Bonds Built (Completed)

20. Amends.

Jessica was engulfed in the show You, she was annoyed by the knock on her door that was stopping her from continuing to watch it. She huffed as she exited out of the show, she knew it was Mateo. She threw on a tank top and some shorts before walking towards the door.

He knocked again as she neared the door. "I'm coming!" She yelled out with an attitude as she unlocked the door. Mateo stood there looking every bit of stressed. He looked her up and down, his eyes staying on her stomach longer before looking back up at her face and walking in.

She rolled her eyes as she closed and locked the door. She turned around to see him still standing there. She brought her eyebrows in, "what Mateo?"

He could sense her anger, but that's not what he wanted to focus on right now. He looked back down at her stomach again, "Can I?"

She knew he was asking to touch her belly, and it dawned on her that he had yet to really touch it. "Yeah," she said lowly, she wanted to be angry with him right now but she wasn't going to deny him this moment. He walked towards her placing both of his hands on her stomach. He dropped down to his knees becoming eye level with her belly as he closed his eyes and kissed it.

In that moment, in that position he was reminded he needed to pray more. Jessica grabbed his hand moving it to another part of her belly where she felt the baby. She didn't know if he would be able to, but it was worth a shot.

"You feel that?" Jessica asked as their son kicked again. Mateo looked up at her, a smile coming to his face. "Yeah, it's not strong but I feel it a little bit."

He focused back in on her belly as he started talking to it. "Hey little man," that caused another kick and Jessica definitely felt it more than he could. "I think you woke him up," she let out as Mateo continued to feel around her belly and talk to their son.

In that moment it felt as if the day's events were insignificant. But that feeling wouldn't last long enough.

Mateo stood up, removing his hands from her belly before focusing on her face. Her eyes soft, her lips slightly parted and her hair free. "I'm sorry," he let out as his eyes roamed over her face.

The softness in her eyes disappearing as she walked past him going to her living room in which he followed. She sat down and he took a seat on the same couch as her. "What I did was inappropriate."

"You said you weren't going to throw blows like high schoolers and then we leave the restaurant and you literally throw blows like you're a high schooler." She let out before he could even finish the rest of what he was saying.

"I know," he sighed. He was being his usual calm self . "And I'm sorry for that, but Dwayne had that shit coming with his comments."

"And I get that, but it just wasn't the time or place. It was childish as fuck on your behalf, especially after you were saying that Dwayne was acting childish."

"I know Jessica, I know." He sighed as he leaned forward and looked at her. "That's why I'm apologizing and I also apologize for Sofia's behavior. I don't want you to feel like I don't have your back, and I realize how I haven't truly had your back lately. And I'm sorry for that."

Jessica didn't say anything as she placed one of her hands on her belly causing him to look down at it. "I know you need your time, so I know you aren't just going to get over it quickly. But I do want you to know I'm sorry."

He was so opposite of Dwayne, where Dwayne would argue her down to defend himself Mateo would just apologize and sometimes she didn't know how to respond to that.

She looked at him, "don't act like you know me."

He shook his head, she could be so stubborn. "I've unfortunately made you upset enough times to know that."