Aria Davenport returns for round two with the ever elusive, more sexually experienced Phoenix Prescott. And she's walking on a tight rope. The perfect job, perfect life and perfect relationship lie just beyond the finish line. All she has to do is a...
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The fire is still burning bright when I wake. Phoenix has disappeared, leaving our make-shift pallet crumpled in his absence. The shower runs as murmuring echoes off the bathroom walls. The door opens.
"It's my last day here. I'll be home soon. Tell the girls." He pauses. Looking up, he smiles at me. "OK, bye."
"Nora, I take it?"
He grabs a bath towel. "Yeah, the girls were starting to ask about me."
"Sure, it wasn't her asking?"
Phoenix closes his eyes. "Don't start that, Ari. You know the deal."
"Yeah, a shitty deal for me. I know it was her that called you yesterday outside the restaurant. Does she have to know your every move? Why are you reporting to her like that?"
Phoenix closes his eyes and inhales, deeply. "I don't report to anyone, not even you. I'm my own man! She's the mother of my kids, and they're home right now." He exhales, his eyes sharp filled with anger. "I'm actually supposed to be with them right now. I told them we'd spend their whole Christmas break together." He throws the towel on the ground. "But here I am with you. Trying to make you happy. Trying to get things ready for our baby. And here you are, giving me shit about it!" he yells.
"Oh, so I'm the one giving you shit? What do you think I'm going through? Hiding the pregnancy? Pretending we're not together? Just so I don't get treated like shit by everyone we work with! The pressure! I'm surprised I haven't burst into a million pieces, the fine line I have to walk!"
"Oh, you wanna shout at me? The man supporting you, loving you through everything? And fucking news flash, Ari! I'm NOT the one insisting we keep the baby or our relationship a secret! I WANT you to let everyone know we're together! Fuck what they think! We know the truth! But it's not them! It's you!" Phoenix takes his phone and picks up his wallet. "It's fucking you, Ari." He leaves slamming the door.
The shock of which makes me jump. The silence is deafening. Looking around for something to throw or kick, I grab a couch pillow. Instead of kicking it, I bury my face in it and scream until I don't have any energy left. I take a deep breath and collapse on the couch, cradling the pillow.
What the fuck? Where did all that come from?
A sickening feeling settles in my stomach and suddenly I have no appetite for anything. Food, shopping, friends, life. It all seems irrelevant. I sit on the couch stewing in my anger and sadness and foul mood.
Wish I had never said anything.
Getting off the sofa, I grab his bath towel off the carpet and go into bathroom. Might as well take advantage of a nice pre-heated shower. With the mirror still foggy, I draw a frown face over my reflection then get in the shower.
Today is definitely a dress-down day. I put on an oversized sweatshirt, leggings and Ugg boots. Hair up in a messy, curly bun. Minimal makeup. Stepping out on the balcony, the city looks as if it's forgotten me. Everything moves on without me, as if the monumental fight we just had, never happened. As if I'm just a blimp on the radar of life. Inconsequential. Leave me or take me. I exhale and before I know it, tears are creeping down my cheeks.
