Leave the Lights On

Chapter 18

You wake up before Brittany does the next morning. She looks so beautiful just lying there and you try your best to stay still so that she doesn't wake up. You ended up on your back and her head is on your shoulder. You can't resist stroking her hair.

But the stroking slowly wakes her up. She smiles as soon as her eyes open. Then she kisses you and the puts her head back on your shoulder, "How long have you been up?"

"A few minutes," you smile at the sound of her raspy, sleepy voice. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay," she wraps her arms around your waist and nuzzles into your neck. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," you kiss the top of her head and play with her fingers that are resting on your stomach. You're so glad that no one needed you last night at the hospital last night. You lay for a few minutes, just touching her. "I'm going to make you breakfast."

"You are?" Brittany says. She rolls onto her stomach and pushes up on elbows that are on either side of you.

You nod. "It's going to rock your world."

She chuckles and kisses you, "Thank you."

You get out of bed and pull on one of Brittany's t-shirts and some shorts from the dresser that's still in the living room. Then you walk in into the kitchen. You don't know what you're going to make because you're not sure what's in the kitchen, but you will definitely make the best of it. You put your hair up and get ready to get to work.

You're halfway into the huevos rancheros when the doorbell rings. Brittany calls from the living room, "I got it."

As you finish up breakfast and split them onto two plates, Brittany walks into the kitchen with a bouquet of flowers in her hand. "Thank you."

You quirk an eyebrow, "For what?"

"These flowers," she sets the vase down on the table.

You frown and set the plates down on the table, "I didn't send those."

Brittany puts her hands on her hips like she doesn't believe you. "Really?"

You nod and walk over to them. The little plastic fork that holds the card fell down into the flowers and you fish it and the card out. You hand it to Brittany because it's hers, but you want to know who is sending flowers to your girlfriend.

Brittany opens the card and her eyes scan the page. You watch her eyes and see her read it more than once. Then she closes it and swallows. You're immediately concerned, "What's wrong? Who is it from?"

Brittany rips the card in half and tosses it in the garbage, "It doesn't matter."

"It does too," you protest, wanting to know what the hell is going on and why she's upset.

"Don't worry about it," she says, dumping the vase with the flowers into the garbage as well.

That definitely surprises you. You don't know who the flowers would be from that would upset her that much. Then when you set Brittany down at the table, it hits you.

"Those are from Quinn aren't they?" you ask as you get her some water.

When you set it down and look at her face, you know that you're right. You sit down in the chair next to her and pick up your fork, "I saw her the other night."

"You did?" Brittany asks. She's trying to stay calm and not show any emotion, but you can see it.

You nod, "I wasn't really sure it was her though. It was late and I thought I might have been hallucinating or something." You take a bite of your food trying to do the same thing that Brittany's doing. Just keep going on like it's nothing, although you're dying to know what the card says. "But I guess it was."