A/N
Rating and disclaimer from the first chapter apply.
Chapter 15.
Picking up the phone from the table she saw her mother's name on the display. She hadn't talked to her since she left the cottage two days earlier and she knew she couldn't avoid talking to her forever so she sighed and pressed answer.
"Santana? Are you there?" Anita asked immediately.
"Yeah mom, I'm here."
"Oh good. I've been really worried about you. So.. are you okay? I mean are you-" the older woman started, not knowing how to ask what she really wanted to ask.
Santana sighed.
"I know you told Brittany where I live and no, I'm not mad at you." Santana answered the non-asked question.
"Oh, okay. Good. Santana I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just let you leave like that but I was just so shocked by what you told me, I couldn't even move." Anita explained.
"It's okay mom. I understand and really, I just needed to get away from it all you know."
"I know and I get that. But you must know that I'm not disappointed in you. I was surprised to say the least and obviously shocked but never disappointed. I love you and I will be here to help you through this in any way that I can okay?" Anita said and Santana felt a lump in her throat.
"Thank you mom..." she said as she tried to hold back tears.
"What happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but did Brittany come to see you?" Anita asked softly.
"Yes... she came." Santana started, still feeling emotional but the threatening tears were under control now.
"And?" Anita asked tentatively.
"We talked and..." Santana started not quite sure how to finish.
"You know I talked to her on the evening of the day you left." Anita said softly.
"You did?" Santana asked surprised.
"Yes. She was very upset and I couldn't just ignore it so I talked to her." there was a long pause.
"She cares a great deal about you, you know." Anita said.
"I know..." Santana whispered.
"It's just... Are you sure of what you're doing?"
"What do you mean mom?"
"Listen honey, you'll always have my support no matter what, you know that. It's just... there's a lot of things at stake here... many people are involved so, are you really sure about this?" Anita had to ask.
Santana sighed and contemplated what her mother was asking her and yes, a lot of things were at stake and a lot of people were involved in some way but she'd never been surer in her entire life.
"Mom... I know you only want what's best for me and I know a lot of things are at stake here but... I love her mom... I've never felt like this about anyone ever before... I know it doesn't make any sense because we've just met and I can't explain it, but I feel like I've known her all my life... I know everything will be really complicated because she's already engaged and because you and her dad are getting married but... I wanna be with her..." Santana explained.
"I figured you'd say that." Anita said on the other end of the line and smiled.
"I just don't want to see you get hurt Santana, or Brittany too for that matter. If you guys pursue this, know it won't be easy. I really have no idea how Jack will react to this news and Nate..." Anita said worried.
"I know mom... I know it won't be easy and I asked Brittany if she was really sure about what she wanted because I couldn't handle it if she'd change her mind but she's sure and I'm sure..." Santana said.
"She's in love with you too." It was more of a statement than a question and though Anita already had figured that much out when she talked to the blonde she just wanted to get it confirmed.
"Yes..." Santana said softly.
"So what happens now?" Anita wondered.
"She's on her way home and she's planning to talk to Nate but I don't know... She said she wants to be with me and I believe her but it's not gonna be easy..." Santana said.
"No it's not. Her whole life has been turned upside down and it's gonna be 'upside down' for her for a while." Anita said.
"Yeah I know..."
"Hey... I'm happy for you Santana." Anita said sincerely.
"And yes, you're right, the circumstances could have been better but sometimes things happen that are beyond our control but that doesn't make what you're feeling, what either of you are feeling, wrong in any way. The heart wants what the heart wants." Anita said.
"Wait a minute, when did Brittany leave?" Anita wondered.
"Uhm, a while ago." Santana answered.
"Nathan left early this morning, he wanted to get home and take care of Brittany and he's going to come home to an empty house." Anita said.
Santana couldn't help but feel guilty, Nathan was such a sweet and caring guy and he really didn't deserve any of this. She thought about the confrontation that would most likely take place as soon as Brittany got home and she just wanted to be there.
"Oh...That's not good. Mom, I really gotta go. Call you back tonight okay? Love you. Bye." Santana finished and ended the call then instantly dialed Brittany's number.
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Brittany smiled when she saw Santana's name on the display and answered gleeful.
"Hey! I was just thinking about you." the blonde said sweetly.
"Brittany, Nate is probably going to be home when you get there." Santana said getting straight to the point.
"What?" Brittany said instantly feeling a panic rising.
"I just talked to mom and she said that Nate had left early this morning." Santana explained.
"Oh God..." Brittany said slowly.
Everything was suddenly turned completely around, this was not how this was supposed to happen. The plan was that she would've had time to mentally prepare herself before Nate would come home but now, he could already be home... How would she ever manage to explain where she'd been without him getting suspicious? Maybe it was just best if she just came out and told him, no lies no evasiveness just the truth...
Oh God I don't know if I'm ready for this...
"Are you still there?" Santana asked when the line went silent.
"Yeah, yeah.. I'm here I just..." Brittany mumbled.
"I wish I could be there... Do you want me to come?" Santana asked tentatively.
"No, it's okay... I have to do this on my own." Brittany answered.
"Okay. Just, I'm here... Call me if you need me or if there's something I can do, okay?" Santana said.
"I know... and I will." Brittany said gently.
"Okay."
"Thank you for calling and telling me this. I'll try to call you later okay?" Brittany said.
"I'll be here. Bye..." Santana said softly sensing that the other woman didn't want to continue their conversation and that was understandable.
"Bye..." Brittany replied and hung up.
She took a deep breath and closed her hands tight around the steering wheel. There was no use in speculating about what was going to happen when she got home, she braced herself for the worst as she continued her drive home.
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Her heart was pounding so hard against her ribcage when she made the last turn on the street that lead to their house. It only increased when she saw her dad's car parked on the driveway, Nathan was already home...
She pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine but made no attempt to leave the car. She looked down at her lap and realized she was wearing the same clothes she wore when she left the cottage. She had her bag in the trunk but that was forgotten as her need to see Santana was too powerful. So this was it, the confrontation would happen now. There was no way Nathan wouldn't notice that she wore the same clothes and by now he must have realized she'd never been home in the first place.
Before she had a chance to think of something to say, to explain, Nathan was by her car looking very worried.
"Brittany? Are you okay? Where have you been? I thought you said you made it back last night but you haven't been here. Is everything alright?" He said as soon as he had opened the driver's door.
Brittany smiled weakly and got out of the car. Nathan looked at his fiancee and saw that she was still in the same clothes as she wore yesterday morning, something was not right and he got a funny feeling in his stomach when he saw the expression on Brittany's face.
"What's going on Britt?" he asked troubled.
"Can we go inside?" Brittany asked and started to walk towards the front door.
Nathan nodded and followed her into the house.
The blonde dragged her hands through her hair and took a couple of deep breaths as she walked into the living room. Nathan stopped in the doorway and looked at his fiancee who wasn't acting like herself.
"Brittany please... Talk to me. What's going on? Why didn't you come home?" Nathan started.
Brittany didn't know where to begin, how the hell do you tell the man you're supposed to marry that you've slept with someone else? That you in fact are in love with someone else and that that someone else is a woman? How do you start a conversation like that? Brittany had no idea but she did know that she couldn't lie to him, she felt like shit for what she'd done so the least she could do was to be honest with him. He deserved that much.
"Nathan...I..." she started and turned around slowly.
The look on his face killed her, he looked like a sad puppy with questioning eyes. God she hated herself for what she was about to do.
"Where have you been?" Nathan asked and took a step closer to the blonde.
Brittany felt sick.
"I..." she said again, not really finding the right words, well any words.
Nathan didn't like this one bit. Something had definitely happened and he had a strong feeling that no matter what it was, it wouldn't be good.
"Brittany?"
"Yeah...No... I didn't come home." she started.
"Why? You weren't feeling well, you were going home to rest but you didn't? Where were you then?" Nathan asked confused.
"I... I was with Santana..." Brittany answered meekly.
"Santana?" Nathan asked feeling slightly better at ease but it only lasted a moment.
"Yes..." the blonde answered.
Something about the way Brittany was looking at him made him feel like there was more to come. He was right.
"Why were you with her? I thought she had an emergency at work?" Nathan said feeling more and more confused.
"There wasn't any emergency..." Brittany said softly.
"There wasn't? Then why did she leave?" Nathan didn't understand.
"She..." the blonde swallowed hard.
"She... she left b-because of me..." Brittany said so quietly that if the room hadn't already been dead silent Nathan wouldn't have heard her.
"What? What's that supposed to mean?" He asked puzzled.
Brittany looked up at the ceiling trying to keep her tears at bay, it didn't work. As she looked down again and met Nathan's eyes tears had started to trickle down her cheeks. Nathan was so confused, what the hell had happened at the cottage while he was gone?
"I'm so sorry... I... God!..." she was crying now and Nathan just looked at her perplexed.
"I don't understand..." Nathan started.
"She left because of you? Did you have an argument or?..." the way Brittany was looking at him gave him the answer.
"No..." he started, it couldn't be that could it? No way, Brittany wasn't like 'that', there was just no way.
Brittany closed her eyes and tears ran down her cheeks. As she opened them and met Nathan's confused eyes her heart broke.
"Tell me I'm reading this wrong? It couldn't be... you.. and her?"
"Nate, I... I don't know how it happened, it just did..."
Hearing Brittany say that pretty much confirmed what he never in a million years thought could happen.
"So what are you saying? Did something happen between you and her? Did... did you sleep with her?" Nate asked bewildered.
He couldn't believe those words actually left his mouth and that they were directed to his own fiancee.
Brittany looked down, the guilt was tearing her apart. Nathan felt his heart break into thousands pieces.
"You did..." he stated.
Brittany looked up and nodded very slowly.
"Oh my God... I can't believe this..." he dragged his hands through his hair in despair.
It felt like his whole world was falling apart.
"Nathan...I'm so sorry..." she didn't know what else to say.
"You slept with Santana? Who's like your step-sister?" Nathan said with a hint of disgust in his voice.
"We're not related..." she answered quietly.
"Well, that makes it's so much better then." he said sarcastically and started to walk around in the living room.
"How could you do that Brittany?"
"I don't know! It just happened and I hate myself for hurting you like this." Brittany cried.
"God... Who are you?" he said clearly hurt.
"I never meant for this to happen and I'm so so sorry for hurting you like this, that was the last thing I wanted..." Brittany said pleadingly.
"I feel like I don't even know you anymore... all these years we've been together, you really wanted to be with a woman instead of me?" he said with disgust.
"No! That's not true, Santana's the only woman who's ever made me feel like this..." Brittany confessed.
"So what does she make you feel then? Tell me please." he said, clearly upset.
Brittany looked at him and knew that what she would say next could be the end of their relationship. Could she do it?
They had five years together, five wonderful years... What did she and Santana have? Not so much more than what? Seven days total?... Could she really go through with this? Could she throw away five years?