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Ella
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Laying on Kayla's couch, I wiped my nose with a tissue, trying to stop the tears from streaming down my face.
“What the hell did I do? Why did I ever think a man like that could actually love me? It was always about the contract, about the baby he needed. He never really gave a shit about me. I'm so fucking stupid.”
“You're not stupid. Everything's going to be alright, Ella, I promise.” Kayla was sitting next me, rubbing my upper back, trying her hardest to calm me down. “Things might suck now, but it'll get better.”
“I just don't understand. I thought we shared something special, I thought there was more between us. Why didn't I see how fake he was?” Burying my face in my hands, my lungs heaved to take in air as the tears went from streaming to full blown flood warning.
“He's a dick, this is on him, you didn't do anything wrong. He just fucked up something amazing, and one day he'll regret not choosing you over some rich model.”
“That doesn't make me feel any better.”
“I'm just saying it's his loss. That girl is going to find someone else who has more money than August and she'll be gone. That's how her type works, it's all about money.” Kayla laid her head on my shoulder, her voice soothing. “And once she's gone, he's going to wish he hadn't been such a fool.”
“It's no one's loss, Kay, this was the plan. I'm getting upset over something that was never meant to be. I was only there to have his baby, nothing more. He didn't owe me shit, we weren't really together. It was all a fucking act, and I was the idiot who got sucked into the script.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shooting her eyes to the door, she said, “I bet it's Justin, he probably forgot his key again.” Kayla got up and walked to her door.
I kept my head buried in my arms, with water oozing from my sockets like leaky pipes. I wanted so badly to make all this hurt disappear. It was everywhere, in my muscles, in my head, behind my eyes. My heart was beating, but it felt like I had been stabbed with a serrated blade.
I let this happen. I let him do this to me.
August had made it clear from the beginning. I was merely a pawn, one he was willing to use and pay to get what he needed. And I agreed, knowing full well what I was doing.
Unfortunately, I let playing house get into my head, creating this false sense of love and care that was never meant to be there.
“She doesn't want to see you, you need to leave.” Kayla sounded anxious and angry, not moving away from the doorway.
“I'm not going anywhere, I need to see her.”
“Go or I'll call cops.”
Pushing up on my elbow, I looked over at the front door. Kayla was pushing against the door, using her shoulder as leverage. “What's going on?” I asked, swinging my feet around and planting them on the floor.
“Ella! I need to talk to you, please, let me explain!” August popped his head over Kayla's shoulder, but she shoved him back into the hall.
“I told you to go, she's already upset enough, she doesn't need you here making it worse.”
“It's alright, Kay, let him in.” Folding my arms over my chest, I took in a big breath.
“El—”
“Really, let him in.”
Kayla glanced at me over her shoulder, then turned back to August. “You upset her or make her angry, that's it, you're fucking out of here.” Twisting to give him room to come in, she watched him with a glare in her eyes.
“Ella,” August said as his long legs brought him to my side. Touching my arm, I jerked away, taking a step back. “I'm sorry.” Holding up his hands, he nodded with understanding.
“What do you want?”
“Last night—”
“Last night you lied to me. You weren't out having dinner with a potential client, it was your ex.”
“I know, I should have told you, but I didn't think it would turn into this.”
“You didn't think? It looks to me like you thought you wouldn't get caught. How many times have you lied to me and gone to meet her?”
“None. I know what it looked like, but I swear to you, it really was just a business dinner. My mother set it up, she found out about her family buying a restaurant chain, and she used that to get us to have dinner. I didn't know it would be her, I had no clue she was the person I'd be meeting. But that was it, it was just dinner. And at the end of the night I told her no. No, I wouldn't be working with her and supplying her restaurants.”
“Don't bullshit me, August, I'm not fucking stupid—“ Cutting myself off, I smiled with razor thin lips. “No, I am that fucking stupid. I let myself fall for you and I shouldn't have. It's wrong for me to even be upset, because we're not a couple. None of this was supposed to happen. I don't even know why I'm mad to begin with, you made it clear, we aren't together.”
“Ella, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have feelings for you.” Taking a small step forward, his eyes steadied on mine. “And you're right, none of this was supposed to happen—but it did. I didn't expect it, I didn't ask for it, but I'm fucking glad it happened. I don't give a shit about the will or the money or any of that. I'd trade it all if it meant I could still have you.”
“August, just stop. I don't need you to play pretend because I'm pregnant and you feel bad for making a pregnant girl cry. I knew what this was the entire time, it's my fault I let my feelings get out of control.”
“That's not it at all. I spent months in the beginning trying to figure out why my father would do this to me. Why he would make me do something I never planned on doing. And then I met you and it hit me—he wanted me to have the one and only thing he ever cared about. Me, a child, someone who I could love unconditionally. My father, through all his failed relationships, he died alone.”
August let out a heavy sigh, his gaze glossing over. “But, there was one person who was always by his side—me.” August licked his lips, running a hand over his head as he went on. “He wanted me to feel what he felt. He knew that even without the love of a woman, he had a different love with me. But I don't think this was in his plan. I don't think he expected me to fall in love with an incredible woman.”
Titling my head, I stayed quiet, letting him unleash his soul with words. He looked like he grew taller, broader, thicker as he exploded with emotions.
“I love you, I've loved you since day one, and I'm sorry it took me this long to tell you.”
“You really mean that?” I asked, dropping my arms to my side as he slowly chipped away at the wall I was trying desperately to build. I didn't want to feel this pile of rocks in my stomach or the weight on my chest.
Dropping to one knee, August pulled a small box out of his pocket and held it up. “Ella Day, there's nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life watching you smile, listening to your giggle, hearing your music and what you did that day. I want to wake up with you, I want to fall asleep with you, I want to fill my head with memories of all the small moments we share together.”
“What are you doing?” I asked, my eyes bubbling with tears.
“Ella Day, will you marry me?”
Sniffling, I lifted my head up to see Kayla crying and smiling, shaking her head for me to say yes. August reached up and took my hand, pulling it to his face and kissing the back of my palm.
Blinking, tears began to roll down my cheeks as August ran his thumb across my knuckles and stared at me with fear in his eyes. He was waiting for an answer, waiting to know if we had a future together. And not knowing was killing him.
Biting my bottom lip, I couldn't stop the smile from exploding ear to ear.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, angling his head as he shifted on his knee.
“Yes, yes I'll marry you.” Through weeping words and shaky sniffles, I wiped my cheeks with my hand.
August slipped the ring over my finger, raising to his feet and pulling me into his arms. Kissing me, he whispered against my lips. “I love you, Ella Day.”
“I love you too,” I said, taking his face in my hands and peering up into his eyes.
“What the hell's going on here?” Justin asked as he came into the apartment.
“Shut up, he just proposed to her, don't ruin this moment for them.” Slapping his chest, Kayla gave him a dirty look.
Giggling, I stood up on my toes, ready to go in for a long, aggressive kiss. And that's when I felt it. Stopping short, August cocked a brow, wondering why I wasn't coming in all the way.
“Uh oh,” I said, my eyes growing wide.
“What? What is it?”
Falling to flat feet, I looked down between my legs. “I think my water just broke.”
“Did you piss on my floor?” Justin asked, his tone annoyed and grossed out. “That's fucking disgusting. Bitch you better get on your hands and knees and clean that shit up. That rug cost me almost three grand, and now it has your fucking pussy juice all over it.”
August held my elbows, kissing my forehead. “Babe, I'm apologizing now for what I'm about to do.” Not saying another word, August took a few steps towards Justin.
“Dude, you better make sure your woman cleans up her twat splatter off my floor.”
Flaring his nostrils, August pulled back his fist, letting it go instantly and knocking Justin dead center in his face. Blood began to seep out of his nose, falling in bright red droplets onto the carpet.
“There, now you can clean up the fucking mess.” Taking my hand, August pulled me along. “Let's get you to the hospital. Kayla, I'm sorry if I caused any trouble.”
“No, don't apologize, just get my best friend to the hospital so she can have this baby.”
With our fingers braided together, August led me outside, and I followed willingly, happily, endlessly.
This was our end and our beginning.
Because without love, without having someone by your side, you're not really living.
Life was meant to be shared.