Taylor Ever After?

And if I don't?

Aaron is waiting on the sidewalk for Karen's uber to arrive. The black Mercedes pulls up and he opens the door for Karen. She thanks him and they walk silently into Aaron's loft apartment.

"It smells good in here." Karen is looking around. It has been a while since she's spent time at Aaron's home.

"Thank You. Didn't know if you'd be hungry so I baked a chicken and made a few sides."

"It's been a while since I had your cooking. Thank you." There's a quiet tension in the room. Karen is standing near the door almost as if she's a 17-year-old girl sneaking over to her crush's house for the first time when she should really be at school.

Aaron feels the weird energy too. "Karen. Why are you standing over there?"

"Oh. No reason." Karen walks further into the living room and takes a seat on the leather sofa.

"The food will be done in a few minutes. Want something to drink? I have water and cranberry juice." He knew Cranberry was her favorite and liked to have it on hand even though she wasn't there often.

"Cranberry please."

"No problem." Aaron brings her the glass of juice and sits on the couch on the far end facing her.

"How are you feeling Karen?" Aaron is trying to break the ice without jumping directly into why she was there. He assumed it was to say their goodbyes.

"Please don't ask me that. Everyone keeps asking me how I'm feeling and I honestly don't know how to answer. But I should d be asking you that. You left out after you got the results, and we haven't talked about them."

"People are asking you because they care. Let them care Karen." Aaron sits in silence pondering how to answer her question. Honestly, Karen, I am still processing my feelings. I have known all along that it was possible. I know that. But seeing the results in my face hurts." Aaron admitted

"I'm sorry Aaron." Karen couldn't look Aaron in the eyes. She knows that he would have been an amazing father. He has proven that throughout her pregnancy. He went to Every appointment. Built the entire nursery as a surprise to Karen. He was there for every mood swing and craving and he never once got mad at her for being an emotional trainwreck. And even knowing all of that, She still couldn't shake the hold Zac had on her heart.

"Don't be sorry. I just need to know what the plans are for moving forward. And please Karen. Give it to me straight."

"Aaron. I don't know. I have so much to figure out right now. I don't know."

"Why are you here then Karen? You're the one who said you wanted to talk. I have been patient with you because I know these are really delicate times for you but the uncertainty doesn't work for me anymore." Aaron said with a raised voice.

Karen is taken aback by Aaron's attitude. He's never really taken this tone with her before." You're right. Maybe I should go." Karen stands in preparation to leave.

"Yea. Maybe you should. Im tired of being strung along. You know Zac ain't coming back. It's been me here this entire time! Me! not him. Karen, I love you and you know that but I don't know how much more of this I cant take. So when you leave, please make sure the next time you're ready to speak truth. I'm not going to wait around for you to decide if that's what you think either." Aaron walks past Karen and opens the front door.

She is staring at him in disbelief with tears streaming down her face. Silently she exits. He closes the door behind her. She stands on the other side for a moment contemplating whether she should just accept Aaron's love and have a safe relationship. She could tell she was losing him.

Aaron also stood on the other side of the door. Fighting with all his might not to go running after her. She needed to know that he wasn't a consolation prize. Instead, he picked up his phone and dialed Stacia's number. At least he would be distracted, and the food wouldn't go to waste. 

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Karen is awaiting her uber outside of Aaron's building when her phone vibrates with messages displayed on the screen.

"Stop ignoring me! Were gonna have to talk about this sooner than later.

There is a room waiting for you at the Carlyle. Please don't make me come to you.

Karen rolls her eyes at the message and put her phone back in her pocket as her uber pulls up.

Five minutes into the ride back to her apartment Karen decided to respond to the texts.

"Stop texting me. there is nothing for us to talk about. This is not your baby"

Her phone chimed with a response.

"You and I both know it could be. You will talk to me!"

Karen punched the empty seat beside her. The driver looked at her through the rearview mirror. She apologized and texted back.

"And if I don't?"

Karen was not going to be bullied.

"if you don't I will tell Andi that you and I slept together and that your baby might be mine. She already left me. I have nothing left to lose. But you do. So choose wisely. The reservation is only good for 48 more hours.

Karen doesn't respond. The driver pulls up to her building. She enters and calls Andi. Andi doesn't answer so she leaves a message. "Andi call me back please. I really need to talk to you" she says crying.

Karen didn't know how she was going to tell her best friend that her ex could be her child's father but she knew she had to be the one to do it before Gary could. And idea popped into her head that might save her from having to say anything at all. Karen dialed the last person she wanted to speak to.

Fatima answered on the second ring. "Yes, Karen?" Fatima said as she grabbed the remote to mute the television. Fatima and Zac were cuddled on the couch.

"Um.. Can you and Zac please meet me at the hospital in thirty minutes?

"Karen, Is everything all right? What's going on?

"Fatima! You're kidding me, right? Zac looks at his wife annoyed that she is on the phone with Karen.

Fatima covers the mouthpiece of the phone. "Stop Zac. It's fine. I got this.

"Fatima, please. Meet me at the hospital and I will do the DNA test."

Fatima takes a moment to ponder. Something sounded different in Karen's voice. "Karen, we're on our way. You better not be on no dumb shit either."

Fatima hangs up and tells Zac what Karen said.

"I'm not going up there Fatima. I told you. I'm not playing her games. I will get a court order and make everything on public record since she wants to be a bitch."

"Zac, I hear you. But I think she's serious about getting it over and done with. Besides, if she starts with anything imma beat her ass in that hospital."

Zac looks at Fatima. "You're forgetting one minor detail. If you think imma be ok with my pregnant wife fighting, you clearly don't know who you married." He says annoyed.

Fatima chuckles. "Oh right. Welp. Good thing I cleaned my gun last week"

"Fatima!"

"Ok Ok. So sensitive. Let's go boy." She gets off the couch and heads upstairs with him in tow. Fatima can't help but smile at the man. Even in the midst of all this shit, he's still his goofy self. They get dressed and head to the hospital.