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Chapter 38: Hurt

"You doing OK?" Elyse said softly rubbing Cal's shoulder as he sat at the table. He shook his head. "They're was always a chance something like this would happen."

"Not to one of my boys," He shook his head, "They know better Elyse. I only hope he listens and doesn't marry her right away."

"He claims it was their plan anyway," She sighed. Cal shook his head.

"I know Brett Atkins," He said softly, "This wasn't his plan. He was gonna work for his father for a year, maybe then move out, down to Boston or something."

"Mm," Elyse kissed him. "God," She put her hands on her stomach, "Our baby's going to be in the same grade as theirs. As Julie's friends' kids."

"I've thought about that a few times," He nodded. "I'm just scared for them. It's not easy."

"At least they'll be out of school," Elyse said, "She'll graduate pregnant, but she'll graduate."

"Pretty little Taylor Pilkington," He shook his head. "Poor girl. Her parents always let her have the run of things. She's not ready for this, and neither is he. They're kids, and selfish immature ones at that."

"The Pilkingtons are good people, so are the Atkins," Elyse said, "Taylor's a little spoiled, but I'd hardly say she was selfish or immature. She's always been good with Mikey."

"I just don't know," Cal sighed, "I thought I'd gotten through to those boys, that they weren't going to," Julie walked through the back door. "Hi baby."

"Um," She looked at her parents, "I told Taylor I'd drive her to the doctor tomorrow, can I have the car?"

"Of course honey," Elyse said. Cal looked at her. "Is she alright?"

"She's upset," Julie shrugged, "Scared." She looked down. "Dad, um,"

"I know, honey," He said. "I've already talked to Brett. I'll help them anyway I can, you know that." Julie smiled and walked upstairs. She picked up her phone and dialed.

"Hey," Jimmy said, "I wasn't expecting you until later."

"Taylor's pregnant," Julie whispered her eyes filling up with tears. "It might be Steve's she doesn't know."

"Wow," Jimmy said. "Are you OK?"

"No," She sighed, "Jimmy, I just sat with Taylor for an hour while she talked about maybe having an abortion, or marrying Brett, or raising the baby on her own because her parents said that they won't help if they don't get married." Jimmy sighed. "My dad is so angry, you know, he's been lecturing the guys about condoms since we were old enough to know about sex. Thank God he doesn't know it might be Steve, I think he'd kill himself."

"She was thinking about an abortion?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah," Julie sighed, "Not too much, because Brett said he'd marry her, but it came up." She lay down. "I wonder if Jaime had a friend who talked her out of aborting me."

"Jules," Jimmy sighed, "You can't think that way, you'll drive yourself crazy."

"What if it's Steve's?" She sighed. "As mad as I am at him, I want him to have a future."

"I know honey," Jimmy said. "God, why does Christmas always royally suck around here?"

Brad and Gabrielle sat cuddling and kissing on the couch in her house, happy to be together again after their two weeks apart.

"I'm glad your family ditched you this Christmas," Gabrielle giggled.

"Mm, me too," He laughed and kissed her. "Listen, I know your parents don't want me sleeping here, but," He played with the buttons on her sweater, "I thought tonight, could be the night."

"Brad," She whispered as he kissed her neck. "Ever since I told you I wanted to sleep with you, it's all you've focused on." She looked at him. "This summer when it was out of the question we could just spend time together, can't we still do that?"

"This summer, I really wanted to sleep with you," He laughed. "I just controlled myself a little more, because you said you didn't want to sleep with me."

"Brad," She sighed, "I'm being serious. If it doesn't happen this week, is that OK with you?"

"Gabrielle," He whispered, pushing her hair off her face, "Of course it is, I love you. I'm happy to be with you."

"Good," She said, "And I'm sorry that you have to be at our seriously lame family friend's Christmas party tomorrow."

"It's really not a problem," He laughed. "What's their name again?"

"This is where the problem might come in," She laughed awkwardly. "You know the Nichols right?"

"The Nichols?" Brad pushed her away. She nodded. "Like Liam and Grant Nichols? Guys who are in love with my brother's girlfriends, those Nichols?"

"Yeah," She said, "My mom and Andrea were sorority sisters and we go every year and I thought if I told you that you wouldn't want to come and I want to be with you."

"I just," He sighed, "A little warning would have been nice. Logan stole Grant's fiancée, and Liam apparently like hates Scottie because Kelly wouldn't fuck him or something and," She kissed him.

"Liam and Grant barely know I'm alive," She said. "There are about four hundred people at this Christmas party, no one will even notice that you're there."

"I hope not," He said, "The last thing I need is for someone to ask me my last name and then get my ass kicked because my big brother can't keep his dick in his pants."

"That's a lovely image Bradley," She rolled her eyes. "Grant and Liam aren't the kick ass types anyway, they might wrinkle their Armani." He laughed. "They're very well groomed. It's quite sexy." He leaned across the space and kissed her. "Not quite as sexy as that though." He smiled. "You don't have to go if you don't want," She whispered.

"No, I'll go," He said, "It's important to you. Besides, it's like a big old house?" She nodded, "I can hide into corners and stuff if I see them coming." She laughed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," She kissed him. "I missed you so much," She pulled herself close. "Where's the boat now?"

"It's Key West," He said, laying back. She lay against his chest. "I spent last Christmas on her. It was amazing."

"Mm," She nodded. "Do you remember the night we anchored right off Block Island?"

"Oh yeah," He smiled. "I wonder if you do though?"

"Why wouldn't I?" She laughed.

"You drank an entire bottle of Patron," He laughed. "I enjoyed it, mind you, you are stunning naked," She hit him. "And the other thing, I liked that too." She blushed. He laughed, another plus of Gabrielle over Elena. Elena never got embarrassed over sexual things. Mostly because except for full blown intercourse she'd done everything by eighth grade. Gabrielle was so pure, but at the same time, not a prude. It was a nice balance "Were you thinking we could do that? Because there's not a man alive who would say no to that." She smiled.

"Maybe not tonight," She said, "But this week."

"I should go then," He said, "Dave will be wondering where I am, it's getting late." She nodded and he kissed her, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," She said.

Steve sat on his bed looking at the phone, he picked it up and tried calling Taylor again. She picked it up.

"I said I didn't want to talk to you," She said. "What part of that didn't you understand?"

"What if it's my baby?" He asked. She sighed. "Tay!"

"It's Brett's baby," She said. "End of story."

"I'm not going to just go to college and pretend I might not have a kid in Bangor," He said, "It doesn't work that way."

"Why can't it?" She asked. "It's not as though you and Brett look all that different Steve, you're both blond hair, blue eyes, athletic. Even if it's yours, no one's the wiser, and no one gets hurt."

"I get hurt, Taylor," He said.

"Yeah, well," She sighed, "You earned it. Just stay away from me, stay away from my baby." She hung up.

"Send my manuscripts here," Claire said on the phone in the hotel room. "I don't know when I'm coming back, when I do, I'll tell you." Logan walked in and smiled sitting down behind her and kissing her neck gently. "I have to go." She giggled and hung up, "You are so bad!" She giggled.

"Is your assistant harassing you again?" He asked.

"Mm," She whimpered, "Pretend if you want, I know yours has been too."

"I don't care," He smiled. "You've been happier, these past few days." She smiled. "I'm glad, and can I take some credit for this change of mood?"

"You can take most of the credit," She kissed him. It was true, the more time she spent with Logan the more she remembered what she loved about being with him. All the little moments that exhilarated her, the way he touched her, these were things that she loved Logan for, things that she never had with Grant, as much as she loved him.

"So what happens when we get back to reality?" He asked. "Are you still mine?" She kissed him.

"I've always been yours," She whispered.

Lisa sat on her couch, running David's baby blanket between her fingers. He was out with Kevin. They'd grown more and more distant over the past month. She'd been spending more and more time with Patrick, finding it harder and harder not to go to bed with him. Kevin hadn't even tried to touch her in weeks. She used to have to at the very least say she was too tired, or she didn't want a baby, or not feeling well, but lately he was just that guy in the bed next to her.

"Hi," Dean walked in.

"Hi," She looked up at him. "David's with Kevin."

"Good," He nodded and sat down next to her. "I'm here to see you." She looked at him.

"You're talking to me now?" She asked. He nodded.

"I'm sorry I was so judgmental." He said. "You're my sister and I love you, and I disagree with what you're doing, but you were right it's your life."

"Thank you," She said softly. "I missed you, you know?"

"I missed you too," He whispered as she hugged him. "I do have one thing to say though." She nodded. "Like I said, your life, but don't you think it's a little unfair to Kevin to be sneaking around like you are? Leave him if you're going to, but he's been very good to you and to David, he deserve better than this."

"You're right," She nodded, "I know that, and I'm trying, believe me, but David understands now, you know? And how do I take him away from his daddy?"

"Maybe you don't," Dean shrugged. Lisa looked at him. "Maybe you and Kevin work through it."

"Maybe," She said. "I do love him, Dean, but he's not, we're not what we used to be." She looked at him, "How's everything with Elena?"

"Amazing," He smiled, "It's good, this time around, it's right." Lisa smiled. "Very low drama."

"Good," Lisa said. "I always thought she was good for you. She keeps you from dragging yourself down." He looked at her. "I really missed talking to you Dean." He hugged her.

"I missed you too, Lee," He said. "You're going to be OK."

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