Plan B(aby)

12.

BRIELLA CARTER

"So, when were you going to tell me you were pregnant?" is the first thing I hear when I open the door. My eyes instantly travel up from my phone, where I was calling Nikolas to ask whether or not Sebastian was asleep. I blink at Noah, licking my lips before allowing the words to fly out of my mouth.

"What? What are you even doing here? Where is Nikolas?" I question before I can even digest his question.

I definitely didn't tell him I was pregnant and I had only just told my mother. The only person left was — Nikolas.

Fuck you, Nikolas Ellison.

"You're ignoring my question and I don't have fucking time for it. Get your ass in the fucking car and let's go." Noah says, grabbing my hand and beginning to pull me towards the car.

His hair began to stick to his forehead from the rain, making me glad I had chosen to wear my black Nike hat today.

"Don't demand me." I say, pulling my hand back. My eyes sat towards the very familiar Tesla. Was Nikolas in the car? Was this a set up?

Of course it was. Noah wouldn't randomly show up at my mothers doorstep with our car and knowledge that I was pregnant.

"Briella. I understand the deal we made in order for Sebastian to be here, in that car, today—," Noah starts and my eyes look towards the car, seeing vague flashlights in the window where Sebastian's car seat was.

"You left our son in the fucking car? It's eleven at night, Noah!" I interrupt, pushing at his chest while he grabs for my rest as he continues to talk.

"— but this is entirely different and you know it. So, stop being fucking difficult and get into the fucking car so you can get out this cold rain and we can talk. Do you understand me?" Noah says, his voice leaving no space for arguments or any types of discussions. He jerks my front to his own, looking straight into my soul. My breathing hitches as I watch the raindrops rolling down thick eyelashes.

"Yes, I understand." I say quietly, feeling submissive by Noah's tone and hold on me. I can't help but want to cast my head towards the sidewalk as he pulls me to the passenger side. The door swings open and I hop inside, quietly removing the hat from my hair before looking to Noah, who was still standing at the door. He had now grabbed a jacket — which obviously wasn't the one he had on because, well, he still had it on — and was wrapping it around me.

When he closes the door, I practically moan at the scent of Noah Hart and whatever-cologne/bodywash/lotion-he-uses.

"Ma!" Sebastian says loudly, waving at me with a phone in his hand. "Hi lovey." I say quietly, and he immediately goes back to whatever he was doing before I entered the car.

Noah slips into the drivers seat with a sigh, looking forward for a quick second. "Bash, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Sebastian's small voice says, making my heart practically melt at his tone. Noah and I both look back and without looking up from the phone, Sebastian holds up a thumb before pulling his hand back down.

"Okay, now, I'm going to talk and you are going to sit there and listen. I don't want to hear anything come out your mouth until I say you can speak, got it? Good." He begins before I can even speak. All I do is nod, looking forward at the rain pouring down onto the windshield.

"I'm going to say this and I want you to listen very carefully: I am not your father. We are nothing alike so you can't connect your childhood traumas to me. That's not fair to Sebastian, the bun in the oven, or I. Not every guy you meet is going to be like your father. He fucked up as a teenager. He was young. You also shouldn't hold that over his head a lot. He's obviously trying to do a better job. Nikolas told me everything. With that being said, we are grown adults. Your communication skills suck and I know you can honestly do much better. Stop running from things your afraid of. That's selfish. I understand the whole Sebastian thing, I do. But you're pregnant. That means that the child inside of you in half mine and half yours. I shouldn't have to find out from somebody else that isn't you that you're pregnant with my child. I also shouldn't be just finding out four months in. What were you planning to do? Keep the child away from me? Never tell me that you're pregnant? How many times did you go 'I should tell Noah' and not follow up? That insanely immature Briella. You're about to be twenty four years old, act like it. I understand not wanting to get romantically close with somebody, I truly do. That how I was when I realized I was in love with you. I hated all that 'love at first sight' bullshit. My parents went back and forth with each other. My dad would always bounce back to my step mother and my mother and that taught me better. Now, you have to do your part to do better. We are going to solve this problem of yours, no matter what. I'm not going to allow you to continue forward with this behavior, Briella. My children are involved so don't let your insecurities fuck their relationship with me up, 'kay?" Noah says.