Desperate

Chapter 24

Monday afternoon Wes parked the car in the lot behind my apartment complex. He helped me carry my bags to my door. He turned and kissed me once softly before opening the door. I put my hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"Do you want to tell them about this?" I asked holding out my hand with the big diamond rock on it.

He though for a second and sighed. "Lets just wait a few days?" He looked to me for approval of his decision.

I nodded and slid the ring off my finger. "Okay baby." I handed my rings to him and he slid them into his pocket along with his.

We went into the apartment and saw Shayla sitting with Drew and Keats on the couch. Keaton looked up at us and he burst out laughing to the point where he can't breathe. Well that didn't take long. Drew joined in laughing and Shayla coughed to hide a chuckle as she stood and came to hug me.

"Hey Wes can you take those bags to Brianna's room real fast?" Shayla asked over exaggerating the word fast earning more laughs from Drew and Keaton.

"Ha, ha, ha. You're not funny." Wes fake laughed.

"Dude why would you answer my call if you were... busy." Keaton laughed.

Wes shook his head. "I thought you'd talk faster." He laughed.

My face had to be the color of a strawberry. "Guys can we just let this go?" I asked.

"You let it go alright." Drew snorted.

"Enough guys!" Wes said dropping my bags in my room. "Leave my girl alone."

"Awe she's totally blushing because you called her your girl." Shayla teased.

"I am not!" I lied.

"She totally is!" Keaton laughed.

I punched his arm making him fake it hurting. "I hate all you jerks." I said.

"Didn't sound like it on the phone." Keaton snorted.

"Alright and I'm out. Wes lets go back to your place." I sighed praying he'd get me outta here.

"Yeah, lets go, and if Keaton doesn't shut up next time we do it, it'll be in his bed." Wes said sticking his tongue out at Keaton and taking my hand.

"Ew!" Keaton groaned.

Wes and I laughed as he led me quickly out the door and down the steps. I never got tired of being with him. He was so full of energy and happy. It makes me smile just being near him. I've never been this happy with anyone ever. After we left my apartment we went to his and he made lunch. We ate then he unpacked and we were talking about mindless things as my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep.

Wesley's POV

Brianna caught a lot of shit from my little cell phone mishap. I felt bad but I hope I can make it up to her. She played it cool but I know it bugged her. I made lunch and we unpacked my stuff from the trip and she fell asleep in my bed. I could watch her sleep forever. Sometimes she falls asleep before me at night and I'd just lay next to her and watch while she slept. Not in a weird way, but she looks so at peace and relaxed. Unlike when she's awake, she looks stressed and exhausted most of the time. She also talks in her sleep sometimes. The first time is stayed with her she said my name and mumbled things she liked about me. I thought she was faking at first but she wasn't. It's adorable.

"Stop it." She giggled.

I smiled and covered her up with a blanket. "I love you." I whispered softly.

"No! Stop please!" She screamed and tossed around. I didn't know what to do. Should I wake her up? I watched as she quivered making me feel helpless. "No, no, no!" She cried.

I shook he softly. "Brianna wake up." I shook her harder making her jump awake. She sat up fast and looked around disoriented. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a bad dream." She sighed wiping a tear off her cheek.

"Must have been some dream. Do you wanna talk about it?" I asked rubbing her back softly.

"Um, I don't know if you want to hear about it." She said honestly.

"Of course I do." I argued. "Tell me."

She sighed and looked up at me then back at her hands. "I, I can't. I need to go." She said standing up.

"Brianna, wait!" I called after her but she was already out the door.

I went downstairs into the lobby looking for her. She hadn't driven so I figured she'd need a ride, but she was no where to be seen in the lobby or the parking lot. I sighed running my fingers through my hair as I went back to my apartment. Why'd she get so upset I wonder?

About twenty minutes went by and I was having a panic attack worrying about her so I called Shayla to make sure she made it home okay. It rang several times before she picked up. "What Wes?" She laughed. "This better not be a sex call."

"Not funny. Is Brianna home yet?" I asked.

"She was with you?" She said sounding confused.

"Wait so she didn't come home?" I clarified.

"Why would she come home?" She asked.

"Well she took a nap and had a nightmare and when I asked about it she freaked out and left." I explained. "I went to give her a ride home but she was gone."

"Not again." She sighed. "Can you come get me. I know where she'll be, but she won't want to see you."

"I'll be there in ten." I hung up.

Ten minutes later Shayla strolled through her lot and hopped in my car. "I left Drew and Keaton here in case she comes here, but I know she won't. Drive to the hospital closest to your place." She said fastening her seatbelt.

"Hospital?" I asked.

"I'll explain but you can't tell Brianna you know." She said looking out the window as I drove.

"I won't say a word." I nodded.

"When we were in high school Bri dated this guy she'd known for practically her whole life. He was a family friends kid named Connor. The dated a few weeks and it was fine. Then I noticed she started dieting and acting weird. She stopped talking to me and only hung out with him." She sighed reliving it. "He had her so brainwashed she thought she was worthless, fat, stupid, and some other stuff. He'd raped her too. It wasn't her first time but still. She'd tried to tell her mom but she didn't believe Brianna. She said it was her own fault for dating riffraff."

"That's terrible." I said. Who'd want to do that to a girl like Brianna.

"She was in so many shitty relationships but that one broke her. I blame her mom for sending her over the edge." Shayla said. "Anyway, the final straw was when he beat the shit out of her though. Her brother found her and he went after Connor and almost killed him. Charges never got filed but we all know it was her brother that did it. Bri had nightmares so bad, and had to go to therapy after his brainwashing."

"Why's she at the hospital now though?" I asked.

"Well she stopped having the nightmares for awhile but since she's having them again she'll feel like she's losing grasp on her life. This happens sometimes. It's okay she's just going to be in here talking to a therapist or something." She said.

We pulled up to the hospital and outside on a bench sat Brianna. She was waiting patiently and looked like she'd been crying. She stood up and walked to my car and hopped in the backseat. "I knew she'd know where I went." She sighed. "Did you tell him?" She asked Shayla.

"Tell me what?" I played dumb.

"It's fine Wes." Brianna said. "It's part of my past I'm not happy about but it's a path that brought me to you."

That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard form anyone. Here's this broken girl who went through a lot of shit, and she's happy she did because it brought her to me. "That's the nicest thing I've ever heard." I smiled at her the rearview mirror.

"It's true though." She said. "I love you."

"I love you too." I said.