The Other Side (Book Four in the Peterick Mpreg Series)

Northern Downpour (Pete's POV)

After Patrick hung up the phone with Joe, he instantly burst into tears again. I knew he couldn't help it. Seeing him hurt made me hurt. It made me cry as well. I really hope Emily and Jack are going to be ok... And I'm so glad that Jack's mom is where she belongs.

Anyway, after a good fifteen minutes of Patrick crying, I noticed Andy, Joe, and Jaimee run into the waiting room. God, this is not going to go well.

"Patrick, babe, Joe, Andy, and Jaimee are here," I whispered to him.

"Shit," he whispered.

He pulled away from me and turned towards the wall to compose himself while I walked over to Joe, Andy, and Jaimee. God, Jaimee looked so scared already... I couldn't help myself, so I instantly took her in my arms and explained everything. By the end of me explaining, she was sobbing into my shirt like Patrick was. Patrick had calmed down before, but when he saw Jaimee breakdown in my arms, he lost it again. Joe gave him a saddened look and engulfed him in a tight hug. Andy just kind of stood there for a little bit, not knowing what to do, but then eventually came over and hugged Jaimee with me as well. I felt so, so bad. If I hadn't told Emily to headbutt Jack's mom, then she'd be fine... This is all my fault. Pete, you're such a fuck up.

After a good ten of fifteen more minutes, we had all calmed down again. We all just sat there in silence, with Jaimee in Patrick's arms, Joe and Andy on my right, and me in between them, Patrick, and Jaimee. Eventually though, I just sat on the edge of my chair and held my head in my hands, crying silently. This really is all my fault. It's my fault Emily's here right now, going through whatever she's going through. It's my fault Jack's mom grabbed her because I didn't keep pinning his mom down in the kitchen. It's my fault she passed out. It's all. my. fault.

Patrick must have eventually noticed me crying because he put Jaimee down and told her to go sit by Joe and Andy, who scooped her up instantly and both held her. Patrick stood up and grabbed my hand. I stood up and turned my face so Jaimee wouldn't see me crying. I had to be strong for her... Right?

Anyway, Patrick led me down a few hallways until he finally found a bathroom. I know, incredibly romantic. As we both walked in, Patrick turned around and locked the door behind him. After he turned to me again, I couldn't help myself, so I collapsed into a ball of tears into his arms. He hugged me tightly and wouldn't let me go.

"Pete, baby," Patrick said, his voice already breaking. "I know you and I know what you're thinking. Pete, this is not your fault."

"But it is," I said, tears streaming down my face and onto Patrick's shirt "Jack's mom wouldn't have come up the stairs and grabbed Emily if I hadn't stopped pinning her down in the kitchen. Emily's wouldn't have gotten cut badly if I hadn't told her to headbutt Jack's mom. She wouldn't have passed out if it weren't for me, Patrick. Her being here right now is all my fault."

"Pete, it's not your fault. You did the right thing by forgetting about Jack's mom when you heard Emily scream. You did the right thing by telling her to fight her way out of his mom's grip, even if she got cut. She still got away from her. Pete, none of this is your fault. I'm just glad that nothing worse happened to her or any of us," Patrick said, crying almost as bad as me.

"B-But," I stuttered out.

"Pete, i-it's not," he said as he pried me off of him and looked directly into my eyes. "It's not."

I fell back into Patrick's arms and he held me tighter than before. Eventually, Patrick wound up sitting on the bathroom floor, literally holding me in his arms like a baby while I cried and cried and cried. I honestly don't cry often, but when I do, it never seems to end... Patrick knows that, trust me, but he still loves me anyway and that's all I can ask for.