"a-are you sure?" i watch his facial expression change instantly. "i'm eight weeks." i take my ultrasound picture out of my purse and hand it to him. "i found out last week, i've been trying to tell you but there was never a good time." he hands me the picture back and runs his hands through his hair, obviously frustrated. "so this is a good time? in the bathroom at a new years party?" he raises his voice. "every time i tried to tell you, you would either be studying, partying or not in the mood." i put the picture back in my purse. "are you keeping it?" one question. all it took was one question for my heart to break. "of course i'm keeping it... you want me to get an abortion?" i could barely say it. everything had changed from this point and i'll never forget the look on his face when he asked me that question. "bri i'm eighteen, i'm not ready to be a dad! i haven't even graduated yet, i don't have a job, i-" his words were like a stab in the back. how could i be so stupid? to think that we could actually be a family. i stared at him in disbelief. this wasn't parker. or was it? "i'm fucking seventeen, how the fuck do you think i feel? i'm the one with a baby inside of me. so how the fuck do you think i feel?" i scream in anger. how could he? how could he say this to me? he curses as he punches the wall, scaring me. "bri, i can't. i'm sorry but i can't." he reaches for the door and i do something i never thought i would do. i slap him. "what the fuck do you mean you can't? this isn't all on me parker, you can't leave me. you can't!" i push him twice. i can hear the loud music coming from downstairs. everyone is chanting now. counting down. five. i'm bawling my eyes out. four. parker opens the door and runs out of the bathroom. three. i chase after him. two. he gets into his car and starts it. one. "you said you're not leaving me! you said we're in this together!" i scream, banging on his window. he drives away. happy new year!
it's been three years and i still think about it. everyday and every night. i thought i had convinced myself that it never happened but here i am standing in the patio at two in the morning. i take a deep breath watching everything around me trying to ground myself.
i hear the screen door open and immediately smile. i try to hide it and continue to look at the view. his arms wrap around me from behind, i feel safe. he makes every negative feeling melt away. he makes me melt away.
"what's going on in that pretty head of yours?" he kisses me on the cheek before resting his head on my shoulder. "just thinking." it's the same answer every time he catches me out here. i don't have to say anything less or anything more for him to understand, he just knows.
goosebumps appear rapidly around my arms. "let's think inside, you're freezing," he walks me back into the house. "do you want to talk?" he sits me on the couch and i watch him walk down the hallway and come back with a blanket. i didn't even realize i was freezing until now.
he's so good to me, i'm so lucky to have him. "i guess i'll talk. i'll pretend you're my therapist." i smile. he wraps the blanket around me making sure i'm all covered. "you know i'm here to listen, always." he sits next to me.
i take a deep breath getting ready to open up which was huge for me. ever since what happened, it became extremely difficult to trust and open up to people. it really fucked me up... parker really fucked me up. having to give birth and raise a baby all alone really fucked me up.
except i wasn't alone. god had sent me an angel but little did i know that angel was here the whole time. right in front of me.
"i'm just reflecting on my life. i replay everything and i sit there and wonder. how did i get here? how am i nineteen with a two year old who's going to be three in a few months? how am i here with you? after everything you're still here."
who would've known that mason was my angel. my soulmate. my everything.
"i'm still here because i love you. i waited for you, i knew you needed your time to figure everything out so i waited. now here we are, you figured your shit out and so did i. you have grown into the amazing woman you are today. i've never met someone who works so hard the way that you do. you go to school, have an internship at your dream hospital and you still make time to do your homework and be the best mom that you can. your past doesn't define who you are and whether you see it or not, you're doing amazing babe."
"hey, give yourself some credit. i wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. i am so blessed to have you in my life. mason you don't realize how much you mean to me. you were there for me when parker left, you held my hand when i was in labor, you helped me raise a child that wasn't even yours at eighteen years old. who does that? no one. but you did, you filled shoes that weren't yours. you were the light in my darkest days and for that i am forever grateful. i've never met someone so genuine and selfless. you truly have the purest and kindest heart and i love you so much. words can't even describe how much i love you."
my emotional ass just had to start crying. every time i look at mason i get teary-eyed. he always made fun of me for it but at this moment he looked like he was about to cry as well.
"hey you can't cry on your birthday." mason wipes my tears away. "of course you remembered my birthday. i didn't even remember my stupid birthday. i guess i'm twenty with a two year old." i begin to calm myself. "your birthday isn't stupid. in fact it's my favorite day because i get to spoil you." he has this look in his eyes. this sneaky and suspicious look. "please no, i just want to enjoy my day off and sleep in with you and maddy. no presents and no surprises." i grab his hand.
mason loved to surprise and spoil me. he goes out of his way to make sure that i feel loved and special and i do the same for him. i've never felt this way about anyone, not even parker.
"too late. happy birthday baby." mason takes out a small box with a red ribbon on top and puts it in front of me. i laugh shaking my head. "no! i don't want it. keep it." i look the other way. i hated when he bought me things, i felt guilty as if i wasn't worthy of them.
"babe i'm serious, look." his voice was soft and innocent. i turn to see him take the ribbon off and open the box. no way.
"mason...what is that?" i freak out.
there's no way.
"what? let me see your hand." he laughs as if it's funny. i'm freaking out while he's laughing. i gasp as he pulls out the ring and puts it in front of me. this has to be a prank. where's my dad? where's the camera crew? "calm down, it's a promise ring. i know we're really young and have our whole life ahead of us but you're my future. you're my everything and i plan on turning this ring into an engagement ring one day."
i cover my mouth with my hands. "you want me to be your person?" here comes the waterworks again. "i'm the cristina yang to your meredith gray baby." mason grabs my hand and puts the ring on. i look at it on my hand and immediately start ugly crying. "what did i do to deserve you?"
☀︎☀︎☀︎
april 11th 7:03am
i can hear their whispers but i pretend i don't. i should have known mason wasn't going to let me lay in bed all day.
i hear mason count down from three then a loud happy birthday from three different voices. maddy's voice was my favorite. i smile sitting up, arms wide open. she climbs onto the bed and gives me a big hug. "happy birthday mommy." my baby gives me a kiss on the cheek. "thank you." i shower her with kisses.
"happy birthday babe." mason is next to kiss me on the cheek, then my dad. "thank you all so much. i love each and every one of you." i blow them kisses. "mommy get up!" maddy moves the hair from my face. "no, i just want to lay with you." i hold her tight and lay back down. her laughter puts a smile on my face. "we made breakfast!" she tries to wiggle her way out of my arms and i let her.
"did you say breakfast?" my eyes widen, she nods. "let's go eat!" i get up, hold her hands and put her on my back. i hold her legs as she holds onto my neck and we jog downstairs to the kitchen with my dad and mason following.
halfway into breakfast, the doorbell rings and we all look at the door. i wipe maddy's mouth before standing up to open the door. "it's probably your mother." dad says with his mouthful. i haven't seen my mother in weeks.
she only comes over to see maddy or at least that's what i think. my mother and i's relationship got complicated after we found out i was pregnant. seventeen year old me thought maybe she'd be nice and understanding about it considering the fact that she had me at a young age but i was wrong. her reaction was anything but nice and a week later i packed my bags and moved in with my dad. after i gave birth she was constantly around me and it irked me.
how could you go from being unsupportive to wanting to be the worlds best grandma? it confused me but looking back at it i know she was only mad because she wanted the best for me. she didn't want me to follow in her footsteps(not that i planned to, shit just happened).
but it wasn't my mother at the door. it was someone far worse. someone who damaged me emotionally. someone who i never wanted to see or run into ever again.
past me would've bursted into tears immediately but things have changed. i've grown and matured and i was getting over it. but even grown and mature me wanted to cuss him out for even bothering to show up.
i needed to calm down. after all he is my daughters father.
"what are you doing here?" i'm quick to close the door. "i came to wish you a happy birthday." i avoid eye contact. it was as if every single memory came back when i would look into his eyes. i didn't need that. not today.
my therapist also would've wanted me to look him in the eyes. to be strong and confident to show him that he could no longer hurt me. i am strong and i am confident. so i looked him in the eyes. "thank you." i actually managed to get out. "i was going to get you a gift but i know you wouldn't of liked that." i look at him. he looks different. not in a good way but also not in a bad way, just different.
that's what heartbreak does to you apparently. it changes you. you have two ways to react to it: you could boss up and get over it or you could do nothing but sulk. i'm sure it's obvious who did what.
"no i wouldn't have." i say simply, hugging my arms. i see his eyes wander to my hand. i look at it too. my beautiful ring fits perfectly on my small finger. "how have you been?" he doesn't take his eyes off of it. so this is what we're doing? the awkward small talk you have with your ex?
i could be a bitch about it and tell him how i'm doing amazing without him but what would that prove? absolutely nothing. "i'm good, everything's good." i breathe. why do i suddenly feel weird? i want this to be over. i'm starting to get nervous. "are you getting... married?" he gestures to my hand. not that it's any of your business. "i'm twenty parker, i still can't legally drink. i'm not getting married." i want to go back inside.
i guess it was my turn to ask him how he was. truth is, i didn't care how parker was doing. the only thing i cared about was being with my daughter eating waffles but i asked anyways. "i'm good." he scratches his head. yeah okay.
i knew where this conversation was going. he wanted to see her and i didn't want him to. he also irked me for wanting to see my baby like he didn't want me to get an abortion when he found out about her. it pissed me the fuck off actually.
but like i said, he is her father.
"can i see her?"
☀︎☀︎☀︎
[ mason lovers we ride at dawn! welcome to the sequel of my best friends boyfriend!!! i'm so excited and grateful for every single one of you readers, without you i wouldn't even be making a second book! i love you all! i hope you love it<3 ]
cast- the same but way older. although the story starts off when they're 20-21, they look like adults:)
bri's new friends!
↑☀︎lauryn☀︎↑
↑☀︎connie☀︎↑
↑☀︎sam☀︎↑