I felt the butterflies flutter around in my stomach after that statement. It was true though, I was Nick’s Emily. There was no other word to describe it, and he was Emily’s Nick. I couldn’t help but grin just like Evan when that thought came to mind.
“You two are so damn happy it makes me sick.”
Evan chuckled though, he didn’t seem displeased at all. He actually cheered me up and made me forget about the whole drama involving Brandon and apparently his new girlfriend Sasha. After that we had an amazing time, he actually made me enjoy lunch and order a few desserts even though I only ordered soup. Spending time with Evan was always fun, he was an amazing guy and I wished he’d find happiness. In the meantime Nick and I would stay beside him, letting him know we appreciated him.
***
Closing my locker after tying my hair up in a high ponytail, I turned around, slamming right into Brandon’s chest. I quickly apologized and jumped back, hitting my head against the locker behind me.
“Dammit!” I cursed rubbing the top of my head a little, “I’m so clumsy.” I giggled, meeting Brandon’s amused gaze.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have startled you.”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have.” I smiled, “So why did you do that?”
Brandon stepped forward and leaned against the locker next to me. His gaze never left my face while his softened.
“I can’t do this anymore, Em.” He spoke quietly, “I miss you.” He whispered, “I don’t know what is going on between us, but I just fucking miss you.”
I knew I could be mean to him and throw Sasha in his face, but he sounded so broken. No matter what, I’d always have his back, so instead of being a bitch to him I placed my hand on his bicep and gave it a tight squeeze, letting him know I was there with him.
“I miss you too.” I admitted, “I don’t understand what happened between us either.”
“How about a drink after your shift?”
“That sounds great.” I glanced at my watch, “I’m already ten minutes late, Bran, I have to go.”
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to my head, “How is the head?”
Smiling I shoved his shoulder, “Perfectly fine!” I walked past him and headed to the door, “Just one drink, though. I’m a lightweight these past few days.”
After my shift, I had a drink with Brandon just as promised. We were sitting in a secluded area in the VIP section. There were a few people around, but we still had our moment together.
“I told you just one drink!” I warned Brandon when he refilled my glass, “I’ve been terrible these past few days.”
Brandon took a sip of his drink, “What do you mean?”
I swirled the clear liquid around in my ice-cold tumbler, “Even after one glass of wine I get a hangover the next day. I just can’t hold my liquor anymore.”
Brandon frowned, “What? You’re getting soft on me Emily. You could drink almost as much as me! What the hell happened?”
I placed my full tumbler back on the table, “I don’t know. It got Nick worried sick, so I promised to drink less.”
“He is really good to you, isn’t he?”
I knew that question had so much more meaning to it. I could almost hear what he was trying to say. I had to be completely honest with Brandon because if I didn’t he’d have hope, and there was no hope for him anymore. Not for anyone.
“He is it, Brandon. He is the guy I’m going to marry and start a family with.”
Brandon knocked down his glass, “We both know why I have been such a jerk lately.” He narrowed his eyes at me when I raised an eyebrow at him in question, “He is the guy you want a future with and that’s hard for me to accept.”
I didn’t know what to say because he was no longer talking about the subject anymore.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, looking away from those saddened eyes.
Brandon smiled, kissing my temple, “Don’t be. You can’t control who you fall in love with, it just happens.” He pulled away and glanced at my full tumbler, “Should I call you a cab, Em?”
I shook my head, “No, Bran, Miles is waiting for me.” I got up and smiled at him, “We’re okay, right?”
He smiled, “Of course we are.”
Leaving the club on a good note I met up with Miles, letting him drive me back to the apartment. I was glad I could have that talk with Brandon. It was a talk we should have had months ago, but I think he wasn’t ready. Things were good between us now.
***
Nick was rubbing moisturizer onto his arms while he talked to me about Tokyo. I listened absentmindedly because the piece of plastic in my hands had all my attention. He didn’t realize though because I was standing by the sink in the bathroom and he was sitting on the bed, the bathroom door ajar.
“So after your graduation, we’ll stay for about a month in Tokyo-”
“Sounds good, baby.”
Nick chuckled, “Really? Last time you made such a big deal about going to Tokyo with me.”
“I’d go anywhere with you.”
“What’s wrong?”
Nick’s voice sounding so close to me startled me making me drop the piece of plastic on the floor. The clattering sound echoed through the damped bathroom, causing both of us to look down at it.
“What’s that?” He asked though I was sure he knew exactly what it was.
I gulped, leaning down to grab it, “A pregnancy test.”
He grabbed onto my wrist and turned it slightly so he could look at it. The digital display confirming his silent question.
“Three weeks?”
“That’s what it says.” I whispered, I tried to pull my wrist back but he wouldn’t let go, “Are you okay, Nick?”
He wouldn’t release me, but his lips curved into a sloppy, cheerful smile, “That explains your weird response… You had me worried for a second baby.”
I frowned, “I’m not joking when I said that I’d go anywhere with you!” I almost dropped the test again, but this time Nick caught it and observed it as if the display would change.
“This explains your recent behavior.” He turned to me, smiling even brighter, “You don’t know how fucking happy you make me, Emily.” He closed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms, “I love you.”
His arms were wrapped tightly around me, I could hardly move, but I didn’t care. HE didn’t know how happy he made me. He kept rumbling on and on about our future, but I honestly didn’t care. Nick being so freaking happy about this pregnancy made me so fucking high with joy that I honestly didn’t care if he decided we should move to Tokyo.