broken // branded sequel // heathers au

nineteen

Elody's POV

"Are you excited?" I asked my twin sister who was busy curling her hair for her date with Portia.

"I'm nervous." Auden informed me.

"You'll be fine," I told her.

"I know that." She replied.

"Does Portia know about me?" I asked because my anxiety was making me worried that Portia would be embarrassed of dating a to-be aunt.

"What do you mean?" Auden asked me.

"Does she know that I'm pregnant?" I clarified.

"Yeah, why?" Auden questioned.

"Because it's embarrassing." I said. "We're twins and only seventeen, it's got to be embarrassing to have a pregnant sister." I added. Auden sat the curling iron down and looked at me.

"You're not embarrassing, El. It's not your fault." She told me.

"But it is. I let Ezra have sex with me, without protection. I should have known better." I said, my eyes welling up with tears.

"Elody," Auden sighed.

"I just feel like an idiot." I admitted. "I've been trying to be happy but I'm not. I don't want this baby." I added, instantly regretting the words once they left my mouth.

"Don't say that," Auden commented.

"It's true!" I shouted. Just then, at the source of the noise, my mother came into Auden's room.

"What's true?" She asked us.

"Nothing!" I yelled at her, getting up and leaving to go into my own room. I curled into the blankets on my bed and pulled out my phone. I hadn't messaged Lindsay back since the first time we talked.

I didn't want to think about her or her mom who stood up for my own mother. I didn't want to think about my dead sister. I didn't want to think about Auden or my parents.

I could only find myself able to think about one person, and that was Ezra. I wasn't sure why but I had started to miss him. On a stupid whim, I called him.

"Elody?" He asked as he answered the phone.

"It's me." I replied.

"What's going on? Did you have the baby?" He asked me. I felt confused why he thought I'd call about the baby after we were legally not allowed to see one another.

"No, the baby's fine. I just," I began but broke off. I couldn't say it.

"You just what?" He asked.

"I miss you." I admitted, finally letting those hot tears stream down my face. "I've been trying to ignore it but I can't. I have no freedom in my life now." I said.

"What do you mean?" He asked me.

"My mom makes me get lots of sleep, for the baby. She watches what I eat and makes sure I don't do anything wrong." I explained further.

"So?" He questioned.

"It's sweet and I know she's coming from a good place but it's annoying. It feels like I have no free will. I don't even want the baby." I admitted to him as well. I could hear him sigh on the other end.

"Ellie, I'm sorry I made you keep the baby. I thought we could be happy and then it all got fucked up." He apologized.

"Can you come get me?" I asked.

"What?" He questioned back, sounding shocked.

"I need to see you." I told him. "Get in your damn car and pick me up." I added and before he could interject, I hung up. I knew he wouldn't pass that up. My phone beeped a moment later with a text from him.