Mama

My Mistake

The next few days are filled with shared whispers, shy smiles, secret looks, and soft touches.

But of course, everything comes to its end.

“Brett?” Jay knocks on my door, breaking my gaze on the little girl in my arms.

“Hey.” He sits on my bed, like he had the first day we brought Sean and Mattie to my… well, Broden’s house. His arm winds around my shoulder and rests there comfortably.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“If only you’d put that brain to use at school.” I tease.

“Oh, shut up. You’re the one who needs help in school.”

“Mhmm. Well, this is a great way to warm me up for our upcoming conversation I’m pretty sure you were hoping to have.”

“Oh, crap.” He realizes sheepishly.

“I’m kidding, Jay. What’s up?”

“Well, the past few days. We’ve been you know… showing our feelings through other outlets towards each other.”

I stiffen, making Mattie shuffle. “What feelings?”

“You know.”

“I don’t have feelings for you, Jay. If that’s what you think.”

“Don’t deny this, Brett. I really like you. How could you have not known that? These past few days, with you, have been amazing. Can you deny that?”

“I mean, it’s been fun-“

“Fun? Mere fun is that what it was?” he retracts his arm from my shoulders, as if I’ve just spat at him with acid.

“I just never thought that-“

“No, you never think, do you?”

“Why are you saying things like that?”

“What things?” he mocks me.

“Taking care of Mattie, holding hands, the snuggling, you’ve just been leading me on?” his face contorts with anger.

“I-I didn’t mean to send you mixed signals.”

“How could you have not know, Brett? I might as well be in love with you, the way you make me feel. Don’t you feel it too?” his tone is hopeful.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t say that I do.”

He stands up abruptly and leaves.

“Mattie…” I stroke the girl’s blond bangs out of her sticky forehead, “How am I going to fix this?”

“Brett? Sweetie.” Jade comes up to me before I can comprehend what’s going on and run away like I’d been doing for maybe, the last 2 weeks?

“Stop running like a coward!” she growls and jump tackles me, in the hallways of school. In front of hundreds of classmates!

“What do you want?!” I struggle underneath her. Kids snicker at my expense, until I glare at them. They know how much pain I can inflict upon them. This causes a smirk to come onto my face.

“For you to talk to Jay.” She begs.

This wipes the smirk right off my face.

“No.”

“Come on, it doesn’t matter what happened. Besides, he told me he needs to tell you something. Maybe this’ll fix everything.”

“Of course it matter what happened! He practically confessed his love for me, and I couldn’t say it back. I embarrassed him and now he hates me.”