Chapter 6

"What were you thinking?! I thought you were done with shit like this! After what happened…"

He cut her off.

"Be quiet! She's not feeling too well and I'm sure you're yelling won't help anything," he hissed, "Nothing happened last night and I was going to explain that to her this morning."

"Is that the same girl who was here last time?"

She had lowered her voice, but she still sounded just as furious.

"Yes it is."

"And nothing's happened between you two?"

"Not that."

"How can I trust you anymore, Christian? Every time I come here, it's like there's a different girl walking around here."

"You can't, but she's different. There might be something there."

"Something like what? Love? Are you capable of such a thing?"

"Look, I know that what I did was wrong, but it's not like I was the only one involved. I can't change what happened. All I can do is learn from it."

"It never should have happened."

Oh no. The Smirnoff was starting to come back up. I jumped up and bolted to the closest bathroom. I slammed the door behind me. I meant to do it quietly, but obviously that didn't happen. They heard me.

"So, is she drunk or pregnant?"

He didn't answer her. I heard his footsteps get closer to the door.

"Layla, are you okay?"

"I'll be out…in…a second."

UGH! There really might have been something behind that muffin thing. I felt a lot less like crap than I usually did when I had a hangover. And luckily, I had left my toothbrush here. Now that I think about it, that's amazingly awkward. Once I was balanced, I walk to the living room where he and his sister were waiting. I stopped in the doorway and seriously considered hiding in his room until the tension had disappeared from the area. They both looked at me.

"So… I'm supposed to be hearing a story?"

Christian sighed and his sister gestured for me to sit down diagonal from her on the empty couch. I sat at the end closest to Christian. When he opened his mouth to speak, his words came out in barely over a whisper, "A few months ago, I met this girl and we were a bit serious. We both went to parties constantly, we drank all the time, smoked a little bit…and then we just started sleeping together. It was high school so I didn't really see it as such a bit thing. She wasn't the only girl that I was with at the time, but she was the only one…who got pregnant."- His sister grunted. - "She told her parents and they made the decision for her: she was going to get an abortion. For a little while, she wanted to keep the baby, and was considering at least adoption, but her parents felt that an abortion would be the best thing for her.

"She came here once her parents made the decision and told me everything. I didn't really want her to have the abortion; it was against our religion, which you can probably guess from my name. But there was no getting out of it. Her parents refused to have a daughter pregnant at that age. They wanted her to have a life and an abortion was the only way to have that. I was the one who drove her to the clinic and sat with her when they did the procedure. There were only a few girls in the waiting room with us, but they were almost all our age and they were all alone. There was one woman though who was probably in her early thirties. She was having her third abortion that day. I couldn't believe it.

"She had never been married and she probably, to this day, still goes clubbing every night. Once the abortion was over with, the girl was heart broken and so was I. We had created a life together and it was gone. We were both changed after that. I've been celibate ever since. And last night, all I could think about that was that little boy or girl that I'll never get to see. That's why I kept saying that It wasn't worth it."

His face was stone. There wasn't the smallest hint of a tear in his eyes, but plenty of pain. I wanted to cry for him. This explained a lot, but that didn't make it any easier to take in. It just made what I had to do even more obvious. I stood up and walked to the door. His eyes followed me the entire time.

"I have something that I really need to do. We'll talk later, I promise."

I went outside and started my car. This was really important. I was done with emotions for the day, and if I couldn't untangle this knot that was my life, then I could at least cut a few strings.

Andrew and Drey both made it to the tree only seconds before Shawn. They stood in front of me as I sat in front of the tree, calmer than I had been in quite a while. I spoke before the confusion could sink any farther into their expressions.

"Today is the day that I set things straight. I am a cheater. I've cheated on all of you for the entire time that I've 'dated' you and I'm sorry. So you can think of this as our official solution to the problem that is me. I am now out of your hair. I'm no longer your problem, and I am no longer your babysitter. Now talk amongst yourselves, I have some painkillers with my name all over them."

I started to walk past them, but of course it wasn't that simple.

"Hold on,"- I turned around to look at Andrew. –"So you mean to tell us that you were with all of us at the same time?"

"Yep, that's exactly what I'm telling you."

"So it was only us three?" Drey asked.

"Technically, no, there were three others at the time. Thus, explaining the fight that I got into with Jack."

"He found out?" Andrew asked.

"I don't think you can really say that he found out. Christian kind of told him."

"Christian?"

"Long story."

"What is wrong with all of you?" Shawn jumped into the conversation, "This isn't a good thing. Why are you talking about it like it is? She had other guys. That doesn't bother you?"

Drey and Andrew looked at each other and then at me.

"It's really not that shocking. I think it's a little impressive." Andrew said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You can't say that you're all that surprised." Drey pointed out. For a second, I really thought that Shawn was going to pop a blood vessel.

"That's not the point."

I crossed my arms and looked at him curiously.

"Are you honestly saying that you've never cheated?"

"Is that so hard for you to believe?"

"Actually, to be honest, it is a little bit surprising. You've never kissed anybody while you were dating someone else?"

"I can't say that I wasn't tempted, but no I haven't and I didn't."

I really felt quite bad by that point. I had no idea.

"Okay, well hate me if you want, but this isn't the only stop that I had to make today. I'm sorry and now you have one less thing to worry about. So have a good life."

"I just have two questions before you go." Shawn asked, running his hand through his hair in an amazingly stressed manner. I sighed and crossed my arms. My headache was really starting to kick in.

"Ask away."

"Who was the guy that they mentioned on the news earlier?"

"What guy?"

"The guy who they said was your 'boyfriend'."

Apparently Shawn was the only one who had watched the news because the other guys were looking perfectly perplexed. Ha, I like the way that sounds. Anywho…

"His name is Michael Jacobson."

I sat back down on the grass and waited for the name to sink in. Football players are basically a team of brothers. They're a family. They know each other no matter how many seasons they've played together and they rarely ever forget a face. He turned his head to the side and stared down at me.

"You're not talking about the same Michael who graduated last year."

"Yeah, I am."

"The same Michael who was the biggest lineman on our team for the years that he was on varsity?"

I sighed. I had just spent the day with him yesterday. I didn't need a recap on how monstrously large Mike is. As you may have guessed, Mike's size made him famous on the football team. But that's what genetics and four years of football conditioning will do to a guy. He was on the freshman team when he first started high school, but was moved up not too long after that season started. Nobody ever counts the first year on varsity though because he was second string and didn't get to play, but enough about his history.

"Yes, the very same Mike," I muttered tiredly.

"He was at your house when your mom died?"

"Your mom died?!" Drey and Andrew both asked together. I sighed again.

"Yes my mom died and yes Mike was at my house. He came back to visit me yesterday."

"Is he still here?"

"Yeah he is. I'll send him over some time. You had another question?"

"Was there any point to us going out, or was that just fun and games for you?"

I stood up.

"You know what, my day has been hell. So, I'll get back to you on that. And don't worry, I'll remember. I will write a freaking note on the inside of my eyelids and make sure that I answer your question for you. "

I rubbed my temples as I walked down the hill and got into my car. It's safe to say that my life is sufficiently screwed. I started my car and headed back to my place. About the only thing that wasn't completely my fault was my mom's death and I could easily turn that on myself. If Mike and I would've stayed downstairs then we could've prevented it. But he did have a gun, so I guess that wouldn't have worked. I guess that's good that it wasn't our faults though. I honestly didn't need another thing to add to my depression and anger.

I stepped out of my car and sighed yet again. It was just one of those sighing days. At least the media and the cops were gone. I don't know why they had been here for that long. It's not like there was some huge mystery. He killed my mom and then he killed himself. Case closed. They always had to make something bigger than it was. I pulled my key out and opened the door. Everything was set up the way it had been when I left yesterday. The bodies and the gun were gone, but the blood stain was untouched. I gagged a little from the smell. I can't stay in here another day. I ran up the stairs to find Mike sitting on my bed flipping through channels with my remote.

"Hey. Do you usually stay out all night?" he asked me without looking away from the oh-so-gloriously blinking box.

"I have been lately."

"Were you out with a guy or by yourself drinking?"

"I was with a guy and I drank. Since when did you become my dad?"

I groaned at the thought of the word 'dad'. That word was cursed to me. I had one dad dead, a wannabe dad who killed my mother and committed suicide, and another wannabe dad who's in jail who, in my eyes, might as well be dead. Isn't that just lovely? I laid down beside Mike on my small twin sized bed.

"You know, drinking is a nasty habit." He said. I sniffed my shirt. Yep, I could smell the alcohol, the strawberry made it smell more like perfume though.

"Which is why I try not to make a habit of it."

"And what about the guy?"

"I talked him into it last night. He kept me from making a really big mistake."

"Do I already know what this mistake was?"

"I'm sure that you do. It's the very same mistake that we almost made twice."

"I only count the second time as a mistake because it didn't happen."

I hit him in his stomach again and struggled to not fall off. This bed was not made for two people especially not when one of the two is as big as a minivan. He only smiled.

"It's not that simple. What if I would've gotten pregnant?"

"I would've taken a year off, maybe more."

"What about your scholarships?"

"They're not the same thing as having a baby with the girl that I'm in love with."

"You wouldn't have been ready."

"There would've been nine months for me to get ready."

"You didn't have the money."

"I could've sold paintings like I am now."

"It wouldn't have been the same."

"It would've been close."

I always hated debating with him. He usually won.

"Seventeen is too young to have a baby," I stated. Sure, I'm eighteen now, but both incidents occurred a while before my eighteenth birthday but not too long after his if I'm remembering all of this correctly.

"I agree."

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

"Because you asked me questions and I answered them honestly."

He was so annoying when he was like this.

"Are you still a virgin?" I asked.

"Sadly no, but I was too drunk to remember it."

"Then how do you know that it actually happened?"

"The evidence was pretty clear. I can give you the details if you want."

"No, that's okay."

"What about you?"

"I'm still 'untouched' as Christian put it last night."

"You should be proud of that."

"I never said that I wasn't."

"You make it seem like you're not."

"I can't help that. Who was she?"

"I don't remember her name."

He said this so nonchalantly that I seriously just wanted to beat the crap out of him.

"You didn't even know her? Did you get checked?"

"Of course I did. I'm clean of every STD known to man."

"Was she your only one?"

"Yes and we only did it that time. Any more questions cop?"

I really thought about my last question.

"Do you still love me?"

I looked into his eyes for the first time that day and those big hazel circles were staring right back at me.

"That's the wrong question. Anyone could say yes to that."

"Are you still in love with me?"

He started clapping excitedly.

"Good job. Give the girl a prize!"

"Shut up and answer the question." I said, laughing at his sarcasm.

"You know that I do. Same question."

"You already know the answer."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do!"

"I'm afraid that I forgot. I'm going to need you to tell me."

"No."

He stood up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Say it!" he said loudly. I started laughing even harder.

"Never!"

"Say it or I'll drop you."

"You wouldn't."

"You really think that I wouldn't?"

He spun me around a few times before slamming me onto my bed. I snorted as the bed creaked beneath me. He pinned my hands above my head.

"Say it gosh darn you!"

I smiled stubbornly.

"No and you can't make me."

"You know that I can."

"You wouldn't!"

My smile dropped from my face.

"Obviously I've been gone for too long because you honestly doubt me."

"Don't do it."

"No, you doubted me. I have to do it now."

"No!"

He slid his hands down from my wrists, to my arms, to my face, and finally to my waist. His smile grew wider.

"Please don't do it." I said, shaking my head. He ignored me. I whimpered and shut my eyes. He pinched my sides and I squealed. I was super sensitive when it came to my waist. Years of people poking me had made me this way.

"Stop!" I screamed.

"Not until you say it."

He poked me.

"No!"

He pinched me harder making me fidget hysterically. He was determined. I closed my eyes and struggled to catch my breath. He leaned in to my ear.

"There are always other ways."

He kissed my ear and then let his lips slide slowly across my neck to my other ear.

"Say it." He whispered.

"No."

He wasn't going to get to me that easily. I refuse! Sadly, he's just as stubborn as I am. He interlocked our fingers above my head and thus the teasing began. The first kiss was the heart stopper. It was Mike's special combination of force, emotion, and tongue. I had forgotten how much I missed it. Deny it as I might want to, our lips matched perfectly together. It was a simple fact. The rest were small butterfly kisses and he was definitely picking up from where we left off. His lips touched every part of my skin that could be seen, and relax you perverts out there, that (for the most part) only included my face, arms, and a teeny tiny part of my tummy. I played with his shirt as it hung off of his stomach twisting it between my fingers and holding onto it. Eventually, I was scared that my nails were going to rip through it as my grip tightened. He took this the wrong way and moved his hands down to my own shirt.

He grabbed the brim of it and started to pull up. I stopped him halfway.

"Let's go somewhere." I whispered against his lips, finally letting my eyes open.

"Not until you say it."

"Michael."

He laughed and stood up. He knew from experience not to mess with me when I used his full name.

"Where is it that you want to go?"

"Anywhere but here."

"Then let's go for a ride."

"I'd rather walk."

"Then let's go."