CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Sasha had a restless sleep while Archer was like a rock, snoring soundly. It was half past six in the morning and Sasha could see the room beginning to brighten as the animals on the farm began making their noises. Sasha's mind was swamped with many things that night but for some reason the twitch in her stomach wasn't due to Casey. She needed to make amends with Indi. Talking with her Dad last night he told all he wanted for her to be happy. Her happiest moments had always been since finding her Dad and older siblings. Sasha and Dex's relationship was great, as with her Dad and her little brother Felix. The one thing keeping their family from acting like a proper family was because Sasha couldn't let what happened five years ago become water under the bridge. She refused to let her sister and niece in because of her feelings. Sasha realised she wanted her sister back and she wanted to get to know her niece, Freya. It was nearly seven o'clock in the morning and at that moment she decided there was no time like the present. Getting up and pressing a kiss against Archer's cheek she got out of bed and slid on a sweatshirt and some shorts. The drive to Indi's took about fifteen minutes, she sat in the car for about another ten minutes trying to work out what possessed her to go to Indi's house at seven thirty in the morning, the lights were on though, and a curtain was slightly drawn so she made her way out of the car and to the front door knocking then taking a step back to wait. The door opened to reveal Indi in her pajamas and dressing gown looking quizzically at Sasha.
"Hi, Sasha, what are you doing here?" Indi asked not unkindly, opening the door further to let Sasha in.
"I didn't know if you'd be up I just needed to talk to you." She heard a TV playing kids programme's coming from the lounge along with Freya's four year old voice singing along.
"Having a four year old daughter I tend to be up at around half past six against my will" Indi joked getting out two cups for coffee instinctively.
"Freya, Aunt Sasha's here." Indi said to her daughter sitting on a little kids couch in the adjacent lounge. Freya mumbled back a halfhearted response her eyes and ears being completely engrossed in the programme that was on. The sisters took a seat at the kitchen island sitting across from each other each cradling coffees while Indi nibbled at her toast.
"So what did you need to talk about?" Indi asked taking a sip of her coffee.
Sasha sighed before looking up at her sister again "My boyfriend Archer and I are going back to Melbourne today." Indi nodded for her to continue. "And I guess I just needed some sisterly advice, and to let water go under the bridge I suppose." Indi's face softened at this.
"What made you come today, right now?" She asked.
"I needed to be okay with all of my family and you are my family. Also because I slept with Casey" Sasha was sure she saw Indi nearly choke on her coffee "And that effectively was me cheating on Archer, and I love Archer more than anyone. He is my rock, been with me throughout everything. When I cheated on Archer with Casey it made me think that I was just as bad as you and Casey. No offense. So now I am going back to Melbourne with my boyfriend and leaving Casey. Yet again."
Indi took a while to process what her little sister had just told her. Running her finger along the rim of the cup she began talking in a slightly quieter tone.
"Do you still love Casey?" She asked.
"Yes, but I also care about Archer a lot. Casey's a risk."
"Not all risks turn out bad Sash"
"I've risked a lot for Casey before and look how that turned out"
"He still loves you, I know he does."
"Love isn't enough. You of all people should understand that."
"I get that, but I also have learnt that when you love someone, truly love someone you risk it all to be as happy as you can be."
"What about when you love someone and it goes to waste."
"Like the way Archer loves you, and how all of that is going to waste."
Sasha thought about that statement. She guessed Indi did in fact have a point.
"He only cares because I'm back in the bay. If I didn't come back he would still be with Kelsey playing happy families." Sasha sighed taking another large gulp of her coffee.
"That's not true, he did think about you. I don't think he ever really stopped." Sasha just scoffed at this until Indi muted the TV and her daughters hair flipped around in an instant.
"Mummy, I was watching that!"
"Telling Aunt Sasha your full name." Indi said, while Sasha just sat their confused.
"She already knows." Freya said getting impatient looking back at the TV.
"Nope I never told her." Indi said, taking a sip of her coffee before putting the cup in the sink.
"Freya Sasha Braxton, can you turn the TV on now Mummy!" Freya spat out her name quickly but Sasha still heard it, she felt and overwhelming warmth and couldn't help but smile a little.
"Is that after me?" Sasha asked looking for confirmation as Indi nodded and smiled.
"Tell me does a man who doesn't have the hot's for his ex-girlfriend while he has a girlfriend and another woman pregnant really let their child's middle name be Sasha."
"Well…" Sasha began listing all other possibilities but Indi cut her off.
"Don't even try. He told me one night on the beach when I was closing up the gym. He had been drinking and when he said to me that he liked Freya's middle name as Sasha because he always knew there would be a Sasha Braxton. Just not in the way it actually turned out to be."
Sasha frowned at this information. There was so much history between the relationship between her sister and herself and Casey and herself, the bay held so many memories that all came flooding over her at once. Suddenly Sasha knew what she had to do. Just as she was about to get up and run to her car Indi stopped her.
"Good luck in Melbourne my baby sister." She came over and pecked her cheek before giving her a tight hug and whispered in her ear. "You have to know how sorry I am. How sorry I always will be that I hurt you so much." Sasha nodded and squeezed her sister tighter.
"I know, it's all over now."

Kyle and Rosie were walking into Angelo's hand in hand as Brax shouted from behind the counter "Your late" good naturedly.
"Yeah sorry Brax, there was traffic on the way in and-"
"Save it Kyle I wasn't born yesterday, beside the day there is traffic in Summer Bay is a day that I probably won't live to see" Kyle looked down embarrassed and Rosie giggled kissing her husband on the lips.
"Don't worry about him, it was totally worth it" Rosie winked at Kyle as he laughed and kissed her on the forehead before going out back to begin stocking up the bar.
"Right what can I help my sexy husband with?" Rosie said with her hands on her hips smiling, Kyle couldn't help but smile back shaking his head.
"Uh, there are some glasses out back if you wanna start setting the tables for tonight?"
"Sure thing" As she made her way out back there was a natural hum in the restaurant of Kyle, Rosie and Brax getting ready for the night. Just as all the shelves in the bar were stocked there was a loud smash from the storeroom. Kyle looked up as did Brax as Kyle ran towards the room and saw Rosie lying pale and unconscious on the floor with glass shattered around her.
"Brax call an ambulance now!" He said as Brax looked at his brother so worried with a hard look on his face as Rosie's body was limp in his arms as he was telling her to please wake up and how much he loved her and that she couldn't do this to him again. When the ambulance arrived Kyle stepped back as they attached her to oxygen and pushed Kyle out the way to do more checks on her before loading her on a stretcher. Brax put a hand on his brothers back to reassure him.
"I've got things here, you go with Rosie. Don't worry, we Braxton's are fighters." Kyle nodded and followed his wife's stretcher to the ambulance taking her hand and not letting go.
Once she was placed in a room Kyle squeezed her hand as she slept soundly, now in the all clear only waiting for her test results to come back. Rosie woke up slowly, looking around the room wondering where she was a look of panic on her face.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm here Rosie, you're okay." Kyle came closer to the bed and kissed Rosie on the forehead as she reached for his other hand and gripped both of them hard.
"I'm sorry." She said groggily looking up at Kyle.
"What for Rosie?" Kyle asked with a questioning look on his face.
"I know I must've scared you. Doing it to you again." Rosie said quietly.
"Na, I wasn't scared. You're a Braxton now remember and we're fighters." Kyle said smiling at Rosie while she just giggled.
"Whatever you were scared." Rosie laughed.
"Okay, I was. Don't you ever do that to me again." Rosie smiled as Kyle pecked her on the lips.
"I just want to know what happened" Rosie said quietly as a doctor came in while Kyle squeezed her hands reassuring her.
"Mrs Braxton, we have you're test result back in and your blood pressure was dangerously low, you need to take it easier now with a baby on the way." The whole room went quiet as Rosie and Kyle processed what the doctor had just said.
"Sorry you said baby?" Kyle said as Rosie looked equally confused while the doctor now looked dumbfounded.
"Rosie, you're three months pregnant?" the doctor said as Rosie looked down at her stomach then back at the doctor repeatedly.
"You're sure?" Rosie asked as the doctor only nodded towards the couple smiling.
"Congratulations Mr and Mrs Braxton."
She left the Room as Rosie and Kyle sat in silence for a few second before Rosie started laughing. Kyle stared at her for a moment the he couldn't contain his grin. He went over to Rosie and kissed her passionately and she kissed back trying to contain her giggles.
"I love you, Kyle. " Rosie said looking seriously at her husband who was beaming.
All Kyle could to was kiss her back as both their hands led to her stomach were there child was.
"You know where gonna have to ring the fertility clinic, they're gonna watch over you make sure you do nothing." Kyle teased Rosie as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh please, the fertility has nothing on over coddling like you do." Rosie teased back while Kyle feigned shock. He had never been from such an extreme state of fear to happiness in one day. It was worth it.

"So Sash, you ready to go back to the big city lights?" Archer said to her as he was loading up their suitcases into her Dad's car. Sasha was standing next to her Dad as she nodded hugging her Dad.
"I love you I'll be back soon I promise. Say hi to Dex and April for me when they get back" Sid nodded and kissed his daughter on the forehead.
"Sash, I'm driving you to the airport, why are you saying bye now?" Sasha shrugged as she thought about her talk with Indi that morning. She thought about her talk with her father last night. She thought about going back to the city and the wasted love Archer had for her.
"I can't do this." Archer stared up her from the bottom of the steps.
"What are you talking about?" he asked concerned.
"Dad, can you give Archer and I a minute?" He nodded stepping inside the house as Archer went up and stood next to Sasha leaning on the front porch railing. Sasha took a breath then continued.
"When my Mum died all it had ever been was my little brother Felix, Mum and Me. Suddenly I had been thrust into this new world of Summer Bay with a Dad who made me in a one night stand and two older siblings who were busy with their own love lives. Trust me going from being the oldest to the youngest had been no easy feat. Then I met this boy Stu when I was fifteen and I thought I was "In Love" with him. I did love him, no matter what he did to me I will never deny that I loved him but I wasn't "In Love". He hurt me physically and it didn't end well and I was so lost. You know what they say about the first one being the hardest; it was then again it wasn't. Then there was a boy named Xavier and it was nice and sweet but right from the start I knew we wouldn't last, he was there for me after the Stu stuff and again I did love him because I had never been afraid to open my heart to love because I guess I had never been "In Love". Not until I met Casey, when I met him he was basically Summer Bay royalty, the youngest bad boy from a family of a surfer gang- yet I wanted him to be my bad boy, my problem, everything he went through I wanted to feel it too. He let me in and I fell, he could do no wrong in my teenage eyes he was the sun and the moon and space combined and he made me happy. God did he make me happy. Then he hurt but it was worse than Stu and Xavier because I was "In Love" with him and I knew I could never love anyone like I loved him, and when I first moved to Melbourne I was certain that what Casey and I had was just the puppy love stuff, I would try convince myself it each night. Then you were there Archer. You didn't ask questions you didn't force me to do anything you just loved me with all you had, and believe me I tried to love you the same back but-"
"You only wanted Casey"
Sasha nodded "I only wanted Casey. Deep down I knew I never stopped no matter how much I tried to convince myself he was bad for me. You deserve everything I can't give you Archer. I am selfish, unfair and so unbelievably stupid but we can't go on like this."
By now my tears had overflowed made even worse by Archers red eyes, he came over and hugged me which made me cry even more.
"You say I deserve better than you when all I want is you. But I get it, I do, I don't want to get and I feel like I should hate you but all I want is for someone to love me the way you love Casey." He kissed my forehead then whispered against my skin as I felt his tears hit my skin "If that bastard doesn't realize how lucky he is you call me and I will personally deal to him with my big muscles, no surfing gang guy will stand a chance" he said jokingly.
Sasha looked up to him and smiled "I love you Archer" and she meant it when she said it. Finally she meant it. It wasn't "In Love" but she loved him, whole heartedly.
"If you ever need me, you know where to call" she nodded and kissed him again as her Dad came out and Sasha asked him to drive Archer to the airport and that she would be fine.
Watching them drive down the driveway Sasha realised relationships don't always make sense and maybe what she was doing was going to screw up terribly. Sasha could only hope that this time Casey was ready for her when she fell. There were no guarantees of a happily ever after. They didn't have the whirlwind romance of first love like Kyle and Rosie. They didn't have the epic romance like Maddie and Spencer where the perfect couple made the wrong choices but always came out better for it. They didn't have the steady relationship of consistency and trust like Dex and April but they did have love, no matter the fights or the attitudes they both had, there was a method to the madness of love. It was pretty freaking amazing when done right.

Sorry for late update! And lack of editing yet again I will get onto it asap!
But what did we think?! Pretty major chapter if I say so myself haha (-:

The scene between Archer and Sasha took me such a long time to get right and I'm still not 100% but I wanted a good send off for someone who had look after Sasha in her dark days. Anywho coming up in the next chapter (3 more to go might I add):
-A Sasha/Casey flashback
-A Rosie/Kyle flashback
-Another sleepover
-Does absence really make the heart grow fonder?

Thank-you to everyone who reviews, I love you all you really keep me going and make this story worth it (-:
Tell me what you thought!

Kaia.