Bedding bad √

Meghan-33

I am crazy. What I was about to do felt right but the timing was off but there is never a perfect time for anything so I tried not to grip the wheel too hard. Travis had said he was home and his car in the garage confirmed it. Inside, Tyler was by the stairs stoning. He smiled at me with an ease that only those plants could provide.

‘Hey bro’. He grinned
‘You finally lost that last bit of shame you had left? Can’t even take your business to your room’.
‘It’s a free world, besides, who would watch the door?’
I shook my head and decided to hurry things up so he could concentrate on his highness.
‘Where is Travis?’
‘The little cub is behind at the court’.
I chuckled
‘You are lucky I can’t tell him you called him that’.
‘Why not?’ He wiggled his brows and I waved him off before walking to the back of the house.

Travis grunts could be heard all the way from the door. He kept on throwing balls at the hoop, missing a couple and scoring most. He always had a fixed attention, if he was onto something, he gave it his all and didn’t stop until he was satisfied. I slowly walked up to him and stopped a couple feet behind him.

‘Hey’.
He spun around quickly and smiled when he saw me but the smile slowly disappeared.
‘Babe, are you okay?’ He dropped the ball and moved closer.
‘June got admitted’.
‘Oh. Well, how is she?’ He took a couple steps forward.
‘Sedated. The doctor said she’ll get well soon’
‘Is the baby okay?’
‘It’s fine. Trav, that is not why I’m here’. I saw the confusion on his face

‘Okay?’
I was tempted to play with my fingers like a nervous kid but resisted the urge and took a step away from him. He noticed it and his confusion only deepened.
‘Meghan. What’s going on?’
‘I need you to let me go’. That wasn’t so hard but his alarmed expression was.
‘What are you saying?’
‘I’m freeing us from this’.

‘From what?’ He exclaimed in frustration.
‘From each other. We are not in love, we are both parasites feeding off of each other and its toxic and I can’t do it anymore, we shouldn’t do it anymore’.
‘But Meghan I love you’. He grabbed my hands and I could see the appeal in his eyes. He didn’t want to let go, like it would break him if he did.

‘No. you don’t, you are making yourself think you do because it’s easier and you don’t have to face the one you truly love. You are using me as a way to numb the pain and move on and it’s okay because I’ve kind of been using you too but it has gotten to that point where I can’t continue to string you along’. His grip on my hand loosened.

‘Did you fall for someone else? You said you’d let me go if I did’. I had never heard him sound so defeated.
The question was familiar because I had been asking myself the same thing repeatedly during my ride here.

‘No but I did meet someone and although I have no idea where we are headed, if we eventually crash, I’ll like to honestly say I gave it my best shot’.
He stared at me for a while, then smiled weakly.
‘Okay then tigress, let’s call it quit. Don’t pull back those claws though, all is fair in love or whatever it is that you feel’.

I gave him the tightest hug I had ever given him. The last thing I expected was his understanding and support. It made me realize how little I knew the guy.
‘Thank you so much Travis’. He stroked my back
‘It’s the least I could do. I had you and I let you slip away, the best I can do is let you be happy’.
I pulled out of his embrace.

‘You are officially my second best Harden sibling’.
‘The fuck? I thought I was number one’. He pouted.
‘Sorry dude but that position was created for Pokello’.
‘And I just got to second? Where the fuck was I before?’
‘Third. Don’t look so sad little cub’. I teased
‘Did you hear that from Tyler? I’m setting his gloves on fire’. I laughed, then we just stood there smiling.

‘Later asshat’.
‘Later tig’.

I finally felt comfortable enough to turn on the stereo as I rode back to the hospital. I no longer felt like I was cheating anyone. He deserved better than I was willing to give him. He deserved commitment and true love.

Zayn was the only one in front of the room when I got there. He was seated stiffly, like a ticking bomb with gaunt eyes glued to the bleached floors. I lowered myself beside him and he turned to acknowledge me. He stared at me for a while sighed unknowingly and passed a hand through his hair.

Something was going on with him, he had been acting edgy and mysterious all day and it definitely was not because of June. The way he hugged me out at the field, it felt like he was letting himself go and when he kissed my forehead, I knew I could no longer deny it. I do have feelings for Zayn Rodriguez, baggage and all. He was a lot of dangerous stuff but when I look at him and see those green eyes or watch a dimple pop out, I’m willing to take his good with the bad, gangster or closeted nerd.

Whatever it was that bothered him, he definitely didn’t want me to get involved and I dared not pry to avoid him blowing up on me. He will let me in when he feels comfortable.

‘Where is everyone else?’ I finally asked
‘Inside. The place was overcrowded but you can go in’. He gently said
‘Where’d you go?’ he added
‘To clear some things up’. He stared again then smiled.
‘Are you okay?’ I had to know
‘I will be, we will be’. He had no idea how much I wanted that to be true.

Heavy footsteps speeding down the corridors caught our attention and we looked up to see Malik.
‘Malik’. Zayn got on his feet and his brother grabbed his shoulders.
‘Where are they?’ I had never seen the chipmunk so out of it.
‘They are still one person and she’s okay, inside there’. Zayn pointed to the door in front of us and Malik was through it in milliseconds. His actions compelled us to follow him inside.

Everyone was there; his parents, mine, his sister, mine and her obnoxious fiancé. The room obviously wasn’t designed to house all of us. June had her tired head leaned on my mother’s lap who had positioned herself at the top of the bed. Gracie sat on a stool stroking her hand. Lauren and Stuart were leaned on the wall while Malik’s parents stood at the foot of the bed, clung to each other, watching. No one said anything as Malik got on his knees beside the bed.

‘Princess. Are you okay?’ he inquired and June smiled lazily.
‘Is the baby…?’
‘The baby is fine Malik’. June replied as he stroke her slightly elevated tummy.
If she weren’t in a hospital ward, one would think she just ate a king-sized burger.

Mushy feelings are not my thing but as I looked around that hospital room, my heart swelled, I never did notice all the love around me until now and I realized how truly lucky I was.

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