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“Come in,” a voice beckoned. Doing as I was told, I pushed open the door and entered her office. “Please, take a seat, Reagan.”
“Okay,” I said more to myself. I scurried into the seat across from her on the other side of the grand, carved wood desk.
“So, I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you here.”
“I, umm…”
She rolled her eyes and sighed, which made me think I wasn't there so we could bury the hatchet. “I'd rather not dilly dally. I'm willing to offer you a significant amount of money to stop dating my son.”
“What?” I literally started shaking at that point.
Did she just offer to throw money at me to go away? I thought that type of thing only happened in the movies. The concept was absurd, but I wasn’t about to say that. Putting it more delicately would be best.
“Yes, we can negotiate the exact number, but, just so you know, I'm willing to crack six figures.”
“I don't want your money!” I bristled at the thought of leaving Aiden. The love I had for him was priceless. It didn't matter how much money his mother offered me.
“You say that now, but did Aiden tell you that he was going to be disowned if he continues seeing you? And, once I disown him, he doesn't get to change his mind about it later. I don't make these decisions lightly.”
She was going to cut him off, and he knew? Why didn't he tell me? This should have been something my boyfriend came to me about. Or maybe he needed more time to tell me.
“That doesn't mean anything.” I was trying to put on a brave face, but my insides felt like jelly. It was just that morning that I had found out I was carrying his son.
“Why? Because of true love and all that bullshit? You're two dumb kids experiencing puppy love, and, when the shiny façade falls away, Aiden will miss his money and wonder why he threw it all away for some girl.”
Mrs. Harris managed to hit one of my biggest insecurities. I'd seen the girls Aiden had dated. They were all rich and put together and so pretty. I was a girl who happened to bag his groceries one day. What if I was just a phase? When he got tired with me? He'd toss me aside without a second thought. I knew Aiden loved me, but love could fade. I was starting to feel that it wasn’t a matter of if but when.
“I mean, did Aiden tell you we had Victoria over the other night for dinner?” He had dinner with Victoria? “From the expression on your face, my guess is no, he didn't tell you.”
Victoria was the ex that gave me the most anxiety. She never did anything to me, but the feelings were still there. Plus, Aiden's mom loved her, so there was that. And she fit into his world so perfectly. They were the perfect wealthy couple. They had that look that me and him would never have. I just knew it.
I never told Aiden about these feelings, but he still knew. He did his best to make me feel loved, and I did. I thought I had gotten rid of my jealousy regarding Victoria, but it reared its ugly head with zero hesitation.
“Do you really think he'll leave me?”
She nodded. “Honey, I hate to be the one to tell you, but it's the truth, and you'll have to face it eventually. Sooner is better than later, no?”
Mr. Harris convinced me to take the money and leave. She never knew about the child I was carrying. I wanted to say goodbye to Aiden, but his mother wouldn't let me. She said I needed to make a clean break. I wrote a letter that she dictated and tried to never look back.
But life had other plans for me. A few weeks later, as my belly started to show. I thought about contacting Aiden, but he hadn't tried once to call or see me since I had left. It was so easy for him to forget about me, so I needed to do the same.
Clearly, I never really did.
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?'’
“Huh?”
Aiden was standing now, and both him and my son were looking at me with identical hazel eyes. “Do you two have any plans today?” he repeated.
“Oh, um, I have to take Bobby home and give him lunch.”
Though that was something I pulled out of my ass, it was getting close to lunch, meaning Bobby needed to eat soon.
“Let me treat you guys.”
“Oh no, you don't have to do that.”
“I want to, and it is no trouble.”
“Aiden, it’s fine.”
“Reagan, it’s just lunch.” The look he gave me told me otherwise. Lunch could lead to so many other things. I didn’t want to have lunch with my son and his father, both of who knew nothing of the other. It would be me in the middle with enough knowledge to drive myself crazy.
