The Bridge

Chapter 49

Aubrey

"What more could I be doin' for you Charlie?!" I spat back at her. We had been going at each others necks for weeks, "It's every damn day witchu!"

"A hell of a lot more nigga!"

"Like what?! You say that shit and dont be specific!"

"Like why you ain't buy me a house yet? Your other dumb bitch got a house. I got yo baby in my stomach and you aint get me none of the shit you got her!"

"So you on some materialistic shit?! Thats what this is?! Lia got that shit cause she never asked me for it! That's all you fuckin' do! Shit thats probably the only reason why you havin my baby in the first place! You lost yo fuckin' mind Charlie!"

"Fuck you nigga! Any man would be happy to trick on me even if I'm pregnant by your stupid ass!"

"What the fuck you just say?!" I balled up my fists and was about to step to her but realized her game. I took steps backwards towards the front door, slamming it behind me and went to sit on the steps of the apartment we shared to cool down.

Resting my forearms on top of my knees, I looked out over the pool the entirety of the apartment complex shared, "Why am I here?"

"Still haven't figured out your purpose in life, huh?."

I turned my head to the left to see Aurelia standing there. She slightly smiled at the shock that registered on my face.

"I hope I'm not intruding. I was going to text but what I need to say...it should be said in person."

I quickly looked back towards the apartment to make sure Charlie wasn't peeping through the window and got up to lead Lia to a more private spot. I led while she quietly followed me to a park on the other side of the complex. She looked beautiful. She was dressed down in an outfit that was similar to the one I had first met her in. It was hard to believe we had not seen or spoken to each other in months. At one point we were befriends, now, while sitting awkwardly on a bench beside each other the silence that once used to be comfortable between us was now anything but.

"So...is everything okay?" I could barely look at her, "I'm sorry for what happened to you...I should ha-"

"It is what is Aubrey...you made your choice, I've learned to live with it," she said cutting me off."

"I do still love you Lia, you gotta know that!," I rushed my words while I gathered the courage to look in her direction and when my eyes met hers, my heart broke.

"Love?" The look in her eyes were sinister almost and then she began to laugh, "You don't know what love is Aubrey. You don't know what it is, or how to showcase it...you cant even allow yourself to fully receive it," we sat in silence for a whole minute as I took in her words, "Aubrey you abandoned me."

"Baby." I pleaded.

"You abandoned me...I get it, you want so desperately to have a family unit that was never provided to you. I get it Aub, I really do but you didnt have to treat me the way you did in the process. If you would have came to me like a man and said that trying to make it work...with her for the baby's sake...it would have killed me, but I would have understood. You know I would have."

I dropped my head as tears flooded my eyes as all the thoughts of my wrong doing began to overwhelm me.

"I'm so sorry," I shook my head at those being the only words I had to offer her. Nothing else seemed like it would suffice.

"Yeah...Look, I know you have a lot on your plate right now and the last thing I want to to do is add to it but you need to know."

I raised my head to look at her and she stared back intensely.

"I'm pregnant."

My brows furrowed, "What?," I said as looked at her stomach. There was a pudge present that was not noticeable before.

"It's yours."

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. I was too in shock.

She huffed in response to my silence and stared ahead. I was sure she was questioning why she even felt the need to tell me.

"When did you find out?"

She turned her body towards me and placed her hand on belly and smiled, "I found out while I was in the hospital. This baby is my little miracle. To have survived everything that I had suffered through. She's brought a lot of light to all of the darkness I have been feeling."

"She?" I perked up.

"Yeah" Aurelia smiled, "it's a girl."

"Can I feel her?"

Aurelia's smile dissipated.

"I'm sorry for asking, I know I don't deserve it."

"It's not that, I just...people touching me these days brings a lot of anxiety."

I nodded my head in understanding, "So where do we go from here?"

"I don't know, thats up to you." She stood from the bench and peered down at me crossing her arms over her chest, "Be in her life or don't but whatever choice you make..if your in, stay in...but if your out...stay the fuck out."

Aurelia turned and walked back in the direction of her car, leaving my mind reeling. I now had two children on the way and knowing how delicate the situation was with both of their mothers I knew that eventually someone was going to make me choose and based on her last statement Aurelia knew too.