"Hey," she knocked on the door as she slowly entered the large office. "You aren't hungry?"
"No, not really. Had a late lunch at the office," he explained and she nodded slowly easing into the room.
"Mind in a million places, huh?" Quinn sat on the edge of the couch and ran her fingers through his soft hair. Him offering a shrug as he studied the screen, his eyes burning from the light and hands cramping from searching so much but he had to figure something out. "Why don't you come to bed?" she wondered biting her lip.
"It's only almost nine, Quinn," he pointed out and she shook her head standing up.
"I'm greatly aware of that Clay, but doesn't mean we can't go to bed," her temper rose and his brows creased looking up at her.
"What is wrong with you? You've been in the worst mood lately," he said and swore if looks could kill he would have been ten feet under.
"Excuse me? I've been in a bad mood?" she pointed to herself and he sunk back in his chair knowing he was about to have an argument. However, he was so excused fighting was the last thing he wanted to do. "Do you have any idea what all has been going on lately?"
"Quinn, I don't want to fight. I know you're stressed with all this stuff about work."
"Right, work," she let out a bitter laugh running her hand through her hair shaking her head.
"But I have a lot of shit going on…"
"You have shit going on," she looked at him and he just looked at her confused to where she was lost. "You have shit going on!" she snapped as she felt the blood start to race through her vein. "You put yourself in the middle of that shit Clay!" she snapped and his head twisted to the side. "Look Clay," she clapped her hands together and shook her head. "I love Brooke, I love her more than anything. She is like my sister and I know ok, I know she has a lot going on. However, I have a lot going on too and I need my boyfriend here with me."
"What are you talking about?" he looked at her completely confused to everything going on. Confused to why he was getting yelled at right now. "When have I not been here? I am always here Quinn."
"Really? Because last time I checked you aren't ever," she tossed her hand to the side with a frown. "All you do is work and Nathan and Carter and Brooke. Then you come home and its work and Nathan and Carter and Brooke. What about me, huh? Where do I fit into all of this? Because you are letting all the shit happening with Brooke and Lucas affect us and I can't handle it anymore!" she snapped knowing she was being selfish. She loved Brooke, she knew she had a lot going on, but it didn't change Clay had himself so wrapped up in Carter and all that it was affecting their relationship. He was slacking with them.
"What do you want me to do Quinn? I promised to take care of her."
"She doesn't need you taking care of her! She does just fine by herself, but you're hovering so close to her and cradling her so much you won't let her ever do it. Then, on top of that she has Lucas. She doesn't need you all the time. I need you Clay," tears weld in her eyes and she shook her head as they fell. "We both need you," she whispered and his brows creased as she placed her hand to her stomach.
"What?" he looked at her confused darting his eyes from her hand to her eyes.
"I'm pregnant," she offered a short shrug and his eyes widened. "Almost four months but…but you wouldn't have noticed that since you haven't touched me long before that."
"Quinn…"
"I know I'm being a bitch and I'm not meaning too, but…but I love you," she shook her head with a frown. "I've always loved you and…and now I feel like I have to compete with someone for your attention. And I've always been ok with that, I've always not cared. However now…now you aren't Clay anymore. It's like Will wasn't the only who died in that car accident," she shook her head spinning on her feet and out the office door.
"Quinn!" he called at her retreating body but just got rewarded with the slam of the door. "Damn it," he cursed shaking his head and closing his eyes. Honestly, hating to admit she was right. In more ways than one.
Running the rag aimlessly over the glass cup she stares out the window into the dark night. She hadn't spoken in about three hours and Lucas was more than sure in the time she had been doing dishes she hadn't even blinked. Just stared, cleaning the same glass and holding and unreadable look on her face.
"Brooke…" he flipped the newspaper down and slowly stood up, walking over to her. "I think that cup is clean now…" he placed his hand on hers and watched her eyes close. "Scrub anymore and you will work a hole in the glass," he teased a bit and she spun to face him with a look of annoyance.
"Cooper!" Easton ran in giggling and the little puppy running quickly behind him. His little feet getting the best of him and the small blonde slamming into the older brunette's leg making the glass end up in a clatter on the ground.
"Damn it Easton!" she snapped and the little boy's eyes widened.
"I…I sorry mommy," his bottom lip started to tremble as his feet shuffled back.
"I told you not to run in here!"
"Hey!" Lucas grabbed her arm to get her attention. "Stop it, ok? It was an accident," he let out a bitter laugh and leaned down to grab the broken glass. "It's alright buddy, just go take Cooper to your room and don't come in the kitchen for a minute. I need to clean it up…"
"Ok…" he cut his eyes up at his mother to see her looking back down at the sink, her hands gripping the counter as she pulled in long breathes.
"You need to relax," Lucas pointed at his girl as he tossed the glass in the trash. "He is three years old playing with a dog. A dog you wanted him to have, so don't have such a damn panic attack when something gets broken."
"He shouldn't be running in the house…"
"And you shouldn't be blaming him for the fact you are pissed at the whole damn world," he scuffed annoyed. "Because it's not his fault and I can promise you it's not mine," he shoved past her and out of the room, so completely annoyed at the fact she was giving both him and Easton such a cold shoulder.
Walking out into the backyard he shuffled his feet down the steps and eases down on the long bench. He was tired, completely annoyed and had no clue what he was supposed to do. Since Friday Brooke hadn't uttered more than six words to him, other than when she was snapping at him or Easton.
At night he would climb into bed waiting for her, just to fall asleep with her not there and when he woke up, she still was nowhere to be found. He didn't know where she went, kept getting a 'went for a drive' however, he wasn't sure where she went. When he climbed in the car the next morning it only showed she drove a total of maybe sixteen miles so he had no clue where she went.
"You know what I do every night?" he wondered when he heard the door open and close behind him.
"No…" she slowly swayed toward him and eased on the couch beside him.
"I call my mom," he told her first. "Because when I was younger and went out I always had to call her to let her know I was where I was. Then I moved up here and she panicked all the time so I just let her know I was ok, having a good day. However, after a while I think I did it more because I missed her and wanted to hear her voice…" he explained looking straight forward but felt her eyes on him. "Then I pick up the house, I turn out all the light and let out the dog…"
"Which is a new happening…"
"It is," he agreed. "Then I go into Easton's room," he turned to look at her and see her chew her lip. "And I just watch him and sometimes…sometimes if I watch him long enough I swear for a minute there is something in him that is me…"
"Luke…"
"So I study his face, his little nose, the curve of his lips and there is nothing. But he squints when he talks and he says ya'll and sometimes, for a brief moment I catch him looking at me, at things I'm doing and sitting and he shifts to copy it. I know he isn't my little boy, I know he doesn't belong to me or have my last name or anything. However, every night I watch him, and every time when I do I smile, debate for about ten minutes to call my own father to have a long overdue conversation and say the things I've always wanted to say. Then I don't…"
"Why?"
"Because my own father didn't want me," he told her and she felt her heartbreak. "It took me a long time to get over that. It took him a long time to realize his mistake. Carter is back Brooke," he shifted to face her. "And I hate that man, I hate him for hurting you and Easton but I…I need to know if I should be worried…"
"What?" her eyes slant confused looking at him.
"In my life I've never seen someone affect anyone the way he affected you…still affecting you…" he let out a bitter laugh. "It's like he has this control over you and that scares the hell out of me…I can't lose you and Easton to him… I can't…"
"Luke, no," she shifted on the couch toward him. Flipping her legs up over his lap and gripping onto his face, feeling the stubble under her palms. "No, no, no, baby, no," she shook her head and rested her head against his. "I love you," she whispered and felt her heart break that he didn't know that completely. "I love you so much…you…you like saved me from…everything…"
"And maybe that is it," he shifted to face her. "Maybe I'm just some safety net…something that was there when you were in a hard time and you counted on me."
"Do you really think that?" she pulled back suddenly unsure of everything.
"I don't know what to think," he let out a dry laugh. "Do you know what I do after I tell that little boy goodnight?" he wondered and she shook her head. "I climb into this big empty bed and lay there wondering where the hell my girlfriend is, what the hell she is thinking."
"Luke…"
"You go missing every night Brooke," he shook his head, standing up and moving toward the railing. "You don't talk to me during the day, don't talk to me ever really," he tossed his hand up and frowned. "You've just been walking around here like some…some zombie…"
"Lucas," she stood and moved toward him. "He wants to take away my son, my baby," she reminded him. "And all day every day I watch him knowing if he tries there isn't much I can do."
"You talk to me about it!" he snapped and she cringed back. "You tell me where your mind is at so I can help you," his hands frame her face. "So I can make things better."
"Luke…"
"Nothing is going to happen to Easton. No one is going to take him away from you and us," he told her and she glanced down.
"How are you so sure of that?"
"Because there is no way anyone would give Easton to him," he pointed out. "His biggest issue that we live together and he is right, I looked into it."
"Into what?"
"Legally if he pushes it he has a case. We aren't allowed to live together, some…some bullshit underline of divorce papers."
"Divorce? Luke, he and I weren't ever married."
"He still has legal rights to Easton; he's on the birth certificate."
"Then what are we going to do?"
"The only thing we can do right now," he shrugged. "I have to move out," he let out a dry laugh and her eyes widened.
"What? No you don't…you don't have to do that," she started to shake her head and tears started in her eyes.
"Brooke…"
"Lucas this is your home, our home. I mean, we have the pool and the big kitchen and wrap around porch and there is a fireplace in the bedroom," she pointed out and his eyes closed. "We haven't even gotten to use the fireplace yet."
"I know…I know Pretty Girl," he rested his head against hers.
"If you move out he wins," she told him. "You do realize that, right? He gets his way, he hurts me and he wins. It's all a game with him!"
"Brooke…"
"He doesn't want Easton, he doesn't want me. He just wants to win!" she yelled. "Please don't leave me," she begged, sliding her arms around his neck and clinging on tight. "I know I've been distant. I know I haven't talked to you about it, but at night I just need to get out. I'm not going anywhere, I'm not going to see him. I just…I just need to think. Please…please don't leave me," she begged, closing her eyes and breathing in deep. "I need you…I love you."
"I love you too," he pulled her face up to look at him. "But I don't know what to do. I don't want something I'm doing hurting you," he brushed her tears and frowned. "But…but it's not fully, just on paper."
"What do you mean?"
"I move my stuff back into my old place. It hasn't sold yet. Just pull the paper work and keep it. That way he tries to anything he has no case. No one can prove I live here. And unless he is always following me he never knows when I sleep over. I just have to not be here all the time, every night."
"Then what about me, huh? I'm just supposed to be alone because he is deciding to pull the parent card now?"
"You aren't alone, Pretty Girl. I'm just…I'm not always here. Like before, just now…now more of my clothes are here."
"But this is our home," she reminded him. "We picked it out together. You bought it. If someone should leave it's me."
"No, not even an option," he shook his head quickly. "Pretty Girl," he knocked the tear frowning. "It's not like I'm really gone…Just not here a few nights out of the week."
"I don't want that," she pouted and he let out a dry laugh.
"Yeah, neither do I," he agreed pushing a kiss to her forehead and stroking her hair. "Let's go put Easton to bed and then head to bed ourselves."
"So early?" she raised a brow and he smirked.
"I didn't mean we go to bed yet," he brushed her hair back and she bit her lip.
"You going to be there in the morning?" she raised and looked up at him.
"Are you?" he hit back and she frowned looking down and fiddling with his shirt. "Sorry," he apologized with a frown. "I just…I don't like any of this. I get it, but I don't like it."
"I know," she pulled in a long breath before looking up at him. "I'm sorry you're stuck in the middle of this…if… if I could change this for you I would. If I could go back and just not have bothered you that night I would have. I just…I never expected to meet someone so perfect that night," she gave a short shrug. "Someone who has treated me better than anyone I've ever been with."
"I wouldn't have changed a thing," he brushed her hair back and lifted her for a sweet kiss. "I love you…you know that right?"
"Yeah," she let out a sigh against his lips and closed her eyes. "Let's go put our little boy to bed…"
"Ok," he laced his fingers through hers as they headed back inside. This tight feeling in his chest rising in a way he's never experienced before. A sure hope of it not meaning he was screwing up something, because no matter what she said it was still ringing in his mind. That was Carter honestly scared the hell out of him and he really didn't think he could handle losing either one of them.
So I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Sorry I haven't updated any of my stories in a while but working on them! Sorry this one is also so short! I suck as a person. I haven't updated anything in a lifetime and offer crap that is short! Please forgive me!
Also if you are looking for something amazingly awesome to read go check out White Blank Page it's on my favorite list and written by the super awesome JustReckless so go go check it out!
Please review!