/James POV/

Chapter Song: Think Of You - Chris Young ft. Cassadee Pope

"So, the lady gave you the night off?" My extremely drunk friend slaps me on the shoulder; tipping some of his shot onto my shirt.

"I guess. 'The Lady' won't talk to me. I think she's gonna break up with me."

"Oh, shhh-." He takes the shot and a slouchy-concerned face looks back at me. "Did you do the forbidden?"

"Worse. Worse than sleeping with anyone is her family or any of her friends." From my bar stool, I watch the girls on the dance floor. It all reminds me of how much I enjoyed watching my Sawyer dance. No matter what song, she could always choreograph a beautiful piece. "I went too far. She's not talked to me in a week. Stupid choice of words and then out of frustration kept talking and kept digging that hole deeper."

"That seems pretty stupid. And, it's a shame. I liked her. Pretty great dancer too. A pretty girl in general. Hey, would you care if I took her? What if your kid calls me 'Papa'?"

It was like an instant reaction, I snatched up my by the collar of shirt; but quickly released my grip.

"I don't wanna lose her."

"Oh, man. You totally serious. Didn't realize it was that bad. I'm too wasted for deep conversations. But know what I'm not too drunk for? Dancing!" He points to the floor and takes the sleeve of my shirt. After dragging me the edge of the floor, he gets a few girl's attention. He chats the girls up while I plan on how to get home, because I too have a light buzz in my skull, don't wanna risk driving and getting a ticket. "C'mon. Let's go. I'm gonna cheer you up."

"Oh, where are we off to?"

"Somewhere else."

With a girl on each arm, he leads us out the door of the club and stumbling into the worse tragedy to ever happen.

"Well, it looks like you're taking our separation very well."

/Sawyer POV/

Chapter Song: Intermission - Big Time Rush

The shock on his face when the realization sinks in is entirely priceless.

"No. No. It's not what it looks like. And, what do mean 'our separation'? We didn't break up."

"Don't even try." I keep walking. He just abandons his group. "It's not like we had to say the words. You said what you felt. I listened."

"I was giving a small explanation to my friend. He thought the only reason I was with you was because I got you pregnant." He follows me as I walk. "What are you even doing walking out here this late in the evening?"

"I'm walking to the parking garage because all the spaces were filled by the time I got to work. Not that I owe you an explanation."

"Stop! Would you just talk to me and maybe we can get passed this! Why won't you even try?" He takes my hand, but I jerk away and keep on strolling. Thankfully, my car is already in view. "You have to believe me. Why else would I make a nursery and help pick out names, go with you to every doctor appointment? Tell me why I stood by your side through all the persecution? Why did I ask you to move in with me, so that I could take care of you." He spits out reason after to reason.

This may be it for us.

The headache makes my feet unsteady and the steady rain fall isn't helping.

"Don't go, please." He pleads, but I burst on through. He takes off after me this time but I stop him short.

"When I left, you should have chased after me! I just wanted you to hold me and take it all back!" I turn around.

"You told me to leave you alone! I've been trying to take it back!"

"I was mad! Still am!"

"I said I'm sorry! I said it every way possible! You know that I would never say that in a million years! Nothing could make me say that you're not carrying my daughter! Because, you are! That is my baby! Melody is mine!"

"How can I know that you mean it?! You said it once, what will keep you from changing your mind later?!"

"Nothing ever will! I will never say that again! Even if you and I are mad at each other! That doesn't change the fact that we are preparing to start a new life together. Yes, it's scaring the life out of me, but I'm a thrill seeker. I want you to know that the moment that Melody arrives in this world, her daddy will be there to greet her and will be with her until I die. Nothing will keep me from my daughter." While we were yelling at each other, we moved closer. Our hair and clothes are now wet.

"What? Did you think that you can just spit out some bit like that just expect everything to be alright?" I deal him a head-turning slap.

"By telling the truth, yes. I thought you would realize that I had a poor choice of words that didn't mean a thing! Nothing I said that night is true. Not a single thing in this world compares the level of love and need I have for you and Melody."

"This isn't a romance novel! That doesn't really work in real life! Don't you see? You're not held back now! You can walk away! Go be with whoever, go do and have whatever, you want! Sorry that I kept you prisoner for so long!" I turn to go back to the car. James jumps in front of me, holding my face to look at him.

"Looking into your eyes, I know I'm right. If there's anything worth my love; it's worth a fight! We only get one chance, but nothing ties our hands. You're what I want! Listen to me, nothing I want is out of my reach. I'm free! Running away will never make me free, and nothing we sign is any kind of guarantee. But I wanna hold you now, and I won't hold you down. Love's the only thing that keeps me here. You're the reason that I'm hanging on. My heart's staying where my heart belongs." He takes the chance to kiss me. "We're better than real life, Thea. Can't you see that? Can't you feel it? We are better than it. You have to believe me when I say that my feelings for you will never change. No one will ever convince me that baby isn't mine. From the first time we heard her heartbeat, to the time I first felt her move, and every other time between; that baby is mine."

"James." If we weren't standing in the rain, I could probably see tears going down his face. I pull his hands away from my face.

My life will change forever in any second.

His head drops. I look down too. His hand rests on the apex of my baby bump. The rain making our clothes cling to our bodies.

"No, Sawyer, please. Don't do this. Please, don't leave me. Don't take Melody away from me. Please. I'll do anything to make you stay. You are the center of my universe. I just need to you stay. You are my once in a lifetime."

I stand there while he grips my wrists, not in a threatening manner, more like in a way that if I pulled away he would shatter in a million pieces. Why does it feel that way? He said such mean things. He said mean things, but also that I am holding his whole universe in tact.

Goosebumps cover my skin. The cold rain has me freezing the core, even though I was so heated just a few minutes ago.

"Don't leave me." His forehead lays on my head. I am looking down because I couldn't look at him right now. "I don't want you to go."

"James, we relive the same thing over and over. We can't keep re-acting the same thing again and again. What in the world is our relationship based on? Okay, we were friends for years, but how does that bring stability to a new relationship and adding a baby to the equation? You treated me like a porcelain doll; with care and special attention, but always afraid to break me."

"We were making it work, please, don't leave me."

"We can't help but cause a fight, it seems, every night for the last two weeks. We keep acting like everything is okay, then we're alone, it's horrible. You almost always left the house entirely every few days. We don't feel right anymore. Life keeps getting in the way. And, you're obviously not too tore up about it all, out getting drunk with your friends."

"I'll do anything, please. I don't want it to be over. Please stay."

"Right now, I think you and me, we're better off apart." It takes all of my strength to muster the words that barely trickle out of my mouth. "I don't want it to be over either, and if we're supposed to be together; we'll manage to drift back together. We need to find out who we are without each other. Let's not make this any harder, please, understand."

"I'm trying to understand."

I unlock the car and open the door to throw my bags in. As I try to get in the vehicle, he stops me again.

"What about us? What about everything we've been through?"

"What about trust?" I lean over on my car for some support, this baby is causing my back to ache. All that walking energized her in some strange way. Melody is definitely not a fan of all this stress. I actually feel my blood pressure rising and the urge to throw up.

"You know I never wanted to hurt you."

"But, you did and out of every single person in the world, I thought you'd be the last person to do make me feel like I meant nothing. You were the only person in the world who used to treat me like a regular human being. I thought dating you would be like our friendship, natural and easy. We just need some time."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know. You'll be okay."

"Why do you have to go?"

"I've got to do what's best for me and my baby. We don't just belong in your world at this particular moment. You've got so much happening for you. And, I'm so proud of you, I am. I've always been you're number one cheerleader, but at least for now I can't be. I'll still love you even after I drive away. I got to leave. But, I'll miss you."

In an minute, I am leaving James in my rear view mirror.