✔ LITTLE MARA! ― (BRANDON ARREAGA)

twenty six

I walked through the airport with cautious eyes. I tried to keep my head down, but that failed two seconds after I left my gate and ran into a group of agitated adults. Thank goodness I was feeling nice today because I sure would've cussed every single one of them out. I was 18 now, and that meant that I would go straight to jail if I had gotten into a fight at the airport. Now how would that look being pregnant and locked up? Hormones get you going crazy.

I made my way to baggage claim and quickly grabbed my bags. On the outside I probably didn't seem that nervous, but on the inside my mind was going crazy and it felt as if my heart was going to jump out of my chest.

"Lily." I felt someone poke my shoulder and I turned around to find my mom. "Oh, my baby." She said, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me as best as she could. I've learned over the past few months that it's really hard to hug someone when you're 8 months pregnant. "If you don't want to be spotted then we need to go now." she whispered in my ear.

I nodded, pulling away from her and grabbing my suitcase handle once again, "So hows everything been in Jersey?" I asked as we began driving to the pm house. In case you were wondering, my mom had been staying with Nick for a few days to help around the house while the boys were busy with music and stuff. I was only visiting because I missed my family and friends. I loved Maci, don't get me wrong, but sometimes it was nice to see everyone else. Besides, I felt like I was finally starting to be happy again with my life and there was no need to hide away in my apartment anymore.

"Would you like to know the truth?" she chuckled, keeping her eyes on the road.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, completely confused and fazed by the question she asked.

"What do I mean? You just got up and left and only told me and your father. You wouldn't let me tell your brother because you were afraid he would tell Brandon. He cried for two weeks straight, Liliana. And Brandon, he probably still cries to this day. I wouldn't be surprised if your brother hated you for what you did." She said as we pulled into the pm house.

I unbuckled my seat belt as she slammed the driver door shut. He hates me? I couldn't live with myself if my brother hated me. He's my best friend. I'd literally take a bullet for him. I slowly, but surely got out of the car and didn't even bother getting my suitcase out yet. My mother stood by the front door, holding it open as I walked in.

I was immediately greeted by the boys, everyone except brandon and nick. It didn't really bother me that I hadn't seen brandon yet, I was mainly concerned about my brother. where was he and what if he actually hated me?

I walked upstairs to my room, deciding that I would give myself time to adjust to being back in the house before I even dared confronting nick. As I opened my door, the person that stood in front of me made my breathing stop. My heart literally stopped. His eyes were bloodshot red and he had dark circles underneath his dark brown eyes. His hair stuck up in all different directions. His eyes scanned over me, stopping at my belly. Before I could even blink, he was making his way out of my room. The sound of his door slamming closed followed shortly after. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to fight back the tears. He won't even speak to me.

I don't know why, but my feet guided me across the hall to his bedroom door. I balled my hand into a fist and lightly knocked, "Nick, please. Let me in." I said in a low whisper, I was sure he could hear me in the dead silence in the house at the moment.

The door flew open and there he stood. "What do you want? huh? You're just gonna come back here after almost a year of ignoring everyone and think everything's the same as when you left? What you did to Brandon and all of us was a complete bitch move and you know it." He hissed at me. The last sentence made me give him a puzzled look.

"What are you talking about 'What I did to brandon'?  What did he tell you?" I demanded, my voice raising.