True to You

The Pain is Strong

2019

Brian planted his fists on the cool, grey marble surrounding the bathroom basin and glared at his own reflection. He was an idiot for getting so worked up because, just for a moment or two, he'd actually thought that Laine was Jimmy's daughter.

Fuck. If it hadn't been Brooks who'd planted the idea in their heads he wouldn't have entertained it for a second. The problem was it had been Brooks and it was rare that they guy ever said anything just for the hell of it. It wasn't his way. If he spoke up you wanted to be damn sure that you were listening because it was probably well worth hearing. Brooks knew shit. How, Brian had no idea but make no mistake...

Brooks. Knew. Shit.

All Brian knew was that with the realisation that there was no possible way that Jimmy could have been Laine's father his gut was churning. And he hated himself because he couldn't quite work out if he was relieved or disappointed. Because if she had been? While he'd have been thrilled to have a part of Jimmy to hold onto he'd have been furious with Elliot for keeping it from them. It would have been just like her, to fuck with me from beyond the grave he thought to himself with a bitter, little laugh.

And what the hell would it have been like for Laine? Brian had enough self-awareness to realise that he'd lost the plot just a little with his overprotective cousin act. If she'd been Jimmy's kid? Shit, he'd probably have locked her in the basement and set Pinkly to guard her.

Not that it mattered anyway, because she wasn't Jimmy's daughter. Brian swallowed hard around his disappointment and glanced down at the poor excuse for a ferocious guard dog who lay panting at his feet as she enjoyed the cool of the herringbone pattern marble tiles against her belly. Her mouth lolled open and she gave him the unmistakeable doggy version of a smile. Unable to resist the little dog's simple joy in life Brian bent down to scratch her head. Instead she squirmed around until she was on her back, legs in the air and her belly was presented ready for her favourite type of scratches. Bad mood receding rapidly Brian grinned and gratified Pinkly's wish until her back legs were peddling like she was riding and invisible push bike.

"You know girl," Brian said when, tired of the game, he picked her up, "I hope one of these days you're going to have to share my love with another little girl." Because he and Steph were trying for a baby. Not that they'd really discussed it but when he'd bought the new house it wasn't only because he liked the idea of a bikini clad Steph lounging by the pool. No, he'd also thought that it was a pretty good place for kids and dogs.

When he'd thrown Steph's pill packet prominently on the top of the bathroom trash can he hadn't been trying to go behind her back. He'd just wanted her to know that he was ready without any pressure. He'd heard enough stories about Steph's ex-husband Eli and the pressure that he'd put her under to conceive his Instagram ready offspring to know that she was wary. Hell, he was wary of what babies could do to a relationship. It wasn't long after the birth of their child that Michelle had decided her life was better off without him as a husband. For someone with an ego the size of Brian's that was a huge blow. But all in all co-parenting with Michelle seemed to be working out okay, they had a far friendlier relationship than Zacky and Meaghan. It was a total mind-fuck that Steph and Michelle had become close along with Kelly and Caitie, not to mention Michelle's continuing friendship with Kelly Wackerman and Lacey. He may have once, and once only, referred to them all as Steph's coven. His lip curled up in a smirk when he thought of the punishment Steph had doled out to him for that one. She'd made it worth his while in the end but he was pretty sure that he needed a bit more recovery time before he let her unleash her freak on him again.

Steph had left her pills in the trash so maybe, with any luck they might have made a baby. Which would be an amazing thing. A wonderful thing. And hopefully if it was a girl he might have worked the worst of the crazy out of his system via Laine before the time came for her to do more than gaze at him adoringly like Sloane did at Zacky. Because while he was fully on board with women's rights he wasn't kidding himself that he wasn't going to turn into some kind of protective caveman if he ever had a daughter. Fortunately any daughter of his would also be a daughter of Steph's and therefore would be more than equipped to deal with him or any other dickhead male that crossed her path.