The Song

Part Sixty-Four

FLASHBACK CONT…

We’d been getting in little scraps for almost a month now, ever since the pregnancy test had gone awry. Sure we’d both said we didn’t want a baby, but I guess I kinda did. Not that I was going to tell Ast that! But that didn’t stop me from feeling sorely disappointed in the situation. And I was taking it out on Aston hardcore.

“Jess!” Aston shouted, pounding on the bathroom door, “Hurry up!”

“Give me a few minutes, jheeze!” I called back, turning and looking at myself in the mirror again. I wasn’t pregnant, but I kept finding myself thinking about it and trying to picture what it would look like. And I really didn’t want Aston to find out.

“I gotta go to work!”

“So do I!” I called back.

“Why is this even locked? Can’t I just come in too?”

“Just give me a minute,” I said, pulling on my underwear and a dressing gown. “Happy?” I asked as I wrenched the door open.

“Finally…” Aston said, coming into the bathroom and grabbing his cologne off the counter.

“Don’t spray that in my face!”

“Go in the other room then.”

“I was in here first!”

“Come on Jess,” Aston sighed.

“Whatever,” I mumbled, going into the bedroom so I could select something to wear for the day. I heard Aston swear as his phone started ringing, his car pulling up to take him to the radio station early.

“I gotta go,” Aston said.

“Bye.”

“About tonight,” he sighed, “Are you sure you want to come to this event?”

“Yes!” I said, “Why is it so weird that I want to come to a charity dinner?”

“Because you don’t like paparazzi.”

“So? Maybe I want to spend some time with my husband for once. It’s not like we’ve done much of that lately.”

“Jess…”

“You’re always buried in your work…” I continued, “No time for your wife…”

“Don’t start this again.”

“I’ll start whatever I bloody want,” I huffed, going back into the bathroom and slamming the door behind me, “God I hate you,” I said loudly.

I didn’t hear Aston say anything and by the time I came out of the bathroom he was gone, off to do an interview at a radio station.

“Moron,” I muttered to myself as I threw things in my bag.

Once I was ready to head out to teach lessons I went into the garage, pulling out my bike. I could take the bus to the school I taught at, but for some reason I wanted to ride my bike. Maybe to clear my head or get some fresh air.

The truth was, my fights with Aston were starting to really bother me. I don’t know why I even let them happen because I loved him with all my heart. He was my soul mate and I didn’t want to lose him. But for whatever reason, he got me so riled up and annoyed that I couldn’t help myself.

Riding out of our neighborhood I got on to the high street, thinking everything through. Tonight, before we went out to the charity dinner we were meant to attend, I was going to apologize to him. I was going to tell him the truth and say sorry for being a crazy bitch. Because I was way too scared that I was doing too much damage to our relationship, and I really didn’t want to get in a position where the damage could no longer be undone. We didn’t need a baby yet, especially if we hardly had each other.

I noticed some traffic up ahead so I tried to focus my attention, a small smile on my face as I thought through my plan again. Maybe I’d even wear some sexy underwear or something.

I watched as cabs tried to dart in and out of traffic and I did my best to avoid collision, slipping my bike into a gap left open by a bus.

The crash happened before I could even blink. The bus came swerving back towards me and I felt myself flying towards the sidewalk, my heart beating out of control with fear.

The last thing I’d said to Aston was that I hated him, oh no.

And then things went black and I didn’t feel anything.

Beep. Beep. Beep.