Authors: Vivian Rose Lee
“How could you do this to me Asia?”
Asia pulled away, frowning and quietly asked, “Do what to you, Aaron?”
“Who’s the father, some quickie on tour?” he said crudely.
“Same old Aaron,” she said turning her back to him, feeling his eyes boring into her.
“Answer me Asia!” Aaron yelled.
She turned to him. “Does it really matter now?” she said coolly, moving past him.
Aaron halted her exit, grasping her arm. Asia stumbled, trying to pull away from him.
Be careful Aaron,” Martin warned. She snatched away from him, angry now.
“Get out Aaron!”
“Who’s the father, some dude in between tours, or a band member, who Asia!” he barked so loud, she jumped, the baby moved, and she clutched her stomach.
Tears burned in the back of her eyes. She didn’t want to cry, yet it seemed that all she did lately. She turned from him again.
“Does it matter who it is Aaron?” she said defeated.
Aaron sighed, calming a little. “Asia just six months ago, your declared you love me, and would wait a lifetime for me,” Aaron reminded her.
She looked at him then. “Yes Aaron I did and you said you couldn’t wait three months for me, well Aaron I changed my mind, a lifetime is too long to wait for anyone, when the other could not return the same feelings,” Asia countered bitterly. “The ironic thing I realize is I have yet to even hear you say you even liked me, yes your action showed it in the past, in bed, but the words Aaron, just to hear the words meant a lot six months ago. From me Aaron, I gave you what you wanted, your freedom to pursue whomever you wanted, I wanted you to be happy, although it hurt to say the words, I let you go so you wouldn’t have to, it was easier to accept if I said it, so Aaron I’ve accepted it and your decision, so please just go.”
Aaron stared at her. “I can’t believe just a short six months ago, you loved me, so now you’re telling me you stopped loving me so soon.”
Asia turned away, afraid he might see she still loved him. “What does it matter now?”
“Do Mom and Dad know your six months preg…,” he frowned. “Whoa, wait a minute,” he said thinking with a furrowed brow, and started to count on his fingers. Aaron looked over at Martin, a frown on his face.
“The key words here Aaron, is six months ago,” Martin replied.
“Asia, this is my child, isn’t it?” Aaron replied loudly. Aaron grabbed her none to gentle, turning her back to face him, his large hand biting into her upper arms causing her to cringe in pain.
“Aaron, let her go!” Martin bellowed, rushing to him. He dropped his hands.
“You would let me believe someone else father my child, because you’re hurt Asia, I never would have thought that of you!” He said angrily. “Damn you, we lost a child together Asia, my God, to keep this from me!”
“Shut up Aaron, stop trying to playing martyr, you didn’t tell me about your wife, so go home to your wife!” She screamed at him.
“Wife!” Martin and Aaron uttered in one accord.
“Get out! Get out! I don’t want you here! She yelled, leaving from the room.
“Asia!” he yelled, going after her, Martin behind them.
Aaron caught her. “What wife?” Aaron asked confusion on his face.
“Shanna was thrill to tell me you proposed, I will not be a married man mistress with his bastard child, I’ve put up with many things from you, I won’t stoop that low,” she told him sternly.
“What in the hell are you talking about? I am not engaged to Shanna.” He replied firmly.
“I called you Aaron to tell you about the baby; Shanna answered your phone and told me, since we’re all friends now she can tell me you and she was engaged!” Asia yelling the last part.
“Get away from me!” she said pushing him, moving away from him. Asia turned to face him, enraged.
“I’ve loved you a long time Aaron, but you couldn’t even tell me you liked me, but you proposed to her, I hate you Aaron. I hate you! She screamed.
Aaron looked at Martin confused. “She’s not listening to me.” Aaron said to Martin.
“Shut up! Aaron shouted. Asia jumped; the tears then fell.
“I am not married to Shanna, and I have never been engaged to her,” he said slowly, punctuating each word. Asia stared at him stunned, her mouth open, as tears trailed down her face.
“Is that why you didn’t tell me about the baby?” he asked a little calmer.
“You’re not married to her?” she asked
“No, I never proposed, my God, I would never marry Shanna.”
Asia dropped her head. Aaron went to her and raised her head. She looked at him. “You’re not married to her?”
“No Asia, I’m not.”
She let her head fall on his chest while she cried. Aaron arms went around her. Aaron looked at Martin, and exhaled. Martin waved and left them alone.
“Look at me Asia,” Aaron ordered gently. Her head rose slowly.
“Tell me Asia, this is my child?”
“Yes, Aaron,” she said softly.
“Asia, I need to know, if I hadn’t seen you on television, would you have had the child without me?” he asked her.
She looked deeply in his eyes. “If you were married to Shanna, yes, Aaron I would have,” she replied, taking a shutter breath. “It was killing me, knowing you loved her enough to marry her, and all that we’ve ever been to each other is lovers. I gave myself to you knowing I could love no other man. I would have gone through life still loving you knowing you would never love me. So no, you would have never known. I didn’t want you to feel trapped, because you already felt obligated to me, why I’ll never know, if anyone is obligated it’s me, you saved my life.”
“Do you doubt I love you?” he asked sincerely.
“Yes I do.” she answered and moved away from him, then turned back to him. “Don’t even think about asking me to marry you, I will not marry you just because I carry your daughter, all we are together are parents. We will raise our daughter together, that’s all.”
“Asia, you can’t mean that,” he stated worried.
She shrugged. “Maybe, but this is how I feel right now it seems I’ve wanted your love so long that now I’m just use to not having it, it really doesn’t matter anymore.”
Aaron now understood what his friends were saying, so arrogant in the thought that Asia would always be there for him anytime he wanted her. He’s lost her. The realization hurt him.
“You no longer want my love Asia?” He asked.
“No,” she said firmly.
“There’s no one else?”
“No Aaron, I love you, I’ll always love you, and you’re the father of our child. I simple don’t want your love any longer,” she replied and left him standing where he was, going up the stairs. He followed her.
“Asia, so that’s it?” he asked.
She stopped and turned to him. “No Aaron. Now that you know, I’m coming home. I want Mom and Dad to be around for their granddaughter, and I need to apologize for keeping this from them.”
She took another step up, and then stopped. “I need to find bigger place too.”
“Stay with me,” he suggested, “Just until the baby comes,”
Asia looked at him. “Okay, we leave after the game,” he said.
She nodded, continuing up the stairs. Aaron didn’t follow.
“Asia,” he called. She turned to look at him from the top of the stairs.
“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.
“Why Aaron, you got what you wanted.”
Chapter Twelve
Asia and Aaron arrived at his parent’s house. The door opened, Brie and Trevet stood there grinning broadly. When Asia and Aaron reached, Brie and Trevet enfolded them both in their arms.
“Oh Baby, were so happy your home.” Brie said hugging her again. To Asia surprise, all her friends were there to welcome her home.
“Tia!” Asia cried hugging her.
“Look at you,” Tia said rubbing her belly.
She went to greet the others, hugging everyone. Martin and Aaron stood to the side watching them.
“So what happen?” Martin asked, “Did you kiss and make up.”
“Nope, we’re parent, that’s all.” he stated. Martin looked confused. “It’s what Asia wants.” Aaron explained.
“Did you tell her you love her, at least?”
“She no longer wants it.” Aaron admitted reluctantly.
“And you accepted that?” Martin asked surprised.
“What other choice do I have Martin.” Aaron said getting agitated.
“I hate to say I told you so.”
“Then don’t.” Martin walked away whistling. Aaron father joined is side.
“Son, how are you?” his father asked, embracing him.
“Okay Dad.”
“So when are you and Asia getting married?” he asked smiling.
“We’re not Dad,” Aaron stated with finality.
Trevet looked at his son and saw the sadness and pain in his eyes. “Come, let’s talk,” Trevet said leading his son to the den.
Aaron always loved this room, with the high ceilings and the large bookcase on the wall. The fireplace, roaring. He and his Dad would play chess for hours, when he was a boy, just roughhouse on the floor. Aaron smiled remembering the good times with his father in this room. Aaron knew early that Trevet wasn’t his biological father, but he was the only father he wanted.
Aaron sat on the large leather sofa, his Dad beside him.
“What’s happen Son?” his father asked him.
“She know longer wants my love, no marriage, just be a father to our daughter.”
“Girl, huh?” his father said smiling.
Aaron smiled, “Yes sir, a girl.” Aaron paused giving his father a fleeting look.
“I love her Dad, and I’m too late.”
“No Son, Asia is hurt right now, she still loves you.”
“ I know she does, Dad, she doesn’t want my love, what am I going to do, I can’t be without her any longer, I don’t know what to do,” he said his shoulders slumping.
“You do know, show her you love any way and every way you can and tell her everyday if you have to Son, but make her want you again.” his father advised.
“I will Dad, I will.” Aaron choked out, hugging his Dad, and did something he hadn’t done since they had lost their first child, he cried in his father arms.
********
Asia settled in Aaron home. He had moved most of her clothing to his house. She stayed in the spare room across the hall from his room. He brought over her, electric keyboard, and piano, making room for it, in one of the spare room he had, all he wanted was to make Asia happy. Aaron did as his father advised; he told her he loved her all the time, sometimes calling her in the middle of the day, just to tell her. She would just hang up the phone, but Aaron didn’t let that deter him. When he was in town, for games and came home, he was very attentive. He would rub her back when it hurt, or her feet when they ached. Sometimes at night, she would let him brush her hair. One particular night he was brushing her hair, her eyes were closed, enjoying the attention, he bent and kissed her mouth, he couldn’t resist, she forgot herself and kissed him back as passionately as he was kissing her; then she realized what she was doing and stopped him, she hasn’t allowed him brush her hair since that time. At night, they would go to their separate rooms. All Aaron could think about was how he planned to get Asia to forgive him, because without her he was not whole.
She took care of him also. Every evening she prepared dinner for them and they sat together and ate, sometimes they watched movies together, while he rubbed her feet. Aaron thought he would catch pneumonia, with the amount of cold showers he had to take, to squash his desire for her, and knowing she was right across the hall, made even more difficult.
Asia was still hot commodity in the music industry. Benny was over everyday with offers for her to sing for this or that. She refused not wanting to be overwhelmed with a lot of work until after the baby. Already Benny was working on her schedule, for when that time came. She still recorded and her Jazz and Blues CD went gold, the critics predicted it wouldn’t do well, but with her voice she pulled it off, the older generation loved her CD, even some of the her fans liked it.
Brie and Trevet checked on her whenever Aaron was out of town. Aaron was glad the season was winding down; they were in the playoffs, so he was gone more than he would normally be. He realized he loved being at home with Asia, even though it was how she wanted it to be, he just wanted to be around her.
At eighth months, Asia stopped going out as much as she had been. Brie and Tia came over for a visit, they were deciding on the colors for the baby’s nursery.
“Baby,” Brie said, “You look tired today,”
“I am a little,” she admitted.
“Are you and Aaron ever going to be a couple again?” Tia asked.
Asia shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“He loves you,” Brie replied.
“So he says, Mom.” Asia said unbelieving.
“He does,” Brie told her, “he knows he made a mistake, give him a chance, Honey, I know you love him.”
“Yes I do,” Asia admitted. “Can I ask you the both of you something?” Asia asked shyly. Both women nodded.
“Is it normal to be ah…to want to…”
“Horny,” Tia said laughing.
Brie laughed. “Trevet and I were active almost up until Aaron sister was born,”
“Same as me and Martin, at least up until my eighth month.”
“So, it okay to have sex?”
“Yes, why?” Brie asked.
Asia blushed. “I want it so bad, I can’t sleep at night,” she admitted embarrassed.
“So what’s stopping you?” Tia asked.
“I don’t think Aaron desires me, I’m so fat, anyway he never tried to, you know…”
“That because, he doing what he thinks you want, trust me our men think we are at our sexist when we carry their children; there scared at first, but after a while, my, my, my,” Tia said fanning herself. They all laughed.
That evening when Aaron arrived home, Asia prepared his favorite meal. A candlelit table, soft music, and she was dressed in sexy nightgown, nude underneath of course. She loved him so much, but could she forgive him. Her heart wanted to erase the past and start over, simply build from where they were now. Yes this was what she wanted, not just for their child’s sake but for her own.
“Asia,” Aaron called coming into the house.