Save You #2

18| Trying to draw boundaries

The next morning, I leave the house when Zach is still fast asleep just as he was already sleeping when I went to bed yesterday, so there was no opportunity to talk since our ugly fight so far.

Aria was already waiting for me when I opened Zach's apartment door, and excitedly pulled me into a suffocating embrace before we went downstairs to her beige mini cooper. The ride to the mall was filled with Aria's high-pitched, nervous talking about the things she plans to buy today. Since I haven't had a coffee yet, I'm already slightly stressed out when we arrive.

Before Aria drags me into some of the fanciest stores of the mall where the prices of the clothes are way higher than what I could afford, I force her to pick a coffee first. In the end, I advise Aria in the choice of her purchases and listen to her stories about work while she tries on dozens of dresses, blouses, skirts, and jeans. Actually, her stories are pretty interesting and intriguing and keep me from getting bored. She works as a gynecologist at the hospital where Zach spent the past two weeks and the things, she has to face everyday sound kind of exciting to be honest. I almost feel as if I am listening to scripts from Grey's Anatomy or something like that.

It's already 1pm when I insist on taking a break from shopping and have lunch, so we sit down opposite of each other in a small Italian restaurant. Aria is determined to find some sexy underwear after our lunch break and excitedly tells me about a ball she'll attend with a few work colleagues for which she has to shop some fancy clothes today. I glance at the five bags standing next to her feet and shake my head in amusement. This woman has a completely different idea of going shopping than me. Whenever I decide to buy new clothes, I end up with five or six new pieces, but Aria has already twice as many in all of her bags and we're not even finished yet.

Once we've ordered a pizza we plan to share, Aria eyes me for a moment before she tilts her head and frowns. "Liv, can I tell you something?"

I awkwardly motion her to speak on, sensing something personal or embarrassing coming from her.

"When I made that ultrasound the other day, I noticed something at your ovaries."

I automatically stiffen at her words and bite down on my bottom lip.

"I took a look at your medical report and read about that accident you had a few years ago." Aria takes my ice-cold hands in hers and gives me an apologetic look. "I'm so, so sorry if my talking about getting pregnant has upset you, darling!"

"You've seen my medical record?" I whisper feebly.

"Uh... yes, after the ultrasound," Aria says in a small voice. "Does he... I mean, does Zach know? He always said he wanted to have kids one day, so I think he deserves to know."

After taking a deep breath, I snatch away my hand and glare at the woman opposite me.

"Seriously, Aria? Your attempts of sabotaging my relationship are getting kind of pathetic, don't you think?" I hiss and narrow my eyes. "Why him? Why can't you just choose some other guy to chase after?"

With a loud screeching sound, I push back my chair and jump up.

"Liv, please sit down again. People are watching!" Aria pleads and looks around in embarrassment before she sighs and faces me again. "Listen, I'm sorry, but I'm not sabotaging your relationship and I'm certainly not chasing Zach. What makes you think that?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I'm nearly shouting now. "You are so flirty whenever you're around him and you're kinda clingy as well. And don't think I don't see through you because I do. I see exactly how you are trying to be friends with me just to win him over. You're trying to turn him against me, I know that! You finally have to accept that Zach is my boyfriend, he loves me, do you understand?"