Winding Roads (BWWM)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Daxton~ December

I wait, respectfully, on the other side of a door that I have a key to. When the door finally opens, I greet Brielle with one giant red velvet cupcake—her favorite—and the happy birthday song. I stop immediately when I notice her red puffy eyes and tear stained face. "Cheese?" I frown down at her and gently wipe away a freshly fallen tear. 

"Sorry. Thanks" she takes the cupcake and walks back over to her couch. I follow her until a body on the couch stops me in my tracks. "Hey babes, scooch over" she says to the person whose face I have yet to see. From the built, I know it's a guy, though. Who would she have over while she's in nothing but a bralette and sweatpants; her swollen belly exposed to the world? The man looks as if he is startled out of his sleep, like he's awoken from a bad dream.

"What?" Oh, good. Dalton. "Thank God, you're here! I can't take another one of these chick flicks" my little brother rushes over to me, but not before kissing Brielle's cheek and telling her happy birthday. After giving me several warning glances, he makes a run for the door. 

"Wait! Dalt, what about the pregnancy photos for your art project?" Brielle calls after him.

"It's fine. I'd want both of you in them anyways. You've got two more months left anyways, right?" Dalton grips tightly at the door knob.

"Really?" Brielle sighs. I can see in his face, that even if he did want to, he couldn't refuse her either. 

"It's fine, Cheese. Let him go" her eyes haven't left Jack and Rose floating in the ocean yet, but she feigns sadness. We all know that she didn't want to stop her movie to take photos anyway. Dalton probably wanted to gift the photos to her and get an A on his assignment. Without a second thought and before I could turn around to wave goodbye, my baby brother disappears. I at least wanted to ask him about how art school's been going? It's not official, but he's transferring after winter break. That girl he met from the school introduced him to some chill professor who's helping catch up. 

"Oh, no!" my attention is brought back to Brielle, who is racing towards the bathroom door. I quickly follow her and find she's bent over the toilet, puking the cupcake I just gave her. I rub soothing circles on her back and hold her hair back. "This isn't fair. They're taking away all my favorites. No more danishes. No more red velvet cupcakes. No more anything! I hate you for doing this to me" 

I just stare at her with a goofy grin. Since we broke up, I haven't been able to see all these little moments. I didn't even know that the danishes made her sick now. We've been communicating better since my birthday, but still, I wish I knew. She rolls her eyes at me and scoffs. "What?" she scolds, clearly annoyed with me.

"You're beautiful," I gently brush some curls from her face, my voice barely above a whisper. I didn't mean to say it, don't want to freak her out and go backwards. Too late to take it back now, but maybe there's a chance she didn't hear me. 

"No. I am not. I'm huge. Fat! Fat with a capital F" she heads back to the living room and, of course, I follow her. "My back hurts, my boobs ache and I can't see my feet. Yesterday, I almost fell trying to wash my feet in the shower. Oh, and good thing the twins are winter babies because I couldn't shave my legs even if I wanted too. Last week, I really wanted fried chicken. Like a good piece of fried chicken, but I was practically stuck in bed. So, now I sleep in the couch...sitting up. That way I can call for takeout when I want and you know how much I hate eating on the couch."

"Why didn't you call me?" I cross my arms over my chest and stand in the frame between the hallway and the living room. She looks away from the TV and up at me guiltily. 

"It was 4 in the morning" she shrugs off. 

"Why? Didn't? You? Call? Me?" I persist

She looks down at her belly and rubs it, "I'm a single mom, now. I have to get used to doing things on my own."