Grown ish: Zoey and Aaron, The Future (BOOK 2)

Part 46: I Choose You

Zoey narrates.

'Listen to me when I'm talking to you.' Aaron says, his grip tight around my wrist, as he moves his body closer to me. My body grows hot, and I can feel his breath on my face, just inches apart.

I try to free myself, but he holds on firmly.

'Aaron! Let me go! You're hurting me!' I shout, although I'm really not hurt at all.

His stern face softens, as he looks scared and quickly let's go of me.

'I'm...I'm sorry.' He says, as there's a long pause between us.

'You know I'd never do anything like that to you.' He says, taking a step back from me, his hands gesturing himself to stop.

'Whatever, just leave me alone.' I say, walking away.

'Zoey, please? Please, just talk to me.' He pleads, as I stop in my tracks, hearing the pain in his voice.

He continues, as my back is still turned to him.

'Zoey, you know that I can't be away from you. We just spent all this time apart, don't punish me anymore. Look, I'm sorry for not being there when you had to go to the hospital, and I'm sorry for not coming home for your appointment, but believe me it was just as hard for me as it was for you. But I was on my way home for you, Zoey. I want to be here with you, to support you, for the next 9 months and forever after that.' He says, a crack in his voice.

I turn around to face him, crying.

'You think this is harder for you? I've been trying to keep calm and positive, but I literally can't eat, I can't sleep from being worried sick about being apart from you. Thinking about how I'm going to keep my daughter happy, whilst also taking care of myself and my unborn baby. I'm scared. I'm shitting myself that something will happen to this baby. And you not being here was not helping.' I say, crying.

'But Zoey, you told me to go. You said you wanted to support me in my career.' He replies, coming closer, as I step back.

'That was before I found out I was pregnant, Aaron!' I shout back.

'I thought once you found out, you would come home. I couldn't ask you to come back straight away because I wanted you to know that I supported you. But you should have come home on your own accord!' I add.

'Well forgive me for not wanting to come back straight away because being around you is so much hard work.' He shouts back, as I gasp, my tears stopping momentarily.

There's a long pause between us, before Aaron finally sighs.

'Look, Zoey I didn't mean...' He starts, but I interrupt him.

'You know exactly what you meant.' I say, quietly.

'If it's so much hard work Aaron, then leave.' I add, before going upstairs, annoyed.
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A little while later, I sit in bed, doing some work on my laptop, when I hear Aaron come upstairs, talking to Zara. He goes into Zara's bedroom, so I assume he's going to put her to sleep.

I carry on working for a while, before getting up to see what's going on.

As I stand at the doorway of Zara's bedroom, I see her sleeping in her bed, Aaron laying beside her, asleep, holding her hand, and my eyes water, knowing how happy she is to have her dad home again.

I go over and kiss Zara's forehead, before staring at Aaron, and then stroking his head.

'I hate it when we fight.' I whisper, although I don't get a reply, as he sleeps peacefully.

'I love you.' I say, quietly, before planting a kiss on his cheek, and then leaving.

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The next morning, I wake up, squinting from the light coming from the window. I sit up, and to my surprise, I see Aaron sitting on the bed, with Zara, looking at me.

'Good Morning.' He says, as I smile faintly.

'Hey.' I reply.

I yawn, as Zara crawls into my lap, and I smile at her.

Aaron moves a tray of breakfast in front of me.

'This is for you. And all of your vitamins and pills are here too, so make sure you take them.' He says, as I look on, surprised.

'Zoey, listen.' He says, taking my hand in his.

'I know that you think I don't care about you. I know that I messed up. And I'm sorry. I'm very sorry about what I said last night. I didn't mean it.' He says, as I shake my head gently, but he continues.

'But I'm going to show you how much I care about you, and our family. Because I love you. I love you so much. You asked me what was the most important thing to me, and you asked me to choose. Without even questioning it Zoey, I chose you. And I will keep on choosing you and our family. I promise you.' He says.

My eyes water, and my heart feels hurt.

'I'm sorry.'

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