Chapter 17
Over the next couple of days, Misty tried hard to write off her suspicions as nothing more than her imagination. Perhaps she had cooked it up in her mind and manifested it into something it's not because she was jealous of Lucy.
But the way Lucy had been acting all week had bothered her, and by Thursday afternoon, Misty was determined to find out some answers. She remembered what happened the last time she stuck her nose into places where it didn't belong. She had discovered her husband was gay and started an affair with a married man.
She could only imagine what kind of chaos was going to occur if she found something shocking this time.
However, the opportunity came up completely innocently this time. Misty was enjoying a solo breakfast at a small café called S.O.S. She had finished a plate of pancakes, but failed to stay full, so she ordered another one, feeling much like a pig at feeding time.
It was nice to be alone sometimes. She could sit alone with her thoughts. However, that time didn't last long when she heard a voice from behind her.
"Misty!"
It was Lucy, of course, in her normal cheery tone. She had her very expensive Gucci bag tucked under her arm and Misty felt another stab of jealousy. Another thing Brock had given her, no doubt.
"Hey Lucy." Misty smiled at her. "What are you doing here?"
"I didn't feel like cooking, but I'm starving." She opened her menu and searched through the items. "Brock got called in early."
"I know." She responded, not really wanting to talk.
Awkwardly, Lucy fidgeted in her seat. "I have to use the bathroom really quick. Watch my purse?"
"Sure." Misty agreed, taking another bite of pancake and eyed the purse. She wondered what Lucy kept in it. Probably cosmetics, Brock's credit cards, her own credit cards, her car keys to that gorgeous Ferrari.
Maybe the answers to why she had been acting so strangely as well.
Without much thought, she zipped it open and rummaged through it quickly. She found a calculator, lipstick, a brush, lots of money and tampons. Nothing to interesting. But then something caught her eye. It was a folded, crinkled piece of paper.
An ordinary object in itself, Misty didn't see why it had caught her eye, but she found herself pulling it out and unfolding it, checking to see if Lucy was returning. She wasn't.
It was almost as if the floor had dropped out from underneath her when she read the paper from Landview Clinic. The baby she was carrying wasn't Brock's at all. His DNA didn't match the DNA of her baby.
And she was hiding it! She was hiding it from Brock and everyone! She folded the paper in her hands when she saw Lucy coming and she knew she couldn't just tuck it back into her purse, than Lucy would know she was snooping.
Instead, she tucked it into the pocket of her jeans, then stood up.
Lucy sat down, looking quite confused. "Where are you going?"
For an instant, Misty felt panicked and she could feel herself beginning to sweat. "Uh, I feel…morning sickness coming on. I better get back to the house." She turned around and bolted from the café, back to her car.
It was raining down in sheets and Misty felt the chill on her skin as the cold, early October rain fell on her skin. It wasn't until she was in the car, studying the paper more closely did she finally realize why Ash had been acting so strangely around Lucy.
The baby was his.
It had to be. The timing was perfect. He had come out to every about three weeks before Lucy found out she was pregnant. She was almost a month along by that time and Misty knew Ash very well. He had finally proven to himself he was gay by sleeping with a woman and he must have been so repulsed by the fact that he couldn't handle lying to himself anymore.
And that woman just happened to be Lucy.
But why would she cheat on Brock? Was it that same night she had gotten mad at him because he had taken off to Cerulean City to see her? Did Lucy go out that night and find Ash?
Her skin felt cold and she felt tears come to her eyes. How could Lucy lie like that? She didn't love Brock, at least not enough to be honest with him.
Anger rose within her as she cranked up the engine and turned her windshield wipers on full-speed. She wouldn't allow her to lie anymore and with this little piece of evidence she was going to tell Brock everything.
It was late afternoon by the time Brock had gotten home. Misty had stayed in her room all afternoon, trying to avoid conversation with Lucy. The mere sight of the other woman disgusted her and she didn't want to be friends with her at all.
She was grateful when she saw Barbara's car pull up and the two of them drove away, leaving her alone in the house.
Brock looked awfully tired when he walked through the door and Misty hesitated on whether or not to bring it up right now. It was cold, gray and dreary outside and he looked terribly stressed out.
His face lit up a bit when he saw her standing oddly at the bottom of the stares, as if she was waiting on his arrival. He gave her a lazy smile. "Hey there, Gorgeous." He leaned over and gave her a small kiss, as if he had done that every day of his life. And she wished he could.
"Hey, did you…have a nice day?" She followed him into the kitchen and he shook his head and chuckled.
"If you call having old women hit on you while you scrape calluses off their feet a good day, then yes." He laughed at the face of disgust she made. "I'd much rather do my normal job and be surgeon. It's less disgusting, believe it or not."
Misty leaned against the counter and smiled at him. He was unbelievably attractive and sometimes it surprised her that she had a relationship like this with a man like him. He walked in front of her and took her in his arms.
"What I want to know is how are you feeling?" Brock looked down at her, his fingers tracing circles in the small of her back. "Did you have a good day?"
She slid her hands onto his shoulders and she could see he was obviously in a good mood. Did she really want to ruin that with this kind of news? Would he be angry with her for revealing it?
Then again, if she kept it a secret and he found out anyway, he would be even more infuriated at her if she didn't tell him.
"My day is better now that your home." She finally answered and before she could say anymore he was kissing her. He lifted her off the ground with ease and sat her on the counter, tangling his fingers in her hair and kissing her with more passion.
Misty fought hard not to lose her train of thought in the haze he was throwing her mind in to. The taste of him was so invigorating and she wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to take her over.
It was a rare opportunity to be alone with him and she wasn't going to let anything Lucy has done ruin it. He carried her up the stairs and into her bedroom and he closed and locked the door. She needed this, she wanted this more than anything, but she couldn't get that off her mind.
Brock put his hands on her hips and pressed her against the wall, kissing her again and immediately tugging at her clothes. She laughed a little a pulled away from him.
"Brock, I have to tell you something…" She managed, trying to ignore the way his kisses felt on her neck.
"Can't you tell me later?" He growled sensually in her ear as if begging for her to give in to him. He stared down at her with that same cocky grin he always had when he knew he was effecting her.
Misty stared up at him, both eyes full of tears and Brock felt something sink into the pit of his stomach. It was something serious, something that obviously bothered her and his first reaction was to expect the worst.
"Misty, did something happen to our baby?" He placed his hand on her stomach and she quickly shook her head, wiping away a tear from her cheek.
"No, Brock. No, it's not that," she promised him, reassuringly placing her hand over his. "The baby is fine."
He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and he kissed her forehead gratefully, then wiped away a tear from her cheek. "Then what has you so upset, Sweetheart?"
She looked up at him and the love she held inside for him swelled even more. And she had thought that had been impossible. It was a different feeling from lust, she didn't just see him as incredibly attractive, or sexy, or anything like that. She could see him as a person and she couldn't understand how his wife could lie to him like that and it reconfirmed her confidence in telling him.
"I need to show you something…actually." Misty headed for her dresser and Brock watched her as she sat on the edge of the bed and hesitantly opened the top drawer. Curiously, he followed her and crawled onto the bed behind her, massaging her shoulders as he waited for her to show him what she needed to show him.
He watched her reach for the crinkled paper in the top drawer and Misty faintly wondered if Lucy had realized it went missing yet. "What's that?" He asked her as she handed him the paper.
"I was having breakfast this morning and Lucy came in and sat with me." She explained, hugging her knees to her chest, convincing herself once again that this was the right thing to do. "She asked me to watch her purse, so I did. And I know it was wrong of me to do this, but I…I went searching through her purse because I think she's been acting strange lately and I found…that." She gestured to the paper in his hands and he unfolded it.
Upon opening it, he knew exactly what it was. He had seen tons of them in his line of work and as he read it, Misty could see the colour drain from his cheeks.
"Brock, I'm sorry…"
"Don't be…" He said, softly, looking at her with ambiguity and she couldn't tell if he was angry with her or not. But she could definitely see anger in her eyes. "This is not your fault. I just….I can't believe she's cheated on me…and…and the baby is not mine."
Quietly, she sat on her knees and placed both her hands on his shoulders, then rested her cheek against his back where she drank in his wonderful scent and closed her eyes. She loved him. She loved him so much that she could feel the hurt he was feeling as if he was emitting it from every pore.
Misty was a bit surprised when he grabbed her hand with his, then turned to face her. "I love you so much." He kissed her again and pushed back on to the bed where he then covered her body with his own.
The terrible secret Lucy was trying to hide was soon forgotten, he had pushed it out of his mind so easily because it didn't really matter. At least, it didn't matter as much as Misty did right now. He made love to her once again as if she was the only thing in his world.
And she was.
She spent the next couple of hours tangled up between him and the sheets. His sweat mixed with her own as their bodies intertwined together. It was so good and so magical that it brought tears to her eyes. Tears of pure happiness and contentment.
How could anyone on earth ever make her feel this way? Misty wondered as she looked up at him before he rolled off of her, immediately pulling her into his arms and kissing her again.
"I love you." Brock promised her breathlessly as she heard his rapid heartbeat thump in his chest. "I really do."
Misty looked up at him, feeling suddenly very sleepy. "I love you, too." She promised him back with a lazy smile and she felt him brush his hand across her bare stomach.
"We're going to give this little guy a very good life." He whispered to her. The sun was beginning to set and the room was cast in a dark blue hue as twilight was chasing away the sun.
She looked up at him, knowing exactly what he meant. He was going to leave Lucy and now he finally had a reason to. "How do you know it's going to be a boy?"
"Every man wants a son." He admitted with a grin. "But, hey, if it's not, we can always try again."
She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her again, but their blissful moment was short-lived. There was a knock at the door.
Brock felt his heart leap in his throat and he looked over at Misty who had already gathered her discarded clothes. He stopped her. "No need to hide this any longer." He told her with a smile and then he called out. "Who is it?"
"Uhm, it's Ash…"
Misty felt relief wash over her and she never thought she'd be happy to hear from Ash, but she was grateful it wasn't Lucy.
Brock pulled on his jeans and Misty quickly got dressed before he opened the door. However, Ash didn't seem like he came over for just a regular friendly visit. He seemed tense and uneasy, as if he was unsure of why he was there. Or maybe it was because he had pretty much walked in on such an intimate moment and he knew it.
Ash tried his best look away from him, but he had failed to put on his shirt and with every glance it only reminded himself that he was gay. Brock was a very good-looking man and he wondered why hell he even wanted to sleep with a woman in the first place. If he hadn't been lying to himself, he wouldn't even be involved in this mess.
Misty had failed to look him in the eye and Ash decided it would be best if he didn't come in the room.
"So, Ash, do you usually come barging into people's houses?" Brock asked, jokingly, a little displeased with the fact he just walked in.
The younger boy gave him a small laugh and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I knocked several times, but no one answered. I guess that's because you were…" He trailed off and shook his head. "I…I got a little worried, and the door was unlocked so I just came in. I heard voices from in this room so…I decided I would knock."
Sighing, Brock shook his head and folded his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. "If you knew what I was doing, don't you think you could have come by another time?"
Misty quietly watched their conversation. Somehow, she knew why Ash was there. He was there to tell him that Lucy's baby was really his. Brock couldn't see it, but she could. After all, she was married to the man. She knew his mannerisms, the way he laughed when he was nervous, the way his forehead would crinkle when he had something important but very hard to say.
"Well, this…this is kind of important…." Ash responded, unsurely. "In fact, it's very hard for me to tell you."
"Ash, we've been friends for years. You can tell me anything." Brock promised him, giving him a slight nudge on the shoulder. "I mean, I told you about Misty and I. Surely you can tell me what's bugging you. Tracy giving you trouble?"
Ash shook his head.
"What is it?" He was becoming curious by now.
Ash's entire body shook with fear and hesitation, but he was working hard to muster up to the courage. Finally, he opened his mouth to tell him something that would definitely end their friendship, but then he heard Lucy enter the house and he let out a breath.
When he heard the clicking of her heels on the expensive wooden floor as she climbed the stairs, Brock lost interest in whatever Ash had to say. His only focus now was confronting Lucy.
Lucy could read his eyes and she laid her shopping bags down by the door. She thought it was strange that Ash was here, Misty stood by the wall as if she was expecting a fight and Brock was almost naked.
"Did I…miss something?" She asked curiously and without a word, she watched her husband walk into the other room. Something in his manner made her nervous and she noticed the rumpled sheets on Misty's bed and the way she looked at Brock.
"Can you explain this to me?" Brock handed her that same piece of paper and immediately Ash recognized it. He suddenly felt dizzy and he resisted the urge to run. He couldn't just run away from this. It was his child, rather Lucy wanted him to be a part of it or not.
"I…I…how did you find this?" Lucy stammered, looking over at Brock.
"I showed it to him." Misty spoke up, feeling a sudden jolt of bravery. Her anger had long overtaken her hesitation. "How could you lie to him like that?"
"This is none of your business!" The dark-haired woman crumpled the paper in her hands and let it fall to the floor. "How dare you interfere in my marriage?"
"You don't give a damn about him, Lucy!"
"Oh, and you do?"
"You're damn right I do!" Misty clenched her fist and resisted the urge to punch her.
"Grow up! Just because your marriage failed and your pregnant by some asshole who doesn't give a fuck about you doesn't mean you have to come in and mess with my marriage or my man!" Lucy folded her arms and looked towards Brock, but there was no evidence of love in his eyes. In fact, it was still nothing but anger. "Brock, tell her…"
"Lucy, get out of my house."
Her eyes went wide and she looked towards Ash, as if he held answers that she knew he didn't possess. "What?"
"You're not going to speak to Misty like that and you're not going to get away with cheating on me. Get out of my house." Brock didn't raise his voice, but those words made her feel as if she was about to cry. How could he do this to her after four long years of marriage? How could Misty rat her out like this after such a long friendship?
Lucy wiped away a tear on her face, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. "How can you do this to me? I'm pregnant…you can't kick a pregnant woman out on the street. That's the whole reason that little bitch is here!"
"No one ever said I was nice." His voice was gruff and uncaring and Lucy could see he had lost all the love he did have for her. "I don't love you. I never really did. And you won't be on the street. Your mother lives in Celadon City. Go stay with her. I don't care."
She began to cry and Misty wasn't sure if she should feel guilty or not. Never had Misty thought Brock could be so harsh, but she had to remember that stone-cold Flint Harrison was his father and he had inherited some of his apathy. It was such a contrast from the warm, caring, and loving man that she had just shared a bed with.
"You…really don't love me?"
"No." He answered, folding his arms as if to tell her he was serious.
Lucy's angered glare landed on Misty and she straightened her posture and dried her tears. "Damn you! You have to come in and ruin everything!" She charged towards her and started punching her with her fists, grabbing her hair and kicking her.
Misty tried hard to fight back and tried her best to protect her baby. Had Lucy lost her mind?
"Hey! Hey! Don't touch her!" Brock grabbed onto Lucy's arms, effectively making her scream out in pain. She let get of Misty and glared back at Brock who had both her wrists in a death grip.
"Let me go, Brock! I'm going to teach that little whore a lesson!"
"Don't talk about her like that! Damn it!" His grip tightened slightly and Lucy winced in pain, finally begging him to let her go. And he did. "And don't you ever touch her like that again! She's pregnant! And so are you! What the fuck is your problem?"
"Why do you care so much about her baby?" Lucy tried hard to catch her breath and suppress her anger.
"Because the baby is mine!" He finally confessed it and Lucy was stunned. She wanted to charge at Misty again, but Brock wouldn't allow her to do that.
"You…you're sleeping with her?"
"Yes! Yes! I am! But you can't say anything about it because apparently you're having an affair to!" He picked up the balled up paper and threw it at her.
"It's not an affair! It was a one time thing!"
"With who, Lucy? Huh?" Brock threw his hands up and shook his head.
Ash became tense and fidgeted nervously as he stood against the wall and he could feel Misty's eyes on him. He knew she could read him very well and he eyed her nervously. She knew…
She knew…
He closed his eyes tight and shook his head.
"It doesn't matter!" Lucy shouted back
"Of course it matters! I want to find out who was fucking my wife so I can go drop you off on their doorstep and get your out of my damn house!"
Lucy began to cry again and she sank down to the floor in shame, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, Brock, I'm sorry….I'm sorry."
"Save your apologies."
Ash pushed himself from the wall. He couldn't stand this anymore. "Brock, don't upset her."
"Excuse me?"
"I said don't upset her!" Ash repeated himself firmly. Lucy looked up at him, a bit surprised. "She's pregnant! You don't want her to have a miscarriage do you?"
Brock quirked an eyebrow and folded his arms. "And why do you care?"
"Uh…uh…well…" He looked away and mustered his courage. He was the father to this child, and he was going to take care of it, even if he could never be with the mother. Looking his best friend straight in the eye, he told him the secret that would end their friendship possibly forever. "The baby is mine."
The confession hung in the air a few moments and Lucy could feel her entire body shaking. She covered her face with her hands and tried to conceal her shame. Misty was still reeling from the fact that she had been right all along, and then she thought about how hurt she was that Ash had slept with Lucy. If women repulsed him so much why her?
Then she looked at Brock. It didn't even matter anymore. She had fallen completely in love with Brock and, strangely, she didn't feel angry.
"Get out, Lucy. Ash, you too." Brock did not raise his voice and he stood against the wall, both of his arms crossed. Ash was the most surprised by his reaction as he led Lucy down the stairs.
"W-what about my clothes?" She had asked, but Brock quickly answered for her.
"I'll drop them off later. I hope you two are happy." His eyes burned holes into her. They were full of so much anger and contempt and finally, she looked away wishing she could take that one-night stand with Ash Ketchum back.
But everyone knows you can't go back in time.
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