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

Part 53: Everything

Zoey narrates.

I'm pacing around upstairs, my palms feeling sweaty and my heart racing.

I look at my watch. Aaron should be here any minute now.

I sit on the edge of my bed and close my eyes, taking deep breaths.

Finally, I hear the front door open.

'Kids?' He calls out.

'Zara? AJ?' He says, as I hear his footsteps slowly ascending upstairs.

He goes into the each of the kids rooms, seeing that they're empty.

'Zoey? Where are you guys?' He shouts out.

He finally enters my bedroom and sees me sitting on the edge of the bed.

When I see him, I can't contain my anger anymore. I'm absolutely furious. I stop chewing at my nails, anxiously, and instead I march up to him and push him back by his shoulders.

'Are you freaking kidding me?' I say, angrily.

He looks at me confused.

'Excuse me?' He replies.

'How dare you?' I say, folding my arms.

'Zoey, what the hell is wrong with you? And where are the kids?' He asks, looking around.

And then, much to my annoyance, I begin to cry. I look down, sobbing, as Aaron stands in front of me clueless.

'Zoey, what's wrong?' He asks, softly.

'Did something happen? I'm so confused right now.' He adds.

I look up at him, angrily.

'Me too!' I reply, pushing him back again.

'Zoey, stop pushing me!' He says, frowning.

'No, I won't.' I say, as I push him back again.

'You're so annoying.' I say, pushing him again, as he keeps walking backward to defend himself against me.

'How could you do this to me?' I say, shouting and pushing back.

'Do what, Zoey?' He asks, frustratedly.

Finally, I've pushed him all the way so that his back is against the wall.

'How could you think that I don't still love you?' I shout, furiously.

His mouth gapes in shock.

'Zoey...' He starts, but I stop him.

'No. You said what you wanted to yesterday. Now it's my turn.' I say.

'I love you so much. So, so much. I've never stopped loving you. I've literally loved you since I was 18 years old! And you have the nerve to think that I've stopped?! And now you want a divorce? Do you not care about me one bit? You're a liar! You said forever. You said you'd never leave me. And yet here you are, trying to get rid of me!' I say, emotionally, through tears.

I start hitting his chest repeatedly, trying to get all my anger out. All this time, he's stared at me, his eyes wide with shock. Finally, he grabs my hands and holds them, preventing me from hitting him any further.

'You're so full of it. You've never loved me like I've loved you.' I say, crying.

'Zoey, look at me.' He says, but I look down.

'Zoey? Look.' He says, and I finally do.

I look at him and I see the only man I've ever loved. The only man who's ever made me happy. The only man who's ever made my cry. The only man who's ever made me sad. All because he loves me. And I love him too. With everything in me.

'I love you.' He says.

'I love you.' I reply, sniffing.

'I love you.' He says it again.

'I love you.' I whisper.

We stare at each other, eyes locked, and silent.

We spend the next 2 minutes like this, Aaron's hands still gripped around mine, our bodies aligned only inches away from one another. I look away from him.

'Zoey, the last 7 months have been absolute hell for me. I've not stopped thinking about you. But we have the remember why we chose to do this in the first place. For our kids.' He says, as I listen, silently.

'But just because we're staying apart, doesn't mean I love you any less. You're the only person I've ever loved. And just like you, I've loved you ever since we met all those years ago. Before the kids came along, you were my only family.' He says, now moving his hands to cup my face.

'We can't do this, Zoey. We just can't.' He whispers, as I finally look into his eyes again.

I take a deep breath. I know that he's right. But I don't want him to be right.

Finally, I stand on my tip toes, reaching up and taking his face in my hands.

Slowly, I place my lips on his. His lips are soft and sweet, a feeling I haven't felt in a very long time.

He deepens the kiss, and our lips glue together, like the pieces of a puzzle, just as I remember. He breathes into me, and bites at my lip gently, savouring it, as though he'll never get the chance again.

I start to walk backward, as he follows me, not moving his lips from mine. I moan, ever so slightly, as the passion fills inside of me.

Finally, I feel my leg hit the bed, as I finally pull away from his face and look at him.

He looks hurt, and sad.

He gently pushes me onto the bed, and aligns himself on top of me, taking one more look at me, before kissing me again, as I wrap my legs around him.

I start to slowly unbutton his shirt, but suddenly, he stops kissing me.

Instead, he buries his head in my neck and wraps his arms around my back. My eyes still watering, I wrap my arms around him, stroking the back of his head, as we stay like that.

Wrapped in each other's embrace.

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