4. CONFRONTATION
"Knock, knock" Phoebe says into the small Braxton flat where the door is wide open, as it usually is.
Ricky is quick to get to the door and greet her friend who she had invited over on the premise of a coffee and chat, but with a hidden agenda behind the invitation.
"Hey Phoebs! Come in, come in" Ricky smiles, giving her friend a hug before the two walk over to and collapse on the couch in the flat. "So how have you been? Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah I'm pretty good. I feel like I've slowly being getting on top of things."
Ricky smiles positively, with a "good" in response to her friend, while mentally trying to brainstorm how she can manoeuvre the conversation to be able to talk about what is on her mind and what she is hoping to get out of friend.
"So, since Casey was born, I feel like I've been a bit of a hermit. Tell me, what's new in the Bay? Has anything been happening with you?"
"Mm, nothing especially interesting for me... I heard there's a new kid staying with Irene. I think that's about it."
Phoebe's response could be a sign that Ricky is barking up the wrong tree and her theory is wrong. However, Ricky views it more as a sign that Phoebe wants to avoid an issue... Not that this stops Ricky who gives up on the suggestive and gentle approach, instead asking the question that she has been pondering for days now and facing it head-on.
"Okay, now if I'm totally wrong, I'll just blame some unique form of baby brain... Phoebe, are you pregnant?"
Phoebe's mouth drops, flying open. This is her first reaction before she very quickly responds by looking around and looking behind her, knowing that the door is wide open and knowing her baby's father lives next door.
"Don't stress, Kyle's out" Ricky reassures her friend, seeing the fear and seeing her reaction to check that they weren't overheard, again. "So, are you?"
Phoebe just nods in response. It had felt easier just blurting her secret out to Matt when she had been venting than what it feels to confirm the words aloud to Ricky.
"How far are you? Do you know if you're going to keep it?"
"I'm about 10 weeks. And no, I'm giving myself a few days to think about it, but probably not... That's part of the reason I don't want him knowing."
Ricky's face shows the fact that she looks a little surprised and set back by her friend's revelation.
"Why aren't you going to tell Kyle, Phoebs? He'd want to know... You know he'd support you."
"It'd kill him" Phoebe states simply, having given the issue a lot of thought. "Knowing that I'm pregnant with his baby, but having that taken away from him would absolutely kill Kyle. He would hate me, Rick."
Ricky nods with understanding, before the conversation is interrupted by her own sons whimpers that begin to escalate into cries as he awakens from his nap.
Silently, Ricky stands up to pick Casey up and out from his cot, rocking her baby as she sits down on her spot on the lounge that she had left initially just moments before.
"Just make sure that you are 100% confident if you make that decision to end it and make sure that it's the right decision for you; not just because you feel like it's the easy choice. Really, there is no easy option."
Phoebe nods at her friend, before reaching out and grasping the hand of her friend's son, holding it gently as she rubs Casey's hand. Deep inside, Phoebe can feel her fears. She can feel the fact that she isn't 100% confident in the decision that she feels like she has made. She only feels like it is the lesser of two evils...
#
Later in the day and after Phoebe has left, Ricky strolls into the main house, hoping to find Kyle as she walks around rocking Casey.
"Hey" she says upon finding the person she is looking for drying up the dishes in the kitchen. "Want a cuddle?" she adds, offering her son to his uncle.
Despite the slightly gloomy and down expression that Kyle is wearing, his face brightens up just a little with Ricky's offer, putting the dishes and tea towel down before holding his hands out to take his nephew.
The two stand in silence together for a while, concentrating on either watching or holding the baby in the room.
"So Phoebe came over today... Have you spoken to her recently?"
"I visited her at the caravan park briefly the other day, but beyond that I've only really seen her at work."
With confirmation on her suspicions and now knowing what she knows, knowing that Phoebe is pregnant and Kyle is completely oblivious, Ricky tries to consider how she can give him a push in the right direction without blowing Phoebe's secret and trust in her.
"Don't tell her that I let on about it, but I think that she's going through some stuff. I really think you should try and reach out to her now. I think she needs a friend."
Kyle releases a small sigh, pressing a kiss to his nephew's small amount of baby hair before looking up to Ricky.
"What sort of stuff? I was a lot more than just a friend to her, Rick... I don't know if I can reach out to her right now. I don't really know where we're at and I'm not feeling all warm and fuzzy about the idea of being rejected by her all over again."
"Can't you just put everything behind you, or just at least push it to the side for a little while? I think that she needs you, Kyle."
Kyle looks a little frustrated. He knows Phoebe. He knows her incredible independence and wonders for a moment if he and Ricky are still talking about the same woman.
"What could she possibly need me for? Phoebe is hardly one to play a damsel in distress. And besides, she has friends. She has you, Hannah, Kat, heck even Matt..."
Oh, if only he knew.
Kyle pauses from what he is saying before he continues to speak.
"Look, I just don't see how or why she needs me. I haven't found it the easiest thing to bounce back from everything that has happened over the last few other, either, and to be quite honest I'm struggling with it myself. I just don't know if I can support her right now and act as though nothing's changed between us."
Ricky's face hardens a little bit at her unsuccessful attempt. She holds her arms out to take her son back, planning to return to flat.
"Fine... It's your choice, but don't say that I didn't warn you."
As Ricky leaves, leaving Kyle to once again be alone with his own thoughts and woes, he can't help wondering about her urgency and the importance that she placed on talking to Phoebe.
It all seems so random that Kyle can't help but feel his curiosity being piqued...
#
Early that evening, after her chat and catch up with Ricky, Phoebe arrives at Angelo's for the dinner shift.
Matt and Ash are already there, rotating between delivering pizzas, taking orders and serving food to customers.
"Hey boys" Phoebe greets, walking in and tying the black half-apron on top of her all-black uniform.
"Alright, I'm off" Ash says after a grunted 'hello'.
Ash has been particularly crabby while working with Matt today, waiting with an impatient anticipation for the minute when he could leave work and get home for a beer after a long week.
"Have you been up to much today?" Matt asks, making small talk with Phoebe, hoping for some company and conversations that aren't riddled with grump.
"Yeah, slept in this morning and caught up with Ricky for a coffee. She guessed my secret which is becoming a pretty abysmal secret now. It's just one more person to keep it from Kyle."
Matt cringes slightly before giving his unpopular opinion, bracing himself for any pain or punishment that is inflicted as a result of his reminder.
"You know, you could always tell him. It would be easier than everyone keeping it from him."
"Well, it might not be a secret for much longer."
Phoebe carries on with her work, taking an armful of boxes into the storeroom as Matt follows closely behind her.
"What? So you are planning on telling Kyle?"
Phoebe shakes her head before responding. "No Matt, the other option which will mean it'll no longer be a secret anymore..."
"Oh..." Matt responds blankly, considering what she is telling him as she packs the boxes onto the shelf in the storeroom. "Listen. I was thinking about it, and if I were Kyle, I would want to know regardless of your choice. I really think you should at least tell him, Phoebe. It's his kid too, isn't it?"
From where the two are standing in the storeroom, Phoebe spins around and snaps at Matt.
"No Matt! This is my choice, okay?! I'm not going to tell Kyle!"
However, before Phoebe has the chance to say anymore and before Matt has the chance to respond, there is another voice standing in the wide open doorway of the storeroom.
"And what exactly aren't you going to tell Kyle?" asks the man in question.
There is a moment of panic between Matt and Phoebe, especially for her. The two look at each wide-eyed like deer caught in headlights before Phoebe eventually takes action in answering Kyle's question.
"I wasn't going to tell you that Matt and I are seeing each other..." Phoebe replies, wrapping an arm around the younger male and praying that he would go along with the story, the lie, which seems better than the truth in her eyes.
Meanwhile, beside and in front of Phoebe, two pairs of male's eyes increase in size at surprise from the confession.
Even through the shock and even through all three of them being startled, Phoebe can still see the glaringly obvious heartbreak in Kyle's eyes.
Finally an update! I hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know anything that you'd like to see in the story and I'll try my best to work it in!
Next chapter: Phoebe and Matt deal with the aftermath of her confession... How long can they keep up the facade for? Will she finally be forced to tell Kyle the truth?