The Center (Houdini and Nurse_K)

Elsa gave Carlos a wide smile when he agreed. She was torn now. She'd gotten used to Brendan again so quickly that her mind had drifted away from Carlos. But then Brendan had had whatever issue it was he had and now here she was eating with Carlos again. She loved Brendan with her heart and soul, undoubtedly. But it was also undoubted that she felt something for Carlos too. They had a baby together. And he obviously cared about her too. She dug into her food when it came despite the fact that she'd eaten with Brendan not long ago. She didn't want Carlos to suspect anything. She fed Gui a little bit of her noodles, giggling at him when he threw it back onto the table.
 
Carlos hadn't eaten any breakfast, since it wasn't a meal he enjoyed making for himself, and he had no one to cook for him now. So, he was fairly hungry. He played with Gui from time to time while he scarfed down his noodles, trying to pretend he wasn't still steaming inside about what Brendan was pulling. This was his woman that he was messing with. That was serious business where Carlos came from. "Come on, I'll give you a ride close by your place, so you don't have to take the bus," he offered when they’d finished.
 
"I didn't bring Gui's car seat, obviously, so he'll have to sit in my lap." she said as she gathered up her stuff and walked out with him. She was realizing more and more how difficult the ultimate break was going to be for her. She wanted to marry Brendan, she really did, but she couldn't cut Carlos away now. She grabbed his hand when they got outside of the restaurant and squeezed it gently. "I miss you," she admitted softly, which actually was the truth. She'd been gone from his house two days and she already missed having a home.
 
Carlos squeezed her hand and brought it up to her mouth, kissing the light skin before returning it to their side. It would be the ultimate victory for him if he could make Elsa choose him over Brendan. He'd already taken her from Brendan by force, and now he was shooting to do it by charm, too. "Come on, get in, my babies," he said, opening the door to his big SUV. Hopping up in his own side, he turned to Elsa, and gave her a big smile, Gui resting on her lap. "I'ma miss you too, sugar," he promised. "It's gonna be better than ever when we get back together, too," he told her, pulling to an eventual stop about two blocks from the hotel. Taking the car out of gear, he leaned over, and began massaging her thigh with his tight grip. "Guess it's bye for now, mama."
 
She strapped herself in and held Gui tightly to her, her maternal instincts kicking in now that they were in a car. When they stopped and he squeezed her thigh she turned and looked at him. He could be so sweet sometimes, so gentle. Loving even. She leaned over and smashed her lips into his, kissing him with real passion. She hadn't realized just how much she missed the taste of his lips. How had Carlos done this to her? How had he wrapped her around his finger so expertly? After a couple of moments she pulled her lips away from his and sighed. "Bye," she said softly.
 
Carlos wrapped his hands around her neck and kissed her back passionately. He loved the passion in her, the passion they shared when they were together. And she'd done exactly what he wanted her to, which was to initiate a kiss between them on her own. While they kissed, he ran his hand up her jeans, and stopped just before her crotch, massaging her soft thigh as their lips locked. "See you again soon, mama," he answered, gazing into her eyes as she pulled away. He stayed leaned over as he waited for her and Gui to exit the vehicle.
 
Elsa had to admit that she loved kissing Carlos. His kisses were always strong and powerful, whereas Brendan's kisses were known to sometimes be weak and mushy. Never bad, just different. And it wasn't that she didn't like kissing Brendan...it just didn't make her feel the same thing kissing Carlos did. She nodded when he said he would see her again soon. She unbuckled herself and hoisted Gui up and climbed out of the car. She shut the door but stood outside of it for a moment, just staring at Carlos while she held the baby close to her. "Will you call me?" she asked him, almost desperately.
 
Carlos hated to see Elsa go, but he didn't show it. He looked at her through the window, and then glanced straight ahead at the windshield. "I don't know," he told her. "If I can. Still might be a lot goin' on the next couple days," he reminded her. "But hopefully after that." He pushed the button and rolled up her window, giving Elsa once last glance. "See you later, baby," he finally said just before it closed up, pulling away and leaving her standing on the corner. He hoped that their short time together would leave her wanting for more, for the sense of stability she had when they were together.
 
Elsa wasn't sure what was wrong with her, but when he told her he wasn't sure if he could call her she felt a lump rise up in her throat. She opened her mouth to say bye to him again, but he was already pulling away. The tears welled up in her eyes and she quickly turned away and power-walked down the sidewalk the two blocks to the hotel. By the time she got to the hotel she felt like she wanted to sob. She bolted up to the hotel room and laid Gui down in the crib. Then she picked up her phone and dialed Brendan, in desperate need of talking to someone.
 
Carlos did see her start to get upset in his rear view mirror, and he wasn't cold to her. He felt bad for the mother of his baby when she was upset like that. But now was no time to turn back. She'd be fine, and she had to miss him a little if she was going to make the choice he wanted in the end, and he was okay with that.

Brendan had been laying on the couch, phone in his lap for at least a half-hour when it rang. "Hey honey," he said after answering on the first ring.
 
"Brendan," she whimpered into the phone, collapsing backwards onto the bed and covering her eyes with her free hand. She never felt more like a nineteen year old girl than she did right this instant. So love torn, and already having been a convicted felon and a mother. "I don't know if I can do this," she admitted to him sadly, "I don't know how he did it, but I'm attached to him."
 
Brendan listened eagerly, initially glad to hear her sweet voice. But what she said quickly sobered him and changed his facial expression completely. He sprung up in the couch, clutching the phone tightly, almost feeling another panic attack coming on. Everything had been so perfect, and now this? "C.. Carlos?" he gasped. "Um.. I understand, Elsa. I do. But you have to come talk to me. Let me come pick you up. We'll talk about it at my place. I'll be there for you in twenty minutes," he promised.
 
"Okay," she agreed immediately, sniffling a little bit as she tried not to cry. She hung up the phone and threw it into her purse. Then she gave Gui a quick feeding and changed his diaper. She packed him all up again and went down to the hotel lobby to wait for Brendan to come get her. A million thoughts were running through Elsa's mind. Carlos, Brendan, Gui, the hotel, her old apartment, going back to work, Carlos' drugs, Erica, and a million other things.
 
Brendan couldn't believe that she was missing Carlos. After all the risks he'd taken to extract her from her enslavement to that felon. After he'd made sure she wanted in. But he could never hold it against Elsa. After all, love and feelings were hard to analyze and explain, and they could always change. His love for Elsa, though, he knew was alive and well. Plus, he was glad she'd decided to tell him, instead of just letting her feelings lurk beneath the surface. Twenty minutes later, he was out front of her hotel. He got out and helped her place Gui in the car, and gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Come on, honey," he said, escorting her inside the car.
 
Elsa felt a wave of relief wash over her when Brendan showed up. At least she wasn't alone now. She stroked Gui's sleeping head gently once he was strapped into the back and then climbed into the front with Brendan. She took a deep breath after she buckled herself in and put her hands over her eyes for a couple of moments. "I'm so sorry, Brendan," she murmured, "I don't know how it happened. I thought I was just playing his game the whole time. But..."
 
Brendan looked over at her, completely glad to be in her presence, yet immensely worried that he'd lose her yet again. He slid one hand over and took her hand with it as he started driving, squeezing tight. "Don't be sorry, baby," he chided her. "He... can be a convincing man. And I guess he's probably more exciting than I am in a lot of ways," Brendan admitted. "I don't want you being with me because you feel bad or anything. In fact, you can be a hardheaded girl," he told her with a chuckle. "So I doubt you would anyway. Do you promise you'll at least talk about it with me though, baby?"
 
She nodded her head up and down quickly, almost a little childishly. "Yes, I promise," she muttered, squeezing his hand back just as tightly. "I love you. I love you so much. So so so so so much. That's why I'm so upset. Because...I don't know what to do," she squeezed his hand all the way to his apartment. Once they were there, in that familiar neighborhood though it'd been so long since she'd stayed there, she got Gui out of the car and carried him up to Brendan's apartment.
 
Brendan was at a little bit of a loss. He wanted to completely trash Carlos, but he knew it wasn't the right thing to do. He couldn't come across as if he was trying to romance her, either. That would just seem too fake, as if he were trying to win her affections as some kind of contest. Elsa was mature in a lot of ways, but she was showing her age a little now. That, he couldn't blame her for, though. He picked up Gui in the car seat, and handed him to Elsa, opening the door for them. It brought back a few memories as they strolled up to his apartment door, of the first time she came there after she was released, of the times they came home from somewhere all horny, and chased each other inside, barely able to stand the wait to make love to each other. "I love you, babe," he said to her, squeezing at her shoulder as he turned the key to his unit. "You'll make the right choice," he assured her as they walked inside.
 
When she walked into the apartment, everything was the same as it had always been. Nothing was moved, nothing was new. Everything was just the same. She set the portable car seat down next to the couch and laid Gui in it, who was, of course, still sleeping. Then she plopped down on the couch herself and looked up at Brendan. "You're the right choice," she said definitively, "That's why I don't know why I feel this way."
 
Brendan glanced over, amazed at how well-behaved Gui was for an infant. He seemed to always sleep so peacefully when his mother was around. Brendan leaned over and kissed Elsa's head, on his way to plopping down next to her. "I know how you feel," he sighed, holding her head and massaging at the side. "I've known you were the one for me for so long now. I just don't know what it feels like to have somebody else in my life," he admitted. "So I can't say I know how you feel in that respect. But... think of Gui, of what he had in his basement," Brendan reminded her. "And... I hope you'll consider the fact too, that I will always love you, darling," he added with a smile, leaning in and kissing her lips gently at first, and then smashing them up harder against her, needing more of her once he'd gotten a taste.
 
She threw her arms around his neck when he leaned in to kiss her. She pulled his head close to her, kissing him back with as much voracity as he was kissing her. She wanted his kisses to be like Carlos'. She didn't want to not love that about Brendan, so she kissed him as hard as she possibly could. Once she was satisfied she pulled her lips away but pressed her forehead against his. "I will always love you too," she murmured, eyes blearing again, "I want to be your wife,"
 
Brendan let a little gurgle out of his throat when she pulled away, searching her eyes with his. The kiss was good and long, but he was left still wanting more. That was the way it always was with Elsa; he wanted her so badly. Brendan stared right into the depths of her eyes as their faces pressed together. "I want you to be my wife, too, Els," he said firmly. "I wanted it before. You know that, and I never stopped wanting it." Glancing around, he saw a napkin on the table, and quickly tied a shred of it into a little circle. He slid away and knelt before Elsa. "Then marry me, dammit," he said with a little grin, holding up the makeshift ring as he balanced on one knee. It would just have to do until he got her a real one. He hadn't proposed as if it was a question. It was more of an order, yet he stayed there, waiting for a response.
 
She laughed loudly when he got onto his knees and held up the makeshift napkin ring. She leapt off of the couch and onto him, tackling him to the floor. "Of course I'll marry you, you big doof!" she exclaimed, giving him another delicious kiss. He was so amazing. Carlos would never have done that. She doubted Carlos had even once entertained the thought of marrying her. He just wanted her to be with him, to be his bitch. Which sometimes, she'd admitted, she was okay with. But she wanted more than that, and only Brendan could give that to her.
 
Brendan laughed out loud when Elsa tackled him onto the floor. He kept laughing as he rolled around with her, leaning up and nibbling at her ear. That was one of the things he loved about Elsa. They adored the hell out of each other, yet they could goof around and be silly with each other any time, including the moment of his proposal, evidently. He wouldn’t have wanted a girl who took everything seriously. Finally, he rolled on top of her, and kissed her hard and passionately. “I’ll get you a real ring, I promise,” he told her with a grin. “If you’re a good girl, anyway,” he teased, sliding his hands down and grasping at her waist.
 
"I know you will baby," she murmured, kissing him back with so much love she thought she was going to burst. Then she giggled when he said she had to be a good girl. She squealed when he grasped at her waist and a huge doofy smile spilled all over her face. Elsa lifted her hips up and pressed them into his crotch. "Oh yeah? A good girl? What if I want to be a bad girl?"
 
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