The Girl

TWENTY-EIGHT: ST. PATRICK

"Transparent hands were at my neck, at my neck, at my. Ooh, but I love the way you let me breathe instead, breathe instead..."

SONG: ST. PATRICK
ARTIST: PVRIS

Michael came to sit on top of me and on instinct, I reached for Brianna who wasn't beside me because she usually got up early now to help Feldmann's wife with whatever she needed to do. I loved that she was being so helpful while staying here, but that meant I woke up alone.

"Mike, mate, get the fuck off of me," I grumbled and pulled my fist out from under me, punching him in the ass.

"Fucker," He snarled and fell down on Brianna's side of the bed. "I came because Brianna kicked me out of the kitchen. Also, she said to come get you because she needs to talk to you."

As soon as he said Brianna needed me I was out of bed and shoving sweatpants up my legs as I walked down the stairs. Feldmann's wife was sitting beside Brianna while my girlfriend spoke to her with a look of distress on her face.

"Baby, you okay?" I asked, walking over to her and kissing the top of her head. "Brianna."

She blinked away her tears and exhaled softly. "My dad came over here and he brought up this story about how sorry he was and how he wasn't ready for the responsibility, but--I just-- couldn't even look at him."

I frowned and sat down beside her, thanking Feldmann's wife afterward.

"You can't avoid him forever," I reminded her and ran my hand over hers before intertwining our fingers. "Baby, do it in your own time, but you'll have to talk to him."

Brianna closed her eyes and licked her lips. "I just don't want to be let down again. I don't want to accept him into my life just to have him leave. You, my step-dad, and my brothers are the only men I need in my life."

"Brianna," I sighed and cupped her face. "No one said you have to forgive him."

She nodded her head. "I--I'm going to go out with Feldmann's wife to get some stuff for the house. Are you going to be okay? I don't want to go off and shop if you need me here."

I sighed and placed my hand on the back of her neck, kissing her softly. "I always need you, but you don't have to stay because of that. Go have some fun, take your mind off of it. Though, I'm going to need your cellphone."

Brianna nodded and handed me her phone without questioned before kissing the top of my head. I inhaled her scent and tilted my head back to look at her.

"You look beautiful,"

"I haven't even washed my hair," She mumbled, blushing anyway. I grinned.

"You look beautiful all the time, honestly,"

*

I tapped my fingers against the white fabric covered table. My heart was pounding at a thousand miles an hour and it wasn't even because I was nervous. I was angry.

When he finally showed up, he was twenty minutes late and I understood why Brianna was uneasy about meeting him. I stared at the surface of her cellphone and felt absolutely guilty about the betrayal that was flowing through me. If she was going to see him for the first time since she was a child and I didn't need her setting her expectations too high (or low) if she didn't have to.

She had his eyes. The beautiful brown and his smile. I swallowed and stood, shaking his hand. He was dressed in a suit, grey hair slicked back, phone in hand and eyes scanning the room for me until he spotted me.

He approached slowly, taking his time and I was really fucking annoyed because I would hate for him to take this long and act like he owned the place when Brianna came to sit down with him.