Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
A aron
My parents surprised me with a car. It was crazy because I mentioned to them how Briar’s mom came to town to take back her car. They didn’t say anything. Then the next day I get back from school and there’s a black Ford Bronco sitting on our driveway, with a big red ribbon and a large piece of paper that says, for Aaron with love, Mom and Dad.
When I called to speak to Mom, she said she wanted me to have a proper car to take Briar to doctor’s appointments. I told her it was over-the-top and she disagreed. Even though Dad was a professional hockey player and did well, my parents worked hard to teach me the value of a dollar. They were never big spenders and always pushed me to work hard and be the best I can be. They are my role models. Which is why I’m not comfortable with Briar living in that ratty house. I should be close to her so I can take care of her. Problem is, Briar is being prideful, not wanting to move into the hockey house. I can understand why she doesn’t want handouts, but she is having my baby. I don’t think she is comfortable living with people she barely exchanges a word with.
That is why I’ve had to take matters into my own hands. I’ve packed up some bags and put them in the trunk of the Bronco.
I pull into the driveway at her house. I just hope my plan doesn’t backfire. I take a duffel out of the trunk and head to her front door. I ring the bell and wait, knowing she is home. She’s been staying home a lot lately, which also irks me because she is avoiding going out.
She opens the door, her hair tied in a braid, hanging over one shoulder. She’s wearing a large sweatshirt that hangs off her shoulder and a pair of sweatpants. She licks her lips. Lips I remember kissing and sucking on in Punta Cana. “What are you doing here?” she asks, staring at the duffel over my shoulder with what must be confusion.
“Hey,” I greet her. I step inside the house. “I’m moving in.”
“Um, what?” She sounds alarmed now.
“I want to be close to you if you need anything. I don’t want you to be alone. Since you won’t move into the hockey house, I’m moving in here.” I drop the duffel on the floor.
“Aaron, it’s a tiny house. We don’t have a spare room,” she stutters.
“It’s okay. I’ll sleep in your room. I brought a sleeping bag. I can take the floor,” I state.
“This is crazy and completely unnecessary,” she answers.
“I want to take care of you. When you get morning sickness, I want to bring you saltines. At night if you feel sick or get a craving, I want to be there to satisfy it.”
I’m talking about food but her cheeks flush, and I wonder if she is having cravings of the sexual kind.
“That’s super thoughtful of you, but way over-the-top,” she says.
“Show me to your room. My mind is made up. I won’t leave you alone. I get I may be invading your space. There is a perfectly nice room back at the hockey house if you would prefer your own space,” I declare as I walk toward the back of the house. “Is your room this way?”
“Second on the left,” she answers, sounding frustrated.
I get to her room and put my bag down. It’s a tight fit with a small desk, a single bed, and a chest of drawers. There isn’t much floor space.
I begin to open my duffel bag to remove the sleeping bag. “It’s a tight fit, but we can make it work.”
“My roommates will see you sleeping here and tell the whole campus we’re together,” she says, as if it’s a bad thing.
“Come on, that’s not so bad. At some point, we have to start behaving like we know each other.”
“I know. We have the thirteen-week ultrasound this week. Once we see that the baby is growing okay, maybe we can share the news,” she offers, but she doesn’t sound very enthusiastic.
“Why are you so worried about the baby? Did the doctor say something?” I ask.
“No, but I’ve been reading online that the first thirteen weeks of a pregnancy are the highest risk,” she states.
I walk up to her and place my palm on her belly. She doesn’t seem to mind. “This nugget is a Murray. He or she will be tough.”
“That’s sweet,” she says and starts to tear up. She’s been extra emotional.
“Aw, don’t cry,” I say to her. “Come here.” I wrap my arms around her, and she hugs me back, which is a good sign. She presses her head into my chest, and I like the feeling of having her close to my heart.
“I’m scared. I know I keep saying it, but I’m used to not being able to rely on the people in my life. Both my parents abandoned me on some level. I don’t want to get used to relying on you or our friends. I need to be on my own to stay tough,” she explains, and her words break my heart.
“I can’t understand where you’re coming from. My parents have supported me my whole life. They taught me to be a man of my word. I know you think I’m a manwhore, or whatever. Maybe I was because I didn’t have any attachments or responsibilities, but it’s not who I am. If I say I want to be here for you and the baby, it’s what I want.”
She pulls her head back to look at me. “I want to believe you, but I’ve never experienced that kind of dedication before, we’re young and this wasn’t planned.”
“This wasn’t planned and I’m still freaking out. My mom is over the moon happy, which makes me happy, but there are a lot of things happening and a lot of changes for both of us. We should be there for one another.”
“You’re right, but we need to keep things platonic. Us getting involved could end up with us fighting or having conflict, and our nugget deserves better than that.”
I don’t agree with her about us being together leading to conflict but I understand where she’s coming from, and I don’t want to stress her out more.
“I agree. We should be here to support each other without sex.”
She laughs at my bluntness and shakes her head. “Good.”
“So you’re cool with having me stay on the floor?” I ask because I realize I kind of barged in here without permission.
She chews on the bottom of her lip. “I’ll move into the hockey house. I want to pay the $300 a month I can afford, and I will try to get a loan from the bank or something for the rest. Maybe I can get a second job.”
“Briar, you’re a student. You working a second job is not an option. Please let me take care of the rest of the rent, though I have to be honest with you. Charlie and Ruby were staying in that room together rent-free and none of us cared. I don’t see why you have to push to pay rent when we have things covered. All of us are headed to the NHL and will be getting handsome salaries. Those few dollars won’t matter.”
Briar frowns.
“Did I say the wrong thing?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “No, but I’m poor, Aaron. I can’t afford to give Nugget a lavish lifestyle, and I don’t want him or her to be really spoiled only by you. I know I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m a planner.” She shakes her head like she’s chiding herself.
“Right, the bucket list,” I give her a crooked grin.
“I won’t be able to go to law school without going to the Olympics. My entire future has changed,” she states.
My stomach sinks. “How can I help? This baby is my responsibility too.”
“You’ve been great. I just need to figure out a new life plan.”
“You can go to the Olympics for the next round,” I suggest.
“I’ll be waiting four years. That isn’t going to work,” she states.
Now it’s me who is frowning. This baby is going to change my life, but I can still go pro. It makes me feel bad that Briar is sacrificing so much.
“We can figure things out, one step at a time,” I encourage. “When big issues come up, sometimes it’s hard to figure out how to tackle it in one shot.”
“Is that something your parents taught you?” she asks.
“Yeah, when Mom got sick, Dad and I only saw doom and gloom. It was Mom who said we need to deal with things in stages. Now that she is still mostly okay, they took their trip to Australia, South America, and Europe. We are taking things in stages because that is all we can do. Be happy today and not worry about what tomorrow will bring because that’s how Mom wants it.”
“That must be so hard, Aaron. Thank you for sharing that with me. One day at a time is all I can handle right now,” she confesses.
“Yeah.” I kiss the top of her head. “Why don’t we pack you up and get moving into the hockey house?”
“Okay, but I’ll still need to give the landlord here thirty days’ notice,” she says.
“The money doesn’t matter, so do what you need to do,” I say.
She smiles and we get her suitcases out of the front closet and take them to her room.
We pack everything up and head out to the Bronco. Relief washes over me but so does fear. I’ve never lived with a girl before. Definitely not one who is pregnant with my baby. I hope we can get along because that is what is best for the baby. I also hope we can keep our hands to ourselves because I am still very much attracted to Briar, and something tells me the heat we felt in Punta Cana is far from over.