Long Time No See

She Asked Me

Eric
•
•
•
"I didn't come over here to argue. I just wanted to see you. It seemed like you wanted to see me too..."  I started.

"I did want to see you..."

"Then what's the problem. I'm
not even in no shit is just wanted... I just wanted to be in your space." I said.

"I did but that was before she called me!" She yelled as we argued of the kitchen island in her hotel room. It was hard for her to look me in the eye.

"What?" I asked.

"She..." She paused as a tear rolled down her face.

"Eric she asked me not to see... she told me not to fuck you."

"When?"

"Right after you texted me. We just got off the phone not to long ago." She straightened up and dried her tears.

"That's not why I'm here." I said. I wanted to make that clear.

"Not anymore. And as much as I want to... I can't." She added.

"I was able to clear my head and while that was my first thought... I just wanted my friend. I wanted the time to apologize."I said lowering my voice. Regardless we were friends first, but now I see that we aren't. The room grew cold and silent for a bit before she took a breathe.

"That's not what we do. That's not who we are." She said raising her voice.

"What can't it be?" I asked.

"I texted you because I knew that we would have sex for days. I hadn't planned in leaving this room once I knew you were back. Then she called." She said.

"I won't lie... we were in the same page. But you are right. We can't be friends."

"We had been together for years. After what we did the last time you were here I can't just be your friend. This conversation is hard enough." She managed to say.

"We can't..."

"I don't know what all is going on but I do know that she is afraid. She thinks that you have been..." She paused before sitting in the back counter of the kitchen.

"She thinks California was planned. That we had every intention of being with each other. I told her you don't touch me and she just couldn't believe it..." She started to cry again.

"I told her that." I said watching her get worked up again.

"She said she didn't know she was pregnant. She didn't know so she got scared and wanted..."

"I get it. And that's why as much as I want you to stay you can't. This is all I have ever wanted but she is having your babies. I... I have to accept that it will never be me." She said now looking me in the eye.

"Hadiya. I love you... I'm sorry."

"But it's not going to work. I really wanted you to be here. I mean after the...I needed that." She said flashing her gets at me.

"You are right. There is no need to make this worse. I wish things could be different." I said before giving up. I had no right to be here or ask her for anything.

"I just hope you are happy. I want nothing but the best for you and your family." She said now shaking. Her face turned red as her breathing grew heavy. She slid off of the kitchen counter immediately fixing her shorts.

"I really wish that you could be in my life. But I understand. I'm sorry." I said as I grabbed my phone and keys off of the counter. We stood in the middle of her hotel room as we both search for words to say. Once we both realize that there was nothing else to say I headed towards the door. The tension in the room was so thick I hesitated on saying goodbye.

"I really wish things could be different." I said as I opened the door. The word slipped out of my mouth without me even really knowing what they meant. To the naked ear it can seem like I don't want my babies or Amari, since that was the one thing holding me, us back.

"Me too." She said as I searched for a meaning to my words. I opened and close the door. I made my way to the service elevator knowing that there were people with cameras and a check to make outside. I knew the back hallways of this hotel so well from my younger days it was scary. I made sure to call an Uber on my way down the elevator I have a pick me up from the other side of the alley. Once I got off the elevator, walked through the kitchen, and out of the back door with out anyone looking twice. I looked my life in my right before walking through the alien meeting my car on the corner.
Outside of saying hello to the driver I sat with my back to the seat and stared out of the window. I let the city lights take me away as I tried to keep my head clear. The block started to get more and more familiar as we pulled up to my building. Once I open the car door my feet at the ground the only thing that was on my mind was taking a shower and going to sleep. My day was rather productive but I had to think about how I was going to handle the rest of my trip. As soon as I entered the building Amari called. As soon as I answered the call I was met with Aden's sweet face.

"What's up boy? What you doing up?" I said waiting for his answer. He had been forming more and more sentences and surprising me every day.

"I'm waiting for you." He said as I got in to the elevator.

"Me?" I said hoping that the call wouldn't cut out.

"You said you were going to read to me." He said before asking his mother for the book.

"He won't even let me open it." She said. I paused walking down the hallway once I heard the tone of her voice.

"What's wrong with your mother?" I asked as Aden held the book to the phone.

"We can't sleep." He said as I grew more concerned.

"I'm fine." She said as Aden forced me to look at the book.

"I can't see the words baby." I said as she tried to blow it off. Aden quickly moved the book as I got to my door. It was crazy that a three-year-old was able to face time me and demand a bedtime story.

"Ok..." I said as I began to read the book. Halfway through he snuggled up to Amari and made her hold the book while he flipped the pages. Before we could see what happed to the main character his eyes fell shut.

"Now what's wrong with you baby." I asked as she took the phone.

"I'm A little overhead way through a pregnancy with two babies who obviously hated each other because they have heavyweight boxing matches inside of me all day. Baby I'm not in any pain I just miss you." She said making sure to keep her voice down.

"Just a few more days and I'm coming straight back to you."