ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪʟʟɪᴏɴᴀɪʀᴇꜱ ꜱᴜʀʀᴏɢᴀᴛᴇ

Stranger to me

AARON

I can't stand the look on Leah's face she looks so... broken. I need to explain this to her before I lose her.

"Ava, you mind?" I say to her, and she moves back, giving me and Leah some space to talk.

"You have a son?" She whispers. I can see the tears forming in her eyes.

"No, I don't. I mean, I don't know. I'm going to take them to my doctor for a DNA test." I explain and try to touch her, but she moves away from my touch.

"Okay." She answers.

I try to hold her, but she pulls back. "Leah -"

"I have to get ready for school."

"Leah, please talk to me." I say, cupping her face.

"Nothing to talk about.." She says and runs upstairs.

I sigh and turn to Ava. Tristan begins to fuss in her arms he doesn't seem to like anyone.

I sat back on the couch and rubbed my face.

"So Leah... is she really just a friend?" Ava asked.

"You forfeited your right to ask me about my personal life when you left." I said to her, fully annoyed.

Things were going so well with me and Leah, and now everything is so fucked.

"I'm sorry, Aaron. I felt bad about that, and that's why I came back." She explained still trying to calm Tristan down.

"How do I even know he's mine?" I ask.

"I'm happy to do a DNA test." She said, giving him his pacifier.

Tristan grabbed it and threw it at Ava. "No." He cries.

"Great job." I say to her.

"Oh, you think you can do better? Be my guest." She said, handing him to me.

I don't know why, but I don't feel like holding him. He feels like a stranger in my arms. If Ava had told me she was pregnant, I would have helped her. I would've been there. I handed him back to Ava and ran upstairs.

Is this my life now? Running out of fear from a toddler?

I doubt Tristan is mine, but either way, my priority was still Leah and our future baby. Once I get to the bedroom, I see Leah packing her bag for class today, and I pull her into my arms.

"Are we okay?" I asked.

"Um, I guess." She answers and pulls away.

"Leah, after the DNA test comes back, we can go back to normal."

"How are you so sure he's not yours?" She asks me.

"I don't."

"How old is he?"

"She said one and a half." I answer.

Leah takes her bag and turns back to me. "And does the math add up?"

"I don't know. Mabye."

Leah sighed. "I have to go."

"Leah, please, can we just talk?" I ask desperately.

"I have to go." She says, annoyed and pushed past me with Leo following behind her.

Damn dog.

I sighed heavily and pulled my phone out. I dialed my sister's number and sat on the bed.

"Annabella Reed speaking."

"Ann. I um it's me." I said.

"Aaron? Is something wrong?" She asks.