His to Love (His #3)

Chapter 34

Aaron: I can't wait to fucking see you again

I smile down at the phone, biting my lip as I open the door to my flat. When I lift my head, I freeze on the spot, my smile disappearing when I see Rory. With Braden. And his hands are on her shoulders. 

Both of them are facing me now as if I caught them doing something they shouldn't have. Braden swiftly removes his hands and Rory stands up from the couch. I can see the tears in her eyes. "Hi?" I say, still frozen on the spot.

Rory tries to smile at me, but she fails. My eyes turn confused, flickering between her and Braden, trying to know what's happening here. Did Braden finally get the courage to apologise to Rory and get her back? 

Rory starts shaking her head, heading back to her room. "Hey," she greets me and then escapes into her room.

"What's going on?" I ask Braden, unfreezing myself from the spot by the door and walking towards the living room. Braden is stiffly sitting on the couch, staring at the direction Rory went in. "Braden?"

He finally looks at me, his eyes glassed over. I'm momentarily taken aback. Is he ... Is he going to start crying? He hasn't cried in years. "Nothing. I just came here to talk." 

I sit down beside him. "And how did it go?" I ask softly.

Braden snickers, rubbing thrusting his hands in his hair in frustration. "How do you think?"

I purse my lips. "Well, you royally screwed up this time. If she ever decides to forgive you, you have to count yourself as a lucky man." 

Braden sharply looks at me. "Don't you think that I know that? She's also pregnant. With my baby. Brooke, I am going to be a father!" he almost screams.

"Lower that tone with me," I tell him equally harshly. I know he's going through shit but he won't unnecessarily raise his voice at me. "You fucked it up and you realised your mistake. You only have to figure it out how to make her forgive you and trust you again." 

Braden leans his head back against the couch. "And what if I lose her forever?" Braden whispers in fright.

I doubt he would. Rory loves him too much. But I can't guarantee him anything. "Fight for it and see what happens. If you think she's the one, Braden, fight for her. Even if you don't get to be together in the end, you'll at least know you've tried."

Braden nods, standing up and clearing his throat. He holds something out for me to take. "Can you give this back to Rory, please? She won't take it from me."

I stare at the phone he's holding for me - the phone that used to belong to Rory before she returned it to him after their 'break-up'. "Braden, I'm not going to be -"

"I know," he cuts me off. "Just give this to her and explain it that she needs this. Not because I said so but because she's growing a life inside of her and it would be a lot safer if she had her phone." 

I get his point. I take the phone from his hand. "But don't think I'm going to be the middle man here. You two have to sort this out by yourselves."

Braden nods. "I know, Brooke. I'm trying," he tells me.

"Try harder," I insist. 

Braden straightens his mouth into a tight line. "Yeah. Thank you. I have to leave now. Take care."

"You too," I tell him meaningfully, watching him walk out with slumped shoulders. 

I take a deep breath, massaging my temples. I head towards Rory's room, going in without knocking. "Braden said I should give you this."