You Got Me Poppin Champagne

ERIN'S POV

'Just... Uh...wait here a minute, Kay?' Alex told me as he jumped out the car. We were outside his parents house.

'Sure, but why?'

He laughed nervously. Something was definitely up, then again I'd had that suspicion ever since I woke up. 'No big deal, there's just someo - er, something I need to pick up. Won't be a minute.' And then he disappeared into the house.

I sighed and frowned at my reflection in the rearview mirror. What was so messed up that had him jumping about and twitching every time I opened my mouth?

ALEX'S POV

'Ma, it's complicated.' My mom just wouldn't understand that there were things that needed to be kept secret for a while.

She looked at me with harsh eyes. 'But Alex, he's her child too, not just Jasey.'

'Yes but the point is we don't even know if she'll remember Jasey, let alone Noah. And hell, even if she did, would we really want bad memories being brought up again? Trust me, this is the best way for everyone.'

'Not for your son.'

Boy was my mom adamant. I get what she meant, Noah needed a mom and a dad, he needed HIS mom and dad. But how much of a mom would he have while she couldn't remember he was hers? Noah deserved to at least have his grandparents care for him, rather than a mother who didn't recognise him.

I would bring Jasey back with us, but not Noah, at least not for a few months.

According to the doctor, Erin had selective memory loss. It had blocked out most of the bad stuff she'd been through. She remembered her moms death but not how she died, so I faked a story about how it had been a car accident. Better than the alternative.

She remembered meeting me and the guys, but couldn't remember marrying me. I had to take her ring off her finger one of the nights in the hospital, while she was sleeping, before she noticed it was there and called me out on it. I wasn't ready for her to get scared about suddenly being married. She needed time and I got that.

But god, I wanted her so badly.

I wanted her to be mine again, but right now it felt like she was forty thousand different people, mixed up memories, unreachable. I didn't know how I'd breakthrough again, but I guess at least she hadn't totally forgotten me. She still loved me, I could see it in her eyes. But whether she was ready for the level we were at...well that was another question. My mom thought we should spend some time apart, make it easier for Erin to figure out if she even wanted to live with me, but I wasn't prepared to go that far. I wasn't prepared to lose that much of her.

'Look, mom, it's just for a little bit, okay? Please, I'll come by every day.' Our eyes locked for a few minutes before my mother slowly closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

'Okay okay okay, but I think it's best if you two take some time out just for yourselves, like a honeymoon.'

I half smiled. 'Yeah except she can't remember us getting married and it's a little too late to he considered a honeymoon.'

My mom smiled and shrugged, and that was how we left it.

I walked back to the car with Jasey in my arms and Erin's eyes lit up when she noticed her child.

'Oh hey there sweetie,' she said, holding her arms out for a cuddle, to which Jasey gladly abided. 'I'm gonna sit in the back with her, kay?' I nodded in answer and made sure they were settled before moving off.

ERIN'S POV

I wish I knew what the hell was up with Alex. He'd been staring at me non stop in the rear view mirror the whole way and it was really weird. It was like he was scared I'd break or something, like I'd disappear into thin air.

When we reached the house, I almost ran out of the car and inside. The dogs greeted me in the usual excitable manner and I couldn't help but cry. It felt like I hadn't seen them in so long, longer than I actually had. It's surprising how much pets actually mean to you. I heard Alex come up behind me and handed Jasey to him so my hands were free to hug my beautiful dogs.

'Momma's missed you too, yes she has, yes she has, that's right, good boys.' I carried on like that for god knows how long, cupping their soft faces and kissing their fur, hugging their warm bodies to my own.

Alex cleared his throat and I turned from where I was kneeling to stare up at him.

'Yeah?' I asked after he didn't say anything, just stared.

He seemed to snap back to reality after blinking a few times and focused on me. 'Oh yeah, uh, rest...the doctor said you should, uh, rest.'

'But I'm not even tired.'

'I know, but you'll thank me in the morning, I promise, come on,' he said, holding a hand out for me to take.

I sighed and rolled my eyes but took his hand nonetheless. Any excuse to touch him. I bit my lip as the familiar flutter of butterflies filled my stomach. My secret.

Alex lead me up the stairs and to his room. When he motioned for me to go in I frowned.

'What?'

'Well, it's just, why your room? I wanna sleep in my room with my posters.'

His eyes flickered with varied emotions before deciding to show nothing at all. 'My bed's comfier.'

'But I want my posters.'

'Can't you just sleep here tonight?'

'Alex, what's the big deal? Seriously, you're overreacting way too much right now. I'm gonna go to my room.'

ALEX'S POV

'No, Erin wait!' Whatever I said wouldn't make a difference. My protests had only encouraged her stubbornness. I sighed and followed her into her old room, the room intended for the twins; now just for Noah.

'This is not going to be good,' I said to Jasey as I held her in my arms. I groaned and took Jasey to her nursery, settling her down, leaving her to play with some sort of building brick set my dad had bought for her.

My suspicions were confirmed when I found Erin stood between the two cribs, head down. 'Erin-'

'What is this?' Her voice was quiet, but demanding. I said nothing. 'Alex, please, what is this? This isn't Jasey's room, but it looks like a nursery. Why are there two cribs?' She turned and I saw tears ready to trickle down her pale skin. 'What is this? We don't have any other kids, I wouldn't just forget, what is this?'

My brain flicked through a variety of different answers, excuses, all lies or at least deviations of the truth. 'I, uh-'

And then the doorbell rang.

Internally I let out a relieved sigh. Saved by the bell. 'I'll go answer that,' I told Erin and practically ran down the stairs to greet my saviour.

However, upon opening the door, I wish I hadn't.

'Jack!' I turned and saw Erin skipping stairs two at a time with the biggest grin on her face as she sped towards Jack. 'Jack, I missed you!'

He smiled back at her and suddenly I was out of place in my own home. What, no, I wouldn't be jealous of Jack. He was just a friend. She was just glad to see her friends after so long. I'd be the same. Especially considering how he and Allie were supposed to be living in LA now.

'Hey spud, what's up!' he said as he pulled her in for a bear hug.

She giggled. 'Isn't that supposed to he Rian's nickname?'

'Nuhuh, he grew his hair! You can actually like tell when it's greasy now!'

'Ew, you're disgusting.' But I saw the smile on her face despite the shrivelled up nose as she let Jack go.

'Just how you like me, right?'

'Not that much.'

'Ouch girl, I'm hurt. That was harsh.' Jack emphasised this by placing both hands on his chest and falling to his knees.

'Yeah, still don't care,' she said, then focused on me. 'Hey Alex, make sure to sweep the shit outta the hall.' She winked then walked off to make herself comfy on the couch.

Knowing she was out of earshot I turned to Jack. 'Dude, you can't say a word about Noah. Not a word. You hear me?'

Jack cocked his head. 'Why?'

'Because...because she uh well there's a slight possibility she may not exactly remember that we have a son.'

He blinked a few times, clearly thinking about what to say. 'What?'

I shrugged. 'She doesn't remember. It's a side effect. If rather have her lose her memory than be dead...I just...I need to find the right time to uh you know, to tell her.'

'To tell her you have another child? Dude, there's never gonna be a right time. You need to tell her. Today.'

'On her first day out? Really? Do you not think that's a bit too much?'

'It's gonna be hard for both of you no matter what...you gotta tell her man. It's not fair on any of you. Especially not Noah.' Jack smiled small and put his hand on my shoulder. 'You just gotta jump the gun man.'

Then he took his hand away and walked past me to join Erin on the couch, laughing and joking. I groaned and took a moment to compose myself before following. 'Fuck,' I whispered to myself. I let out a breath and made sure my smile was perfectly in place. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Nothing at all.