50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

50SOD II: Chapter Ninety-Four

    Brian and Destiny moved around each other in the kitchen, each making a plate for themselves. At one point, they both grabbed for the Parmesan cheese shaker. Her fingertips brushed against his, and it was as if a jolt of electricity sparked at his fingertips. She pulled her hand back and moved away from him. "I'm sorry."

    He stared at her in wonder and picked up the Parmesan cheese shaker. As he sprinkled some of the cheese over his pasta, he said, "You don't have to apologize. It's not a crime to like cheese."

    She laughed and shook her head.

    Dinner and wine. One of the rare occasions that he sat and ate at his dining room table. The dining room set was Italian. The chairs had white seat cushions and beautifully carved wood backs. The table was glass with wood trim; the wood matched the backs of the chairs. The set had cost him close to ten grand and he rarely ever sat at it.

    He picked up his wine glass and watched her eat for a few moments. "So... are you feeling better?" he asked, before taking a sip of his wine.

    "Yeah," she said, pushing her spaghetti around her plate. "Well...a little better."

    "Everything will work out," he assured her. "Just give it time."

    She stared down at her plate in silence.

    His heart went out to her. He could tell that she was still heartbroken at Aubrey's dismissal. He cleared his throat and said, "Hey - this dinner table is a little formal. What do you say we finish dinner in the living room with a movie?"

    She nodded.

    "Yeah?" He stood up from the table, grabbed his plate, and then walked over to her so he could pick up her plate.

    "I can take my own plate," she protested.

    "I got it. But you can grab the wine glasses. Just...don't slip any roofies in mine. I'm already a lightweight as it is."

    She laughed. After grabbing both of their glasses, she followed him into the living room.

    He went with a comedy since she needed cheering up. He stole glances at her as often as possible, on the sly. All was going well through the first half of the movie, but at some point towards the middle, her face started to twist in discomfort. She grabbed her stomach and doubled over. His eyes widened. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

    "It's probably just a cramp - ah!" She bit her bottom lip and winced. "I'm going to be right back."

    He watched her stand and stumble out of the living with with his brows furrowed. Whenever a girl has stomach issues and has to puke...the mind naturally goes to one possibility. Is she...could she be...? He paused the movie and patiently waited for her to return.

    Her return came nearly fifteen minutes later. She'd pulled her hair up into a topknot and changed into pajama pants and a thin pink sweater. "Sorry about that."

    "Are you...okay?" he asked her.

    "Yeah, it's probably just something that I ate."

    He stared at her.

    She stared back. "What?"

    "If you continue to experience that symptom, you should get checked out."

    "It's probably just something I ate," she repeated, her voice taking on a defensive edge.

    He shrugged. "Okay." He looked at her for a moment longer before turning back to the television and pressing Play. It was impossible for him to focus on the movie after that. She was all the way at the other end of the couch, but all he could think about was her. Whether or not she was pregnant. Whether or not his feelings for her would change if she was. Whether or not Aubrey would want her to come back to him if she was. Whether or not Brian would be willing to let her go now that he finally had her close to him.

    Towards the end of the movie, he realized that she was crying.

    He paused the movie again and moved to sit closer to her. "Hey."

    She shook her head. "You can just ignore me. Play the rest of the movie."

    "Talk to me. What's up?"

    "You've counseled me enough," she said, wiping at her eyes. "If I confide in you any more, you should start charging me by the hour."

    He raised his hands and wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

    She looked up at him, her big brown eyes filled with infinite sadness. "I'm such a mess."

    "No. Look...if you miss him this much, maybe you should try talking to him again."

    "Definitely not. He knows what he wants. And what he wants is for me to stay away from him."

    He sighed. Aubrey had pretty much told him as much, but not for the reasons she seemed to be thinking. Knowing that he was pushing his luck, he settled an arm across her shoulders.

    She didn't protest or move away from him. She ducked her head down, trying to hide the other tears that started to fall.

    He pulled her against him. "Listen to me. Okay? If you miss him this much, try talking to him again. Tell him how you feel. Tell him how hard this is for you. He is trying to protect you, but...maybe you two can find some way to see each other."

    "I was hoping we would get to at work, but he's paranoid because of the mole in the office."

    "Oh yeah - I keep forgetting that we even have one. Shit, we're just having problem after problem after problem." He lifted his free hand up and ruffled his hair. "Take some time to think about how you feel, but if being away from him is eating you up this much, then tell him."

    "And if he shuts me out again?" she asked in a tiny voice.

    "Then..."

    Her eyebrows slanted upwards in anticipation of his response.

    He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and spoke the words he was thinking. "Then...I'm here for you, if he does that."

    She looked up at him, fresh tear tracks marking her cheeks and new tears frozen in her eyes.

    "Okay?" he asked, his voice shaking with nervousness.

    She searched his eyes for several moments before slowly nodding. "Okay," she whispered.