Best of Me
Cookout
“How are you feeling?” Val asked as she hugged Kat, welcoming her into her home. The brunette shrugged, combing her fingers through her hair.
“Honestly? I’m fucking terrified. I told my dad and that went better than I expected, but I think telling Brian is going to be the hardest part. I don’t want to lose him.” Kat explained softly, making sure to keep her voice down in case any prying ears were around.
Val rolled her eyes, nudging Kat’s arm. “You’re not going to lose him. I think he’s going to shit himself, and it might take him some time to understand what’s going on, but you won’t lose him.”
Kat hoped that Val was right. Feelings or no feelings, Brian was her best friend, losing him would be like losing a piece of herself. She knew that this was a possibility that she needed to prepare for, but she also needed to give him a little bit more credit. Brian had never turned his back on her. They had their fair share of disagreements and arguments, but he never decided he was done with her.
Deciding it was time to face the music, Kat and Val walked through the house and to the sliding glass door. They stepped onto the back patio, and Kat’s eyes immediately found Brian. He was standing next to Matt by the grill, beers in hand. They were laughing about whatever they were talking about, and Kat almost turned around and left. In just a few minutes, she was going to be wiping that smile from his face.
Matt gave Brian a nudge with his elbow, nodding in Kat’s direction. “Hey, shorty.” Brian smiled, walking over to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. He kissed the top of her head and she felt her heart stutter briefly.
“Hey, Bri. How many times have I asked you to not call me that?” She chuckled, subtly breathing in the smell of his cologne. Acqua Di Gio Absolu mixed with the scent of Marlboros. It was Brian’s smell, one that she always associated with him, but this time it was a lot more enticing. These pregnancy hormones were driving her insane.
“About a hundred times and you’ll have to tell me a hundred more.” He smirked as he pulled away from her, a teasing glint in his eyes.
“Asshole.” She muttered, smiling playfully up at him.
“You love me. Food’s almost done, you ready to eat?” He asked before he finished off his beer and went from another one.
Kat nodded eagerly, her stomach suddenly feeling very empty. Food had been hard for her to keep down lately. “Yeah, I’m starving.”
“I’ll grab you a plate.” Brian walked back over to Matt, patiently waiting for him to finish grilling so he could fix Kat her plate.
Val crossed her arms over her chest, standing next to Kat as they both watched the two men. “Tell me again why you two aren’t together?”
Kat looked at Val completely bewildered. She and Brian had only ever been best friends. There had never been a single thought of anything more. It would be weird if they were to suddenly get together.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Kat finally asked, feeling a weird mixture of feelings.
“Come on, Kat. You and Brian would be perfect together. Look at the way he dotes on you. He always gets so happy when he sees you, even if he just saw you the day before.”
“Uh, are we forgetting the fact that he’s dating your twin sister? Like, have you totally lost your mind?” Kat whispered harshly, checking to see if anyone was listening. Val just clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes.
“I love Michelle, she’s my sister. However, she and Brian have so many problems, I don’t understand how they can even tolerate each other at this point. She’s not happy and neither is Brian, but they have too much pride to admit it. You guys will figure it out eventually.”
**
Once again, Kat found herself in the bathroom, hurling the contents of her stomach. The burger was delicious, but it did not sit well. The moment she felt the nausea starting, she excused herself to Val’s bathroom. She had gotten there just in time.
She was really starting to get sick and tired of constantly vomiting. Just once, she wanted her food to settle happily in her stomach. The only thing she could tolerate was a few crackers and water. Flushing the toilet, she leaned back against the wall to catch her breath. Her eyelids were heavy, and her entire body ached, making her feel ten times worse.
Kat was almost ready to doze off when she heard the door knob turn. She cracked her eyes open, seeing Brian step into the bathroom. She sat up a little straighter, hoping to god that she didn’t look as bad as she felt. She noticed that he was holding a bottle of water out to her.
“Thought you could use this.” He said softly, crouching down in front of her as he twisted the cap off the bottle.
“Thanks, love.” Kat whispered, taking the water from him. She took small sips, trying to not overload her stomach even though she wanted to chug the entire bottle.
“You coming down with something?” Brian asked as concern swam through his chocolate brown eyes. Kat looked at him for a moment, her head slowly shaking back and forth. She wanted to vomit all over again; this was as good a time as any to finally tell him.
“No, I’m not sick.” She breathed out, refusing to meet his gaze. Shifting slightly, Kat reached into the back pocket of her jeans, pulling out the folded sonogram picture. Brian gently took it from her hands, brows furrowing. When he unfolded it, his entire train of thought halted. He began to feel like his throat was closing, and words were failing him.
“I’m pregnant, Brian.”
“Honestly? I’m fucking terrified. I told my dad and that went better than I expected, but I think telling Brian is going to be the hardest part. I don’t want to lose him.” Kat explained softly, making sure to keep her voice down in case any prying ears were around.
Val rolled her eyes, nudging Kat’s arm. “You’re not going to lose him. I think he’s going to shit himself, and it might take him some time to understand what’s going on, but you won’t lose him.”
Kat hoped that Val was right. Feelings or no feelings, Brian was her best friend, losing him would be like losing a piece of herself. She knew that this was a possibility that she needed to prepare for, but she also needed to give him a little bit more credit. Brian had never turned his back on her. They had their fair share of disagreements and arguments, but he never decided he was done with her.
Deciding it was time to face the music, Kat and Val walked through the house and to the sliding glass door. They stepped onto the back patio, and Kat’s eyes immediately found Brian. He was standing next to Matt by the grill, beers in hand. They were laughing about whatever they were talking about, and Kat almost turned around and left. In just a few minutes, she was going to be wiping that smile from his face.
Matt gave Brian a nudge with his elbow, nodding in Kat’s direction. “Hey, shorty.” Brian smiled, walking over to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. He kissed the top of her head and she felt her heart stutter briefly.
“Hey, Bri. How many times have I asked you to not call me that?” She chuckled, subtly breathing in the smell of his cologne. Acqua Di Gio Absolu mixed with the scent of Marlboros. It was Brian’s smell, one that she always associated with him, but this time it was a lot more enticing. These pregnancy hormones were driving her insane.
“About a hundred times and you’ll have to tell me a hundred more.” He smirked as he pulled away from her, a teasing glint in his eyes.
“Asshole.” She muttered, smiling playfully up at him.
“You love me. Food’s almost done, you ready to eat?” He asked before he finished off his beer and went from another one.
Kat nodded eagerly, her stomach suddenly feeling very empty. Food had been hard for her to keep down lately. “Yeah, I’m starving.”
“I’ll grab you a plate.” Brian walked back over to Matt, patiently waiting for him to finish grilling so he could fix Kat her plate.
Val crossed her arms over her chest, standing next to Kat as they both watched the two men. “Tell me again why you two aren’t together?”
Kat looked at Val completely bewildered. She and Brian had only ever been best friends. There had never been a single thought of anything more. It would be weird if they were to suddenly get together.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Kat finally asked, feeling a weird mixture of feelings.
“Come on, Kat. You and Brian would be perfect together. Look at the way he dotes on you. He always gets so happy when he sees you, even if he just saw you the day before.”
“Uh, are we forgetting the fact that he’s dating your twin sister? Like, have you totally lost your mind?” Kat whispered harshly, checking to see if anyone was listening. Val just clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes.
“I love Michelle, she’s my sister. However, she and Brian have so many problems, I don’t understand how they can even tolerate each other at this point. She’s not happy and neither is Brian, but they have too much pride to admit it. You guys will figure it out eventually.”
**
Once again, Kat found herself in the bathroom, hurling the contents of her stomach. The burger was delicious, but it did not sit well. The moment she felt the nausea starting, she excused herself to Val’s bathroom. She had gotten there just in time.
She was really starting to get sick and tired of constantly vomiting. Just once, she wanted her food to settle happily in her stomach. The only thing she could tolerate was a few crackers and water. Flushing the toilet, she leaned back against the wall to catch her breath. Her eyelids were heavy, and her entire body ached, making her feel ten times worse.
Kat was almost ready to doze off when she heard the door knob turn. She cracked her eyes open, seeing Brian step into the bathroom. She sat up a little straighter, hoping to god that she didn’t look as bad as she felt. She noticed that he was holding a bottle of water out to her.
“Thought you could use this.” He said softly, crouching down in front of her as he twisted the cap off the bottle.
“Thanks, love.” Kat whispered, taking the water from him. She took small sips, trying to not overload her stomach even though she wanted to chug the entire bottle.
“You coming down with something?” Brian asked as concern swam through his chocolate brown eyes. Kat looked at him for a moment, her head slowly shaking back and forth. She wanted to vomit all over again; this was as good a time as any to finally tell him.
“No, I’m not sick.” She breathed out, refusing to meet his gaze. Shifting slightly, Kat reached into the back pocket of her jeans, pulling out the folded sonogram picture. Brian gently took it from her hands, brows furrowing. When he unfolded it, his entire train of thought halted. He began to feel like his throat was closing, and words were failing him.
“I’m pregnant, Brian.”