Pieces of Forever

58 - JASON

Jason

I pull up in front of the Walmart and turn my music down a little. Mel's face flashes on my screen, indicating that she is calling me. I answer the call and put the phone to my ear.

"Hey, babe." I greet her.

"Where you at?"

I frown at how she greets me. Where I'm at? Just like that, huh? She's been like this literally all day. She is really pissing me off, when she acts like this. I'm trying not to show it, but she is making that difficult.

"I'm at the store, grabbing a cheese cake for tonight."

"A cheese cake, huh?" She says this with way too much fucking attitude.

"Yeah, a cheese cake." My attitude match hers. "Would you prefer something else?"

"Prefer for you to bring your ass home." There goes that attitude again.

I take a deep breath in and mentally count to three. My baby is going to make me snap. I'm already under a lot of stress, and I really don't want to be hearing her mouth. I just want to get home to her and spend time with her. It sounds like she is purposely trying to kick something off with me.

"I'll be home soon, babe. Do you want me to get something out the store for you?"

"If I don't want a damn cheese cake, what makes you think I want anything?"

I look out the window and give a light chuckle. Oh, it's clear that she is definitely pissed about something, but I don't know why she is so upset with me. I think about my actions from the time that I woke up, until now. Hell, in my opinion she woke up with a bad ass attitude. I know that she can't still be upset about me coming in the door at three in the morning a few days ago. I thought we had moved past that.

I didn't wake her, when I got up this morning. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and left out the door. My first call to her was when I got out of my first class, and she had a bad attitude. I chalk that up to me, walking out without waking her up. Hell, I wanted her to get her rest. She's almost six months pregnant, and I know that she's stressed about me finding a job.

I agree from the start to carry all our burdens on my shoulders, but her attitude is blowing the fuck out of me. I'm a full time student, and I'm searching for a job constantly. I'm waiting for Leslie to have her baby and take whatever little money I do make. And I'm stressing over the fact that when I do take the DNA test for Mel's baby, that it won't be my baby. I'm going to still want my marriage with her regardless, but we're going to have to go back to counseling. And we definitely can't be having days like this, where she feels the need to test my little bit of patience that I don't have.

"I'll be home soon, babe." I try to keep it short and sweet.

"So, it's more important to get cheese cake than spend time with me and my baby?" She emphasizes the word her baby.

No. The fuck is she talking about? And why the hell did she say it like that? I take the phone from my ear and look at it. I put the phone back to my ear. I don't know what type of day she is having, but one thing she is not going to do . . . Is take that shit out on me. I do the best that I can for us, and I don't think that I need to be hearing her fucking attitude.

"You know what? I thought I'll be home soon, but it's clear that you just need some time to yourself. When you get your emotions in check, call me." I end the call and put the phone on silent mode.

I lay my head on the head rest. I promise myself back in Chicago that if I could get her back with me, then I would be the best that I can for her. I promise her that I wouldn't let her go again. I meant my words, but it doesn't mean that I can take this shit. I'm just going to give her a little space, because it's so fucking clear that she doesn't want me around her anyway. Every single time that I spoke to her today, she had an attitude with me. One thing for sure, I'm not giving up on her again.

The passenger's door opens and Ashlee climbs in with a bag in her hand, smiling.

"Hey, Jason. Thanks."

I give her a friendly smile as she sets the bag in the back seat.

"I got your cheese cake for you."

"Thanks." I mumble, still thinking about my baby.

Ashlee fastens her seatbelt, and I start the car.

"You have to go home right now?" I turn to her.

Ashlee shakes her head. "Not really. I do have a paper that I should be working on, but . . . if you have something else in mind." She lets out a light laugh. "Please distract me, sir."

I laugh at her words. "Want to go to the movies, or something? I'm just trying to stay out the house for a couple hours. My wife is trippin' and it seems that all her hate is thrown in my direction. I'm just trying to put it off for a little while."

"Okay." Ashlee says, weakly, looking out the window. "I'll pay my own way."

"You have to, because I'm broke." I joke with her.

She breaks into laughter, glancing at me.

"I'll pay our way, and you could get us some junk food. Let's stop by a store real quick. Deal?"

"Deal. Boy, I'm only spending ninety-nine cents on you. Got me buying you cheese cake and ish." She laughs, pushing me in the arm.

"Ima eat your goodies." The moment the words leave my mouth, I realize how dirty I sound.

I glance nervously at Ashlee and she looks out the windows, blushing a little. I lick my lips and go back to paying attention to the road. Times like this, I feel like Ashlee and I can't be friends. Facts are, that even though Ashlee and I aren't fucking around, that I still enjoy her company.

After Ashlee cried in my arms that night in the hallway, we went back to her house and talked a little. She let out all her aggression about how she felt like I betrayed her and played with her trust. I let her get it all out of her system, before she finally went to sleep on me. I accidentally fell asleep in her bed, feeling too lazy to get back to my place. I just wanted to close and rest my eyes for a few minutes, but I end up waking up to Mel calling me in the morning searching for me.

The next day Ashlee asked me if we can just be friends and nothing else. At first, I was a bit hesitant, but she hasn't been trying to be more than friends. She even helped me get an interview at Target. I just haven't told Mel anything about Ashlee, because Mel and I are dealing with a lot without her knowing that I'm still talking with a girl that I messed around with. I know that that's not going to sit too well with her, because her trust isn't restored all the way with me.