Rounds

Chapter 19

Aidan pulls up to his house, he gets out the car and gets to the passenger side, Linda is knocked out by crying so much, Aidan carefully gets her out of the car and carries her in the house. Getting the keys and walking in the house, Linda wakes up as she's being carried, Aidan puts her on the couch, he sits with her. "What happened?" she says in a weary voice, "You were sleep the whole drive home, as soon as we pulled off," Linda looks around, "Why did you bring me here?.." "I just thought you didn't want to be alone, it wasn't a good idea for you to be alone," Linda looks up at him, tears came to her eyes once again. "How could she do that to me.. I was her friend.." "What exactly did she do, Linda?" Linda hesitates, "She broke girl code.." she says, "You know I don't know what that means,"  Linda still sits there as if she didn't want to tell him the whole story, but she couldn't hold back anymore after tonight, "You Aidan!" Linda says with courage, "It's you..." "Me? What about me," Linda gets up from the couch and slowly walks away from him, "What about me?" Aidan says looking in her direction, "I like you, Aidan, and she fucked it up.." Aidan sat there in shock, "You like me?.." "Yes Aidan," "But you're helping me with my case, " pointing to himself.

"I know I am," "When did this start?" Linda turns to him facing him, "It started when I met you, Jay was telling me about you, even before we met because you were at her bar that day, then when I shook your hand, I really started to see things.." "See what, Linda?" "I saw that I liked you, and as I continued to work with you, I seen how much you wanted your son, I see that you weren't going to give up on him no matter what," Aidan was silent. "I even saw that day when Ivy came to the Cafe' and I saw your tears, and I saw your son wanting you as much as you waned him, but that's not all, I just saw that you are a good father, and I wouldn't wish for nothing better for my daughter.." Aidan didn't know what to say next, but it came to him, "You have a daughter????" "Yes, one without a father, and I want that for my daughter, I want you for her, I just want you."

Aidan got up from the couch, pacing, pondering on what he was just told, trying to digest what was happening at that moment, "So, you're telling me that--," Aidan was cut off, he heard Evan crying uncontrollably again, Linda stops and looks at the stairs, "Hold on," Aidan grabs a butter knife and runs upstairs, Aidan unlocks the door and grabs Evan to comfort him, he walks back down the stairs, rocking Evan up and down and holding his head, hugging his body to comfort him, Linda stares at Aidan as he's walking down the stairs with a smile on her face. Aidan walks up to Linda, "So, what we're you saying," "Exactly what I see," she says with a  smile on her face, "You're so concerning about the ones you love, I never had it, I thought my baby father would have enough sense to love his family, but he didn't," she turns and heads to the couch, she plops on the cushion, "I never had it, but I don't want my daughter to grow up without that fatherly love that your son has, that's why I want you."

"So you want me to come for your daughter and take her in?" "Not only that, but I want that love that Ivy is missing out on," Aidan still stands their speechless, Evan hears a woman's voice and raises his head from his fathers shoulders and looks at Linda, Evan holds out is arms to her, Linda immediately gets nervous. "Why is he doing that?" Linda asks, "I don't know, I think he wants you.." Aidan says surprised himself, Linda holds out her hands, Evan pushes to Linda and Linda grabs him. Evan rests his head on her shoulders and Linda rubs his back, Aidan smiles "What does this mean?" Aidan stands there, he can't answer her question right away, "I'm really not sure, I think he may like you, he does see you a lot, and now he knows that you're helping me get custody of him," Linda rocks back and forth on the couch, holding him, "How does he know that?" "I told him earlier today," Linda was shocked, then she began to smile and hug Evan. 

Jay was still trying to find Aidan's house, she cruises in the low down neighborhood, then she goes into the neighborhood with the big luxurious houses, she looks around for Linda's car, "He can't live in these parts, there way too expensive," she says to herself, looking around. Just then to her right, she sees Linda's car, her jaw drops at the scene, "No...fucking...way," she couldn't believe Aidan raised the bar, she feels anger growing on the inside of her chest. Jay finds a parking spot and parks her car, she turns off the ignition and waits to see what happens. 

Inside the house, Aidan lets Linda cook dinner, "I didn't know you cook," Aidan says with a smile, "Well I do have a daughter at home," Linda says with a smile, putting the ingredients out on the counter, "Where is she?" Aidan asks, "She's at her grandmothers house, she wanted to go over there to spend time with her," "You didn't get a call for you mother about her?" "Yeah, I have, she says she ready to come home," "And when did she call you?" "Before I got to the bar," Aidan makes a concerned face, "Aren't you suppose to be getting her now? It's getting late," "Yeah, but then I came here," Aidan thinks about it for a second,  "Should we go and get her?" Aidan asks, "Um, like--," Linda hesitates, "Like us? Like you and me?" "Yeah, you, me and Evan," "Oh well, I don't know, she doesn't know you guys," "Well she can, how old is she," "Around Evans age, she's 3," "Evan is 4," Aidan says with a smile, "Wow, really?" "Yeah, I know he doesn't look like it, but he is," "Yeah, he is a little thin, I don't think Ivy was taking care of him properly."

"Ugh, I don't even want to think about that right now, it doesn't make me want to do anything but strangle her," "But at least Evan is more happier, and he's about to be healthier," "Yeah, We'll--I mean..." Aidan stopped himself, Linda smiles at him, "No, you had it right the first time, we're already a team anyway, right?" Aidan blushes, "Yeah, we are." 

Linda puts the ingredients down, Aidan grabs Evan and heads to the front door, he opens the door and lets Linda go first, Jay sees them and puts her seat down a little so they won't notice that it her. Aidan carries Evan to the car, he opens the passenger door and Linda climbs in, he shuts the door after she settles, he puts Evan in the car and puts his seat belt on him. Evan gets in the driver seat and puts on his seat belt, locks the doors and starts the car, pulling out of the drive way, he looks in his rear view mirror, "Hmm, that looks like Jay's car," Linda looks back quickly, "I think it is too, you wanna go check," Aidan unbuckles his seat belt, "Stay here, don't get out of the car," Aidan unlocks the car and gets out of the car. Aidan walks toward the car slowly, she sees Jay's hair hanging from the drivers seat, "Jay!" he yells, "What are you doing here?!" Jay sets her seat right and gets out of the car with an angry look on her face. 

"What happened to your face??" "Why do you care when you're with her??!" she says hostile, "Aye, don't start with me, she has nothing to do with this!" Aidan says raising his voice, "Yes she does, why was she at my bar talking about you then??!" "She told me the whole story so you can quit playing that card!" "No, you were seeing me while you were seeing her is that it?!" "I haven't heard from you in how long and you talkin about me!!?" Linda tried to hold it I, but she couldn't do it anymore, Linda gets out of the car, "You know what the fuck you were doing, Jay don't bash on him like that!" "Stay out of this whore!" "WHORE!" Linda charges to her and Aidan grabs her just as her fist was about to hit her face, "No, Linda! Don't!" "No, let her, let her so she can lose her job," Linda's face turns red, "I can't believe you.." "Well that's life honey," Jay says truing to be smart. Aidan looks at Jay, "Jay, go put some ice on your face, and leave us alone," "Oh, so you just gone exclude me out of the picture like I was never here?!" "Jay, just go," 

Jay backs up towards her car, "Oh I see, so this hoe is more important the one you love, the one that you cared for, the one that you--," just then Jay's phone began to ring, everyone was silent. Aidan  and Linda looks at her phone and sees that its Brian, Aidan stands there in shock, still holding Linda, he stares dead at Jay with agony and pain in his eyes.