Black Roses

Chapter 14

Bridget was just about to slide into her denim skirt when a knock came at the door. She sighed as she slipped on her black T-shirt that clung to her like a wet suit before going out of her room to answer the door.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw how good Chris looked. He was wearing a zipped-up dark grey turtleneck sweater which brought out his eyes more and tight dark blue jeans. His hair was messed up, as though he just woke up.

The lazy smile he had on his face dropped and she guessed it was because of her. She painted a smile on her face and that dazzling smile came back. 'You look pretty.' He said, leaning in to kiss her cheeks. It made her warm and she wished she could stay at that exact moment if it could only make her forget what happened just two nights ago.

After her breakdown, she didn't accept any calls at all until Chris called to just talk. She didn't reveal anything about the impromptu 'family discussion' and he made her feel a lot better.

Now was the graduation day and she still felt a bit inadequate.

'Are you sure you're okay because…you could do with a hug, couldn't you?' Chris asked playfully, still in the dark about everything.

She nodded and he pulled her into his arms. She took a deep breath, not wanting to break down just before her important day. Today was supposed to be about celebration!

When he released her, he pulled her in for a deep kiss which she lost herself into.

'Okay…we really need to go.' Chris said between the small kisses after the deep one. Bridget smiled through the kisses. 'We do…' she said. Chris was the first to reluctantly move away from her. 'Lizzie's waiting for us downstairs.'

Bridget straightened her hair and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. 'I need my wallet.' She said before retrieving her sling bag on the counter where it always sat obediently.

'…we are proud to present this year's class of 2006's valedictorian, Bridget Cohen!' a sudden deafening applause pushed her to the podium. She barely knew anyone graduating yet they were cheering for her.

As she looked down at the crowd, she only saw three familiar faces; Lizzie's, Mark's and Chris's. None of her family members were there.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; hoping people would think she was just a bit nervous. In all honesty, she wanted to stop herself from crying.

When the feeling passed, she smiled and opened her eyes. She started on her speech and she saw that most of the alumni and board of directors looked impressed. She avoided looking at Mark or Chris, for fear of bawling in front of everyone.

'And for the class of 2006, it's time to get on your high horse and charge into your new life.' She smiled as everyone threw up their mortar boards up in the air. It was a clichéd graduation scene but she was just happy the thing was over.

When she got back to the apartment, she saw her phone blinking. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she pressed the read button before sitting on the counter where the phone was.

'I'm sorry. I knew I shouldn't have called dad but-'

Bridget deleted the message, knowing who it obviously was. The second message made her smile. It was from Chris.

'Bridget, the joy to my world.' She couldn't help but snort at this. Sweet as it was and coming from Chris, it was still cheesy. 'Call me back. I missed you completely after the graduation. Tried you on your cell but you didn't pick up. What's wrong?' the tinge of concern in his voice made Bridget's heart leap. It was such a menial thing but it put a genuine smile on her face. 'Just call me back okay? I kind of miss you to tell you the truth. Call me back. Yeah…call me. I'll-' the message was cut off with a beep. Then another message came. It was Chris. 'Too long…' Chris chuckled over the phone. 'I'll be waiting by the phone so just call me. I'll shut up now. Call me yeah?'

Bridget's smile didn't leave her as she dialled Chris' number. When he picked it up, his voice was breathless.

'What have you done to my heart, Bridget? Give it back to me!'

She laughed softly, wishing he was here instead of just listening to his voice. 'Hey, Chris.'

A short pause commenced before Chris sighed. 'What's wrong Bridget?'

Her smile scaled down a notch and her fingers caught a strand of her hair, twirling it around.

'Is it your father again?' Chris asked in a pained voice.

'I'm sorry.' Bridget said before putting her phone down. She buried her face in her arms and sobbed.

Why did her father have to come back now? She had everything in her life in control, she finally found someone she could depend on who wasn't related to her, and he had to come back and practically run her life to the ground.

She shook her head and wiped her tears away. She had to take control of her life now. Her father didn't have any control over her. He shouldn't anymore. She knew he was her father but he did not have the right to tell her who she could go out with. Chris was a good person inside and out and if Jeffrey Cohen couldn't see that then it was his loss.

A knock at the door startled Bridget as she was just about to lie down to sleep.

Chris was standing at the door with a smile on his face and a black plastic bag in his hand. 'Hi.' He greeted. She smiled and invited him in.

'Sorry for coming so late. I just wanted to be with you for our anniversary.' Bridget was touched that he remembered. 'Besides…you sounded like you needed company. I come bearing Ben and Jerry's.' He placed the plastic bag on the countertop.

'You're an angel.' Bridget grinned. 'I know, right?' Chris nuzzled Bridget's neck and made her giggle. 'It tickles, stop it.' Chris relented and slowly trailed a finger down her cheeks. 'Now why did you sound like a strangled goat over the phone?'

Bridget snorted before walking into the kitchen to find a spoon. Turning around, she was struck by how the small spotlight illuminated Chris in such a way that made him look…well, angelic was the only word she could think of at the moment.

'What?' he asked. She shook her head and pulled him to the couch where they sat in such a way that Chris laid on the couch and Bridget was lying on top of him. She asked if he was uncomfortable and he said no. 'Tell me if you are, yeah?' He answered by kissing the back of her neck. She smiled.

Chris held the open tub of ice cream in his hands and started feeding her. Bridget accepted every spoon without complaint. When it was finished, they fell into satiated silence, broken only by a burp by Chris and a giggle by Bridget.

'Are you going to tell me what happened or do you want me to fatten you up more?' Bridget chuckled at Chris' suggestion and started to talk. Everything poured out and he listened with a patient ear. Bridget didn't know what he was thinking but at times, she felt his heart beating faster than normal. She wished she had the words to placate him. Selfishly, she wished he had the words to placate her. She had a jumble of bottled up feelings; anger, sadness and worst of all betrayal. She still couldn't believe Devon, of all people, could have been the reason why her whole family was against her relationship between her and Chris. They seemed to like him the other night…what had changed? Chris' attitude and behaviour didn't change or deteriorate at all for the past thirteen months they had been together. Sure they had a few spats but they never showed it to any of the members of the family. If they were having a gathering, Chris never showed anything less of being the perfect boyfriend he already was. So what made her family change their mind?

Bridget slipped off her boyfriend and sat at his foot, making him curl his feet under him. Somehow, she knew it was his way of telling her that even he didn't know what to make of this.

'What do you think?' her voice was hesitant. Dark green eyes swept across the room to land on dark blue ones. The expression on Chris' face was unreadable but she knew he was trying to hide his real emotions, which pained her.

'Would it be selfish of me to ask you to take my hand in marriage against all odds?' The words came out as a jumble but somehow Bridget's ears did not betray her and she heard every bit and she was, for lack of better word, shocked.

He moved in closer to her. 'I'm not going to leave you and selfish as it may seem, I don't care if you get cast off, just as long as you're with me.' Chris whispered into her ear. 'I'm more than ready to financially support you when you need it.'

Not knowing what to reply to that, Bridget just kept quiet, all the while shivering. Chris knelt down in front of Bridget and took her hand. 'We haven't known each other for that long but frankly I don't care. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.'

Dark eyelashes fluttered upwards and dark green eyes connected with dark blue ones.

'Will you marry me, Bridget Cohen?' The words struck her as awkward and it made her laugh. She didn't know why but she couldn't stop laughing. Soon after, Chris was laughing with her.

'I'm sorry…I just…I've dreamt about being proposed to but that was…awkward.' She said after their laughter subsided. Chris gave a short chuckle. 'I guess it was.'

After a moment's silence Bridget asked, 'Did you mean it though?' Chris nodded. 'More than you'll ever know.'

And with that, Bridget closed their conversation with a short kiss, silently telling him yes. More than he'll ever know.

Two weeks later, they found themselves at the magistrate, signing their names on the wedding certificate. Lizzie and Mark were the witnesses and they berated the newlyweds playfully for getting married first. Bridget told them not to tell any of the Cohens and her best friend and his fiancée nodded in agreement.

After having dinner (Mark's treat), Chris and Bridget went back to her apartment with a smile on their faces; on Chris a bright one and on Bridget's a sad one.

Chris sat Bridget down on the couch and knelt in front of her. 'I have a surprise for you.' He placed a heart stopping kiss on her lips and grazed her cheeks with his thumb before disappearing. Bridget frowned and turned around, seeing Chris cross the room and opening the door, revealing three people she didn't expect to see for a long time. It was Anthony and the twins. They walked in and went straight to her with a kiss on both her cheeks. Her frown deepened as she turned to look at Chris who was standing at the countertop.

'Before you think of hurting anyone, listen to us.' Devon's voice caught her attention and so she turned to face the brother who betrayed her.

'None of us here ever agreed on you and Chris not being together. Dad and Logan have this sick idea that whatever they think we'll just follow blindly. We're not them. I mean they must be the most stubborn Cohens we ever had.' Ethan supplied when they had her attention.

Not one to be quiet about anything wrong done to him, Devon piped up. 'I didn't know he was going to use my phone call against you. Or me for that matter.'

'We want you to know that we support you and Chris being together.' Ethan said, ruffling Bridget's neat hair. 'Whoops.' He grinned as he straightened it back up with a sheepish smile. In spite of everything, she smiled.

Anthony who had been quiet the whole time spoke up in a soft voice. 'I don't approve of you marrying so young.' Bridget was about to protest but the look on his face seemed more demanding than any words or looks could exude. 'But if he's willing to take my crazy little sister in as his own, after what…nine months of knowing each other…this better work out.'

'Couple of weeks ago was ten months.' Bridget said softly and smiled a bit when she saw the corners of Anthony's lips twitch. Launching herself on her eldest brother, she thanked him profusely.

'We want in on the action too!' The twins' unnervingly identical voices wafted in her ears as two other pair of arms encircled her.

With a tilt of her head, she looked at Chris who had a soft smile on his face, making her heart leap. She mouthed the words 'thank you' and his eyes dropped to the floor, his long eyelashes touching his cheekbones, before he nodded.

After several hours of talking and apologising for being such an i***t (from Devon) and confirmation for said i***t (from Ethan) and also a reprimand for not inviting them to her wedding (from Anthony), the Cohen men left the building, leaving Chris and Bridget alone.

Suddenly, Bridget felt mightily conscious of their being alone. A kiss on the neck quelled every fear she had at that moment. She wasn't thinking straight at all as she gave in to the kiss, not wanting it to stop. It became urgent somewhere in the middle which escalated.

They pulled themselves off the couch and stumbled into the room and within locked doors, the inevitable first night happened.

Feeling slightly ticklish in the nether regions was what woke Bridget up from a perfectly dreamless sleep. A small yawn escaped her lips as her eyes adjusted to the morning light shining into her room. Consequently, her eyes went to the person beside her. Tangled in the white sheets were rippling muscles that was her husband. Her very gorgeous and legal husband.

Chris was lying face down with his arms over his head and his head facing her at the moment. She ran a slim and tapered finger down his smooth cheeks and smiled. They were married. And yesterday was literally the first night. She had managed to remain untouched until yesterday. Yesterday, as clichéd as it may sound, was magical. Although he was gentle, it still hurt but it didn't deaden the violent paroxysm of pleasure she had felt the whole time and was still feeling right at that moment.

Kissing her husband's cheeks, she threw the covers off of her and tiptoed to the bathroom to take a hot shower. In the process of soaping herself, she jumped at the strong arms encircling her waist. She turned and found Chris smiling sleepily down at her. 'You scared me,' Bridget chuckled. His lips curved into a deeper smile, showing a tiny dimple on the side of his cheeks she had never seen; as he swooped down to give her a quiver-inducing kiss, leaving her legs powerless.

'I need to go to work, Chris.' She mumbled through the kiss.

'Sure,' he nodded as his tongue slid into her mouth. She giggled and pushed him slightly. 'Chris…'

'Okay, okay…I'll keep my hands off you.' Chris put his hands up and smiled. 'For now.'

They took a bath together and dried each other off with the huge white towel Bridget so loved before getting dressed. That took quite some time because of Chris' kisses coming once every minute; on her cheeks, her forehead, her neck, her lips.

Finally, she was ready so she grabbed her shoulder bag and rushed out of the house to the café.

James had a soft smile on his face when he saw her. 'Haven't seen you in a long time, love.' Bridget smiled at the endearment before ruffling his already messy hair. 'Been busy. How's business?' she asked as she tied the customary apron around her waist and tied her hair up in a messy bun. 'Slow, surprisingly. Maybe waiting for you to come back so they can rush you into a migraine.' He laughed. 'You evil man. I got married over my absence, just so you know.' She said with a huge smile. 'I would scream if it wouldn't make the customers spear me.' He said, pulling her into a headlock and knuckling her head. She struggled against his strong grip and beat him in his sensitive spot and he howled with pain. Luckily there weren't any customers at the moment. She grinned and patted his head. 'Thought that would teach you a lesson.' A chuckle escaped her lips. 'You evil woman.'

A customer came right at that moment and true to James' word, customers rushed in and gave her a migraine by the end of the day.

Surprisingly, her life went back to normal. With the addition of her having a husband and moving to Chris' apartment. It was weird that she felt comfortable with her situation at the moment. Could she really love this man so much to give her heart and practically her life into his open hands? She shuddered to think if he accidentally let it slip through his fingers.

Her eldest brother and the twins have been more than supportive and she got a phone call from Jordan, congratulating her on her very impromptu wedding and she was to expect a wedding present delivered to her old apartment any time soon.

Not wanting to give up the one thing she had earned on her own, she rented her old apartment out to a couple of Harvard freshmen so she had everything settled. Almost everything anyway.

The pride of the three Cohens; Logan, Jeffrey and Bridget, were unbreakable. They were stubborn and didn't want to budge from where they were standing. Bridget loved them with all her heart but at the same time, she wanted them to be out of her life.

She was just happy that she at least had four of her brothers she could rely on and how can she forget the fact that she had such a caring husband now?

All she needed to do now was to figure her career out. What could she do now that she's just graduated from Harvard with a degree?

Chris had suggested she become a lawyer, since she did major in law and history. The idea appealed to her but they already had a skilful lawyer in the family. Then, he suggested being a doctor since she did mighty well in medicine. She told him she couldn't confine herself in a place where people died. He then suggested being a mother. To that, she laughed.

'Maybe being a career driven woman is not what you need right now. Maybe…write a book now. I'll look for a job first thing tomorrow morning.' Chris said as he took her hand across the table and pulled it towards him, making her lean forward. 'You don't have to work…I'm going to support you from now on.'

The words made a smile grace Bridget's face and she looked up. 'Chris…I can't just sit here and do nothing while you slave away. That's just not fair.'

Chris raised an eyebrow. 'What part of 'I'm going to support you from now on' don't you understand, Mrs. Rivers?'

She chuckled and grazed her lips on his knuckles. 'As you wish, Mr. Rivers.'

The conversation finished at that.

The next day, Lizzie and Mark called them up for a late lunch to discuss their wedding plans. Bridget was more than happy to get out of the tenuous work of unpacking her things.

'How's married life treating you?' Mark asked the moment they settled themselves into their seats.

'Chris hogs the blankets too much.'

'Bridget steals the chocolate chip cookies.'

'Yeah well you snore loudly.'

'Bridget please, you always get on top of me when we sleep.'

'Chris, I do that just to shut your snores up.'

'There's a hotel across the street. Want to release that s****l tension there instead?' Lizzie giggled.

Bridget and Chris smiled sheepishly as they twined their fingers under the table.

After their orders were taken, they immediately went to talking about the wedding plans. Mark and Lizzie had decided to get married at the beach with family members and close knit friends only. Just a small affair, as Lizzie wanted. Mark couldn't agree more. Their colour theme was dark purple and cream. They had planned their wedding down to the last detail and Bridget couldn't help but feel envious. Her own wedding was nothing she had imagined. She had wanted her family to be there but they weren't. But she tried not to get that in her way as she gushed over Lizzie's traditional white gown with a train and a veil.

Bridget could feel Mark and Chris' sympathetic gaze on her but she decided to ignore it for the whole day. After their lunch, they went to several bridal shops to check out what was in store. The men immediately became bored so the girls shooed them off with the promise of meeting up for dinner that night. Mark and Chris couldn't have run any faster as they did that moment.

Despite everything, Bridget enjoyed herself immensely and actually bought something of a semblance to a wedding dress. She almost cried when Lizzie asked her to be her maid of honour. While she could hold her tears well, Lizzie couldn't and didn't as she cried through her smile as she grabbed Bridget in a hug. It was comforting.

A couple of months later found Bridget bending over the toilet bowl, heaving her innards. It hurt her throat to be vomiting on an empty stomach but she couldn't stop the flow.

When it stopped by itself, she was relieved as she wiped her mouth with a balled up toilet paper. Chris was at work; his first month at some business selling corporate company. She knew she was supposed to have listened to his ranting about his great new boss and his great colleagues and his great workplace and the great environment but all she could think of was when she could get her hands on those donuts he manages to bring back home. And when she got her hands on them, she regretted it because she would throw everything up. But that did not stop her from wanting more.

She also realised her period had not been present for the past couple of months. At first, she really thought it was one of those months where her period cycle just got retarded. But the vomiting that accompanied it made her remember that one show she watched on TV while stuffing herself with cocktail olives she used to hate but now tasted so damn delicious. The woman on TV didn't get her period for two months and she kept on vomiting even when she didn't eat. She thought she was pregnant, which made Bridget almost hurl but what the woman found out was a bit disconcerting. The woman on TV had cancer.

Bridget stopped eating the olives to empty her stomach in the toilet bowl.

Finally arriving to a conclusion that she had cancer, she went to the doctors. With a huge smile, the doctor told her that she was two and a half months pregnant.

She went back with a light heart, not wanting to spare even a second when Chris came back to tell him the awesome news. Alas, when he came back, he was in a sour mood. A guy had run him over and he was the one who had to cough up the money. He had also received a threatening letter telling him that if he didn't leave his wife, he'd have to face consequences. Enraged, Bridget called Anthony about it.

'Definitely dad. He's lame that way.' He snorted over the phone. Bridget didn't think it was funny and fuelled by the second heart in her; she almost managed to piss Anthony off.

'PMS much, Mrs Rivers?'

'Sorry…I…' Bridget then cried, making Anthony almost drop the phone in the attempt to rush over. Since he didn't know the address, he prompted the bawling Bridget to give the address.

Ten minutes later, Bridget almost wretched at the awful smell of aftershave. She opened the door and the smell was empowering that she had to step away from Anthony. 'What, did you bathe in your aftershave or what?' she scowled at her eldest brother. The dark haired man scowled back. 'I don't wear aftershave. Jeremy just got too heavy on me. Get off my case, what the hell is up with you these days?'

Chris came out of the room and hugged Anthony before asking him to sit on the couch and did he need anything. Bridget exploded. 'You just got threatened by my father Christopher Henry Rivers!'

The two men in the apartment raised their eyebrows for two different reasons. Anthony because of Chris' middle name and Chris because of the sudden outburst.

'Your middle name is Henry?' Anthony tried to quell his laughter. Chris shrugged. 'It's nice. Medieval.'

Anthony laughed and patted his brother in law's back. 'Good sport.'

Again, Bridget exploded. 'I need your attention here! Here!' she screamed, pointing to herself. 'Our father has gone completely nuts in the head and here you are musing over Christopher's middle name? Have you gone completely nuts in the head?!'

Chris and Anthony looked at each other with incredulous smirks on their faces. Their wife and sister, respectively, had never been so into screaming so they found it rather amusing and surprising at the same time. Suffice to say, they didn't know how to react to it.

'Pshaw girlfriend, chill.' Chris suddenly blurted out.

'I'm your wife, Christopher—'

'Stop with the full name calling would you? What is up with you? PMS and quitting something or what?' Chris was getting annoyed, she knew, but she couldn't seem to shut her mouth up.

Bridget slapped him across the face and stormed into her room and locked it before going to the phone and dialling, of all people, Logan's phone number.

'Hello?' his voice was groggy.

'Did you just wake up?' Bridget asked quietly, her anger already subsiding.

A thud, a scuffle and a curse later, his voice became clearer. 'Bridget? Is that you?'

'No, it's Melanie, the girl from yesterday?'

'I thought your name was Cindy?' his voice was teasing and Bridget smiled.

'Hey Logan.'

'I can't believe you're calling.'

His voice was solemn it made Bridget cringe.

'I need to apologise for my behaviour.'

The other line went quiet. She jumped at the sound of knocking. 'Bridget, I'm sorry…open the door sweetie.'

'Who was that?' Logan's voice was defensive. 'Hold on, Logan.' She covered the mouthpiece, ignoring the yelling in the phone. 'Go away, Chris.' She yelled.

'Bridget, I'm sorry…I didn't mean anything I said.' The voice was muffled but she heard everything.

'Then why did you have to say it?' she called out softly. Silence on the other end. She went back to the phone. 'Logan…can we meet up?'

'Where and when?'

Bridget smiled at his eager tone and told him to meet her at the coffee shop across the park.

She managed to escape her brother and husband in record time as she drove Chris' car to the coffee shop. Logan was already there, dressed in a ratty T-shirt and dark blue jeans and his hair stuffed into a blue Yankees cap.

'Nice to see you haven't changed.' She smiled before being enveloped in Logan's warm hug. 'Shut up, Bidgey.'

When they released each other, they went into the café and ordered a double tall latte for Logan and a butterscotch iced latte with a chocolate fudge brownie for Bridget.

'You gained weight?' Logan frowned slightly. Bridget scowled. 'Like that helps with my self-esteem at the moment.'

He reached over the table and ruffled his little sister's hair.

'I have something to tell you, Logan.'

Logan must have sensed how serious she sounded because he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed at his chest. It was his way of saying, 'I'm listening.'

'I defied you and dad. I'm with Chris right now and better yet, with his baby at this moment.' The words spilled from her mouth.

As expected, Logan was livid. He almost threw his drink back into the waiter's face. Bridget knew enough to not touch him at the moment so she soothed him with words. It seemed to work as he reduced himself down to shallow breathing. The vein in his neck was throbbing and his fists clenched and unclenched on the table.

'Can't you understand how much I love Chris, Logan? Enough to defy you and dad?' Bridget's voice was soft and Logan, as always, softened. He could never be angry with his little sister for so long. Bridget knew all too well that she was one of the things Logan treasured the most in his life.

'How far along are you?' he asked quietly. Bridget contained her glee as she reached out to grab Logan's hands which he gave consent to. 'Two and a half months. I've been married to Chris for almost five months now.'

'I can't believe you didn't call me earlier.' Logan said, squeezing her hands tightly.

'I didn't think you'd be too happy to receive a phone call from your baby sister telling you she's getting married to the guy you don't approve of.'

'I don't not approve of Chris. He's a great guy.'

'Then why the hostility and what's up with the threat?'

'What threat?' Logan was confused and he showed it through his expression.

'Chris received an anonymous letter that said he better leave me or else.'

'What the hell…' Logan hissed.

'Anthony reckons it's dad.'

'I do too…oh god he'd do anything to get you back…'

'I don't want to leave Chris. I don't want him to leave me. I'm pregnant for God's sake!' instinctively, her hands went to her stomach, her thumb tracing circles on it.

'For once, I have no idea what to do…' Logan put his head down on the table, his hands still gripping hers.

Bridget bent down and placed her lips on the back of his head. 'I'm glad I'm not the only one.' She said, her voice muffled by Logan's head. 'I don't know what I'd do if Chris left.'

'He won't. I'll see to it that he doesn't because if he does, you know my threats are never empty.'

This part of Logan scared the hell out of Bridget but she was glad she now had all her brothers with her. She wanted her father as well but for now, she'd settle for this.

A month later, Chris and Bridget hit a very rough patch. The threats were now getting more ridiculous. Chris' car was almost totalled again. Their apartment got trashed into and the phone calls they get at odd hours in the night were creeping Bridget out. But she still couldn't pick up the courage to call her father and tell him to stop. This had caused a huge rift between Chris and her.

'I can't believe you still don't want to ask him to stop all this, Bridget!' Chris exploded one day. Bridget jumped. She still hadn't told Chris about her pregnancy and she thanked God she still wasn't showing.

'Why don't you just do it yourself?' she asked, scowling as she stuffed yet another cocktail olive into her mouth.

'You think he'd listen to me? The all reasoning Jeffrey Cohen won't listen to the man who stole his daughter from him, Bridget.' Chris sighed exasperatedly.

In a fit of rage, mixed with what Chris remarked about her father, albeit the sarcasm really showing, she screamed. 'Why don't you just leave then? Follow through with the threats. It will make my life a hell of a lot easier than taking all your bitching about my dad!'

'Bitching? Three times I almost got killed and you're worried about me bitching about your dad?! Just what have you done to my wife? This was the man who lashed out on you just because you hugged your gay brother. This was the man who almost broke us up! This was the man who's trying to kill me!'

'Oh God, don't be so dramatic, Chris.'

'I'm not dramatic! God! What is wrong with you? It's like I don't matter to you anymore. You do remember that I'm your husband right? This is too ridiculous.' Chris stood up from where he was sitting in the kitchen, almost knocking the chair down, scaring Bridget. 'You want me to leave? Fine, I'll leave. To hell with this.' With a last glance at her, he said. 'To hell with you.'

And with that, he was gone.

He even packed his bag and Bridget didn't stop him. She wanted so much to ask him to stop. Ask him to just stay and forget everything. She'll call her father off and they can be together like they promised. Her pride got in the way so she just watched him leave. He didn't even so much as turn around when he slammed the door in her face.

She couldn't stop crying the whole night. She didn't pick up the phone when it rang. When her stomach grumbled for her to grab a turkey sub, she ignored it and curled into a ball on the floor of her bedroom.

Finally, someone entered the house a little after midnight. She thought it was a robber but still she didn't move from her spot. Whatever, she thought. Maybe the robber would kill her in the process. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing did.

The door to her bedroom was closed so when it creaked open, she couldn't help but feel scared. Maybe she didn't want to die now. She still had to have her baby. She wanted her baby to live.

'Bridget…' oh God the robber knew her name! Wait…how can a robber know her name?

The lights went on and Bridget saw Logan standing at the door, looking down at her. 'What the hell?' he rushed to her and cradled her into his arms. 'What happened, Bridget?' She didn't know what to say. She couldn't open her mouth as tears just kept on rolling down her cheeks. 'Did Chris do this to you?' she shook her head violently. 'What's wrong, Bridget. Oh God, just tell me what's wrong?' his voice was teary and that made Bridget cry even more.

Logan calmed Bridget down with a warm blanket and a mug of steaming hot chocolate. They sat on the couch as he informed her that their brothers would be coming soon after, in the meantime, he wanted her to tell him what had happened.

Slowly, she told him everything. He actually listened without bursting or interrupting. When she finished, Logan let out a sigh. 'That threat I made to him at the dinner is no longer empty.'

'Logan, please don't.'

'No, Bridget. I told him that it was his life on yours. That jerk is going down.'

Bridget found his choice of words amusing so she let out a chuckle.

A knock came at the door and Logan released Bridget for a while to answer the door. A rush of voices comforted her as she recognised them all to be her brothers with Mark and Jeremy as well.

'Where is she?' she heard someone say right before someone pulled her into a hug. The strong smell of honeysuckle annoyed Bridget and made her want to vomit but she held it in as she accepted the warm embrace.

Finally, after a few more hugs, Bridget sobered up enough to point out that someone must have eaten a turkey ham sandwich that has been rotten for months because she wanted to vomit because of it.

'That would be me.' Jordan smiled sheepishly. 'I mean…it wasn't rotten when I ate it obviously…hey…I'm way over here. How can you smell me from there?'

'Bridget's almost four months pregnant.' Logan informed everyone. Everyone was silent before more hugs showered Bridget's tired body.

'My condolences to the father to be.' Devon grinned. 'Speaking of whom, where is he?'

After Logan told everyone everything, they were all enraged. Among the rage, Anthony, always the voice of reason, quieted everyone down. 'You can't blame the man.'

'Uh…I can.' Logan begged to differ. 'He left our sister just because of dad's empty threats. You know more than I do how dad runs his operation.'

'He wasn't exactly like that with Bridget, was he?' Jordan's eyes clouded over as a scowl darkened his features.

'Look…right now, Bridget needs us so let's just focus on her, okay?'

As Anthony planned Bridget's daily life, no one noticed Logan leaving the room with a death glare on his face.