All's Fair In Love & War

Chapter 22

I was so glad that Avery's mom got his brother, Nathan, to come. I was on my way out of the hotel when I got a call from Ariana.

"Hello?" I answered
 
"I'm going to kill this kid, I swear. Oh my god!" she yelled. There was a loud slam of a door in back.
 
"What? What's wrong?" I asked frantically stopping dead in my tracks
 
"Oh my god, Autumn. I'm shaking right now. I'll kill him I swear. He doesn't know who he's fucking with."
 
"WHAT HAPPENED?"
 
"Jacob was in the shower and his phone started ringing and it was under Monica's name..." Monica was Jacob's manager but Ariana and her were pretty cool too. " I picked it up and it was some NASTY ASS BITCH."
 
"Oh my god! What did you say?? What did he say?? Where is he right now??"
 
"You're a dusty ass side hoe but if you want that custy ass nigga you can have him pues mamale el guevo maldita puta" 
 
"English translation please?" I asked semi laughing. I loves when Ariana started going off in Spanish. Sometimes I even forget that she's Dominican until she did.
 
"It means so you can suck his dick you fucking bitch. Autumn just know when he got out the shower, I fucked him up! I was swinging, slapping, and throwing shit. He just kept yelling " Chill what the fuck, that she's just a friend and that he dique saved it as another name because he knew I would act like this, all this bullshit.""
 
"He's there with you now?!"
 
"No, hell no! I kicked him out. He can go sleep with that bitch!" her voice cracked a little. I know Ariana loved him and was hurt but she would never show it, not even to me.
 
"Calm down Ariana, come with me to the airport."
 
I waited for her to come downstairs. She came down in a white tank top and hi-waisted shorts, red chucks, with black shades. I couldn't see her eyes but her eyebrows were scrunched and she was picking at the roots of her hair which always indicated, she was furious. She smoked a cigarette while we waited for the valet to bring the car but, respectfully, stood as far away as possible to keep me from inhaling the fumes. Over the course of the drive I was able to get her to calm down and even smile a little.
 
The drive to the airport was nerve wrecking. I had never met Nathan before and from what Avery has told me about him, he's been a loose cannon ever since he came back from his tour of duty. I mean, how could he not be? I couldn't imagine how I'd be after being surrounded by death for so long. I parked in the front of the airport disregarding the no parking zone signs, left the keys with Ariana in case a cop made her move it, and went to find his brother. I immediately recognized him from a picture that I've seen in Avery's house. He was tall, muscular, with sea blue eyes and dirty blonde short hair on his head and face.
 
I smiled at him only for the smile not to be returned.

"Well that was awkward." I thought.
 
"Hi, I'm Autumn. Nice to meet you." He didn't say anything back he just stared.
 
"Okaay," I thought out loud reaching to grab one of his bags but he stopped me and grabbed them himself. I already knew his state of mind so I didn't really take it to offense. He followed me outside and I sat in the car while he put his stuff in the trunk.
 
"He's so sexy, damn." Ariana said looking in the rear view mirror.
 
"He's kinda like.... fucked up, so don't take offense if he ignores you or doesn't say anything to you, okay?"
 
"I won't, you know I like assholes" she smirked.
 
"Ariana."
 
"What?" Nathan got in the car so we both stopped talking.
 
"This is my friend Ariana. Ariana this is Avery's brother, Nathan" still nothing. We started to drive in dead silence.
 
"Are you hungry?" I asked him looking in the rear view mirror. He just stared back.
 
"Wow you know you'd make an amazing mime. Come on, I know you're hungry. I can stop and get you some Maccas." I said trying to imitate an Australian when I said Maccas. Ariana busted out laughing and a small smile came across his face and instantly I was excited.
 
"YAY! I got a smile!" I did a dance in my seat and then I got a chuckle. I smiled in the rear view feeling accomplished. We stopped at a McDonald's and went inside. He started to speak to order his meal and it was the first time I had heard his voice. It was deep; way deeper than I expected, actually. His accent wasn't as strong as Avery's but you could still hear it faintly. Ariana looked at him lustfully. I nudged her to stop and we both started to giggle. He looked back at us and we immediately got serious.
 
"I almost fell," I lied and he nodded turning back around to pay for his food.
 
"I was going to pay!" I said.
 
"I got it."
 
We sat down while we waited for our food to be ready.
 
"Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me and I know it will mean a lot to Avery too."
 
He nodded stuffing his face with fries. "Thanks for the flight."
 
I smiled, excited that he was getting comfortable. I was really good at bringing that out of people even when they didn't want to. His sentences started to get longer and he even started laughing with us. Not to mention him and Ariana were flirting like crazy. We finished eating and pulled up in front of Avery's mom's house. This time he let me help him with a bag. I called her to open the door.
 
"Hey Sandy. We're here." she was at the door before I even had time to hang up. She jumped into Nathan's arms and cried even harder than she did when she saw Avery. He hugged her tightly rubbing her back as she balled. Avery came down to see her every Christmas but this was the first time she was seeing Nathan in 3 years.  I don't know why he never came before but I was glad he was here now. Ariana and I stood there and watched as they hugged, both of us grinning. They finally let go and he went to take his bags upstairs.
 
"We're going to go, Sandy, but we'll see you in a little." I smiled
 
"Thank You... So much" she whispered hugging me and still crying. My eyes got watery and I hugged her tighter.
 
"No, thank you." I smiled letting go. She hugged Ariana and we were on our way back to the hotel.
 
"The cookout starts at 4 but we're going to go at 6. It's 2:15 right now so you guys have three hours to get ready." I said looking down at my new watch.
 
"Alright, I'll tell them." Ariana said getting out at her floor.
 
"Oh and tell Channy I'm going to come down so she can do my make up for me!" I yelled before the elevator doors closed. When I got back to the room Avery was fast asleep. I put in my headphones and started to clean up the mess we had made all over the room from last night. I was quietly rapping along to Dreams and Nightmares when I got a call on my phone. I answered it quickly so Avery wouldn't wake up and locked myself in the bathroom. 
 
"Winter"
 
"Yes Maurice"
 
"Chill" Chris said in a serious voice I covered my mouth from laughing.
 
"What's up?"
 
"We just landed"
 
"Who's we?" I asked
 
"Me, Robyn, OHB, JB, Trigga, Elliot, Daniel, and David." Elliot, Daniel and David were other A&R's representatives at Jive Records and Avery's best friends.
 
"Okay! I'll see you guys there! Bye and thank you!"
 
"It ain't nothing girl, but aight bye."
 
I was beyond excited! Avery was going to have the time of his life! There was no way tonight could go wrong. When I got out the bathroom, I decided to wake Avery up the way every man wants to be woken up.
 
After I was done I went to brush my teeth and start getting ready.
 
"Can everyday be my birthday?" Avery smiled kissing me.
 
"You wish, baby." I smiled patting his cheek before walking away.
 
"Where are you going now?" He asked looking like a sad puppy
 
"Channy's going to do my make-up. I'll be back. Hurry up and get ready, babe."
 
Channy tied my hair up and began to prep my face. I honestly had no clue what she was doing I just knew it always looked popping after.  I wish I knew how to do make up as well as she did but it just seemed like too much work. 
 
"So I told him." I said with my eyes closed as she rubbed a brush over my eyelids.
 
"Told who what?"
 
"I told Avery I'm pregnant." I grinned
 
"Oh my god! Really? What did he say?"
 
"He cried and then we had sex." I laughed. "He said he want's a girl."
 
"AWWW! I'm so happy for you."
 
"Thanks babe." I semi-smiled.
 
"That didn't sound too happy, what's wrong?"
 
"I mean I'm happy but like damn what am I going to do when Cal comes back. I feel so bad."
 
"You just have to be honest with her, with yourself & with Avery too. Cal loves you and I know as much as it will hurt her all she'll want is for you to be happy."
 
"I know and that's what makes it so much harder. She's such a good person and I still love her. It may not seem like it but I do and I always will. But Cal and I being together while I have a baby for someone else that I also love can only happen in a dream world."
 
"That would be a crazy ass TV show."
 
We both chucked "Shut up, you're so stupid."
 
"Okay, you can open your eyes now" I was staring at a masterpiece yet again. The dark black and grey smoky eye make-up made my brown eyes pop and I was in love with the black lipstick.
 
"Thank you baby! I love it." I untied my hair and let it fall to see if I wanted to wear it up or down tonight. I decided on up for the night but I'd leave it down for the cookout. I went back upstairs and Avery looked at me in awe.
 
"You look beautiful, babe." He started to kiss me but I stopped him.
 
"You're gonna take all my lipstick off! But thank you." I said wiping the little bit that was on his mouth. Avery had on a black Armani Exchange t-shirt, jeans and taxi 12's with the watch I bought him. I changed into a black h&m dress and gladiator sandals that came up to my knee. I sat on Avery's lap while we waited for Ariana to call us when everyone was ready.
 
"When are you going to tell everyone?" Avery asked as he rubbed my stomach.
 
"I was thinking I'd tell them today at the cookout. I'm scared about telling your mom though."
 
"Why?"
 
"Because she just met me and now I'm telling her I'm pregnant. She's probably going to think I'm a hoe and hate me." Avery chuckled.
 
"I'm serious!" I laughed
 
"She loves you already and she's been on me about giving her grandchildren since I turned 25. She's going to love you more than me after we tell her."
 
"I hope so."
 
"I know she will" I smiled then gave him a peck on the lips. I rested my head on his shoulder until the phone rang.
 
When we got to the cookout, music was blasting from the backyard and I could smell the sausages from the front. I couldn't wait to dig in. The backyard was packed full of people and all of them were so excited to see Avery. They were showering him with hugs and kisses. I got introduced to so many aunt and uncles, cousins, daughters, and sons I started to forget what my own name was. One of Avery's baby cousins, Madeline, wouldn't leave my side from the minute she met me. She was so cute and her baby voice and accent made me swoon. She sat on my lap when I joined my friends who were drinking and being entertained by Avery's mom. 
 
"Go get food! Help yourselves! Avery go get your girlfriend food!" Sandy said winking at me and making them get up.
 
"How's Nathan holding up?" I asked once they were at the table.