Who went to go see the Lorax? I did! Amazing! :)
Anyway, sorry for the long wait for this chapter, I tried to make it very long as an apology.
Thanks to NotDoingHomework and lilly-rain for taking the time to suggest (very kindly I might add) a way to improve my writing. Thanks for taking the time to give me an example too, this one goes out to you guys! (Let me know how I did maybe.) ;)
Chapter 10 - Not Over You
Ben. Aidan. Ben. Aidan. Ben. Aidan. Ben! Aidan! BEN! AIDAN! Two men, one choice. Honestly, mates should be together. However, Ben had denied me... Not officially, but when you leave your mate for this long, that definitely makes a statement, dont you think? But, Aidan, sweet Aidan. He had cared from day one, and I had to go and mess it all up. Plus, he had a mate out there somewhere.
I currently sat at my desk, I had just put the twins down for a nap. I was typing out something for my boss. Apparently he was planning a party soon and these were the invites. Ding dong! I hear the doorbell chime from downstairs. I take my time heading down the stairs. Heading to the window, I look out.
No one's there. Huh. Stupid kids always playing 'nicky nicky nine doors'. I open the door ready to come flying down the driveway and hunt the little buggers down. In my haste, I stepped on a folded piece of paper. Looking down, I read it. 'People say I love you and don't mean it. I always have meant it, and always will.' Well, crap.
Normally I'd think 'Ben, god just leave me alone.' but, hey! Aidan thinks I'm his mate! So, he must love me too, right? God, I just don't know what to do anymore. The author hadn't signed the note so I could only guess who it was for now.
*****
I jerked up in bed. I stood up quickly. Woah! Feeling dizzy, I tipped forward a little bit. Re-gaining my balance I looked over at the clock. 2 am? What? Why am I up? My stomach made a gurgling sound. Uh oh. Quickly I put up a hand to cover my mouth and ran to the bathroom.
I then proceeded to puke my guts out for the next half an hour, resting on the floor in between puking. No, no, no, no, no, NO! I couldn't be getting sick. Between dealing with the twins, the side work I was doing with my boss and everything else I couldn't get sick!
I stumbled back to my bed. Falling onto the bed, I fell asleep instantly.
Ring! Ring! Ring! Oh. My. Gosh! Who is it now? It's almost 3 am! Who could be calling this late.. or really this early?! I reach out and pick up the phone.
"Hello?" I ask groggily.
"Hi, is this Lauren Smith?" Asked a male voice.
"Yes, who the hell are you and why are you calling me this late?" I demanded, angry already. I needed sleep!
"This is Sam from Lou's bar on Jacobson Street. I have a young man here named-." There was some shuffling on the line. I heard a moan.
"Named Ben Jackson. He's been here for awhile now. He passed out a couple minutes ago on the bar floor. He's in no condition to drive, can you come get him?" He asked.
"Oh! Oh, yes, absolutely, I'll be there as soon as I can." I told him.
"Ok, see you soon." He told me.
"Wait! Before you go, how did you know to call me?" I asked.
"When someone passes out drunk on our bar floor, we always check for a wallet to call someone to help them get home. He couldn't stop talking about you all night, and when we opened your wallet there was a picture of you and him. It had your names on it. I looked your name up hoping you lived in town." He told me. I didn't respond.
"Ok, well, I'm expecting you. Bye now." He said. The phone made a click! sound when he hung up. Ben had talked about me? Ben had a picture of us in his wallet? Ben had went to the bar, gotten so drunk he couldn't get home.... because of me?
Throwing on some sweats and a random sweater I packed up the twins (what else could I do with them?) and got them into the car in record time. I started the car and headed to the bar. I got there in 10 minutes. Pulling in to the deserted bar, I looked back at the twins, fast asleep still, thank god.
I got out of the car and saw a man, I assumed it was Sam, in the open bar doorway. He lifted up an arm in greeting.
"Can you bring him out here? I have children in the car, I can't come in to help." I told him. He nodded and disappeared inside. I went around and open the passenger side door. Sam appeared again, carrying Ben.
"Right in here." I said, gesturing to the open door. He carried him over. Sam made a grunting sound when he lifted Ben in. Ben moaned when Sam finally got him situated in the seat.
"I got it from here. Thank you so much." I told him.
"No problem. Happens from time to time. Especially when it comes to women. Oh, here's his wallet." He told me, handing it over.
"Thanks again." I shut Ben's door and went around, getting into the driver side.
"Those are some cute babies miss." Sam told me. I smiled softly.
"Bye now." I said. I started my car and backed out of the driveway. I started driving to... where? Did Ben live in the pack house still or did he get his own place? I didn't know. I guess that means he would have to stay with me for the night. Oh joy.
I headed home. Ben reached over and placed his hand on my thigh. Shocked, I almost drove of the road.
"Lauren." He moaned. He kept his hand on my thigh, and I didn't have the willpower to move it. I loved the little touch, even after everything that happened. My body still craved his touch. Pulling in to my driveway, I got the twins and opened my front door.
I set the twins on the couch in my living room and went back out to get Ben. I managed to get him out of the car.
"Ben! Ben, can you hear me? I need you to help me get you inside." Ben opened his eyes, barely.
"Ok? Ok! Lets go." I guided him inside. Helping him upstairs... when I realized I didn't have a spare room. Only my room even had a bed in it. Crap. There was no way to get him back down to the couch now.
Sighing, I helped him into my room and laid him down on the bed. He quickly curled up in the covers I wrapped around him. He took a deep breath. I studied his face. He really was gorgeous. We could have been the perfect couple. Heck, if he did it right, we could be together again. I would forgive him easily, because even through all the pain he brought me, seeing him now brought up so many memories. And so many feelings.
I headed back downstairs and got the twins carriers. I brought them upstairs and got them settled in their cribs. Thankfully they had slept through the entire incident. Sighing, I headed back to my room. I must have stood in front of the bedroom door for close to 10 minutes before finally having the courage to go in.
I headed to the bed. I got in, staying in my sweats. I pulled the covers up around me and closed my eyes. Nothing. I couldn't fall asleep. Ben wrapped an arm around my waist pulling me close to him. Shocked, I didn't move.
He then put a leg over my legs. He had me trapped. If I moved, I risked waking him up and at the moment, I couldn't face him. I needed awhile to assess what had happened. I didn't want to move and have him wake up, so I stayed where I was. Eventually I fell asleep, and it turned out to be the most peaceful sleep I had had in years.
*****
BEN
I opened my eyes slowly. I looked around the room. Where was I? Somebody made a soft snore beside me. Without turning my head, I reached out. Crap! I had slept with someone? No! How could I ever explain to Lauren what happened now?
This definitely complicated things. What happened last night? I left Laurens because of the... babies. I went straight to the bar and drank. Holy crap, did I drink. I clutched my head. I had a killer headache and I don't even want to stand up I'm so woozy.
So I drank, but, then what? I don't remember coming home or this random woman. I definitely couldn't tell Lauren about the ritual now! I'm in deep shi... The woman beside me jumped up. My head whipped around so fast I almost fell back against the pillows.
"Lauren?" I asked, shocked. She put a hand up to her mouth and got out of bed running to the bathroom. I followed. She was bent over the toilet, puking her guts out. She was distracted enough that I was able to slip behind her and hold her hair back.
When she stopped throwing up, she collapsed back into me. I supported her. What the hell was wrong with her?! I carried her, bridal style, back to the bed. I laid her down and pulled the covers up to her chin. I went over to the window and shut the curtains, blocking out the sun.
I went back to Lauren's bedside. I sat down beside her, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. My poor angel, she was so exhausted. What was wrong? I leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. I jumped up when I heard crying a few rooms down.
Right! The babies! Without thinking I headed to their room. Their loud cries would wake up Lauren if I didn't get them to quiet down. The thought of comforting his... children disgusted me, but I knew I would do it, for Lauren.
I opened their door (it was easy to pick out which one it was as I could hear their insistent loud crying from down the hall) and went in. It seemed that the baby to my left was crying harder than the baby on the right so I went to the baby on the left first. I picked him up as gently as I could. I had learned awhile ago that being alpha meant being around the packs children, so I knew how to hold babies, but that was about it.
I picked him up and he stopped crying almost instantly. Huh. Poor fella was probably just missing his mom. I went over to the other crib. It seemed this baby had quieted down once his brother had shut up. He just wanted to sleep.
R-baby as I was calling him (for right baby) fell back asleep so I carried L-baby with me out of the room. I needed Advil, now. I headed down to the kitchen. I noticed a high chair. I set the baby down in it. I was supposed to do up the little strappy things right?
I bent over and tried to figure them out. After 5 minutes of trying, I couldn't take it anymore.
"Damnit!" I said, frustrated. L-baby didn't like that and started crying. I picked him up.
"Shh! Shh, it's ok! I didn't mean it." I told him. He quieted down some. What was wrong with him now? He started crying harder when I didn't immediately clue in to what was wrong with him.
"Shhhhh!" I tried to hush him but it wasn't working. His wails got louder and louder. Ok, so is he hungry? Well that sucks because I don't know where the food is! Maybe... he needs a diaper change! Now that was something I could do.... well, that was something I could figure out. I carried him back upstairs into his room.
In the corner of the room there was a change table so I headed for that. I put him down on the padding on top of the table. Beneath the table on little shelves were diapers, baby powder, some type of cream, and some wipes. I reached down and undid the little guy's outfit thing. I think it was called a sleeper maybe? I don't know these things!
I pulled at the side of the diaper. How did it come off? Do I slip it off? No, no thats not right. I fiddled around with the diaper until I finally found the straps and pulled them apart. I pulled the diaper off when... ugh! The smell hit me.Yup, he needed a diaper change.
I held the diaper in one hand, and held a hand over his chest with the other. What do I do with the diaper? Do I flush it? Or just throw it out? Gosh, I don't know! I decided on the garbage. I threw it in, and came back. I grabbed a wipe and wiped up his... mess. Once he was clean and the wipes were in the trash, I grabbed a new diaper.
I lifted his legs up and slid the diaper beneath him. He made some gurgling noises. Suddenly, he smiled up at me. Well, that was pretty cute. I felt something wet hit my shirt. OH GROSS! He was peeing on me!
Quickly I covered him with the diaper. Geesh, now I smell like pee. Oh god! I take my shirt off and throw it in the trash with the diaper and wipes. He's still sitting there, smiling away. Thanks a lot L-baby, I thought we were getting along. Carefully opening up his diaper, I shook some baby powder over him and closed his diaper again. I did up the straps, then did up his outfit thingy.
There. I picked him off the change table. He continued to smile up at me. He had no teeth and he was just pretty cute. I smiled back at him.
"Fine, I forgive you. Just this once though. Never, never ever ever do that again, ok L-baby?" I said.
"His name's Tyler." A voice said from the doorway. I spun around. It was Lauren. Her hair was crazy, she had dark shadows underneath her eyes, and she was ghostly pale.
"What are you doing up?" I asked, stunned.
"Shouldn't the real question be, what am I doing in your house Lauren?" She asked.
"True, but you're my mate-." I told her, she opened her mouth to protest.
"You are my mate, and I take care of you. You're obviously sick and tired, go back to bed. I got this, sort of." I told her.
"You think you can handle them?" She asked. She raised an eyebrow, challenging me.
"Sure, now go back to bed!" I told her. She through her hands up in the air, relenting.
"Hey, but before you go... where do you keep their food?" I asked. She turned back to me.
"It's in the fridge, already in bottles. Boil some hot water and dip the bottle in until its at least at room temperature or a little warmer. Test it on your wrist before giving it to them to make sure its not too hot. Then feed it to them, you do know how to feed it to them, right?" She asked. I didn't say anything.
I needed her to go back to bed, she looked dead on her feet and I wanted her to get better. I would deal with the children... somehow.
"You sure you can handle this?" She asked me. I nodded she turned and left the room. When I heard her door close, I went in to her kitchen and grabbed her house phone punching in a number I knew off by heart.
"Hello?" Answered a cheery voice on the line.
"Hey ma! Listen, I need some help..."
~*~
Wooo! So... kind of long... right? Anyhoo, please vote, comment and fan! Annd, I'll try to get the next update to you soon!
AGAIN, SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT!