By Your Side

Chapter 10: Ultimatums

Brandon's Pov

I have been living with Cortney for about two and a half weeks.  I knew things would be challenging, I mean this is the first girlfriend I have ever lived with and we haven't even really dating that long and then there is that added factor that she has a child.

Don't get me wrong I care about Cort and I get along fine with Mason, but it has been very stressful between all of that plus things are still weird at school. 

I am sitting on the couch studying for a physics test I have coming up while Mason sits on the floor in front of me watching cartoons.  This stuff is pretty confusing and hearing Blue's Clues in the background isn't helping me understand it any better. 

Just then, I hear a car door shut and soon enough Cort walks through the front door. I look up from my notes to see her walking towards us in the living room.  Her hair is a mess and she has bags under her eyes, so I think it is safe to assume that she has had a long day. 

"Hey" I greet her.

"Hi" she responds with little emotion. She plops down next to me and takes a deep breath.

"Everything okay?"

She stays silent and looks at me studying my features for a minute.  I feel like something must have happened today because she does not normally act like this. "It has just been a really long, rough day." I move my book off my lap and turn my body towards her.

"Well do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know" she says simply.

"Okay...? Well you know I am here if you want to talk."  She turns her attention to her son and I figure that she dropped the topic for now.

"I am just sick and tired of hearing random strangers talking about you and Callie.  People ask me about it all the time, and it makes me so uncomfortable because I don't know what the hell I am supposed to say."  So apparently she hasn't dropped the topic.

I am taken back by her words because I was not expecting her to get this worked up about it.  I mean she already knew about us before all of this happened.  She seemed okay with it then so I don't get what changed.

"I'm sorry you are middle of it... What do you say when they ask?" I kind of whisper the last part. 

She rolls her eyes at my question. "I act like I don't know what they are talking about and make myself look like an even bigger idiot."

"Cort, you are not an idiot."

"I don't know.  Are you sure about that?" She glares at me and I get confused. "Maybe I am an idiot for being in a relationship with you.  I mean I obviously care about you but I don't like the position I have been put it, Brandon.  I mean you haven't even graduated high school yet... and you have all of this unfinished business with Callie and tons of family drama. I don't want my kid to be dragged into this."

"I don't really know what you want me to say right now.  You knew I was still in school from day one and I thought you were fine with my relationship with Callie.  So what now you are not okay with it anymore?"

"Yeah, well I didn't have to hear about how you had sex with her everyday before. And it is kind of weird...  I think I have a right to not like you hanging around your ex all of the time."

"It's not like I can just avoid her.  Plus I have barely talked to her since I have been living here."  I scoff.

"That doesn't mean you don't still have feelings for her" 

"Cort-"

She interrupts me. " I don't like feeling like your second choice, Brandon"

"You're not. Why don't you believe me when I tell you that?"

Just then my phone buzzed on the coffee table because I got a text.  She looks at the screen as it lights up. "That's why."  She points at my cell phone.  I pick it up and see that the text was from Callie.

Annoyed at the situation, I throw my head back while throwing my phone down on the pillow next to me.  After a second, I am able to pull myself together to finish this discussion.  "What can I do to prove to show you that you are not my second choice."

"You can not talk to Callie anymore." She says with a straight face while staring at me with wide eyes.

"What? You want me to just shut her out of my life?!"  I honestly can't believe she is saying this.

"Yes." 

"I can't do that.... Maybe you forgot, but my moms adopted her. "  I say sarcastically.

"Trust me, I didn't forget!  And I know you can't help seeing her sometimes at family stuff, but you can not talk to her anymore than you have to." My jaw hangs open as she continues.  "You don't have to text her, or hang out with her, or talk to her at school."

"Are you serious?!" She doesn't respond, instead she just raises her eyebrows and continues to stare me down waiting for me to say something else.

"No, I can't just avoid her!"

"Why not?!  You asked how you could prove that I'm not second choice... well this is how you can do that."

"No.  It's not like we could ever be together, so it shouldn't matter if we see each other.  We have been through more than you can imagine together, and she is my best friend.  I am not cutting her out of my life."

"Well then, it is either her or me!"

"Cort, come on. Don't be like this"

"Nope! Her or me. What is it going to be Brandon?" 

"Well then I'm sorry, but I hope you have a nice life."

She shakes her head and laughs. "Of course."

She walks over to Mason and scoops him up in her arms. "Come on, Mason.  Let's go to the park."  And with that they leave me alone. 

I sit back down for a few minutes to soak in what just happened. Once I wrap my head around it, I get up and begin packing my belongings.  Thankfully, I didn't bring that much stuff, because I had a lot of it at the house still, and some at my dad's place.

Almost an hour later, I am sitting in my car about to pull out of the driveway for good, when I remember that Callie had texted me earlier and I still haven't read her message. 

I pull out my phone and unlock it.  I softly smile as I read it.

"Hey. I'm really sorry moms made you move out.  I know this is all my fault but please stop avoiding me... I can't get through this without you"

As soon as I finish reading the text, I know that I made the right decision to leave.  I can just picture Callie at the moment.  She is probably sitting outside alone with dried tears on her cheeks.  The image breaks my heart. 

I reply back with "We are in this together. I am ALWAYS here Callie" 

I head out on the road as the sun is setting.  By the time I get to my dad's apartment,  it is about eight o'clock.  I knock on the door and Dad opens it.  He notices my stuff in the hall and pulls me into a hug.

"I'm glad you're back, B"

"Me too"

~~~~

I know this chapter was kind of short but I hope you liked it anyway!  

Who wants to be my fangirl buddy for Monday's episode?  Message me if you want to so we can freak out together, because freaking out alone is not as much fun, and none of my friends are caught up on the show yet =)

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