If I Was Your Boyfriend

‘Leaving? What do you mean she’s leaving? Where is she going?’ Ryan panics as we travel down the next flight of stairs.

Waiting for the elevator sounds like a really good idea right about now. Taking the stairs was a spur of the moment thing. Sure they make it look effortless and romantic in the movies – not even close in real life.

‘She has to get back to Canada so she can pack!’ I explain trying to keep up with the two of them.

‘Just ask her when you get down there. Come on – we’re almost to the lobby.’ Garrett swings the next floor’s door open.

The three of us rush through the hotel’s lobby and right out into the mass of people. Garrett and Ryan cover me as we snake through the cameras and people. They were shouting out their usual array of absurd questions.

‘Come on Chris,’ Ryan grabs a hold of my arm, ‘Justin would kill us if we let anything happen to you.’

‘Watch out – she’s pregnant!’ one of the paps shout out.

I didn’t really have the time to correct them right now so we just keep moving.

‘There they are!’ I point and lead the way down the road.

‘Nichole!’ Ryan calls as he runs faster to catch up with them.

The paps are right behind us with the cameras in their hands. A few of them stumble as they struggle to keep up with the pack.

‘Ryan?’ Nichole stops in her tracks to face her boyfriend.

‘I need to talk to you!’

‘The cab’s waiting for me.’

‘Just five minutes – please.’

Ryan’s Point of View

Nichole agrees to hear me out for the next five minutes. I glance around to see dozens of people with cameras in the air taking pictures. Chrissy, Danielle, and Garrett left us to give us some sort of privacy. I just wish the paparazzi had the same courtesy.

‘I’m sorry.’ Was the first thing that falls from my mouth.

‘For what?’ she leans against the open taxi door.

‘I was a jerk to you. I was unsupportive of you and your career. I tried to make you choose between that and me. I know it was wrong and I was selfish. I just don’t know, maybe I’m insecure.’

‘Insecure?’ her beautiful blue eyes dance with curiosity.

‘Yeah – I mean you’re the model and I see how other guys look at you when we’re out. I don’t know how I can compete. You’re on a billboard for Christ’s sake and here I am still trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life.’

‘You know you don’t have to compete for me Ryan,’ she sighs, ‘I couldn’t possibly want any other guy when I have the best.’

‘I know. I guess I just couldn’t see it when you gave me the news. The truth is I’d follow you anywhere Nichole. I’d walk anywhere just to be with you.’

‘Is this your way of saying that you’ll come to London with me?’

‘Am I forgiven?’

‘Of course you are,’ she closes the cab door to throw her arms around my neck.

‘Come back in about two hours.’ I tell the cab driver and pay him for his wait.

Danielle’s Point of View

I push back towards the hotel with Garrett and Chrissy. Garrett walks beside me silently while keeping Chrissy close. He pulls me into his tall frame keeping one protective hand on my stomach.

‘Excuse us!’ Chrissy ducks under the large men trying to get to the near glass doors.

‘Back up.’ Garrett shouts annoyed, ‘we’re just trying to get inside.’

‘Chrissy is Justin about the baby?!’

‘Chrissy what can you tell us about the wedding?’

‘Chrissy where is your new fiancé?’

‘Chrissy how long have you kept the pregnancy a secret from your family?!’

‘Stop.’ Chrissy croaks ducking down once again.

Once we reach the doors hotel security pull us inside then go to send the trespassers away.

‘Are you alright?’ I ask gripping Chrissy’s shaking hands.

‘Yeah that was intense. Someone pulled on my hair and clothes. I usually have Justin beside me with a crowd like that.’ She replies waving her hands in front of her, ‘I’m going up to the room to pack.’

‘Right behind you.’ I chime slipping away from Garrett’s grasp.

‘Actually – can I talk to you Dani?’

‘Why? Do you want to yell at me some more?’

‘No, no yelling.’ Garrett promises extending his hand out to me, ‘just for a few minutes.’

‘Fine.’ I say looking at Chrissy once more before following Garrett to the café.

‘I couldn’t sleep last night because I didn’t know how I can make it up to you. I mean where do you find cards that say “sorry for flipping out on you because I got you pregnant” in Hallmark? I was scared-…’

‘So am I Garrett. Your screaming didn’t help. We’re supposed to be in this together.’

‘I know- I know you’re scared. I was just too insensitive to care at the time.’

‘Yeah…’

‘But I was more scared for you just back then. With all of the people crowding around you. All I could think of is how you’re carrying an extra innocent person and nothing else mattered to me. I just knew that I needed to protect you out there.’

‘You did?’

‘Yeah I couldn’t let anything happen to the mother of kid.’

‘Garrett, this isn’t going to be easy. We’re going to need to work at it and everything’s going to change. I need to know that you’re going to be there for me through this. I can’t go through it without you.’

‘You won’t have to. I’m going to be there for you every step of the way.’ He kisses my hands holding them there, ‘I love you Danielle.’

‘I love you Garrett.’ I bury my face into his shirt, feeling what I was missing.

Chrissy’s Point of View

I get off of the elevator and walk down the hall to my room. That will go down in one of my worst paps experiences. They were pulling on my clothes and hair as I crawled through. I hit the corner to see Justin leaning against the wall. He notices me and pushes himself off of the wall with a smile.

‘Hey.’ He walks over to me shoving his hands into his pockets.

‘Hi.’

‘I just talked to your mom and she was that she was going to take a nap then come find you later.’

‘Thanks for passing that along.’ I sigh frustrated trying to get my hands to stop shaking.

‘Is something wrong?’

‘I was just stuck in that sea of people down there, wasn’t fun. They were quite aggressive.’

‘What happened?’ he asks concerned touching my arm, ‘you’re shaking.’

‘I tried to get Ryan down there to Nichole before she left when I got stuck with Danielle and Garrett. They were down there pulling on me for their stupid pictures.’

‘They were pulling on you?’ Justin clenches his jaw as his hands form into tight balls. ‘Who was it?’

‘It’s fine, really. Don’t worry about it.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes, please.’

‘How much did I miss just now?’

‘A lot.’

‘Where is everyone?’

‘Ryan’s with Nichole and Garrett’s with Danielle.’

‘That sounds like you’re free to talk to me.’

‘I knew that was coming.’ I finally get the door open and Justin follows me inside.

‘Do you remember what we talked about last night?’

‘No, I didn’t even remember I talked to you last night until Danielle said she saw you sneak me back into the room.’

‘Oh.’ Justin purses his lips and hesitantly sits down in the free chair across from the bed.

‘We didn’t do anything did we?’

‘No,’ he shakes his head from left to right, ‘I would never with you being so drunk.’

‘It was that bad?’

‘No.’ he says and I could see he wasn’t telling the truth.

‘What did we talk about?’

‘You asked me why did I wait until I thought you were pregnant to engage. You clearly didn’t like that idea and you made it clear when you were sober.’

‘I did?’

‘Yep, you said you would arrange the entire ceremony by yourself and have the wedding on the roof of the hotel.’

‘What did you say?’

‘I told you how much I loved you and that I’d marry you even if you weren’t pregnant.’

‘You will?’

‘Yeah. I don’t want to be with anyone else so of course I will.’

I open my mouth to reply when there was a knock on the door. I walk over to the door and bend down to get the box that was left on the floor.

Chrissy from mom.

I open the package up and inside was a big teddy bear dressed in a bright orange hoodie.

‘What’s that?’ Justin inquires leaning forward in the chair.

‘Another birthday present from my mom I guess.’ I smile setting the bear down on the dresser. ‘What else did we talk about?’

‘We talked about Carter…’ Justin speaks with caution looking at me, ‘do you remember that he’s out on bail?’

‘That I remember. I just can’t believe it. How can he be out?’

‘I talked to Holbrook this morning and he told me that Carter has some top notch lawyer that got him out on bail as long as he surrendered his passport and paid a hefty amount.’

‘So they’re just letting him roam the city free then?’

‘I don’t like either but good thing we’re here right?’

‘Right.’ I agree intertwining my fingers with his, ‘I’m sorry for the other night.’

‘You have nothing to apologize for.’ He presses his lips to my forehead and wraps his free arm around me. ‘I love you.’

‘I love you too.’

…

Half an hour later I finally had a chance to sit down with my mom and Jeff inside of their room. I hadn’t seen much of either of them since we got to Paris – same goes for Pattie, Roman, or my dad.

‘Thanks for the bear you left at the door.’

‘Bear?’ she raises an eyebrow looking at me, ‘what bear?’

‘I got a box saying to Chrissy from mom and it had a bear inside of it.’

‘I didn’t send you any bear Chrissy.’ She stares at me with confused eyes just as Jeff did.