Play House

Chapter Nineteen: Ace

It's been a month and I texted Layla but never got a response. So as far as i'm concerned im in the clear.

I'm sitting on my sofa watching TV when my phone begins to buzz. "Hello?" but there's no response. All I hear is a woman's sobs. "Hello?" I hear a long drawn out breath. "Ace, it's Layla. I'm pregnant." My heart sinks. "Are you keeping it?" That's the only thing I can say: I'm such an ass. "Yes." I hear her whisper. "Okay do you want to come over? Or I can come to your place." there's a silent pause. "I'm kind of already sitting outside of your complex in my car." Fuck.. I was kind of hoping for a moment to prepare. "Okay i'll come down and get you." "No need im already walking up." I hear a knock on the door and open it as she hangs up the phone. I don't know if I should hug her or if that would be awkward but I do anyway. "I'll support you no matter what. But I need you to know a few things." She nods her head sniffling. "I can't love you." She smiles slightly like she's relieved. "Me either. You were supposed to help me get over my ex, but that didn't really work." We both laugh relieved. "Friends with an accidental child?" She questions holding her hand out. I shake is smiling. "Friends with a accidental child it is!"

We sit on the sofa and begin making plans. "Where will I live, the only thing keeping me afloat is my job at hooters, and I can't do that while pregnant." I frown. "You'll live with me, my apartment has two extra rooms, we'll make the baby a nursery of your dreams, and we'll decorate your room however you want it." She looks so relieved. She hugs me tightly. "God I'm so glad you're not going to be a deadbeat guy, who just gets a random girl pregnant and then ghosts them and never speaks to them again and just falls off of the face of the earth." We both laugh again and I can tell we're going to be great friends because she's got a sense of humor. I agree to go to every doctor appointment with her. And all I can say is im glad ive saved all of my money. "Layla." I whisper. She turns to look at me. "I'm really glad we can still be friends.." She smiles. As she grabs her purse. "I'm going back to my place to pack. "And you're gonna have to buy a car, motorcycles aren't safe for children.

A week later and I have a bmw M3 and am shoving Layla's boxes into them. She's doing the same to her car. Her neighborhood doesn't even look remotely safe for a single woman to be living in. She notices im judging it. "Not everybody has it like you Ace." she says sarcastically. I smile, shaking my head. "I don't think that car you have is very safe." Her eyes dart in my direction confused. "What because its older?" I shake my head. "No, because you're starting it with a hanger." She rolls her eyes turning her car on. I roll my eyes. "I got you a landrover discovery, every moms dream car." Her eyes light up and I see a glisten in them. "No Ace I don't accept, you've done enough. I'll save up for my own car." I shake my head no. "I knocked you up. I'll buy you whatever I feel you need." She smiles. "Well argue about this later, lets get far far away from here." I smile and she smiles back. When we arrive back at our apartment I load everything up onto a cart and push it towards the elevator. Layla tries to help but I tell her she's done enough. We get to the apartment and she walks into her room her jaw drops. "How'd you.. How'd you know what kind of room?" She's looking around and spinning like Aurora used to do. I smile watching her. She reminds me of aurora in some ways. But their different in so many ways as well.

We unpack all of her things, and by the time we were done we were so tired. "Ill order chinese?" She nods. I call in our order and 45 minutes go by until it arrives. We talk about the nursery and do some online shopping for some baby things. I know we're going to be great friends, there's no sexual tension, I think both of us were tipsy, and I can definitely say that wasn't my best performance. She's scrolling on a website with a bunch of baby clothes when there's a knock on the door. It's out food I pay and tip the man and shut the door placing the food on the coffee table. Layla smiles up at me. "Thanks Ace, for literally everything." I smile and we begin joking again laughing.