Selfish

Chapter 8

I open my eyes to my alarm. It's my day off but I still wake up at 9. It's just a routine and it gives me time to exercise. I turn it off and lay in my bed staring at the ceiling.

Yesterday I went to the studio for the collab shoot and it went well. It's always a little nerve wrecking having to go to a shoot with a photographer you don't know because you never know what they're capable of.

Sexual harassment is unfortunately very common in the model industry and being intersex does not save me from it. I've had a few photographers who have tried to get me to do nude photos when it wasn't part of the shoot. I have also been groped more than enough times.

They don't give a fuck that I have a dick they still touch my ass and boobs when they aren't supposed to touch me at all. I've even had some of them grope my dick and it isn't just male photographers either. The women's are no better. It's still gross.

When I would report them to my agency they would just tell me to shrug it off. Nobody would believe me if I didn't have proof according to them.

I sit up and stretch before getting up to the bathroom. I do my business before brushing my teeth and my hair and putting it in a ponytail. When I leave my room I see Aurora and Ari's doors are open so they are already awake.

I walk into the living room and see them sitting at the dining table. Aurora is eating an omelette and Ari's sitting in her chair with a little bowl and what looks like yogurt. It's got blueberry and oats sprinkled in it. Aurora's eating an omelette. But what Ari has looks better I'm not gonna lie.

I look at Ari's food. "That looks good."

Aurora laughs making me look up at her. "I knew you would say that so instead of making you an omelette I put you a bowl yogurt in the fridge already. I put some blueberries in it for you too. The oats are on the counter." I could kiss her right now.

Aurora's hair is in a bun. She's wearing a red tank top and some white short. Only tantalizing me. Surely she does it on purpose. She can't possibly look in the mirror when she wakes up and say meh. Id be attracted to my self if I was her. She knows she's hot.

I just sleep in some athletic shorts and a sports bra. It's comfy and now it's convenient because I don't have to change to work out.

"Gracias." I beam as I pull out the yogurt and a water bottle from the fridge and set it on the counter.

"De nada." She says as if it was English. She does it on purpose.

I cringe. "Aye yi yi, say it right or don't say it at all."

"I'll do what I want." If only she'd tell her parents that.

I sit across from her. "Are you weady for the firework show Kya?" Ari asks.

"Yeah. Are you?"

"Mhmm." She hums.

I talk with them until I get done and go workout. Aurora also goes.

When I get done I take a shower. After drying my hair I swoop my curtain bangs. I chose to wear some light blue-jean skinny jeans with a tight white shirt that I tucked into them. I roll them so they stop right above my wheat nubuck timberland boots.

When I enter the living room I find Aurora sitting on the couch. Shes wearing simple jean shorts and a white tank top with white slip on Vans.

Ari's watching her tablet with her arms resting on the couch and her butt poked out. I chuckle. Why do all little kids do that? She's wearing a similar outfit except she's wearing a white shirt. She has on the exact same shoes just smaller. They match shoes a lot.

Aurora looks at my shoes and smiles. "Me and Ari have a pair of those." That's not surprising a lot of people have them.

"You two like to match a lot it seems?"

She chuckles. "It's Ari's doing. She picks out her own outfit and I might tweak it a little to make it match but she always wants the same shoes as me. So almost every pair I have she has too and we have some similar clothes."

"That's cute." I smile.

"Yep. She's precious." She looks at Ari adoringly.

"Ari wanna come sit with me?" Aurora asks.

Ari looks away from her tablet with a beaming smile and walks over to her, tablet still in her hands. "You want to watch with me?" She asks excitedly.

Aurora chuckles. "Sure. But I was gonna do this." She picks Ari up and starts attacking her with kisses all over her face making Ari giggle.

Ari giggles. "Ok mommy that's enough kisses."

Aurora gives her one last peck on the nose. "I could never give you enough kisses. I love you so much." Aurora hugs her close.

"I wove you too mommy." Ari snuggles into her and turns her attention to her tablet.

Aurora smiles as she looks at Ari's tablet. "What are you watching."

They both talk back and forth about what she's watching.

My heart flutters at the site. They are both so precious. I feel the need to protect them from the world. I want a picture of that.

I pull out my phone. "Do you mind if I take a picture of both of you?"

"Go for it."

I stand up and take their picture. I contemplate posting it again. I want the world to known Ari's my kid but Aurora's mom knows I'm a model so what if she finds it if she decides to look me up.

I did make the picture of me and Ari my wallpaper.

****

I'm on the couch watching TikTok on my phone. Aurora just came back from talking on the phone. She sits beside me.

"I thought I should let you know that Layla and Marcus will be going to the firework show."

"Ok." I smile.

Layla is Aurora's cousin on her dad's side. Layla's mom is his sister. Marcus is Layla's boyfriend whom she met in high school. They were really close growing up. She's only one year older than us. So we went to high school with her and she knew about us.

She didn't tell Aurora's parents because she kind of understood what Aurora was going through because her mom didn't like that Marcus is black. Aurora's parents, mostly her dad agreed with her about how it wasn't 'right'. Another reason why I dislike them.

I don't know why Aurora's parents are like that, well mainly her dad. He would have his moments where he'd same some racist shit under his breath about me but her mom was nice. I have an olive skin tone. They knew I was from México plus I had a Spanish accent. Maybe he just wants to keep their family line white. Either way it's fucked up.

Tough luck anyway because Ari's part Hispanic. Although they probably don't think Ari is. You can't really tell she's not as tan as me but a little more than Aurora. 

But I guess they came around otherwise Layla wouldn't be joining us. I wish Aurora would just tell her parents about me and Ari. I want people to know Ari's my kid.