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Chapter 4: Couldn't Stop
Julie cleared the breakfast table Steve still glaring at her, even though it had been a few days, and Jamie was chattering to try to cover the awkwardness.
"So, um, I know you said you didn't want to meet him," Jaime said, "But Josh is a USC alumni."
"Really?" Julie said. Jaime nodded.
"He said he'd be happy to show you two around." Jaime said, "If you're interested."
"Yeah we are," Julie bounced excitedly, "Right Steve?"
"I'm not so sure about USC anymore," He shook his head, looking right at her, "I just don't know how I feel about California." He stood up and walked upstairs. Julie sighed and looked down.
"He'll get over it," Jaime said. Julie nodded, "You did the right thing baby."
"I know," Julie whispered, "But I still feel bad." Jaime smiled and hugged her. The doorbell rang. Julie ran over and answered it.
"Hey baby!" Jimmy pulled her close and kissed her. She felt a little silly because the minute that Jimmy kissed her she completely lost track of all of the Steve guilt. Just touching him made her feel right again.
"Hi," She whispered, her hands rubbing his lower neck. "I missed you so much." She hugged him tightly her head in his chest.
"Hey," He said, "What's wrong?"
"Julie!" Tammy ran over and hugged her. Julie peaked over at the car. "Are you OK?" Tammy whispered. Julie nodded.
"Thank God, we're here," Fulton said, "If I had to listen to Britney Spears again."
"She's good," Tammy insisted. Julie nodded skeptically.
"Hey Fult," Julie smiled, "Come in, you must all be tired." She showed them to their rooms, Steve sulked into the living room.
"Hey," Jimmy said, grabbing Julie's hand, "Do you want to talk about something?"
"No," Julie kissed him, "I don't want to talk at all." They kissed again.
"Hi Jimmy," Steve said walking into the bedroom, "I'm being moved. Replaced, if you will." Julie sighed and looked at him. He grabbed his bag, "See you Jules." He walked out.
"What was that?" Jimmy said. Julie sighed and sat down on the bed. "I mean, he's never happy to see me, but that was particularly bad, and he called you Jules."
"We had a fight," She shrugged. "He's sulking. He'll be fine in a few days." She kissed him. "Where were we?"
"Right about here," He smiled and lay her down. She smiled.
"Come on you two," Tammy bounced in, "You can make out later, we're going to the beach!"
"We're going to the beach," Jimmy said. Julie laughed and they stood up, she was happy to be around her friends again.
Portman sealed the last of Lisa's boxes. She was moving into the new house, the last thing still set up was David's crib. He looked at it.
"Keep it there," Lisa said leaning against the door frame. He looked at her, "He needs something to sleep in, when he's here."
"I want to be happy for you." Dean said, "But uh, I can't stop thinking about how much I'm gonna miss you two."
"Dean, I'm moving up the block," She said and hugged him. "But I'll miss you too."
"And Kevin knows," Dean said, "Like, everything to do when Dave won't sleep, and."
"Yeah," Lisa said, "He knows everything. He's not as good at is as you are but," She looked down. "Dean, I'm getting married tomorrow."
"I know hon," He said. She looked at him.
"Mommy!" David said, being carried up the stairs by their mother.
"Hey baby!" Lisa said, "How was your day?"
"Fine," Mrs. Portman said, "Lisa, um, we ran into someone. Dean, could you take David downstairs."
"Um sure," He took him, "Everything OK?" She nodded.
"Mom, you're sort of scaring me," Lisa said as Dean carried David downstairs. "What's going on?"
"We saw Patrick," She said. Lisa nodded quietly, "He wanted to see you."
"He should have called then," Lisa whispered. "He knows he can see David anytime."
"He doesn't feel like he can," Her mother said. Lisa looked down. "I think you should talk to him."
"He's here isn't he?" Lisa said. She nodded, "Why?"
"He didn't know about the wedding, and I think he deserves to know that someone else is going to be raising his son," Her mother nodded.
"His son?" Lisa said, "You don't even like Patrick! Do you remember this time two years ago? Do you mother? When he left me, pregnant, and alone!"
"Lisa," Her mother said, "This is not about Patrick, this is about David, and about you. Do you really think that you're going to be able to go onto a healthy marriage with Kevin if you don't deal with all that Patrick baggage?"
"Fine," Lisa said and walked downstairs and outside.
"Hey Lee," Patrick smiled, his hair had grown out a little, he looked unbelievable. "It's good to see you."
"You too," She whispered. "What are you doing here Pat?"
"I'm here to see David," He shrugged, "And you, you said that I could be in his life."
"Why didn't you call?" She asked.
"I didn't know how to," He said, "The way that things ended, the way you kicked me out."
"I'm marrying Kevin," She said. He nodded. "Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" He said. She nodded. "Wow, um, wow. Congratulations. So, what does that mean for David?"
"We haven't decided that yet," She sighed, "He already calls Kevin, 'Dad,' we've talked about adoption."
"Adoption?" Patrick said. She nodded. "He'd be David's father?"
"At least he'd be around," She sighed, "You show up every few months, you don't even see him."
"You kick me out before I get the chance," He reminded her. She sighed, "Is he still awake?"
"He is," She nodded. "But I,"
"I'll be Patrick, he doesn't have to call me Dad," He said softly. Lisa smiled.
"Come in," She nodded. Dean was standing protectively holding David's hand. "Dean, it's OK. Davey," Lisa said "Come here," She held her hands out he ran over, "This is Patrick."
"I'm going out," Dean said walking past them and giving Patrick a glare. He walked outside for a while.
"Hey," Tanya shouted across the street and ran stopping him. "What are you doing out?"
"Patrick's at my house," He grumbled. "I can't be around him."
"The day before the wedding?" Tanya asked. He nodded, "That's fucked up."
"You have no idea," Dean mumbled, "Where've you been?"
"Working," She said, "I'm only thee hundred thousand short of Northwestern." He laughed. "You want go stuff our faces at the diner? That used to make you feel better when Lisa did something stupid." He smiled.
"That sounds good," He said and they kept walking.
"He's a great kid," Patrick said once David was asleep. "You're doing a good job."
"Thanks," She nodded. "It's good to see you."
"You too," He smiled, she sat down next to him, "Look at you Lee," He touched her face. He kissed her.
"Pat," She whispered. He pulled her close. "Pat, don't."
"I'm back Lisa," He said, "I'm moving back." She swallowed. "I'm going to get a job and,"
"Patrick," She said, "That's good, but, I'm marrying Kevin tomorrow." He looked at her. "We can put off the adoption, if that's what you want."
"I want you," He said, "I want to be with you again, Lisa." She sighed. "I want to raise our kid together, and,"
"You should have thought of that," She said, "Two years ago."
"So um," Tanya said as they walked back towards the Portmans, "What happened?" Dean looked at her, "With your girlfriend?"
"Yeah," He said softly, "I don't know. I mean, I love her, but she's just," He closed his eyes, "She's short sighted."
"And that's a crime at fifteen?" Tanya laughed. He looked at her, "I know you're like the most profound teenage boy to ever live and you've got more perspective than most because of Lisa and the whole Dean Portman of two worlds thing," He laughed, "But you've gotta cut the rest of us some slack, it's not our fault we're behind the curve."
"There was another reason," He said.
"Yeah?" She stopped and looked at him.
"Yeah," He said, "After Christmas, I couldn't stop thinking about you."
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