After the girls went ridiculous shopping for the baby, Shiloh's days at Aries's house seemed to really take a turn for the better. They were calm, her blood pressure was good, and Tron and Aries were keeping her mind off of anything that dealt with Eshan. And for that Shiloh was highly grateful.
"Ok, mama. I'm super sad that you're going home, but please if he shows up call me, text me, whatever. Just let me know you're ok. Ok?"
"I gots you Ari-boo."
Kissing her cheek, Shiloh exits her car and heads up to her apartment. Neatening up what little amount of things that were left unorganized, Shiloh hears a knock on her door. Completely annoyed, due to the fact that she hasn't even been home for a half an hour, Shiloh walks over to the door. Looking through her peep-hole, Shiloh curses up every vulgar word she can think of. Standing there she truly contemplates just pretending she's not home.
"Shiloh open the door, I watched ya ass go inside."
"Fuuuuuuccck!" She sighs and leans against the doorway.
"Either you open the door or I break in again. You choose."
"I hate you." Shiloh whispers as she pulls open her door, begrudgingly.
"I heard ya ass." Eshan says following her into her apartment.
Watching her walk he sees just the smallest amount of curve to her rounded cheeks under the white dress shirt she has on. Her long black hair falling fully around her face and neck as she swivels to face him. She looks beautiful.
"Who's shirt is that? It's a man's shirt."
"My daddy's." Walking into the kitchen, Shiloh laughs hysterically. "What you're looking for is on the coffee table. You can take it and leave."
Not saying a word, he crosses her living room and picks up the sealed envelope.
"You haven't looked at it?'
"Why would I. I wasn't the one that needed it to help me love my child." Shrugging without turning around she continues preparing her dinner.
Shredding the envelope, Eshan sees it clear as day '99.999% possibility of paternity.'
"I'm sorry, Shiloh."
"Yep. You can leave."
"Shi, please."
"Go, please."
"Shiloh, look. I've been wrong this entire time. I know that."
"A piece of paper helped you see that, Eshan? Your best friend that knew me for like an hour could see I was telling the truth. The doctor, Tron. It wasn't that you didn't see it, you just didn't care. You hoped I got an abortion so that the night of your mistake could be aborted too. So like I said you got your proof, you know he's a boy, and you can leave us alone."
"Shiloh, I can't leave my son wiffout a father. I'm not about to leave my son wiffout a father or a male role model."
"He will have a male role model."
"Who?! Fuckin Kaytron?! He's only a fuckin shipment controller and money collector for me! You want that to be the role model for my son?! I think the fuck not!"
"He's better than a psychotic, narcissistic, sociopath, pathological lying secret kingpin, and arms dealer. Plus he's loved my son since he found out about him."
"You know what, Shiloh? I didn't come here to argue wiff you. I came here to get the results and I got them. Now moving forward, I will be there at every appointment. I don't care how long or short, how last minute, or how boring. I already told Dr.Khan to put me on the text list for reminders when you have appointments."
"I didn't consent to any of that."
"Anyways, and we're already registered for the birthing class shit. Plus I don't want you living here. It's not safe and you need a car. Taking the bus and all those taxis by yaself isn't safe. It never really was."
"Are you finished?" Walking past him, Shiloh goes to sit on her coffee table.
"What?" Sitting on the couch across from her, Eshan stares at her. "What are you talkin about?"
"Are you finished? This is not a business transaction. I am not your employee. You do not rule my life. You do not have executive control over me or Bean. So you need to check that shit, Eshan. Talk to your workers, family, girlfriend, or whoever else you see fit to. But it's not gonna be me. I have been steam rolled over far too much in my life and I absolutely draw the line wiff my son. Either it works as a co-parentship or it doesn't work at all and you can happily walk out that door you walked in."
"I'm not leaving so you can stop tryin to push me away, Shiloh."
"I really loved when you acted like I didn't exist for the last four months."
"You really have a smart ass mouth."
Yup. Anyway, is my lab stuff still in ya car?"
"Yes."
"I kinda need it. Like now. I have a project due tomorrow."
"Well if ya ass hadn't disappeared like that you woulda had it over two weeks ago. Where did you go?"
"Where I was safe, happy, stress free, and loved."
"Shiloh, hhhh. If it was Tron's, they're gonna find him floating in the river."
"Why?"
"What?! You are pregnant wiff my child, why would I want you allowin him to fuck you and my child is in you?!"
"Stop yelling at me because first of all I haven't been having sex wiff him or anyone else, even though it's my body! And second I saw him, but I didn't stay wiff him. Just get my stuff so that I can do my project."
"Where were you?"
"Get my stuff."
"I'll get it when you tell me."
"I have legs. I'll get it myself."
"In some pants or some shit, ya ass is out and that shit is see through."
"Don't look." Standing up Shiloh attempts to walk around him.
Jumping up he stands in front of her.
"Excuse m-.''Grabbing her face, Eshan kisses her passionately.
Running his hands through her hair, he kisses her slowly and sensually. Meshing his heated lips to Shiloh's a few more times, he sucks on her bottom lip. Pressing his forehead to her's he just holds her face in his hands.
"I'm so sorry, Shiloh. And I know I stressed you out and that you almost lost our son and I know it won't be anytime soon, but I hope you'll forgive me. I know I don't deserve to even be in your energy, but I would really like to try and do better. For you and our son, if you'd let me. Please?"
"Eshan, I."
Feeling his lips against hers, Shiloh is beyond confused. Kissing her ravenously, Eshan can't keep his hands off of her. He feels like the night they met all over again. It's an erotic, intoxicating, controlling, feeling and he isn't going to be happy unitl his body is fused deep within Shiloh's again.
"Just think about it, please." Pulling away he steps towards the front door. "I'll be right back."
Standing in the middle of her living room like she's a lost puppy, Shiloh doesn't know what is happening in her mind. Eshan brings such chaos and destruction with him, but the way he just made her feel is unlike anything she's ever felt and as addictive as it is, she hated it. Their sexual relationship is what got them to this situation in the first place. And now adding a baby to the mix will only make it more complicated and volatile. Which is toxic and dysfunctional and that is the exact opposite of what Shiloh wants for Bean. Sitting on her couch she curls up and waits for him to come back upstairs.
"I think it's aythang."
"Thank you." Taking the bag, Shiloh looks through it and spreads it on the coffee table.
"What are you working on?"
"Eshan you can come to the appointments and stuff, but you really don't need to stay." Shaking her head Shiloh begins pulling out the wires and batteries.
"What are you doin, shorty." Sitting next to her, he starts picking up the pieces. "What kind of engineering are you in school for? I got a degree in computer engineering."
Ignoring him, Shiloh continues working on making the circuits for her electric elevator model.
"Shi?" The tone in Eshan's voice is so much softer and inviting, even through the natural rasp and deepness.
"God." She whispers in annoyance. "Yes, Eshan?"
Looking up at him, she's caught off guard when he kisses her again.
"Can I help you, please?" He whispers against her lips as she pushes away.
"If you stop kissing me, yes."
"I'm not agreeing to that, but what are we working on?"
"I have to make a model elevator that runs on a closed circuit and a two page paper about the possible pros and cons of using a closed circuit system. And then an open circuit model and a two page paper about the pros and cons of that too."
"Damn, Shiloh! How smart are you? What kind of engineering is this shit?!" He smiles, absolutely intrigued.
"Electrical engineering."
"Damn, ma. And you waited til the night before?"
"No, I didn't have the model stuff. The papers are already done. Plus, I knew the night that it was missing I was screwed. But I don't have your number so I wasn't worried about it."
"So over your pride you were gonna fuck up ya grades?"
"It wasn't pride, I have no way of contacting you. So I just had to wait until you decided to stalk me again and low and behold here you are."
Soldering the wires and metal plates, Shiloh begins constructing the model. Just watching her in amazement, Eshan sits quietly. After a few hours, he realizes she's been in the same position and needs to stretch.
"C'mon."
"What? Stop, I'm almost done."
"No, Shiloh. You've been hunched over for the past two hours and keep wincing cause you and the baby are uncomfortable. C'mon. Are you hungry?"
"Bean, his name is Bean."
"Like that's what you wanna name him?"
"No, we just call him Bean."
"Fine Bean is uncomfortable, so are you, and you need to eat and drink some water. C'mere." Pulling her up to sit between his legs on her couch he reclines her against his chest.
"Eshan I'm uncomfortable." Trying to sit up, Shiloh is only pulled back again.
"Like the way we're laying?"
"No, I don't want to be this close to you."
Laughing loudly, he shakes his head and begins rubbing her belly.
"Oh shit! Is that him?! Was that him movin like that?!"
"Yeah. He moves a lot."
"Allah, that's amazing! Thank you so much, Shiloh."
"For what?"
"Keeping Bean."
"Mmhm."
Reclining against his chest she allows him to focus on rubbing her belly and following the baby's movements. The soothing feeling causes her tired eyes to drift closed.
"Baby, wake up. The food is here." His deep voice floats softly through her sleeping ears.
"Huh?" Blinking her dry eyes, Shiloh realizes that she had fallen asleep on Eshan's chest.
"You fell asleep. But the food is here."
"What? For how long? And what food? I was making dinner."
"For like an hour and you were tired so I got you food."
"What kind of food?"
"You looked like you were making something with chicken so I got you some chicken, rice, and beans. From the Puerto Rican place down the street."
"Oh ok. Thank you. How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing."
"Yes I do. How much?"
"I wanna buy if for Bean. So he doesn't have to pay for it. C'mon, sit up real quick." Helping her sit up, he goes to answer her door.
Tipping the delivery person, he accepts the food.
"Shi, no. Up, mama." He laughs seeing her laying down on the couch.
"Mmhm." Closing her eyes she attempts to go to sleep.
"Shiloh Oakley, wake ya pretty ass up." Pulling her up fully, he stands her up. "You need to eat, Bean needs you to eat, and then you can go to sleep. Ok?"
"Yeeesss." She hisses out in exasperation.
Sitting at the table with him, she opens her food and smiles sleepily.
"Mmm." She hums, shoveling the food into her mouth with her eyes half open. Watching her, Eshan chuckles softly.
"It's good, lil lady?"
"Yes, thank you."
Eating quietly, he watches her table manners and sees just how proper her table etiquette is. Everything he had thought and assumed about Shiloh just keeps getting disproven faster and faster. But he still can't allow himself to fully fall into her alluring aura. He can love his son, even develop feelings for her, but long term isn't a realistic option.
"Is your project done?"
"Yeah pretty much." She covers her mouth and yawns.
"You need to get some rest. So I'll clean up while you go get in bed."
"Eshan, you really don-."
"Just go to bed, Shiloh."
"Ok." Nodding, she takes their trash and clears the table.
Taking a quick shower she throws on a t-shirt and panties and snuggles into her bed. Cleaning up the dinner she left unmade, Eshan wraps it up and puts it in the fridge. Peeking into her room he sees her completely asleep, and she just calls to him.
Taking a shower in her bathroom, he gets in his boxers and climbs into her bed with her. It's not his tempurpedic memory foam king size bed, but surprisingly it is very comfortable. Cuddling into her, he buries his face in her neck and just breaths her in. Slipping his hand under her shirt, he caresses her stilling belly.
"Night, mama. Night Bean." He whispers and kisses Shiloh's neck.
"Eshan?" Her little sleepy voice calls to him when she realizes she's not alone in her bed.
"Shh, go back to sleep."
"Mmhm." She answers half asleep and is deeply asleep again within seconds.
When her alarm sounds for the late morning, Shiloh attempts to roll over, but feels arms around her waist.
"What the hell?" Pushing off the arms, she shoots up in a panic.
"You ok, mama?" Eshan asks half asleep.
"Eshan! What are you doin in my bed?!"
Scooting away from him, Shiloh readjusts her clothes, since her shirt is pulled up and her panties are hiked up between her thighs and behind.
"I don't know. I guess I didn't want to leave you and Bean alone."
"I'm fine. Eshan you have to go. I need to drop off my project and take my last test of my mini-mester."
"Shiloh."
"What, Eshan?"
"I apologized for the way I treated you. You don't have to act like we don't have a son coming together."
"What are you saying?"
"Like you wanna act like we're strangers or some shit."
"We are! We had sex once or twice, whatever and that was over 6 months ago. We have been in each other's company I think three times since then and you've called me out of my name and disrespected me most of the time we spent around each other. Or threatened me. Yesterday was the first time it was half decent and that's only cause when your mouth wasn't pressed against mine, it was closed. So yeah I'm actin like we're strangers cause we are." Walking into her closet, Shiloh finds a flowy off the shoulder peasant sundress to put on with strappy sandals.
"So you not gonna forgive me? Like not even try?"
"Eshan, understand something for me please. The way you treated me I normally would never even be speaking to you again. But unfortunately we now share a child together and I've tried to convince myself that Bean would be better off without you, especially if you treat him how you've treated me. But I can't do that to my child. From the moment I found out I was expecting I have loved him more than myself, so his happiness and wellbeing outweighs my feelings. But get this through your head, I don't have to like or deal wiff you until he gets here. So us hanging out, being friends, spending time together it's not gonna happen. You apologized, ok. I heard it but I don't trust that you'll change, so I'm not gonna give you the benefit of the doubt. You're gonna really have to show a totally different side to you for me to even consider you an acquaintance."
"So you just plan on being a bitter ass baby mama?" He scoffs.
"And that's exactly why we're not friends. Get out."
"Why do you do that shit, Shiloh?"
"Do what? Not allow you to talk to me crazy? I don't know what kind of desperate bitches you're used to but I don't want you, Eshan! You are my son's father and that's it! Your looks don't mean shit to me, your money doesn't mean shit, your status doesn't mean shit! You are seriously the most shallow hateful person I've ever come across. So nothing you do, not even the little nice things, they're not impressive because they're ocky(fake) like you." Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Shiloh walks into her bathroom to get ready for the day.
Sitting on her bed, Eshan's blood is boiling. Never in his 25 years of life has anyone ever spoken to him the way Shiloh does. But worst of all he can tell she actually means it. He wants nothing more than to go in that bathroom and prove to her just how shallow and hateful he really is, but he refrains.
He would love to walk in there and call her out her name and piss her off the way she just did to him, but he remembers that her blood pressure needs to remain stable for his son. He hates the way she gets under his skin. He hates the way she affects him. And most of all he hates the way her words penetrate that teflon skin that he's built to not care about what anyone says or thinks of the 'Mighty Eshan Mulk', as long as they fear him.
And Shiloh doesn't even do that. She breaks him down and tells him how she really feels, then she shuts down and pulls away. Just like Tron said she does. But Eshan thought, 'oh no not with me, no one would dare not want Eshan', but boy was he wrong. Shiloh Kade Oakley could truly care less about who Eshan 'Ifrit' Mulk is.
___________________
Do you think his apology was sincere or he's just trying to band-aid fix it?!
Thoughts?!
❤AJ