Hello everyone, so this chapter is dedicated to emilymoxley03 for coming up with the awesome cast for this story. I still haven't found the one for Hazel or Brett or Sarah, so if you have any suggestions please let me know!
If you have any suggestions for anyone else in the story, like Brett's sisters then please let me know as well and I'll dedicate a chapter to you!
I am sorry for all of the mistakes in this chapter. Something went wrong with my computer but I'll fix it soon!
Love at First Letter
Chapter 27
We had started off the night with a few beers and an occasional shot here and there. Brett had stopped drinking after a few beers as he was going to drive us home but I hadn't. Now, I was drunk and attempting to play pool. I've always been somewhat good at pool, having been taught how to play at a young age. My father had put a pool table in our house once I was old enough to see above the table and had taught me how to play.
We would spend hours just playing and I had gotten quite good. Never good enough to wear I could beat my father without him letting me, but he had years of experience on me. And now, I was getting my ass kicked. I was swaying back and forth and the feeling of emptying out the contents of my stomach kept sneaking up on me, but I managed to hold it down. I tripped over my own foot and grabbed onto the table for support.
"Are you alright?" Brett asked me, leaning against the table and looking at me. "Do you want to go home yet?"
I shook my head and even though it wasn't my turn I took a shot anyway. My stick completely missed the white ball and I stumbled forward onto the table, but I manage to not spill my drink.
"Okay, come on." Brett sets his pool stick onto the table and takes the stick out of my hands. "We're leaving." He takes my drink from me before I could finish it and sets it on the table behind us. There are less people in here then when we first came in, but I guess when it's two in the morning not a lot of people want to be at a bar.
"I don't want to go home." I whined and clutched onto his arm as a wave of nausea hits me. "Can we got to the park?"
"For a little bit and then I'm taking you home and you're going to bed." He tried to stay stern but fails when he lets a small smile slip through. I lace our fingers together and swing them in-between our bodies. We don't say anything else until we're seated on the swings, but they make me even more nauseous so I settle on the grass and lay on my back. Brett doesn't take long before he follows my lead. He lifts up my head and slips his arm underneath it and brings me close to him. I rest my head on his chest and lay my arm lazily against his torso.
I look up to find him already looking at me, "What?" I ask him. "Is something on my face? You're always looking at me like that I have no idea why."
"You have no idea why?" He cocks his head to the side, when I shake my head he sighs and runs a hand through his hair that was getting longer and longer. I had the sudden urge to run my fingers through his hair. "You're beautiful, Hazel. I don't know why you chose a guy like me but I'm grateful for it and I will always look at you like this because you mean a lot to me."
"You mean a lot to me too. But it should be me who's grateful. I see the way girls are always looking at you. Where ever we go, they're always trying to get your attention and they like you Brett. What happens when I'm not enough anymore? Every one I've let get close to me has had something bad happen to them. My aunt had a miscarriage, Hanna just got her memory back, and my uncle got discharged from the military. I'm surprised nothing has happened to Johanna and Cara, but I probably just jinxed that. I'm terrified that something is going to happen to you, that someone might take you away from me."
If I wasn't hammered drunk right now, none of this would be coming from my mouth and I immediately snap my jaw closed. I can't believe I just admitted to that, considering I don't even let myself think about it.
"You think that stuff happened just because they're your family?" I didn't have to answer his question because he already knew the answer. "None of that happened because of that."
"You can't prove that."
"You can't prove that it happened because of you. That's ridiculous Hazel. That happened because bad things happen to good people. None of that was your fault."
"But it feels like it. Nothing good ever comes in my life except my career and my friends, and now that I've found you. I just don't want anything to happen."
"Hazel look at me." We were sitting up now and he placed his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to look up at him. "Nothing is going to happen to me. No one is going to take you away from me."
"Except the military."
"I only have a little while longer before my time is up in the military. I can come back and be with you and we can go where ever you want. I'll take you where ever you want to go."
"Anywhere?"
"Well maybe not right away, but in the future we will go to where ever you want to go."
I smile up at him, "London." I say to him. "I've always wanted to go to London."
"Then we'll go."
He kissed my lips and we laid there, in the middle of the park for a long time. We didn't talk, we didn't need to, and we didn't move. We simply just stared up a the stars and held each other in our arms. He occasionally kissed my lips, or my cheek, or the side of the head, but that was it.
I liked being in his arms. I liked being here with him. I was slowly falling in love with this man next to me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
When I woke up in the morning my head pounded as the light came in through the window. Usually the curtains were drawn to keep it out, but we had gotten back so late last night that we barely had time to fall into bed before we were asleep. We hadn't even changed out of our clothes.
I could hear the deep and even breaths of Brett next to me and knew he was still asleep. Deciding I could deal with the hangover later, I rolled over and snuggled into Brett. His arms came around me tighter and I fell back asleep.
When I opened my eyes the second time, the light was brighter and I could hear laughter coming from downstairs. I groaned and buried my head into Brett's bare chest. "Come on babe, we've already slept the entire day."
"What time is it?"
"Three in the afternoon. You're aunt came in about thirty minutes to ago to see if you were up yet, but we decided to let you sleep." I could hear him grab something off the table before he said, "Here, take these."
Keeping my eyes clothes I hold out my hand for the pills and the other for a glass of water. I take them quickly and gulp down the rest of the water. I mutter a thank you and bury my face back into Brett's chest. I could feel his laughter rumbling through his chest and I smiled. "We need to get up and you need to get some food into your stomach."
I knew that he was right, but I didn't want to get up. So instead, I held my arms up and waited for him to grab them. From there he hoisted me up out of bed and onto his back where I rested my head against his shoulder and tried to go back to sleep. It didn't work out very well for as soon as we stepped down the stairs, the laughter was louder and I felt my head pound even more. It made me want to crawl back upstairs and hide underneath the covers, where the sun and the laughter didn't make my head feel like tiny hammers trying to beat their way out.
I groaned when Brett set me down at the kitchen table and kissed my cheek. I reluctantly opened my eyes to see my family staring at me. I was relieved that they quite laughing so loud and instead stared at me.
"How was your night?" Uncle Tate asks, "I hope one of you slept above the covers." He gave a pointed look at Brett who didn't pay any attention to my uncle, which was the best thing to do in situations like this. Him and my family have always been very protective and he thinks that now that there is someone in my life, he needs to fill in the protective father role.
"I did hear a weird noise coming from inside their room late last night." Trevor says to Uncle Tate who just raises his eye brows. Trevor's room was right next to the one we were staying in, but I knew that what he was talking about must have been when we got home, or maybe Brett snores.
"I was trying to get a drunken Hazel into bed safely, that doesn't exactly happen easily." Brett says to them and places down a big plate full of greasy food that had my stomach grumbling for it. I mutter a thank you to him and dig in.
"So what are your plans for today?" Aunt Jenette asked both Brett and I.
"How about we just have a movie day?" Brett suggested and I nodded. That was fine with me, as long as I could lay in bed and not have to face the world for one day.
"Well Hanna and I are going into town to pick up a few things, do either of you need anything?" I looked towards Brett who simultaneously looked at me and we both shook our heads. "If you two need anything give me a call and I'll pick it up."
"Pick us up some ice cream." I yell to them as they make their way to the door. My aunt gives me a thumbs up over her shoulder as they walk through the door and I snatch a piece of bacon off of Brett's plate before he could eat it. I gave him a big smile and took a bite out of it.
When we were both finished eating and made our way up to our room where we spent the rest of the day watching movie after movie. It started with Disney movies and then turned into comedies. And before I know it, I fall asleep.
I didn't know what time it was when I woke up with a need for water. I untangle my legs from Brett's and slip out of the room as quietly as I could, but I come to a stop the moment I hear heartbreaking sobs. I could hear my uncle saying something to aunt but couldn't make out the words.
Her cries broke my heart. I couldn't pretend to know what it felt like to lose a child and I didn't know what to say to her that would make her feel better. I knew that all I could really do without making things worse was be there for her. I could hug her and tell her everything was going to be alright but I knew that she would always carry this with her. For the rest of her life she'll think about this unborn baby and it'll break her heart. But hopefully, with the help of all of us, it becomes just more and more less painful.
I leant against the wall and could feel tears of my own pricking in my eyes. I didn't know what to do, and feeling helpless was never something I liked. I wanted to be able to help her, to console her, but instead of walking into the room and doing just that I wipe away the lone tear that fell and made my way into the kitchen.
My Uncle would have better luck. It wasn't only Aunt Jenette that lost a child that day, he did too. And he was the only one in this house that knew what she was feeling. Of course Trevor and Hanna were upset for losing a sibling, but they would never know a mother's love for their child until they had some for their own.
I leant against the kitchen table with a cold glass of water in my hand. "Are you okay?" I heard Brett's soft whisper as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. "I heard you get up and I waited but you were taking a while so I decided to come find you."
"You heard it too?" Brett just nodded his head and I sighed. "I just feel so helpless, like there is nothing I can do to help her."
"Can't you see that just being here is helping her a lot."
"So then what happens when we leave?"
"Nothing happens when we leave. She has her family to help her through this."
"I just wish I could do more. I wish there was something I could say to her that would help her through this."
"She just needs time, that's what is really going to help her through this. We don't know what it's like to lose a kid, I can't even imagine it. But your uncle will do all he can to help her, all you can do is be there for her."
"Thank you Brett, you always know what to say."
"It's a gift." He shrugged his shoulders and kissed my lips. They seemed to fit just right, and I couldn't get enough.
"Well this is a sight." My Uncle's voice made us part but I stayed firmly in Brett's arms. My eyes immediately go towards my aunt, her eyes were red and she kept sniffling.
"I'm sorry if I woke you up." Aunt Jenette said to us.
"You didn't." I slip out of Brett's hold and simply wrap my arms around my aunt. She returned the hug and we just stood there.
"I know you feel like you should be able to do something, but your boyfriend was right. I just need time right now." She whispered this into my ear so no one else could hear it. "I love you Hazel and I pray to God that nobody else ever has to go through this."
"I love you too."
***
I didn't want to have to say goodbye to my family, but I knew that if we didn't leave soon we were going to be late for our flight. Brett threw our bags into the back of the cab that we ordered after turning down the offer of a ride. They had a doctor's appointment for Hanna and then an appointment with a local therapist for both Uncle Tate and Aunt Jenette. So I hugged each one of them goodbye one last time before sliding into the cab after Brett.
The airplane ride seemed to be shorter this time. Brett and I were mostly silent but I stayed wrapped in his arms. I could tell he was happy to be home. He only has a few more weeks before he has to return and I knew he wanted to spend them with his family. When we got off the plane and made our way towards the front of the airport Sarah was there waiting for us.
"You have one more week here in Georgia. You've been squeezed into a few more interviews and panels and book signings. Logan's going to be there and I want you two to meet up before the weeks over and get started on this book." I nodded and I felt Brett's hand tighten on my own. I look up to him and give him a smile to which he returns, it was bit forced and I didn't know why but I gave his had a reassuring squeeze and focused on what Sarah was saying. "Then you'll have two weeks off before you head to New York, you can stay here or go home if you would like. It's up to you."
"What are you going to be doing?"
"After this next week is up, I'm going to have to get back home to work out a few things. Logan's agent wants to talk things through about the upcoming book. She's already worrying about a promotional tour."
We pull up at Brett's house and Sarah immediately goes up to our room we're staying in. She's dialing a number on her phone and locked the door behind her, saying it was an important call. I didn't care much, I just followed Brett into his room and plopped down onto his bed. He was walking around the room, his jaw clenching.
"What's wrong?"
"Should I be worried?" He asked me, coming to a stop in front of me. "Should I be worried about this Logan guy?" I gave out a chuckle but the look in Brett's eyes had it coming to stop. "I'm not trying to be funny here Hazel, I need to know if I should worry about the two of you working together."
Now I was getting a bit mad. "Don't you trust me?" I ask him. "You think I would do something with Logan when I'm dating you?"
Brett took a seat next to me and sighed. "I trust you. It's him I don't trust. Baby, you don't realize just how beautiful you are and I'm afraid that he'll notice and want you. I'm not going to be here much longer and I don't want you to decide I'm not good enough for you. When I'm gone, he's going to be here and—"
I cut him off with a kiss on his lips. "Nothing is going to happen between me and Logan, he's like a brother I never had. Seriously, just the thought of liking him like that is a bit repulsing."
He smiled at me and pecked my lips but I brought my hand up to the back of his head and kept his lips on mine. They danced together as we deepened the kiss. My hands ran along his arms and down to his chest. I could feel the muscles underneath my fingertips until my hands came in contact with the edge of his shirt, which I quickly got him out of.
Brett pulls away from the kiss and trails kisses down my neck. "We should probably stop." He says with his lips still touching my neck. He nips at the skin and I bring his lips up back for another kiss. "We don't want our first time to be in the same house as my parents."
I nod, knowing he was right and peck his lips one last time. We pull apart from each other and I fix my shirt as he goes to put his back on. I grab the shirt out of his hands and smiled at him. "You don't have to put this thing back on." With that said I throw the shirt onto the ground and rest my head on his chest.
"You just like me for my abs."
"Guilty as charged."
We laid there, without talking, until our hearts slowed and my hand trailed down his stomach. I traced his abs with his fingers. I close my eyes and let my hand drift lower and lower until — "We can't Hazel."
"We can't or you don't want to?"
Brett forces us both to sit up so our backs rest on the headboard. "Are you kidding me? Of course I want to. But I want our first time to be somewhere better than this. I don't want to worry about my parents or my sisters coming in through the door."
"Soon right, before you leave?" I wasn't like this. I wasn't one to want it, but there was something about the man sitting next to me that brought it out. I wanted all of him.
"Before I leave." It was weird talking about it like this, as if we had to schedule an appointment. But I knew I was falling hard for this boy and it was only a matter of time before I was completely head over heels and I wanted to give him something before he left. Something he could remember me by. "I was wondering," Brett says to me. "Would you mind if I come and visit you in South Carolina after you leave?"
"Of course you can, you don't even have to ask." I said. "I just thought you like to spend the rest of your time with your family."
"Well I was hoping to come up for a couple of days, I want to meet your friends since you got to meet mine."
"Sounds like a deal." He seals the deal with a kiss and brings me back into his chest. He murmurs something that I couldn't hear just before I slip into the darkness.
*****
This chapter is 3500 words, so I hope you enjoyed it.
It is unedited and it's pretty late so I'm heading off to bed.
Goodnight everyone!
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