Love Me (editing)

Tempted By The Devil

She drives a white convertible Mercedes Benz and I'm not surprised by this. Everything she has is expensive. She throws her shades on and focuses on the road ahead of her. Her hair blows in the wind as we drive. The beginning of the ride is silent and I pray that it stays this way until I get home. Of course, it doesn't.

"So Amy"

"It's Ava," I correct her.

"Right, anyways. What is it that you do?"

"I'm finishing school in a few weeks. For now, I'm a waitress at MochaCafé. It's downtown."

"Congratulations on completing high school. So I assume you're like what? Eighteen?"

"Actually, I'm twenty-one and I'm finishing university, but I bet you already knew that." I challenge her. I see her smile for a second before she continues.

"Well, Ava, by the sounds of it, it does not seem to me that you are ready to have this child."
I don't reply to this. She's stumbled upon a fact. I am not ready to have this child. This annoys me. I find her irritable. The way she acts like she is better than me, and from the looks of it, everybody else. The way she speaks without hardly ever using contractions. What does Noah even see in her?

"Listen, you are only twenty, and you have no prior experience with children. I would never ask you to get rid of the baby because it means so much to Noah. However, I have a better solution. Why don't you just simply give the child to us."
My eyes widen. Did she just ask me to give up my baby? "Noah will take sole custody of the baby and we will raise the child as a married couple. Of course, this would be a better atmosphere for a child. This way, your young adult years won't be cut short. You may do as you please. You can be free. This also means you cannot come and visit the child either. Only Noah would remain the child's parent. And me of course."

If I heard this suggestion from anyone else, I would actually consider it. But because it's coming from her. I would never give sole custody to her. To have her be the mother of my child and raise it. Never.

"I appreciate the offer, but no thanks," I reply. Her face turns cold. Did she really think I'd just say yes?

"I don't believe that you have thought this through enough. I am aware that you have no parents. With the amount of tuition you had to pay and currently owe for your education, and considering the job you had, I do not see you being able to financially support this child or yourself for that matter."

"I will find a way," I say, not confident of the words escaping my mouth.

"Oh, are you planning to live off of Noah? Is that why you want to keep his child? So that you may strain all the money he has on child care? So you're trying to go the welfare way. I warned Noah about girls like you. I mean he has never cheated before but of course the one time he does, it's with a gold digger."

"No, I-I-I actually c..."

"You actually care for him. Was that what you were going to say?" I look down. I can't get a word in, and even if I could, I wouldn't know what to say.

"Don't tell me you are actually developing feelings for my fiancé. You poor, poor child. I saw the schoolgirl looks you were giving Noah today, but I chose to ignore them for your sake. I know I do not have to worry about the likes of you ever coming between Noah and me. But just in case it is not clear, stay within your boundaries." She stops abruptly in front of my house and removes her sunglasses. "How about I make this easier for you," she turns to me. "I'll pay the rest of your tuition fees and even add a little extra for you to have until you actually find a career. In exchange, all you have to do is give Noah sole custody of his child."

"No, I'm no giving up this baby," My words don't come out as strongly as I want them to. She notices this and grins. "This offer obviously cannot last forever. Just think what's best for you and the child. You don't want to be a selfish mother now, do you?"

"And leaving my child with you is what's best?" I ask her.

"Ava, I know you've never really had a mother so this is hard for you to grasp. You are not ready and you cannot give the child the life it deserves."
She puts her sunglasses back on. "Think about it," she says as she unlocks the doors.

I quickly and gladly leave the car and head toward my condo. She speeds off before I even make it up the stairs. She is worst than I could have ever imagined.