I'm Giving Back What You Gave Me
One
"I can't take this anymore. Paul, what is going on?"
My boyfriend took my hands in his own, his eyes showing his excitement. "Cieara, we've got a record deal."
"Oh, my gosh! Are you serious? That's amazing!"
He grinned widely, pulled me into his arms. "I know. Let's go out tonight."
"Why?"
"To celebrate of course." He leaned back and frowned. "Cee, what's wrong?"
"I just...I wanna stay here and hang out."
"Alright. We can do that."
"Thanks," I sighed, as I kissed his cheek.
He pressed his lips to mine, and we settled in silence, sitting on the couch. There came a knock from the front door, and Paul laughed while I struggled to sit up; the door opened slightly.
'It's me, y'know, Ashlen."
"Come in."
She entered the living room, followed by her bulldog, Cat, who sat when ordered.
"Joel and Billy told me the news. Well, actually I figured it out from their rambling and speed-speaking, 'cause I'm extremely talented like that. But congratulations."
"Thanks. Talked to Benji lately?"
'Nah. Decided he wasn't worth it." She sighed. "Well, I just came by to say congrats. Come, girl."
"They're so in love with each other," I murmured after she had left.
"Definitely."
-♥-
"Cieara, I know I should have told you sooner."
"Yeah, Paul, you should have. What? Did you think not telling me until the last minute would make it less painful?"
"No, babe. I just...you were so excited about our engagement, that I couldn't find the strength to tell you."
"So I had to find out by Benji's big mouth?"
"I'm sorry."
I bit my lip, fighting the tears. "Tell me one thing. Promise me."
"Anything."
"Promise that you'll always love me."
"I promise on my life right now, that I'll always love you."
I stared around the kitchen of our two-bedroom house, at everyone's faces turned to the table as if it was so interesting. I pulled Paul to our room and shut the door.
"Paul...I-I'm pregnant."
His lips formed silent words as he stared at me. Finally, he found his voice.
"Oh, Cee. That's amazing!"
I let out a laugh when he pulled me close, holding me tight. In between swift kisses, I managed to whisper,
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Before we could get very far down the hallway, Joel stopped us, saying, "Don't go in there. They're talking."
"Benj and Ash?"
"Yeah."
Once the others joined us in the living room, I noticed that Benji and Ashlen's fingers were entwined, and she was wearing his necklace. Billy scratched behind Cat's ears, and her whimpers for attention ceased; she pressed her wet nose against his hand, begging for him to continue. Joel laid on the floor and read an edition of Alternative Press. Suddenly, Paul cleared his throat.
"Cee, Ash...would you two like to come on tour with us?"
The guys all stared at us two girls, and it took one look into Ash's crystal, beer-bottle-green eyes for us to have the same thought:
"Yes."
My boyfriend took my hands in his own, his eyes showing his excitement. "Cieara, we've got a record deal."
"Oh, my gosh! Are you serious? That's amazing!"
He grinned widely, pulled me into his arms. "I know. Let's go out tonight."
"Why?"
"To celebrate of course." He leaned back and frowned. "Cee, what's wrong?"
"I just...I wanna stay here and hang out."
"Alright. We can do that."
"Thanks," I sighed, as I kissed his cheek.
He pressed his lips to mine, and we settled in silence, sitting on the couch. There came a knock from the front door, and Paul laughed while I struggled to sit up; the door opened slightly.
'It's me, y'know, Ashlen."
"Come in."
She entered the living room, followed by her bulldog, Cat, who sat when ordered.
"Joel and Billy told me the news. Well, actually I figured it out from their rambling and speed-speaking, 'cause I'm extremely talented like that. But congratulations."
"Thanks. Talked to Benji lately?"
'Nah. Decided he wasn't worth it." She sighed. "Well, I just came by to say congrats. Come, girl."
"They're so in love with each other," I murmured after she had left.
"Definitely."
-♥-
"Cieara, I know I should have told you sooner."
"Yeah, Paul, you should have. What? Did you think not telling me until the last minute would make it less painful?"
"No, babe. I just...you were so excited about our engagement, that I couldn't find the strength to tell you."
"So I had to find out by Benji's big mouth?"
"I'm sorry."
I bit my lip, fighting the tears. "Tell me one thing. Promise me."
"Anything."
"Promise that you'll always love me."
"I promise on my life right now, that I'll always love you."
I stared around the kitchen of our two-bedroom house, at everyone's faces turned to the table as if it was so interesting. I pulled Paul to our room and shut the door.
"Paul...I-I'm pregnant."
His lips formed silent words as he stared at me. Finally, he found his voice.
"Oh, Cee. That's amazing!"
I let out a laugh when he pulled me close, holding me tight. In between swift kisses, I managed to whisper,
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Before we could get very far down the hallway, Joel stopped us, saying, "Don't go in there. They're talking."
"Benj and Ash?"
"Yeah."
Once the others joined us in the living room, I noticed that Benji and Ashlen's fingers were entwined, and she was wearing his necklace. Billy scratched behind Cat's ears, and her whimpers for attention ceased; she pressed her wet nose against his hand, begging for him to continue. Joel laid on the floor and read an edition of Alternative Press. Suddenly, Paul cleared his throat.
"Cee, Ash...would you two like to come on tour with us?"
The guys all stared at us two girls, and it took one look into Ash's crystal, beer-bottle-green eyes for us to have the same thought:
"Yes."