MR. MORENO'S SURROGATE ✔️

13 - Leilah

I wake up and I look into the darkness of my room. The house is quiet which is something new, so I suspect that something's wrong. I don't feel the urge to throw up at all so I open my door and I walk downstairs with my phone in my hand.

"Cayson?" I call out, looking around.

"I'm in here." he says back.

I walk into the living room and I sit down next to Cayson as we watch TV and eat grapes and other snacks.

"Hey Cays, where do we keep the ice cream?" I ask after about an hour.

"Freezer, bottom drawer. Get anything you want." he says.

"Thanks." I say, getting up and walking to the kitchen. I open the freezer and I open the bottom drawer. This is ice cream heaven. There's ice cream sandwiches, chocolate coated ice cream with peanuts, popsicles, pineapple flavored ice cream, and so so much more. "Yes." I say, grabbing a chocolate covered ice cream and two ice cream sandwiches. Suddenly, my phone starts to ring on the counter. I look confusedly at it and I cautiously pick it up, biting my ice cream sandwhich eerily. "Hello?" I say, chewing my ice cream sandwich.

"It's Elijah."

"Oh." I say, my guard settling. "Why're you calling?"

"I'm going out of town for a business trip and I just wanted to let you know."

"We're not married or anything, I don't care where you go." I say, laughing.

"I know. I just thought I'd let you know so you wouldn't look for me."

"How long are you gonna be gone?" I ask, biting my ice cream.

"At most, about a month. At least, probably three weeks." he says.

"Uhm.... okay." I say with a disappointed tone.

"I know what you're thinking. I didn't mean for this to come up, but it's really important."

"So is this kid." I shoot back.

"And I understand that, I do. I'm sorry Leilah, I really wanted to be there, especially for the first ultrasound. I'll make it up to you?"

"Make it up to me? You barely even like me, and the feeling's mutual."

"That's not true. Listen, I'm trying to be good. To be better for you for the sake of my child. But don't make this difficult. This? This is progress, 'cause right now, I'd probably be yelling at you. But I'm... really trying. So please, just let me make it up to you when I'm back. I'm trying," he pleads.

I guess this is progress. He's never called me by my first name before. With a sigh, I reply. "Okay. Fine. You'd better have one hell of a surprise." I say with a smirk.

"Don't worry. I'm great at gift giving."

With a smile, I take the phone from my ear and I hang up. That was weirdly sweet. I think I believe him. I know, I know. But he sounds sincere. So I'll return the favor and try not to be so mean. I guess. I go back into the living room with Cayson and I sit down. We sit on the couch with each other for hours and by now, it's almost midnight. I'm halfway asleep as me and Cayson talk.

"Did Elijah tell you he was leaving?" I ask.

"Yeah." he says back.

"He's isn't gonna make it to the ultrasound in three weeks."

"I know. I hate that he had to miss it. If he doesn't make it, I'll just go with you."

I look up at him with dreary eyes. "No... no I can't.... I can't ask you to do that." I say, talking slow and slurring my words.

"You're not asking. I'm offering."

"Hmm... I guess you can come. I like you." I say with a smile on my face.

"That's good to know." he says, laughing.

I lie on his shoulder as I smile and he lies his head on top of mine as we both doze off. When I wake up, my head is on the arm of the chair and my upper body is laid across Cayson's body. Quickly, but softly, I get up and I check the time. Eleven A.M. Suddenly, my phone starts to ring. I pick up, rubbing sleep from my eyes.

"Yeah?" I say.

"Hey." I hear Elijah's voice come.

"Elijah." I say, sighing and rubbing my neck, stretching it as I talk.

"I figured you'd already be up by this time." he says.

"Me and Cayson stayed up all night last night. You got lucky." I say, smiling as I get up to go upstairs to my room.

"You and Cayson?" he says questionably. I can tell he's a bit jealous. "Doing what?"

"We were just watching movies." I say, walking into my room.

"Movies?"

"Yeah. What else?"

He keeps quiet, but then he starts to speak again. "I've made it a must to call twice a day, just to check on you, so you should expect a call before you go to bed tonight."

"I'm with Cayson. You shouldn't worry about me."

"Like I said. I'll call you tonight." he says, sounding angry. Then he hangs up.

I sigh and throw my phone onto my bed. I walk into my bathroom and I wash my face, brush my teeth, take a shower, and get dressed. The whole time I stand there brushing my hair, I think to myself. If he can't stand me as much as he lets on, then why does he even bother to give me a thought? I mean, he's made it perfectly clear on multiple occasions that he doesn't care, so why try to make an effort anyway? Maybe someone's finally talked some sense into him. Or maybe, impossibly, he does care. Just a little. Maybe he's just lost.

Someone mentally stable wouldn't just carry a gun on them and threaten to kill someone just 'cause. Then again, he's the CEO of the business he runs. People with that kind of money always have a target or two on their backs. Plus, he has to put on that serious and nonchalant attitude almost everyday he works, so I kind of understand where that part comes from. But that still doesn't help me understand why he randomly carries a gun on him. I don't know what he's going through, nor do I know what he does at work, so I don't have a place to speak on the matter. Shaking those thoughts from my brain, I go back downstairs to continue the day with Cayson.

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i know this was kind of boring but it'll get better, just give it some time. thanks for being patient with me!

lovely reading!