"Hey, I had clear skin!" When I looked at her she was staring at me with a blank expression.

"So your problem is with the boy or the pimples?" She deadpanned. I chuckled before wrapping my hand around her shoulder and pulling her close so that she was leaning back on me.

"First I want a boy and then a girl. She will have an overprotective brother as well and then I won't be the only one on the receiving end of her dislike. I think I can work with that." She hummed and it was silent for a few seconds before she turned back and looked at me.

"Evan." I looked between her eyes before pulling away a bit.

"I know that face. Don't start again, please." I said knowing full to well where this was leading to.

"You can't avoid this topic forever!" I sighed and put my head in my hands. I felt Brae squeeze my shoulder.

"Hey, look at me. Do you think that I'm such a goody two shoes that I offer candies to someone who humiliates me?" She asked, putting a hand on my cheek.

"Then why are you even advocating for Mom? As far as my memory goes, she hasn't particularly been nice to you." I snapped, losing my patience and stood up. This was just not the topic which I wanted to discuss at the moment.

"That's because I had put myself in her position and tried to understand her feelings." I heard her stand up behind me. She pulled me around by my wrist.

"Think from her perspective, Evan. To her I'm that girl who had broken her son's heart by leaving him at the altar. She knows me to be just a gold digger who chose money over you." I pressed my lips in a thin line as she kept on defending mom's actions.

"Obviously she thinks that after all these years I have weaved my way into your life just because I'm captivated by your wealth, your success. Tell me is it too preposterous of her to assume that?" I knew that these things hurt her, her voice told me but she was too stubborn to accept.

"But I take my own decisions. She shouldn't be imposing them on me." My voice was controlled but irritation laced each word.

"I know but she is your mother. To her you'll always be a child. She wants to eliminate the thing that could hurt you, which she thinks to be me." My jaws clenched at her words. I thrusted my hand inside my pocket and looked out through the glass wall.

"Maybe she wasn't ready to listen but you'll have to do it." I looked back at her trying to understand what she was asking me of.

"Find a way, force her to hear you out because you have that right on her." She looked really frustrated and so was I. She was silent for a few seconds before a faraway look came across her eyes.

"I remember when I was in school and it was supposed to be my first date but I got stood up. Dad was literally so angry and he wanted to beat that guy up. But then because I was upset, he took me to lunch." She said with a sad chuckle. Brae was extremely close to her parents. I remembered after the accident how difficult it had become for her.

"It sucks to not have your parents. I don't want you to lose them when they are still there." Her eyes were glossy by the end of it. She felt guilty. She felt responsible for me and mom drifting apart and I couldn't help but feel that somewhere it was my fault. Maybe I hadn't tried enough to make mom understand, to amend things between Brae and her.

"Come here." She walked into my arms and I wrapped them around her in a comforting hug. After a minute she pulls her face away from my chest to look at my face.

"Promise me that you're going to talk to Victoria." She looked into my eyes with a pleading stare. I smiled at her before kissing her forehead.

"I promise." She smiled with her eyes closed. I bent my head down to kiss her lips but there was this weird thing going on with people walking in on us kissing each time.

"God! What did I walk into!?" I clicked my tongue in annoyance at Ryan's voice and cast him an irritated glance.

"Knocking is still a thing, you know?" Brae asked, crossing her arms against her chest. Well, it looked like I wasn't the only one unimpressed on being interrupted.

"No, I don't know. I am used to barging into his cabin." Brae rolled her eyes at him.

"Which needs to change." He stuck out his tongue at her.

"Clearly!" I supported Brae's statement which caused Brae to stick out her tongue at him. They could really behave like kids! Ryan looked at both of us, faking an offended look.

"Why are you here anyway?" I asked, sitting back in my seat.

"I feel so welcome here." He put a hand on his chest to add to his already dramatic expression.

"You were saying?"

"Yeah, about that Dad asked us to join for a family dinner. He asked you to bring Brae with you." His eyes darted towards Brae at the end.

"We'll come." Brae at once chimed in.

"We'll think about it." I slowly and clearly uttered, emphasizing every word. After the last encounter, I wasn't sure if I wanted her to meet mom again.

"Evan." She gave me a pointed look.

"Listen, I think you should come. You and Mom aren't on talking terms. How long can this go on?" Ryan looked between our faces.

"I'll leave you to convince him while I go to lunch." I frowned at her announcement. I thought we were getting lunch together.

"With my friends." She added, answering my unasked question.

"See you later." Brae smiled at Ryan before closing the door behind her.

………………….

Braelyn's POV

Just after I left Evan's cabin I saw him walking ahead of me.

"Austin." He stopped at my call but took his time turning around.

"Brae." He cleared his throat looking anywhere but my face.

"How are you?" I asked since I hadn't talked to him in some days. After that day he had been a bit distant.

"I'm fine. How about you?" He ran a hand through his hair

"I'm good." At my response his eyes momentarily landed on my stomach before he forced them away.

"You heard about my pregnancy." I stated to which he gave a small nod.

"I did, from Cora." Something about his tone told me that he would appreciate it more if I had shared the news with him.

"I would tell you myself but I was just so..." I trailed off not knowing what I actually was. Confused?

"Come on, you don't need to explain to me." He said in a dismissive tone.

"We didn't get to talk much in the last few days." I said hoping to continue the conversation.

"Yeah, I was a bit occupied." He again cleared his throat looking down at the floor.

"Let's get lunch and we can catch up." He seemed to give it a little thought before nodding.

"Yeah."