"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"It's about time you got back," Johnny said, "We need to drive to the hospital."
"Why?"
"Bradin drank and overdosed last week at a party. He had a heart attack and hasn't woken up since that day. He's in stable condition."
Her eyes widened. She wanted to ask why he did it. But, no one would know until Bradin woke up.
HOSPITAL
Nikki, Derrick, and their aunt waited in the hospital room of Bradin. They were so scared that he wouldn't pull through. It's been almost a week since the heart attack. Nikki looked up from the bed towards the door and saw Kaitlin and Johnny.
"Oh my god," she said running up to Kaitlin and hugging her tightly.
Ava looked and sighed.
"If you don't want me here, I'll leave," Kaitlin told her.
She looked back at Kaitlin and stood up. She walked up to her and hugged her. Kaitlin was surprised.
"I'm sorry," Ava said, "I'm so sorry. He did this because of what I've done to your relationship. He's been under for a week. Maybe if you're here, he'll wake up or at least show us a sign that he'll be up soon."
Kaitlin walked up to the bed and looked at him. He wore a breathing mask to help him breathe. He had wires over his body and a needle in his one arm. She moved her hand to touch his. As she placed her fingers over his, she broke into tears realizing what he did and why he did it. She listened to his pulse and heart rates on the monitor that was beside the bed. She looked at it to find it them beating slowly.
"Maybe you should try talking to him," Johnny said, "He might hear you."
"What am I supposed to say?" she asked.
"Tell him how you feel," Derrick said.
Kaitlin sighed not knowing where to start. She saw Johnny take everyone out of the room so she could talk to him. Nikki looked at her and nodded to tell her to talk to him.
"Hey, Brae," she said sitting down on the bed, "I know you can't hear me. I want you to know that you NEED to come back. People like Derrick, Nikki, your aunt, and friends need you. I… need you. You can't leave us all here. You need to wake up for us."
She paused because she didn't know what else to do or say. She didn't want to tell him something and have everyone else that was there hear her. Yet, she knew he had to hear it.
"I love you, Brae." She kissed his forehead softly. Tears filled her eyes as she places her arms around him. She pulled away and rested her one hand on the bed as she wiped her eyes with the other. As she wiped her eyes, she felt her hand being held by something. She peered down to find Bradin's hand holding hers. She looked up at him to see if his eyes were open. Still closed.
Outside of the room, Johnny, Ava, Nikki, and Derrick were waiting for Kaitlin to stop talking to Bradin. She came out of the room.
"Are you okay?" Ava asked.
"He'll be up soon," Kaitlin said.
"How do you know?" Derrick asked.
"I just know." With that, Kaitlin left the hospital.
DAYS LATER
Kaitlin walked along the beach towards dusk. She hasn't heard anything about Bradin since she left the hospital. She tried to call people at the hospital but they weren't giving out any information to people who weren't family. She tried to call the house and no one was home or would pick up. As she walked, she could feel the wind blow against her body causing a chill to run through her spine.
"Those days without you were killing me," she heard. She peered behind her and saw Bradin standing there. Her eyes widened not believing that it was true. "I heard you came to the hospital once you got back from New York," he said walking up to her.
She nodded and looked away. A few seconds passed and she felt him place one of his hands on her shoulder. He moved his mouth towards her ear and began to sing.
"I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete"
She closed her eyes and lowered her head as she listened to him sing. Tears filled her eyes. She couldn't look at him. She hurt him too much. It would hurt her to look at him.
"I don't know if I can stand being away from you longer, Katie Baby," he whispered, "I love you too much to leave you alone for the rest of our lives."
Tears filled her eyes as she walked away from him. She wanted to stay but she couldn't listen to him.
"Kait," he said taking her arm into his hand. She turned around and looked at him. "Baby, don't," he said softly, "I can't stand it when you do that."
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"I asked Him for a favor. I just have to do my side of the deal which is to be loyal to you for the rest of the time we're together."
"I meant here, at the beach, talking to me," she said.
He smiled. "To get together with the one that I love," he said.
"Brae, we've done this how many times?" she asked, "How do you know that we're meant to be?"
"Because we've done this so many times," he said, "We love each other and know that we're meant for each other. Who cares about what everyone else thinks? Let's get married. Let's have kids. Let's be happy together."
She looked away and wiped her face with her sleeves.
"Baby," he said.
"Why did you drink and take drugs?" she asked turning to look at him.
"Because you wouldn't talk to me," he said.
"I was in New York helping a very close and good friend of mine cope after her mother died!" she yelled, "I wasn't going to talk to you when she needed me more at the time you called!"
"I was stupid!" he shouted back, "I'm sorry I did what you did."
"I just drank," she said pointing to herself, "I'm not the one who also took drugs and tried to kill myself."
"I didn't try to kill myself," he told her, "I was dunk when I took the drugs. I didn't know what I was doing. Why are you acting like you don't know what you want?"
"Because I don't know what I want," she said.
"Yes you do," he said placing his hands on her arms.
"No I don't," she said him, "If I did, I would have kissed you and held you tightly when you got here."
"Katie Baby," he said softly.
"Stop," she said moving away from him.
"Kait, don't do this," he begged.
"You don't know what you want either. You're just here because you think that you're going to be happy when I come back to you."
"Think?" he asked. "I know that I will be happy when you come back to me. I have never been as happy as I am with you around any other girl in my life. My family has never acted this way either."
"Your family tried breaking us up!" she shouted as tears formed in her eyes, "They would be happy if we were together. But they're not. Neither is mine. They were so excited when they found out that we were not getting back together anymore. You should have seen their faces."
"There is something wrong with you besides us," he said.
"No," she said shaking her head.
"Yeah, there is," he said. "Baby, what's wrong?"
She looked away not wanting to tell him. She sniffed and wiped her eyes once again for the billionth time that day. Bradin placed his hand on her cheek and moved her face so that her face was facing his.
"I love you," he said, "Nothing is going to change that. Now tell me what's wrong."
She ran her hands over her face and the tears met her sleeves. Bradin knew that something as on her mind as she began this argument. He watched as she took his hand into hers. "I'm…"
As he waited, he knew that she wasn't going to finish. "You're what?"
She sighed. "I'm pregnant."
His eyes widened once he heard the words come out of her mouth. "What?" he asked.
"I'm…pregnant."
He was speechless. For the first time in his life, he didn't know how to react or what to say to her. "How long have you known?" he finally asked.
"A few weeks," she said, "I was going to run away when I found out."
"Why?"
"Because of how people would react," she said, "Bradin, if our families found out about this, they would freak. If I knew you were going to be out this soon, I would have ran away earlier."
"Do you know how I would feel if I woke up to find out you were gone?" he asked. "I don't think you do."
She looked away.
"Would you stop looking away from me?" he yelled.
"No," she said.
"Why?"
"Because I'm ashamed," she said.
"Of what? You have no reason to be that way."
"Then, you don't know me the way you should," she told him, "You don't know how many tears I've cried since the day I found out about the baby. You don't know how hard it was to be in the hospital room with you and keeping it from you even though you couldn't hear me. Yet, if I said something, your family would have came into that room and fought with me because I said it."
"They're going to find out," he said, "One way or another. You can't keep it from them."
"I can," she said, "I have my things packed. I'm leaving tonight."
"Kaitlin!" he yelled, "You are not leaving me!"
"I already did weeks ago," she said, "We can't-"
"Don't say it," he said, "It's my baby and I can see and take care of it. I want to be there for you, baby. You don't know how much I need you in my life right now."
"You don't need me," she said.
"Yes I do," he said through his teeth, "I know that we've done some things that made it look like it was the only thing that I wanted. But, that wasn't it. I just wanted to spend time with you and we ended up doing it."
"Brae-"
"Shut up," he said. He saw her look away with anger growing inside of her. He sighed. "Marry me. And this time, let's actually do it. Let's not care about the others."
What he told her next made her turn towards him and actually look him in the eyes.
MIDNIGHT
Kaitlin's family pounded on the door of Bradin's house.
"What's going on?" Ava asked.
"Have you seen our daughter?" Kaitlin's mother asked.
"No."
As the families began to argue about god knows what, Bradin walked in with his arm around Kaitlin.
"Where have you two been?" Johnny asked.
"Talking," Kaitlin said, "We both realized that we need each other."
"We're going to get married whether you guys like it or not. It's your choice to come to the wedding or not when we get the date. But, we would like for you all to be there."
"You two are psycho," Lauren said, "I don't think anyone has done what you two have."
Kaitlin saw her parents look towards Bradin's family. She sighed.
"We're going to have a baby," she said.