Blazing Forward

Chapter 4

"I don't know what you've got planned uso, but be careful because you got a lot to lose."

"I don't know what my plan . . . Anna!"

"What? Another woman? You dog." he chuckled.

"Fuck off cause you're not funny. Anna is Aria's business partner, I think I have . . . yes!"

It felt like the phone rang forever but in all honesty, it was maybe 20 seconds.

"Hello?"

"Hey Anna, it's Leati."

"I know, what can I do you for Leati?"

"Have you heard from Arianna? I uh . . . I'm trying to contact her and I can't get through. I'm worried." I told her.

"I saw her about an hour ago. She stopped by and left but she didn't say where she was going."

"Alright, thanks Anna."

"Is everything okay?"

"We got into an argument and she's mad at me, won't answer any of my calls. Thanks for the help."

"No luck?" my brother asked after I hung up.

"Aria went to the gallery but she left. I gotta go spend some time with Jojo, I'll try again later."

"Good luck uso."

"I'm gonna need it."

I spent the rest of the evening enjoying quality time with my daughter and missing my wife. We should be in Pensacola all loved up and in bed. I asked her to meet me there so that both of us could get some R&R together. She's been working her ass off before having the bean and I just screwed it all up. I need to fix this but in order to do that I need to find her and she's not making it easy. My wife thinks I'm sleeping with my ex and it's my own fault, how the hell am I supposed to fix that?

"Daddy?"

"Hey baby girl, what's up?" I asked my daughter.

"Where's Aria?"

"I uh . . . she's staying with a friend."

"With Anna and her baby?"

"Yeah, she's staying with Anna."

"Is she mad at me?" she asked, surprising me.

"No baby girl, why would you think that?"

"Cause when I asked mommy if she was staying again, I saw Aria's eyes got all squinty. She only does that when she's mad." she pouted.

"She's mad at me Jojo, we had . . . we argued before I left the big house in Pensacola." I admitted.

"Did you do something bad?"

"I did, and now I have to fix it but she's not mad at you at all. For now, it's time for you to take a bath." I said, getting up from the sofa and picking her up.

"Is Aria gonna come home?" she asked.

"She will soon."

After shower and tv time, I put my daughter to sleep and went to my room to keep searching for my wife again. Someone has to know where Arianna is, and I know to call. I called Trinity twice but she didn't answer so the next best thing is her husband.

"Hey uso." my cousin said.

"Uce, man, I need your help."

"Joe, there's nothing I can do to help you. You dug yourself a deep one, man." he chuckled.

"You know what happened?" I sighed.

"Yup, Ari called Trin and my wife spilled the beans. It looked really bad uce, having G half-naked and all sweaty in your house was a bad move. Then Jojo ratted you out about your little sleepover. What are you doing, uce?" he asked.

"I swear I'm not doing anything."

"You're talking to me man, don't lie." he insisted.

"I love my wife and I would never cheat on her. Now, I have to figure out a way to make her believe it." I told him.

"She does, or part of her does."

"What?"

"Ari told Trin, that she doesn't believe you cheated. She's hurt and mad that you'd prefer to work than be with her, hurt and pissed that you've been lying about hanging with G, but she doesn't think you cheated." he said.

"Damn it, I really screwed up man. Did she tell Trin where she's staying?"

"Just that she was staying at a hotel, she wouldn't specify where to avoid getting her involved in this exact type of situation."

"My wife doesn't want to see me, she's running and I need to find her to fix things." I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face.

"The first fight is the worst but you poured a shit load of gas on that fire." he replied.

"She's gonna start traveling and then I really won't be able to find her cause she didn't send me her schedule for the week. She didn't have it and now I won't be able to find her. No one is gonna tell me where she is."

"How far along is she?" He asked.

"Six and a half months."

"She won't be able to travel soon, so she'll get work done." he mused.

"I know, how the hell do I fix things if she won't talk to me?"

"Can't help you there, Joe, you're gonna have to figure it out for yourself man."

"You did help me though. You told me she's safe, if she's at a hotel then she's safe for the night. I'll try again tomorrow. Thanks uso."

"No problem fam . . . call me if you need me. Call me when you hear from her."

"Will do, good night."

After hanging up, I laid in bed feeling lonelier than I have in months. I fucked up in a major way, she called me Joseph, that alone should've set off red flags but I was too selfish to see them.

"Baby, come home. Please come home."