Running Forever

by Emily Camp

  Maggie flopped in the middle of Bree’s bed. She crossed her legs and adjusted Bailey on her lap. Bree braced herself. It was a challenge sometimes, when Maggie talked. Bailey tried to talk over her, copying her dramatic aunt’s animated chatter, flinging her arms through the air and tossing her hair back and forth.

  “You have to help me. This is getting ridiculous. Parker will not let me date. Anyone.” Maggie flipped the part in her hair to the other side, then back again.

  “Parter.” Bailey touched the top of her head, peering up at Maggie.

  Bree pressed her lips between her teeth to fight the giggle bubbling up.

  “I’m sixteen.” Maggie’s bracelets jingled as she waved her hand.

  “Teen.” Bailey held her hand out.

  This time Bree did laugh. Scooping Bailey up from Maggie’s lap, she said, “You are definitely not a teenager.”

  Bailey scrunched up her nose and giggled.

  “Seriously. I can’t remember the last time I went on a date.” Maggie peered down at her phone when it went off. “Ugh …” Her thumbs battered the screen at record speeds. She texted just as fast as she talked. “Ava told Hannah that Justin told her he thought I was hot, but can I do anything but text him like a middle schooler? No.”

  “No,” Bailey copied.

  “You don’t want a boy just because he thinks you’re hot.”

  Maggie peered up at her, her jaw open. “I don’t. He’s the cutest guy in our class. I think he wants to take me to homecoming. I mean really? I was able to go to homecoming as a freshman, but I can’t as a junior.”

  “June.” Bailey narrowed her eyes.

  Bree hugged her tighter to her and kissed her cheek. “You’re such a copycat.”

  Maggie fell back on the mattress with a sigh. “I want to move back in with mom.”

  “What?” This made Bree’s gut twist. “Why?”

  “At least then I could have a life. I’m sixteen.” She sat up and placed a hand to her chest as if Bree didn’t know her age already. When Bree was sixteen, she had a baby, which was way more responsibility than she could imagine Maggie being able to handle.

  “Do you know how awkward it is to ask your older brother for tampons?” Maggie pushed her hair out of her face with another flip.

  “Wait, what?”

  “I just need a woman. Someone who understands.”

  “I’ll buy you tampons if that’s the deal breaker. Ask me when you need them. In fact, I think I have a box you can have now.” Bree wasn’t going to be needing them anytime soon.

  “That’s only one of several issues I have.” Maggie bit her bottom lip. “He treats me like a little kid. I’m only two years younger than his girlfriend.”

  “You’re his baby sister.”

  “I’m not a baby, even though Parker would like to think so.” She reached over and plucked the nail polish off Bree’s nightstand. As always, she helped herself to Bree’s things without asking.

  “Think about what it was like with mom. Do you really want to go back to that?” Bree wished she could trade her problems with Maggie.

  “No rules?” Maggie paused after she twisted the top off the bottle. “Being able to come and go as I please? I could live with that.”

  Bailey leaned toward Bree’s bed and she lowered her down. “How about the price that freedom comes with?”

  “Nails.” Bailey stuck her feet straight out, stretching her toes toward Maggie.

  Maggie grinned, scrunched her nose, and leaned forward, dipping the brush back in the bottle. “Do you want a pedicure?”

  “Yesh.” Bailey put her hands in her lap and waited patiently.

  “It was only terrible when she had a boyfriend. She doesn’t right now,” Maggie said.

  Bree crossed her arms and leaned against her dresser, “Let me talk to Parker. If I can’t get through to him, I’ll try Carly.”

  “No,” Maggie’s hair flipped as she whipped her face toward Bree, the brush hovered above Bailey’s foot.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t want Carly to know.”

  “Why?”

  Maggie groaned. “It’s not fair. I mean they act like I’m so much younger than her. As much as Parker tries to act like my dad, she thinks she’s my mother.” She held onto Bailey’s foot as she dabbed the polish on her teeny toes. “All I want is what Parker and Carly have. If she wasn’t allowed to date at my age, they wouldn’t be together.”

  “They’re almost too perfect,” Bree said, thinking of how rarely her brother and best friend fought.

  “Right?” Maggie finished the first foot and picked up Bailey’s other one.

  “Pitty.” Bailey wiggled her toes and smiled.

  “Do you think you’re going to find the perfect guy living with mom?”

  With a few more dabs, Bailey’s other foot was finished. “I don’t know, but at least I’d have a chance to, you know? Like how am I supposed to find him when I’m living in Parker’s power trip bubble?”

  “He’s not on a power trip, he’s being protective. You know it was a huge sacrifice for him to take you two in when he was eighteen.”

  “We could have went back with mom a year ago. She broke up with Lloyd.”

  “But she didn’t show up to that court date.”

  “She didn’t have a ride and Parker wouldn’t go get her.” Maggie looked down at her phone when another text came in. “That’s the prison guard now.”

  Bree couldn’t believe she was going to say this, but Maggie obviously needed some time to cool off and Bree didn’t want to see her move back in her their mother. “Stay here for the night.”

  Maggie’s mouth twisted sideways. “Uh?”

  “It’ll give you a break from Parker. Maybe you’ll feel different in the morning.”

  “If I can’t go to homecoming, I most definitely will not feel any different.”

  “I’ll talk to him,” Bree said.

  Maggie tilted her head, “Can you be the one to tell him I’m staying here? I don’t want to get into a big argument again.”

  Bree nodded, “If you do me a favor.”

  Maggie lifted an eyebrow.

  Bailey stood up and reached for Bree. She picked her up and sat her on her hip. “Can you watch her so Garrett and I can talk?”

  “Garrett and you are going to talk, huh?” Maggie sung and swayed back and forth.

  “Talk,” Bailey wiggled and looked at Bree.

  “Please,” Bree said as Bailey reached for Maggie.

  “I don’t have any problem watching my little buddy.” Maggie unfolded her legs, stood beside the bed, and pulled Bailey to her side.

  “Buddy.”

  Maggie laughed, her copper hair bouncing when she turned back toward Bree. “See, I’m her favorite.”

  Bree wasn’t sure that was such a good thing.

  “You want to go play ball with Uncle Isaac again?”

  “Ball, Zeke.”

  “Yeah, we’ll beat him,” Maggie trotted out.

  “Beat, Zeke.”

  Chapter 14

  When Bree walked into the kitchen, her hair pulled back in a fresh ponytail, Garrett wasn’t sure what was she was going to say. She had changed out of shorts and into jeans.

  “Is everything okay?” Robin asked as she wiped down the kitchen counter.

  Garrett pulled a Gatorade out of the fridge. When Maggie passed them a few minutes ago, with Bailey on her hip, he’d decided to wait a minute before heading back to check on Bree. So, when she came out all on her own, he was a little shocked.

  “Yeah,” Bree pushed her hair out of her face. “It’s hard sometimes, but it’s nothing I’m not used to.”

  “Just know that you have Randy and me.”

  “I know,” Bree looked down at the ground. “But it’s not always the same.”

  “We try our best,” his mom said, offering Bree a hug, because nobody can get through a talk with her without one.

  “Thank you,” Bree said as his mom pulled
away. Then she turned toward Garrett. He just stared at her. He knew she’d just cried her eyes out, but there was something different about her. He couldn’t figure it out. She’d always been beautiful to him, but tonight her skin looked softer, her dark eyes looked brighter. Her jeans hugged her hips just right. “Do you want to go for a walk or something?”

  His mom turned to him and winked. He’d just spilled everything to her, well almost everything. He left out the part where they gave into temptation this summer. But he did tell her about Spencer, about how he was letting Bree go, how he didn’t want to, but he thought it was what she wanted. His mom didn’t seem to agree with that, but she was proud of him for being mature, though she might change her mind on that mature thing if he would have told her he wanted to punch Spencer out.

  “Yeah.” He sat his Gatorade on the counter.

  When Bree smiled at him, her bottom lip in her mouth, his heart soared. It was like the last two years never happened and they were starting right back where they left off. He almost didn’t even know what to say when they headed down the driveway. Bailey squealed from under the basketball hoop, Maggie cheered, and Isaac grumbled, his hands in his pockets and long hair over his face.

  “Go Bailey.” Bree twisted at the waist, watching as they walked by. The wind picked up and it was cooler than it was earlier.

  “Beat Zeke!” Bailey shouted.

  “Are you losing to a little girl, Isaac?” Garrett chuckled.

  “Girls rule,” Maggie pumped her fist in the air.

  “Dirls roo!” Bailey copied, her own fist going sideways instead of straight up.

  Isaac glared at Garrett. Isaac’s normally pale face was red and speckled with sweat beads. He lifted the bottom of his shirt up and wiped his face. “Like I’m going to not let her win.”

  Maggie tilted her head back in laughter. “Sore loser.”

  “Woser,” Bailey giggled, while watching Maggie.

  “We’ll be right back,” Garrett said, “You got her?” He nodded toward Bailey.

  “Yes.” Maggie scooped Bailey up in her arms. “How can I possibly clobber Zeke without my sidekick?”

  Isaac mumbled as he dribbled the ball.

  “Thanks again,” Bree said as they walked away.

  As they made their way down the sidewalk, Garrett’s hand brushed against Bree’s. He wanted to take it, but didn’t for fear she wouldn’t want him to.

  “Isaac is a smooth operator.” Garrett glanced back at the court. Bailey had the ball between her hands and Maggie lifted her up to shoot.

  He was surprised when Bree nudged him with her shoulder. “Stop. I think his crush is sweet.”

  This made Garrett laugh out loud. “You have to admit, he is awkward.”

  “You could learn a thing or two from him about being subtle.”

  Garrett lifted his shoulders and decided now was as good of time as any to grab her hand. “Subtle isn’t my thing.”

  “I know.” Bree didn’t pull away. Instead, she threaded her fingers through his. Her palm was soft against his and it felt like it belonged there. She giggled and he loved hearing it, despite the recent run in with her dad.

  The breeze blew her hair away from her olive skin. She smiled as she looked at him, her dimple deep on her right cheek. These were the moments that made him want more. Then it was like she’d just remembered earlier, her bottom lip disappeared in her mouth and she turned.

  He slid his thumb back and forth on the back of her hand. “Listen,” he said at the exact same time she said, “I have to tell you something.”

  “Go ahead,” she said.

  His heart was in his gut. He couldn’t continue when she had something to tell him. “No, you.”

  She looked at him for a second, blinking too fast, “Mine can … wait.” Now she wasn’t making eye contact and he didn’t like that. He hated to bring it up, but he couldn’t help but think it was about Spencer, how she embraced him in the hall at school a few weeks ago and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.

  “I was just going to tell you how great you are. That your dad is stupid for not wanting you and Bailey in his life.”

  She looked down at the sidewalk as she shuffled her feet.

  “Now what were you going to say?”

  The big breath she took in was noticeably loud and she squeezed his hand. That didn’t sound like it was going to be good.

  “Bree,” he stopped, pulling her to a halt. She kept her eyes on the ground.

  “This isn’t about your dad, is it?”

  She sniffed, lifted her hand to her face and shook her head. He began to reach around her, but she held her hand to his chest. “Don’t.”

  His heart hammered, “Bree, what is it?”

  It took a minute before she finally looked up at him. “I’m pregnant.”

  Everything around him stopped, traffic quit whizzing by, the breeze came to a standstill and his heart stopped beating in his chest. He stared at her, but wasn’t looking. She was pregnant, again. What would everyone think? He was already given a hard time by some of the guys on the team who, anytime he brought up God, reminded him he had a baby and wasn’t married. That was something he could say was in his past. But this wasn’t.

  What would his parent’s do? His dad was always warning him. They let Bree move in because it was what was best for Bailey, but they were adamant on him sticking to his faith and not doing it again until he was married. He would be married, though, if she wasn’t so stubborn.

  “I swear if you ask me how this happened like you did last time …”

  “My parents are going to kill me.” He ran his hand over his head.

  “I …”

  “You weren’t with Spencer that night you stayed?” He clamped his mouth shut as soon as it left his mouth. He wasn’t sure if it would be worse, even though he didn’t really think that, but at least if it was then he wouldn’t be at fault.

  “Are you kidding me?” Her dark eyes were wide then her hair flew through the air, almost smacking him in the face when she turned back toward the house.

  It took him a moment, everything sinking in as she stomped away from him. Another baby. How did that happen? The one time in over two years he slipped up and everyone was going to know about it. She was several feet away before he started after her. “Bree, wait.” He caught up with her in a couple strides, grabbing her shoulders and turning her toward him. As soon as he saw the tears sliding down her cheeks, he felt horrible. It was bad when it was her dad that broke her heart, but even worse when he was the one.

  “It’s okay,” he said quickly, coming out of his own initial shock. “Marry me. We can get married right away. It’ll be a couple months before people will be able to tell. We can say you got pregnant after the wedding.”

  “No,” she practically shrieked as she pulled away from him. “As much as I want to, we can’t cover this up.”

  Garrett rubbed the tension on the back of his neck. “What’s the youth group going to think?” He hated that he’d become somewhat of a leader to the younger teens and now this happened again.

  She put her hands to her temples. “I don’t know.”

  “Wait, did you just say you want to marry me?” He whipped his face toward her with a smile.

  “What if the baby was Spencer’s?” Bree’s lips sat in a straight line and she stared with her big, round eyes.

  A rock fell to his gut. “Is it?”

  She snarled at him. “Of course it isn’t. Why do you think I’m like that? Better yet, why would you want to be with me if you thought I was like that?”

  He opened his mouth to speak, wanting to go back to when she said she wanted to marry him, at least that’s what he thought he heard, but she spoke before he could get anything out.

  “You know what? I’m sorry I even told you.” She took a step back shaking her head before turning toward home.

  When they got to the house, Maggie and Isaac looked up from their game with raised eyebrows.

 
; “Mommy, Daddy,” Bailey shouted, but Bree hurried inside as fast as she had earlier. Maggie tossed the ball to Isaac, who caught it, and Bailey ran toward Garrett.

  “We’ll finish this later, Zeke,” Maggie said before jogging after Bree.

  “What’d you this time?” Isaac said, shooting the ball and missing it.

  Garrett bent over and picked Bailey up. “At least when I shoot, I score.” Not that it was something to be proud of at the moment.

  Isaac glared at him, running after the ball, “Shut up.”

  “Beat Zeke,” Bailey said.

  “You want to play some more with Uncle Isaac?” Garrett smiled down at her.

  Isaac huffed.

  “Yesh,” Bailey nodded.

  Garrett sat her on the ground and watched her toddle away. It wasn’t that she wasn’t one of the best things that ever happened to him, despite how it turned his world upside down. He did want another one and he wanted it to be with Bree, but not now. Not when he promised it would never happen again. Not when he’d already been called a hypocrite by guys on his team just because of Bailey’s existence.

  “Do I look like a nanny?” Isaac shot the ball again.

  Garrett grinned and resisted the urge of saying yes and something smart, but he knew he shouldn’t be ticking Isaac off if he was expecting him to babysit. Not that his mom wasn’t right inside to help, but Bailey wanted to play. And the more distracted she was, the less she would distract his and Bree’s conversation.

  Isaac huffed, “What’d you do, anyway? Propose again?”

  He wasn’t entirely off.

  “I’ll send Maggie back out.”

  “Whatever,” Isaac lifted a shoulder and let Bailey run for the ball.

  Garrett hurried inside. He knew Maggie was probably talking to Bree now, but Bree needed to talk to him, not her sister, about things. It was, after all, their future. As much as Bree tried to deny it.

  Chapter 15

  “Calm down, now what happened?” Maggie was so dramatic herself, it felt odd when she was the reasonable one, shutting the door calmly behind her.

  Tears streamed down Bree’s face. This was definitely overboard, but her emotions were all over the place. The fact that Garrett even thought she’d be with Spencer like that hurt.