The leaves crunched under my feet as I jogged rigorously, trying to catch up to my stupid best friends. Ellie made it seem so damn easy while Julia was at a steady pace right behind her. I honestly think I have the wrong set of friends sometimes. Exercise was never something I was into. Food, I can be enthusiastic over.
"Wai- wait up!" I panted out in short breaths.
"Come on Tessa! Hurry up!" Ellie yelled over her shoulder. "Just pretend you're chasing someone down to beat the shit out of them," Julia offered. I rolled my eyes and grunted.
"That's way different than this," I whined. My legs became extra wobbly making me trip over a root sticking out of the ground. With my clumsiness and misfortune all together, I rolled on the dirty ground upon falling.
"Okay... way different," Ellie now agreed. Julia approaches me first to pull me back up. I groaned in pain, clutching my side. It hurt really bad. So bad I could feel tears threatening to fall.
"We gotta get you to a hospital," Julia said with wide eyes. I lifted a brow, "Dude I'm fine. It's just a scratch."
I lifted my arm to see a small cut on my elbow, "Besides. I've had worse beatings before."
"No not that," she gently places my arm back down. I blinked a few times bewildered by how my vision was starting to blur and darken. Then comes all the sounds and their voices being muffled.
"I- I don't feel... so-" I felt my whole body fall to the ground.
"-good," I huffed out before darkness consumed me whole.
•••
"Everything is fine."
"What happened? Is she-"
"It was just dehydration-"
"Oh thank god!"
I awoke to the sound of hushed whispers all around the room. My head hurt but other than that and my scrapes stinging a little- I was fine. Slowly, I blinked my eyes awake to see Ellie and the doctor quietly discussing what seemed to be an important matter. I felt anxious just being in a hospital room. A gnawing feeling filled me the more I stayed in the blank white room.
"Uhm... yeah, okay. Thank you. I'll tell her myself," Ellie smiled and lead the doctor out. I gulped the whole glass of water down like my life depended on it and waited for her to tell me what was wrong. The look on her face spelled out the worst I could possibly imagine. Which says a lot since she was always the one to sign my papers whenever I end up in such a place.
"Tessa.." she trailed off. An unknown mix of emotions depicted on her face. I couldn't quite tell whether she was worried or just downright constipated. Okay, maybe I was being too harsh. But that was my way of trying not to be more anxious than I already was.
"Just spit it out already god damn," I grumbled. "You know I'm not patient- ever." She rolls her eyes before putting a stern face on.
"Don't freak out, okay?"
"Yes mam," I mocked a salute. Earning a glare in return.
Her lips slowed down. It was as if everything just came to a stop. Time was non existent as I sat there trying my best to actually digest the biggest news of my life.
Two words. How can it hold so much power over you? Over your life? And, well, another's?
"I'm pregnant," I whispered to myself.
The door slams open showing three of my close friends. Collin came in holding a big pot of soup, Jaden could barely be seen from all the stuffed toys he carried, while Julia pulled on a whole bunch of mixed balloons.
"Jaden! Hurry the fuck up dude!" Collin hollers as he tries not to spill any of the steaming soup everywhere. Jaden in return gave a muffled response, dropping all the stuffed toys all over me even though there was a clear space by my feet. "I know you hate balloons but-" Julia shrugs and lets the balloons go making them bounce on the sky and remain afloat.
"You better eat a lot of this okay?" Collin says after setting it down on the coffee table.
"What are you? Her mom?" Jaden scoffed.
"Fuck off," he responded. Jaden glared and chucked a teddy bear at Collin. "That was not nice," he smirked. "What are you? Five?!" Collin exclaims. Julia then jumps in scolding them for being childish- making so much noise in the room I could no longer stand any of them.
"WILL YOU ALL PLEASE SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP!" I yelled over their mindless quarrels. I huffed in uneven breaths feeling as if I was oxygen deprived. Damn this fatigue getting me. They all sewed their mouths shut, looking like puppies after they get yelled at. All the attention was now on me.
"In other news," I rolled my eyes and sighed before letting myself repeat the words that I have yet to understand myself.
~~~
Brooke's POV (Nick's sister)
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.
"Nick please sit down son," dad ushered him over. I stood by, fiddling with my fingers. Nick hid my situation from dad. Which resulted to a nice talk where dad apologizes for his harsh words, as do I. Leaving out the dark parts. I didn't want him to ever think it was his fault. Specially with so much already on his plate. After all, I was mostly to blame. I let my demons get the best of me.
And I'm trying my best to never let such a thing happen again. Not just for my sake, but for my brother's. As well as Tessa's. Who I have yet to thank. No one has ever dared to be there for me like she has. And I've only known her as my brother's close friend of some sort.
But now, comes the part where I'm sure it will leave us all the more distraught. I could feel it in my gut. That unsettling feeling. Nothing's wrong with your physically, but you know. You just know. Something is off.
"I've already signed the contracts. You and Brooke will have to split everything I leave in half. The ownership of the company, the houses-" dad winces from the headache he's been trying to withstand since we got here.
"I know dad. You told me yesterday," Nick smiled sadly as he squeezes dad's hand. Dad chuckled, "It used to be you who forgot things. I remember when your mother would have to tell you to take a shower. 'Cause you'd forget. You were studying too much."
"Or because I hogged the bathroom," I added in causing them to both laugh. A real one this time.
"I.. I know you don't plan on settling down anytime soon," dad trails off. Nick's lips tightened to a straight line. It wasn't formed into a smile, nor was it a frown. Just tensed.
"But, I remember. You talked about this one girl who spilled your coffee. And then you became friends. What happened to her, son?" I felt all the blood drain from my face at the mere description of what I could only assume as, Tessa. The only girl my brother has not driven away with his annoying sarcastic remarks and never ending work load. Nick was popular, well, still is. He just no longer has as much close friends as he did before ever since he chose to take over the lifestyle dad let him inherit.
"Oh, uh.. It's kind of," Nick coughed a few times trying not to let any negative emotion shine through. Dad chuckled oblivious to this, "I want to meet her."
"Why?" I blurted out for Nick. He gives me an appreciative glance before looking down and letting a dragged out sigh.
"Well, I'd love to meet the girl who makes my son looses his composure." Dad answered as if it were an obvious answer.
"Sure." I whipped my head to look at Nick with bulging eyes. He, on the other hand, stayed as calm as ever.
"I'd love for you to meet her."
YOU ARE READING
My New Addiction
Romance"I've fallen for a guy who's world is falling around him." "No one asked you to," he turns away. No longer was he holding on to me for dear life, his eyes blank of emotion. I felt tears well up in my eyes. "But I did," I whispered into the air. No l...
