Life After Dark: Book Two of the Dark Series

Chapter 15

"Well, here we are," AJ said, lowering himself onto the blanket. He and Keesha were on the south end of the Quartermaine grounds where the private lake was located. Reginald, under Cook's instruction, had prepared a lavish picnic lunch for them which lay untouched inside the wicker basket.

Keesha smiled, "Yes, we are." She also sat on the blanket. Most of the morning she had made a point to avoid AJ's gaze as much as possible. Now, she continued to do so as she played with the latch on the basket.

AJ, taking her hand away from the basket, said, "Would you please tell me what happened last night?"

Keesha knew the question would be asked. She had hoped that she would have more time before it was, but that was not to be. AJ had a right to know what was going on. It wouldn't be right for her to keep it from him any longer.

"Keesha..."

"I heard you," she said softly. She held his hand as she looked into his warm, brown eyes. "Something, we never thought possible has happened."

AJ moved closer to her and asked, "You're pregnant?"

Keesha laughed nervously. To herself, she thought, if only I were. Everything would be so much simpler. She shook her head and said, "No. It's not anything about me. It's about Jason."

"What about Jason? Did he leave the mob? Has he decided that the Quartermaines are fit to have a role in his child's life?" AJ asked, not trying to mask the hurt and anger he felt.

"No. None of that," she said, afraid to tell him everything, but knowing she had to.

"What then? He's been gone for over a month. Is he back in Port Charles? If so, I have a few things I want to tell him about the way he excluded me from rescuing you," AJ said angrily.

"He had his reasons," she said, lowering her eyes to the basket again.

"What reasons? He doesn't give a damn about you. He only wanted to play hero so Robin can keep him on that pedestal she has him on. You'd think someone with her background wouldn't involve herself with someone like him. A mob boss, for goodness' sakes! Her stepfather was in the mob and look where it got him. Dead that's where it got him and if she doesn't leave while the leaving's good, she'll end up the same," he said with conviction.

"Not anymore," Keesha said.

"What do you mean? Keesha, you're talking in riddles, baby. Would you please just tell me what happened with Jason that got you so upset that you ran out on our date and then, later made you cry?" he asked, gently caressing her cheek.

She swallowed hard. AJ was right. It was now or never. "Jason and Robin broke up last night. Because of me."

"Because of you?" he repeated, confused. "Why?"

"Because he remembers," she said as her eyes flew to his. Deep inside she was a coward. She didn't want to see his reaction, but she had to. She owed him that much.

"What does he remember?" AJ slowly asked. He suddenly became afraid to hear her response, but inside he knew. Everything over the last few weeks began to make sense and he felt his heart grow cold as his worse fear was about to become realized.

"Everything," she said, holding on tightly to AJ's hands.

"How long have you known?" he asked, looking down at their intertwined hands.

"Since the night of the rescue. He told me that night," she said. Her eyes became blurry with unshed tears, and she began to furiously blink back the tears as AJ released her hands and moved away from her.