Fireworks 1 and 2

Chapter Eighty-Two

    Mia reclined in a lounge chair, poolside with a pair of shades over her eyes. Drake had encouraged her to go back upstairs to rest once the policemen left, but she wasn't tired. She was sore - extremely sore, actually. Her body felt like it had been used as a punching bag, and in essence, it had been. But she still didn't want to be cooped up in a room in bed all day. She was fortunate to be staying on this beautiful property, and she wanted to make the best of it. So instead of going upstairs to rest, she'd gone upstairs to change into one of her swimsuits, a cute two-piece green and blue number.

    The warmth from the sun, the gentle caress of the breeze, the sight of the pool and comforting sound of rushing water from the pool's built-in waterfall were all extremely soothing - much more soothing than a secluded bedroom. Once Bri and Shawn were sure that Mia actually was okay, everyone relaxed and allowed themselves to have fun. Hearing their laughter made her want to laugh.

    That morning, when she'd opened her eyes and the memories from the previous night came rushing back, she'd made a decision. She'd decided not to dwell on that night. If she remembered the events in too much detail, or put too much thought into it, she was too aware of just how close her brush with death had been. She preferred not to remember just how crazy the look in Trevor's eyes was as he tried to choke the life out of her. She lifted a hand to her bruised throat now and touched it gingerly.

    Bri sat in the chair beside her, sipping a non-alcoholic tropical drink and studying Drake and Shawn, who were standing near the pool. Both men were shirtless, wearing only dark-colored board shorts. Bri continued to sip her drink, her eyes narrowing. "I wonder what they're talking about."

    Mia blinked out of her thoughts and glanced at Bri. She followed the direction of Bri's gaze and looked towards Drake and Shawn. "They're either talking about swimming, or us," she responded after watching them for a few moments.

    "They're probably talking about us," Bri said, still sipping and staring.

    Mia looked at her friend and laughed. "I don't think they'd have anything bad to say," she said.

    "You underestimate them," Bri muttered.

    "I mean...you and Shawn are good now, right?" Mia asked her.

    Bri set her glass down on the short patio table and shrugged. "I mean, yeah. I told him I forgave him."

    Mia arched an eyebrow. "But?" she prompted.

    "I mean...he walked out on me when I was going through a lot," Bri said. "He's not completely out of the doghouse for that. I was basically dealing with that shock, being pregnant, by myself. Unexpected or not, he should have been there to support me. We should have been able to support each other."

    "You can support each other now," Mia pointed out. "It's obvious that he loves you. You guys have been together for a long time. I agree that he shouldn't have just walked out, but he was probably just freaking out and didn't want you to see it."

    Bri nodded. "That's pretty much what he said, but still."

    They lapsed into silence, each looking towards the man they loved. Even though they were in completely different situations, their thoughts mirrored each other. The two young women wondered if their relationships would make it through the long haul.

                                                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    "I can't imagine living in a house like this," Shawn said with his arms folded across his chest, looking out over the pool in awe.