AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’ll be fine. Take it easy on yourself.” Aunt Nelly repeatedly says. She was almost crying with me.
I was a hard crier to console. I thought of the life I was beginning to build here. How to leave it for an uncertainty because my father wanted that. I’d tried that with Jack before, and he made me look stupid for loving him and being vulnerable.
What made anyone think this time was going to be different?
“You’ll find a way around it.” She said again while trying to console me.
The day was going to be a long one, and I wished it had never come.
CHAPTER 19
Ben
As I stood before my house, a swirl of conflicting emotions churned within me. There, just beyond the threshold, someone I barely knew, but once knew deeply, was devouring a meal I hadn’t expected to share. The scent of the food wafted through the open windows, teasing my senses, and beckoning me inside.
I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of curiosity, unease, and even a touch of resentment. Why was she here, in my home, eating my food? The situation felt surreal, like an intrusion into my personal space and life, yet I hesitated to confront her.
I stood there, the weight of uncertainty pressing upon me, unsure of how to react. Should I burst through the door, demanding answers for why she was here? Or should I wait, allowing this peculiar scene to unfold and hoping for an explanation?
The seconds stretched into minutes as I grappled with these conflicting thoughts, torn between the need to protect my son, and the desire to understand this unexpected visitor's presence in my home.
I couldn’t stay outside any longer, so I went in. After all, it was my house. I saw her eating my meal like she owned it. She looked too carefree and the mere thought of it made me angry. My feelings were all over the place.
My emotions were a chaotic whirlwind, all over the place. One moment, anger surged through me, followed by a deep undercurrent of sadness the next.
I couldn’t pinpoint a single emotion. Confusion and uncertainty gnawed at me, leaving me paralyzed, not knowing how to feel or what to do next. It was as if my heart and mind were engaged in a relentless tug-of-war, leaving me in a state of emotional limbo, desperately seeking stability amid the chaos as I stood there looking at her.
Audrey stared back at me and smiled. Her smile was fine, but it pissed me off. What was she doing here? What had brought her here?
“Hey, Ben!” She was enthusiastic.
“What are you doing here?” I kept a straight and unimpressed face.
“Oh! Not even a ‘Hi Audrey’? It’s been over three years now. Come and give me a hug, or do you just want to stand there and act like you didn’t miss me?” She asked. Her voice switched from high to low, and I could barely tell if she was serious.
“What do you want, Audrey?” I asked again, and my irritation showed in my voice.
She stood up and walked to me staring at me right in my eyes. I didn’t take my eyes off her. For some reason, I wanted to prove to her that I wasn’t the man she left anymore. I was stronger.
“I’m sorry, Ben,” she started. “I’m sorry I left you. I know you’re angry at me, but you see, I had to experience life.
I had to be sure this life with you is what I wanted.” She made her voice sound soft like a baby asking her father for candy.
“You know I also tried to stay in touch countless times for the sake of Mike, but you constantly didn’t let me.”
I held her hand and pushed her away from me gently. I looked at her boldly straight in her eyes. “Maybe you shouldn’t have left him in the first place,” I lashed.
“You’re not sorry, Audrey. You thought you had a man who would jump to take you back as soon as you say ‘Sorry’?”
“Don’t talk like that, darling…” she started talking.
“Don’t call me that. Call me Ben.” I said. “It’s Ben to you.”
“Okay tough guy, if you won’t let me back into your life, at least let me into my son’s life.” She rolled her eyes and went back to where she sat.
“There’s nothing for you here, Audrey!” I yelled. I couldn’t contain it anymore. I was fuming already, as all the hurt of the past came down on me.
“Hey!” She yelled back. “Don’t shout at me” Her voice was loud. “I’ll be in my son’s life and yours, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
