2brown-eyes reads!

Sweet Emotion—Aerosmith

The next morning, Mrs. Newton is running the register and I'm in the middle of the store working on the fishing pole display. Smartass kids act like it's a sport to rearrange the poles or knock a few down, so every morning I tidy it back up.

I've only been at it for ten minutes when my name is wailed from behind. It's such a shocking sound that I don't recognize the voice until I turn, and it all falls into place.

Bree is crying embarrassingly loud, and I look around, mortified. "Bree," I whisper-shout as I hurry toward her. "What are you doing here?"

I take her arm and pull her away from the middle of the store with no real destination in mind. But when I see the door to the breakroom, I make a beeline and drag her inside.

She's a snot-sobbing, pitiful mess, and my heart breaks for her. "I take it he told you," I say softly, looking for a tissue. "I know the timing is awful, but we had no idea about..." I wave to her stomach. "And there's no turning back for us."

"Bella," she cries, furiously wiping her face. "I was so stupid."

"You're not stupid," I soothe, my voice soft. "It's not like you did it on purpose."

She freezes, eyes jumping to mine. "I did, though."

I'm suddenly too pissed to be nice. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Not that." She breaks down into tears again, and my patience is wearing thin. I feel for her, but not if she tried to trap my guy. "Bella, I … I'm…" She looks down at her feet. "I'm not pregnant. At all. I lied." She starts crying heavily again. "And now Carlisle has set me an appointment with an OB."

I'm speechless.

My mind replaying her words.

I huff a laugh.

And then another.

Relief soars through me.

The brick on my chest is suddenly gone.

"You're not pregnant?" I ask again, just to be clear.

She doesn't lift her eyes, shaking her bowed head. "I knew he was going to break up with me, and I thought it could buy us some time."

"Bree," I say softly. That was a shitty thing to do, but my relief over it not being true overrides any anger I might've had. "It was a terrible thing to do, but this isn't all your fault. Part of it is mine, and I'm so sorry that my actions pushed you into doing something so cruel."

"He's never going to forgive me." Her voice is so small, and I feel her pain.

"We won't know that until we try," I say, taking her arm.

"You're going to defend me?" she asks, eyes wide.

"Hell yes," I say, pushing out a sigh. "None of this would've happened if I hadn't pushed him away when he left for college."

She gives me the first glimpse of a smile. "I wouldn't trade a single second I've spent with Edward."

Ouch.

But why would she?

Edward is one hell of a guy.

"Give me a sec," I say as I head for the register. I promise Mrs. Newton that I'll be back as quickly as possible and that I won't take any more breaks for the rest of the day.

Bree's waiting for me outside, standing next to a car I don't recognize. "Are you okay to drive?"

She holds out the keys. "If you don't mind?"

"Not at all." I go to the driver's side and get in.

"I knew it was coming," Bree says as I adjust the rearview mirror. "Edward has been distant for weeks."

"I'm sorry." I don't know what else to say. "If it matters, I wasn't in the right headspace for a reconciliation until very recently. That night he came to my house, nothing happened and we didn't discuss it at all."

"I know," she says, a tear rolling down her cheek. "He told me everything."

"After he came back last night?" At her nod, I say, "Why didn't you tell him the truth then?"

"Because I hoped there was a chance we could fix things back in Hanover." She starts crying again, and I know the signs of a broken heart all too well. "I figured once we got back across the country…"

"I wouldn't be around," I finish for her. "Lies have a way of catching up to you."

"I know." She meets my eyes. "What I did was awful, and I can never thank you enough for being so nice about it."

"It's the least I can do." I pull up to the gate, and nostalgia slams into me hard. I haven't come here to go to Edward's house in a long time. "If I hadn't been so stupid, Edward would've never gotten into a relationship with you in the first place."

"You really think that?" Her gaze is inquisitive.

"I know it." I turn down his street, and the sight of his Trans Am in the driveway is enough to send my own nerves into overdrive. "We're meant to be."

"Sucks for me," she says, getting teary again.

I pull into the driveway and shut off the car, turning to her. "You don't really want to be with a guy who loves someone else more, do you?"

She huffs a sardonic laugh. "Edward loving me less has been better than all my exes combined."

Damn.

But Edward has always been an amazing boyfriend. "I can see that."

The man of the hour swings open the front door, his face going from hesitant to confused in a swift second as soon as he sees me get out of the car.

"Show time," I say, taking her hand. "Remember, I'm on your side."

*dodges rotten tomato*

"collective sigh of relief"

Whew… and now we can move ahead.

I finished this story yesterday… 34 chapters and 8 epis

See you tmr :)