t remember you man, she was in a coma not too long ago and lost 90% of her memory.”

This time it was Declan’s mouth was open, stunned at the news. “Y-You—Your,” He started to stutter. “How the fuck could you do this to us—to me, how could you Annie?!?” He yelled throwing his hands into the air.

He started to approach me getting closer and closer, my body began to shiver and he’s blood began to boil.

That’s when John jumped in between us. “Hey now, give her some space man., and don’t speak to her like that”

Declan scoffed and got into John’s face. “No dude, she’s my girlfriend; I can speak to her however I please!” He said. “Now answer me, who’s baby is it!?!”

That’s when something in John’s body snapped and causing him to shove Declan to the other side of the room. Declan was taken off guard but not completely, he got off the ground and ran back over to John, fists ready to throw a punch.

Kennedy and Jared tried to maneuver the two from each other but it was useless. It was up to me to get them from fighting any further.

“Stop, stop it!” I yelled. I grabbed John by the arms and dragged in across the room to the other corner. He tried to wiggle his way out of my grasp but didn’t want to hurt me. “John please calm down.” I pleaded quietly.

Declan was at the other side of the room panting with a bleeding lip. But separating the two wasn’t enough, next was verbal abuse.

“You piece of shit! You don’t deserve her!” John spat. I gripped his biceps trying to get a good grip on him.

Declan scoffed and shook his head. “I’m the piece the piece of shit? I’m the one who doesn’t the deserve her?” He started to question. “It should be the other way around; she doesn’t deserve me, and sure as hell doesn’t deserve that baby!”

The room went quiet and everyone stared at me, waiting for a reaction but I didn’t have one.

Deciding they’ve waited long enough, they went at it again yelling all sorts of nasty thing to each other giving me a huge headache

Now it was my turn to snap, saying that I wasn’t worthy of this baby was the last straw—he crossed the fucking line this time.

“Both of you, shut the hell up!” I yelled, what seems to be forever since I’ve spoken. “I can’t take this anymore. Declan who are you to come here and tell me that I’m not worthy of this baby? Yes, I know I cheated on you but let me tell you this—not one second do I regret it. You’re fucking self-absorbed piece pf shit!”

Everyone was speechless, including John and everyone knows it’s rare cause he always has a mouthful to say.

“And for you,” I pointed a finger at John. “Are you fucking bipolar or what? Do you think I’m fucking stupid? You took the advantage of me loosing my memory to try to pretend things are ‘okay’ between us.” I stuck my finger up and quoted. “Well tell you what, I didn’t loose my memory! I just wanted to see what would happen if you guys though I did. The only one smart enough to figure it out Jared! I can’t take all this drama anymore John, you’re so on and off! First you’re all nice to me, making an effort but the next minute you’re digging up shit to fight about! I can’t do this! This is why I didn’t tell you I was pregnant with your baby!”

The whole paragraph came out in one slur, leaving me breathless.

“Wow.” Was all Kennedy said, “You sure as hell fooled me.”

“Can you guys just leave? Mainly you Declan. Go back to Chicago, I’ll have people come and grab my stuff in the next week or so.” I wiped the tears off my face. “Kennedy I’m sorry for lying to you.”

I didn’t care if none of them left, I walked over to my bed crawled under the comforter. I wanted everything to be a distant memory and nothing more. This was way too much for me to take in, in just one short hour.

“Fucking let me go.” Declan ordered, as he marched his way out of my room and hopefully out of my life. “Have a nice life slut!”

With that one simple four lettered, two syllable word I cried and cried and cried.

“I can really use a drink right about now.” I heard Kennedy say as he exited the room.

Jared sighed and walked over to me patting my back lightly. “Annie,” I shook my head and told him to go away. I didn’t want to speak to anyone, even Jared.

He gave up trying to get me to talk, letting the door close softly behind him and walked downstairs.

I new I wasn’t alone though, John was still him here. He hasn’t said anything since my ‘little’ rampage.

I felt the bed begin to slump to one side, causing me to peep from under the covers. John was sitting on the edge of my bed staring out the window.

“So—you really didn’t loose your memory huh?” He asked calmly.

I removed the comforter from my face and sat up leaning against the head board, I wasn’t going to hide anymore.

“Yeah,” I answered weakly. “I’m sorry John.”

He let out a chuckle and looked at me. “No, I’m sorry.” He shifted on the bed and moved closer to me. “Did you really mean everything you said earlier?”

I nodded, “Every word of it.”

He nodded and looked out the window again. “Why though? Why would you lie to everyone like that, the people who love you the most.”

I shifted uncomfortably on the bed, feeling tenser than before. “I-I—“

“Be honest Annie, no more lie, no more bullshit, just the truth.” He butted in, still not staring at me.

“W-When I woke up, I heard you and Kennedy fighting. I couldn’t help but feel to urge to butt in and cry. I knew it was because of me you two were fighting. All this guilt began to build up in me. So this stupid thought popped into my head, I thought maybe if I just pretended I lost my memory that everything would be forgotten.” I took in a breath. “The past of everything and everyone, mainly you though.”

He looked at me and narrowed his eyes. “Me?”

“Yeah, I knew you weren’t going to accept the baby, and definitely not me. I knew the bridge between us has burnt and I couldn’t to anything else to savor it. This was the only thing I could think of at the time. Just maybe this once, things would be okay between us.” I sighed, playing with the end of the pillows. “It was silly for me to think—we could go back and start over to where I was in high school, and before I left to Chicago.”

I started to tear up again, my sobs became heavier and the pit of my stomach was aching. I curled back up into a ball and hid myself under the covers again. I didn’t want to see the world; I was done and fed up.

The bed shifted again making me think John was leaving. But I was wrong. He got even closer and a felt a pair of lanky arms cradle me.

“Shhh, everything’s going to be alright.” He coos, rocking my body back and forth.

“I-It’s not okay John, it’s just not! I fucked everything up, and now I’m stuck with a baby who I know I won’t be able to take care of!” I whimpered.

He started to stroke my hair humming lightly, getting me to calm down. “You didn’t fuck up, and everything’s not your fault. It’s as much of your problem as it is mine.” He said. “We’re going to take care of this baby together, no matter what.”

I looked at him astonished, “What?”

“You heard me, we’re going to raise this baby together.” He said again. “This baby does deserve two parents, not just one.”

“But, w-what about Raquel? Aren’t you two getting married next month?” I asked.

“Actually no, I called off the wedding. I’m fed up with her, and it took me to almost loosing you to realize that she isn’t worth my time.”

I couldn’t help but break out into a smile. “I don’t know John—“

“Shhh” don’t question it, just go along with it.” I nodded hesitantly. “Get some sleep, it’s been a long drawn out day.”

I let out a small yawn as a snuggled deeper into his chest. He adjusted his body, making us fit together like a glove.

“Sing to me.”

“Okay.”

Well where I come from,
You learn to take it nice and slow.
But baby since we met,
Oh, it's been go, go, go

So you can rough me up (rough me up),
Yeah baby you can hurt me too.
Because all I got (all I got),
You see, all I got is you.

You can rough me up,
You can break me down,
Baby don't stop now.

Oh, you can use me up til it all runs out,
Baby don't stop now.

I'm all yours,
I'm all yours somehow,
Baby don't stop now.

So where I come from,
You learn to make the best of things.
Honey since we met,
You know you've had the best of me.

So you can lock me out,
Yeah baby throw away that key,
Because all I know,
Is that this is where I wanna be.

You can rough me up,
You can break me down,
Baby don't stop now.

Oh, you can use me up til it all runs out,
Baby don't stop now.

I'm all yours,
I'm all yours somehow,
Baby don't stop now.

Oh, you can rough me up,
You can break me down,
Baby don't stop now.

Oh, you can use me up til it all runs out,
Baby don't.

You can rough me up,
You can break me down,
Baby don't stop now.

Oh, you can use me up til it all runs out,
Baby don't stop now.

I'm all yours,
I'm all yours somehow,
Baby don't stop now.

No, honey don't stop now.

Well, baby don't stop now.

“Annie?” He whispered. “Before you fall asleep I have something to ask you.” I looked up and stared into his green eyes. “Will you Annie, like to be my girlfriend?”