Four Months Ago

Saturday, Early Morning Hours

"Aria! Baby! Open up!"

I hear a familiar knock on the door. He's the only person I know that does that. He knocks to the tune of random songs.

My heart leaps into my throat. "OK. Give me a sec!"

This can't be him! That's too weird. He was on my brain so hard, it caused him to magically appear?

I quickly wipe the water from my chin with a napkin. Rushing to the bedroom, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I'm still wearing this soaked nightshirt.

This is not how I pictured this moment. I've been fantasizing about this for the last two months. I'm supposed to be sexy and irresistible. He'd stop by and wouldn't be able to keep his hands off me. I'd push him away and make him pay for all the pain he's caused. Then I'd reluctantly take him back, but not without conditions. Not before he met my demands. I can't demand anything looking like this!

I scramble to find something sexier to put on. My sheer, red lace nighty is perfect to throw on. Running to the bathroom, I quickly wash my face and swish a capful of mouthwash around my mouth. Got to make sure my hair looks good. I put on some red gloss and a little eyeliner.

OK. Now, you're ready.

I realize I'm rushing to the door, I force myself to slow down. No first-class treatment for him.

Nonchalantly, I open the door. "Hello, can I help you with something?"

The pungent odor of his drunkenness attacks my senses causing me to hold my breath. He smells like an old wino. Immediately the image of Pepe La Pew pops into my head. As a kid, I remember watching the cartoon of that French skunk who smelled so bad, he had odor lines wafting from his tail. Disgusted by his sloppy appearance and smell, I take a few steps back.

Oblivious to my revulsion, he leans in too far, almost tripping over the threshold. "Why, yes you can. I'm lost . . . looking for my way back home . . . ." he slurs with a drunk half-smile, overly confident in his ability to charm me.

"Really? Do you know what time it is, Sebastian?" Irritated by his everything, I refuse to take the bait.

"I know what time it is. It's only . . . ." He pulls his smartphone out of his pocket and glances at it. "It's 3:20 am?" He shakes his head in confusion, giving me the sense that he's lost track of time. "Can I," he scratches his temple, "can I come in? Can I . . . can we talk for a minute?"

My sexy nighty is wasted on him.

"What more do you have to say to me? You said it all, remember at your party? In front of everyone?"

"Hey! Hey. Hey. I know . . . ." He waves his hands at me, as if he's trying to calm me down. "I know how I ended it was wrong . . . I know that but . . . but I need to talk to you right now. I just need to talk to you, Aria. I miss you." He tears up causing me to feel a pang of sympathy for him.

"You've got five minutes. I have somewhere to be in the morning."

Stop lying. You have absolutely nowhere to be tomorrow.

He stumbles past me and plops down on the couch. "Remember we used to sit here together and just talk about life and our future?"

"Yes, what about it?" Not wanting to get cozy, I stand, arms crossed.

"Can we do that now? Can . . . can you sit next to me like you used to and just . . . talk with me?"

"I don't know what's going on here." I draw several invisible circles around him, maintaining our separateness. "I get that you're nostalgic for the good ole days, but I'm not there with you, homie. I got the message nice and clear when you threw me out of your little family gathering. Oh, and I got the message every time I tried to reach out and call you. So, make it quick, cause your time is running out."

He puts his hands up. "OK. OK. OK. I get it. I'm an asshole. I know that. I know what I did to you was wrong but you were wrong, too."

"You wanna repeat that?" I cut my eyes at him.

"Hey! Please don't look at me like that." He turns inward like a scolded dog. "You know what you did. Do I have to remind you?"

I look at him sideways. "Really?!? Remind me, why don't you! You have four minutes."

"I saw you that night. With another guy. You were right in front of me, hugging, kissing. You didn't even notice me and I was right there."

"You never saw me with anyone! What night?"

"The night we were supposed to meet."

"Are you sure this has nothing to do with that dream you used to tell me about? You know, the one about me at a party cheating with another guy? You were always so insecure."

And weak! Don't forget he's a weak mama's boy!

"If I remember correctly, you never got over it!" I remind him.

"What? This has nothing to do with that." He waves it off.

"This has everything to do with that! You can pretend all you want. You insecure little shit! What are the odds that you have this crazy dream just about every night for a year and then you "catch me" doing exactly that? Whatever you saw, you didn't even question it. You just took it as fact." Mia's voice pops in my head. "That's residual guilt from your past sins."

"No! I-I saw you. I swear. I saw you hugging some guy at the club or was that the concert?"

"First, it's a club, now it's a concert. Make up your mind."

"Now, I remember," he slurs. "We were supposed to meet at the Rave, to see Miguel. I bought tickets!" He leans back on the couch triumphantly putting his hands behind his head.

"Don't get comfortable," I warn him. "I remember you getting tickets to that concert, but I never made it. You know that."

"I saw you there with my own two eyes." He shoots back defensively.

"I don't believe a word coming out of your mouth!" I frown at him. "OK. So, you walked up to me and talked to me, right? And what did I say to you? How was my hair? What was I wearing?"

"I never bothered, you were too caught up in the moment. Sucking face! All wrapped up. You were there with this dude, touching, groping and kissing him. It was right there in front of me. I couldn't believe it when I saw it."

Reading his expressions is like riding a roller coaster. He goes up. He goes down. Now he looks depressed. He sits deflated on the couch.

"I wasn't there, Sebastian. I was at work," I reply bluntly. "The whole night. A co-worker called in, Nick begged me to stay. I called you—several times—and left a message."

He looks confused. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Watch how you talk to me in my house! That's my last warning!"

"Didn't happen, Aria," Sebastian replies calmly.

"My phone died so I used the bar phone." I purse my lips.

"You called me from the bar phone?" he speaks to himself. "She called me from the bar phone . . ." Then he looks around as if he's searching for something and starts wagging his finger. "I remember my phone ringing back to back right before I walked into the Rave. It was from a number I didn't recognize, so I didn't answer. I didn't think anything of it . . . that was you?"

"Wow. Must've been. So, it all comes out."

"But I saw you there, in that "CRUSH" T-shirt and mini skirt you love so much. It was you, right there in front of me."

I laugh. "Oh. You are so far off. You have no idea. That wasn't me, you idiot. I've gone over that weekend at least a thousand times trying to figure out what went wrong. I remember everything. I loaned that exact outfit, that weekend to my friend, Sasha. The shirt, the skirt. Even my sandals! You know the girl I was telling you about? The one that everyone says I look so much like?" I pick up the phone and call Sasha. "I know she's up because she worked the club last night. She's probably out having breakfast with our co-workers at that twenty-four-hour diner we usually go to after a shift."

Sasha answers the phone. "Hey, Aria!"

"Hey girl, hey! I have you on speaker right now. I need you to clear something up for someone."

"Sure! What's up?"

"Did you go to any concerts with Aaron in the last two months?"

"That's a weird one. We've been to a few. Let me think. We saw Lil Wayne a few weeks ago in Chicago. Katy Perry before that. I still can't believe he went to that one with me. I was worried he wouldn't like it because that's not his thang, but we had a blast. She's that good! That's all I can remember. Why?" She snaps her fingers. "Wait, saw Miguel, too. That was in Milwaukee, at the Rave."

I turn to Sebastian. "I knew it!"

"Do you remember what you wore that night, Sasha?"

"Umm . . . not really. What's this about?"

"Sebastian."

"Oh. So, it's back on, now?"

"Just tying up loose ends." I take a deep breath. "OK, Sasha. I know this was like two months ago, but I need you to remember. Did you take any pictures that night? It was a concert so knowing you, you would have."

"Yeah, sure. Check my Instagram." A surge of people all talk at once in the background. "Hey, it's getting a little rowdy in here. Can I call you back? Fill me in later," she yells.

"Later, girl."

Turning to Sebastian, I'm surprised to see such a serious look on his face. He looks sick to his stomach. He's giving me the eerie sense that there's more here than meets the eye.

I pull up Sasha's Instagram page on my iPhone. Scrolling through her posts, I come across the pictures from the Miguel concert. Sure enough, there she is. Standing next to a hottie wearing my gear. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought she was me too.

"Told you, I wasn't there. Is this the girl you saw?" I jam the iPhone within an inch from his face. "See?"

Now, I see why those girls laugh, dance, and go crazy when talk show host, Maury, tells the guy, "You are the father!"

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

He glances at the screen then quickly looks away. "You're right. That's who I saw. She looks just like you, Aria." Looking down at his hands and staring blankly into space, he keeps repeating, "I fucked up . . . I ruined everything. I really messed this up."

"Yeah, your spoiled ass can say that a thousand times! Let the gravity of that sit on your chest." I'm victorious like a boxer being crowned champion of the world right now. Take that, you bastard!

"Aria, baby, please forgive me."

"Don't start calling me baby, now! You did it, now face your consequence. You lost a real woman that had your back, even from your conniving mother. I would've given everything away for you, boy. Glad you showed me why I shouldn't. I smile, totally vindicated and oh, is it sweet.

"That's not all, Aria." His eyes are full of worry.

"I know. You've said that. Enough already. It's done. We're good just the way we are. Not together!" I rub it in because I can.

"You don't understand. I wish it wasn't true. There's something else I have to tell you. I hope you can forgive me."

"What? What is it now?" The blood drains from my face.

Once again, he's back in control.

I brace myself for whatever is next.

"I'm . . . whew. My mother doesn't even know yet. At least she'll be happy. Can I have a minute?"

"What is it?" Knowing it would make his mother happy is a sure sign, it will kill me. "You know what? Take whatever time you need." I excuse myself and walk away, dreading each step. Whatever he has to tell me, I don't want to know. I pace for a while, then return.

"I don't know how to say this. I wish it weren't true. I'm — I'm . . . expecting my first child."

That familiar stinging sensation behind my eyes and nose surfaces. "What! W-what did you just say?"

"I'm going to be a father."

My mouth goes dry.

"I'm so stupid. Trina's pregnant." His eyes are glued to the carpet.

Murderous jealousy rises in my chest. "No!" I protest behind unbelieving eyes.

"I didn't do it on purpose. After I saw you with that guy, I got drunk. Too drunk to care about anything. I was so hurt. I called Trina to let off some steam. I went over to her place and it . . . it just . . . happened."

"Sebastian, are you serious?" My chest burns with homicidal rage.

He solemnly nods.

"This is a deal breaker!" I blurt out loud. "I can't believe you've done this. It's really over this time."

"No, Aria. Work with me. I didn't mean to do it. We can work this out. I know we can. I need you right now. Now more than I've ever needed anyone," he pleads.

"You need me, right now? I needed you two months ago! I needed you to be a standup guy. I needed you to love me and treat me right but look at what I got instead! A weak, no backbone-having, rich, little mama's boy. If you had just talked to me, you would've found out the truth but instead, you go running to that slutty bitch, Trina! I can't, Sebastian. I can't come back from this, from any of it. It's too much. You cause too much pain," I yell at the top of my lungs.

"What can I do. There's gotta be something, anything I can do."

"I told you she wanted you. I warned you about her. Get out! I can't take you anymore! What's wrong with you!?!"

"I — I didn't know, Aria. I swear I didn't know. It wasn't on purpose. Don't you see how much I love you?"

"I won't shove you out of my house like you did me. I won't humiliate you like you did me but you've got to go!"

Visibly shaken, he gets up and reluctantly lets himself out.

I slam the door shut behind him. I should've seen this coming. He's never cared about anyone as much as he cared about himself. This burns.

____________________

A/N: Hello my Lovelies! I'm so in love with you guys! I smile in my heart every vote and comment I get. So Thank You! It's the end of chapter 15, does it make sense why Sebastian behaved so badly? Do you sympathize with him or hate him for treating Aria so poorly? Let me know your thoughts.