Hanna was not pregnant. I felt a certain amount of relief, but my heart was not completely at rest.

The door opened slowly allowing Cat to walk in silently. Her dark hair was tied into a neat, low bun and her eyes glided over mine rapidly.

We hadn't spoken for the last few weeks and she had been giving me the cold shoulder for that time period. I watched her as she set her things down on the bed adjacent to mine. I didn't speak for a long while and hesitated nervously, almost choosing not to say anything all.

"I know you're pregnant," I said suddenly. The words felt odd on my tongue. Hearing the sentence aloud made it all more real. I remained quiet again, not knowing what to follow this sentence with.

She turned to face me but said nothing. Her expression was blank. She didn't try and stand up for herself. She didn't seem threatened or angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "I am." Then she turned around and slid into her bed.

I stood unsatisfied and glared at her. "That's all. That's all you have to say for yourself?" I stopped myself before I could freak out just as I had done with Hanna. "Cat, you haven't been in rehab for more than a few weeks."

She sat up abruptly. "You care about me now?" she asked. "Seriously?" She stared at me with a penetrating gaze before unraveling her earphones. "You don't have to worry about me or the baby. It's being taken care of."

"Taken care of..." I said softly. Abortion?

I watched her shove the earbuds in her ears and pondered over her words. She couldn't do it. She couldn't...Despite my beliefs, I couldn't find the strength to shake her and scream. Scream in her ear and get her to listen to me. Scream and demand answers to the many questions I had running through my mind. She wouldn't care. Why would she?

I grabbed my jacket and ran out of the room.

~

I sat parked on the road in a small residential area and dialed Drew's number. After our confrontation at the convenience store, we hadn't spoken. I needed him now. I just needed to speak to him. Hearing his voice would be enough.

As the phone rang, I realized that I was trembling. My leg bounced up and down in intervals. By the fifth ring, I heard his voicemail and sighed disappointed. "Leave a message after the beep," I heard him say through the phone.

"Hey," I said when I heard the sharp beep. "It's Lauren. I've been missing you. Last time I saw you, I didn't say enough so I'm sure you have questions. Call me back. I'd like to talk to you in person." I love you, I thought afterwards.

When I hung up the phone, I looked out the window and saw my true destination. The house seemed uninhabited and held on for dear life. The weeds grew wildly and the fractured driveway was empty. I had been here too many times before. Every detail of the structure was engrained into memory. I wouldn't ever forget it.

"Hey," I heard. A figure appeared before my window, making me jump back frightened. I recognized his ruffled blonde hair and lively green eyes. Trey. "You wanna come inside?"

I gave him a polite smile and nodded. "Of course."

When I walked into the house, it was empty. The red headed girl wasn't there. The other members of his retinue were absent and the house smelled stale, a step up from the overbearing odor of marijuana. The furniture seemed to have more order.

There were two couches adjacent to each other and a coffee table situated in front of it. A small house plant was placed on top of it. Trey led me to the couches and sat down just as I did. "Do you want something to drink or--"

"That's not necessary," I said.

"I actually stocked the fridge," he said.

I shook my head, reiterating my point silently. He nodded. "Okay." I saw him rubbing his knees periodically and eying the furniture around him. "I did some redecorating a couple days ago and cleaned up a bit when I heard that you were coming."

He was nervous, I realized. I glanced around me to show him that I did notice. He wanted my approval. "It's nice," I said. "I like it." He smiled big this time.

"That's good."

I let silence fall on top of us and was suddenly aware of a ticking clock. I looked towards the wall and saw that he had place one above. I turned to him again. "Lauren, thank you for agreeing to meet with me. There are some things that I'd like to get off my chest."

I was taken aback by this confession but remembered my motivation for visiting him. "Can I go first?" I said. I didn't want to hear what he had to say honestly. He nodded without hesitation. "My sister is pregnant." His demeanor remained the same. "She's pregnant and I wanted to tell you that in case she doesn't." When he made a face, I elaborated. "She's having your baby, Trey."

He sighed and looked away briefly. He gave me his attention again and said, "I can explain."

"You don't have to," I said calmly. He hadn't asked about how I found out. He hadn't asked about how I knew it was him.  I had pushed him in a corner. It was not my intention to do so, but I had to hear it from him.

He sighed again. "I'm sorry," I heard. "I'm sorry."

I inhaled sharply and rose. I was done here. Just as I prepared to leave, he approached me and put his hand on my shoulder. "I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to hurt anybody. I'm sorry."

I shifted away from him and turned around so that I could look him in the eyes. "Okay," I said simply. "That's nice."

"Lauren," he said louder now. I had my foot out the door. I stopped again. My mistake. "I love you. I have always loved you. I'm not going to make excuses for my wrongs because they would all be lies, but the one truth that I stand by is that I love you."

I looked down at my feet and back up. "The feeling is not mutual, Trey." That was my one truth.

When I arrived back to the house, I noticed something different about my room. I stood in the center, trying to place the nuance, before I noticed a pale yellow post-it note on my desk. I walked over to it and read it quickly. Then, my heart dropped. An unfamiliar sound escaped from me. It was a mixture of a sob and a cough. I almost didn't claim it as mine. My throat burned. My eyes burned. My heart burned. I was going to cry, but I shook my head as to retreat the tears back, placed the note back on the desk and slid into my bed, making up a million reasons why I was blessed to have my sister out of my life for good.

Lauren,

It's been a hell of a few weeks. I can't say I won't miss you because I will. I can't say I don't love you or I don't hate you either because I don't know what I feel of you anymore. It'll just be me for a long time. No baby. She's gone. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.

-Catalina

Drew

Alison sat with wide eyes as she told a story with enthusiasm. None of the words that were coming out of her mouth seemed to reach my ears. I picked up my phone and flipped through it, forgetting that Alison and I were having a "conversation."

I saw one missed called by Lauren and frowned when I thought about our last encounter. I felt guilty. I felt guilty because I let it ring. I let it ring and it felt shitty. A part of me felt like I was letting go of something--someone that I cared about because I didn't have the decency to pick up the phone. The other part of me still felt hesitant.

It wasn't that I didn't care about Lauren. I did more than anything. I was hesitant to love her in spite of her brother, in spite of her circumstances, in spite of her past--my past. I was scared, partly, that my efforts were in vain and that no matter what I did for her, she'd run in the opposite direction of me.

"Do you love her?" I heard suddenly. These words managed to catch my attention. I turned my head to see Alison watching with a soft smile. Her hair was brushed back and braided along her back and the color had returned to her skin. Her voice had regained its power. I hadn't heard it like that since...since we first met.

She sat up taller and really looked at me. I gave her my full attention and responded sincerely, "Yes." Now, she rolled her eyes.

"Then tell her, Drew," she said. "Why don't you just tell her? I can see the gears turning in your head for Christ's sake. What is there to think about? She's not a mind reader. If you love a person, it's important that you confess--with your words--what you truly feel. Tell her." I just wanted Lauren even if it meant routine confrontations with Trey and Will and Cat and Alison, I realized. "So," she continued weaker now. "Call her back, have an actual talk, throw fear out the window, and, you know, love her." She smiled. "I just want you to be happy."

I nodded, still in shock of all of her wise words, and stood up. When I reached the door, she spoke up again. It was quiet but clear. "I love you."

I was rendered silent, but responded just as quiet. "I love you, too." I meant that.

~

She wandered over to me with somewhat of a buoyant air. "Hey," she said when she saw me.

"Hey," I said in return.

Lauren and I were parked in a small shopping center. The street lights were on, casting a yellow glow upon us. Despite the minimal light, I could see her smile hopefully. "About the other day," she began, "the reason--"

"Stop," I said. She gave me a puzzled look. "I trust you. I don't need an explanation."

"But I want to."

"But I don't want you to," I said. She was quiet for a beat before scoffing playfully.

She grinned, "Okay."

"I just want to tell you that I care about you a lot and find myself smiling every time I see you," I said. "You're the one who makes me laugh a little louder. You make my smile a little brighter and you make my life a whole lot better."

Her smile grew bigger and her cheeks flushed a crimson rouge. She turned away briefly before returning her eyes to mine. "Where'd you get that quote?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"A very romantic ten-year-old," I said thinking about Samantha, "whose birthday is actually in a few days. She's turning eleven."

"I am glad to hear that," Lauren said with a smile.

A moment of silence fell upon us before I spoke. "The point is," I said placing my hand on her waist and pulling her in, "that I love you."

Something flashed in her eyes then they brightened. "Oh," she said. Her oh scared me, but then she said it in a different tone. "Oh, I love you too, Drew."

When I heard that, I let out a breath of relief which made her laugh. I laughed along with her before wrapping my hands around her core and hugging her tight. She looked up at me before pecking me on the lips. "Say it again," she said.

"I love you," I repeated. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

She smiled content. "Now show me."

I gave her a mischievous grin and lifted her up, placing her on the top of the car trunk. I ran my hand over her hip and leaned in to kiss her. The distance between us closed and a giddy sensation filled us with warmth in the cool night.

Her tongue caressed mine as my hands traveled upwards. Her hands rested on my neck, occasionally running through my hair and messing with the tussled locks. With her legs wrapped around my waist, we were only pulled closer and closer together and I loved every second of it. Every second with her would be amazing. Whether we were making out, fighting, making up, or simply doing nothing, I was looking forward to it all.

She let out a laugh and cocked her head up to the sky, allowing me to place kisses along her neck. All the while, I kept think about how much I loved this girl.

Author's Note:

To those of you faithful readers, you know how long it took for me to come up with this epilogue. Yes, I said it--epilogue. My Brother's Best Friend is officially over. I apologize for taking FOR-E-VER to come up with this and thank you for sticking around and reading my book. You have NO idea how much I appreciate your support. Tell me in the comments below what you thought of this chapter. I'd love you hear your thoughts.  Also, for those who would like clarification, Drew chooses Lauren.  Other conclusions...I'll leave that to your imagination.  Comment and/or vote for this chapter and I'll catch you later. I love you! Peace.

-crémedelaoreo