Replay

Chapter Thirty Six; Pep Talk

Carter was getting ready for her date with Brantley she already had her dress on as she looked in the mirror.

"Don't look in the mirror yet. You'll want to change." Sarah said standing behind Carter.

Carter just sighed, she couldn't shake the thought of having a baby. She felt like life was by passing her, she's twenty-four, doesn't have a job-mostly because Brantley won't let her, she lives with her cousin, and she's still a virgin, "Be honest with me, do you think that I'm holding myself back?" Carter asked.

Sarah furred her eyebrows together, "What are you talking about?" She asked.

Carter walked over and sat down on the bed of Sarah and Ben's hotel room, "My life, I've had one serious relationship in my whole twenty-four years of life, and he was an asshole. I'm still a virgin and pretty much all my friends are married and have kids or they're having kids. I've got Brantley and Sylo, I just feel like my life should be more than this." I said.

"Is that why you've been acting weird? You want to have a baby?" Sarah asked.

I shook my head, "Not exactly. I mean I'd love to have a baby but I just want something to show that I've done good with my life." I said.

Sarah came and sat down beside me, "Carter, you've got all you need and he's right across the hall getting ready to take you on a date. I know you said you wanted to wait until marriage, but everyone knows that you and Brantley are going to get married, so why not just do it? I'm not saying this just because I want you to have sex, I'm saying this because it might ease your mind a little bit." Sarah said.

I thought about what Sarah had said, I know that Brantley and I are going to get married, well I hope we are, but I just feel like I would be losing that one piece of my parents that I've held onto for so long. I want to be with Brantley like that but I don't know if I can be with him like that yet, "I don't know, Sarah. I feel like I'd be losing a piece of mom and dad. This promise is what has kept me going and to break that, I just don't know." I said with another sigh.

"Your mom and dad will understand if they're watching over you right now. They'd see how happy Brantley makes you and they would certainly give a stamp of approval, even if my parents never will. Hell, I wish my parents were you parents, if they were I could actually bring Ben home knowing he'd have a chance, but anyway, back to you. You need to do whatever is going to make you happy and if that's having sex with Brantley, well, then damnit have sex with Brantley." Sarah said basically preaching to me.

**Brantley's P.O.V.**

I was pacing back and forth impatiantly waiting for the clock to show me that it was time to go get Carter. The thought of her wanting a baby is still lingering in my mind and it's making me way more nervous than I should be.

"You alright BG? You've been pacin for like fifteen minutes." Ben asked me.

I shook my head, " No, I'm not alright. I'm nervous as hell and I shouldn't be nervous." I said with a hint of aggravation in my voice.

"What's eatin ya?" Ben asked knowing it had to be something and not just my nerves.

I sighed and walked over to the couch were Ben was sitting, "I saw Carter lookin at a picture of a baby earlier and the way she was actin makes me think she wants a kid. I'm not ready for a kid, dude, hell I don't even know if I'm ready for this relationship." I admitted.

Ben shook his head at me, "You're ready for the relationship but you're not ready for that serious, I get it. Talk to her, tell her that you're not ready to take things to the next level, or whatever they call it. You might sound like a bitch, but hey, if you're not ready then you're not ready." Ben said giving me advice.

"I'm ready to take things beyond what they are but I don't want kids right now. To me you should kids when you're married not saying that if it were to happen I'd leave her and never speak to her again. I'm just sayin that I'm not ready." I said running my hands over my head.

"Then have sex with her. It'll relieve your stress for damn sure." Ben said.

I shook my head again, "She doesn't want to have sex. She wants to wait till we're married." I said not even realizing that I had said I was going to marry Carter.

I watched Ben raise an eyebrow, "Do you really plan on marrying Carter?" He asked.

I thought about it for a second, I know I've said that I would marry her in a heartbeat but am I really ready to make that commitment, I mean that huge commitment of staying with her for the rest of my life? I am ready to be with one girl for the rest of my life? I'm almost thirty years old and I've been in two serious relationships that both ended in me getting my heart stomped on, do I really want to risk that for Carter?