Chapter Twenty

Once again I sat in the living room with the remote in my hand. Today was boring, too boring. All I did all day was TV, food and sleep, sleep which I couldn't do for up to an hour.

I was already exhausted from doing nothing. Miles still wasn't home. My eyes flickered to the clock at the corner of the room. The time read past six.

I sighed and tossed the remote to the side. I fought the urge to pick up my phone and chat up Andrew.

If what Miles said about Andrew wanting me back is true, then I don't want to help his ministry.

I'm happy with Miles and even though being with him was a decision I made when I was overwhelmed with emotions, I want to learn to love him. After all I had began to feel something for him before I got pregnant.

I instinctively placed my hand on my protruding stomach and sighed again.

The front door opened and I looked up. Miles was stepping in. I watched him take off his shoes and losen his tie before he noticed me on the couch.

A smile stretched on his lips as he made his way to me. "Hey babe," he planted a kiss on my stomach before meeting my lips then my forehead. "How are you?"

"Bored out of my mind," I confessed.

"Well I think I know just how to fix that," he leaned in again and kissed my lips, this time for more than a second.

"And what is that?" He definitely had all of my attention.

"Well," he held my hand, softly caressing it. "My dad finally gave me a week off so it's just me and you for seven days. I'm all yours."

I smiled this time, relieved to hear those words from him. "Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "All yours." He kissed the back of my palm. "Have you eaten?"

"Yeah. Take out is on the counter." I answered.

"Take out again?" I could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"I can't cook Miles, bear with me." I grinned at him and he playfully rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you should go stay with your mum. I'm sure take out isn't in her vocabulary." He stood up and made his way to the kitchen.

His words reminded me of the conversation I had both with Andrew and my mum yesterday.

"She called today," I stated. She calls everyday really.

"Okay?" He called from the kitchen. I heard the microwave open the close and some buttons before he stepped out of the kitchen.

"She mentioned me going back so she can take care of me." I used air quotes.

"Oh," was all he said.

"Exactly. I've thought about it before but I don't want to leave you here. Besides even if I go It's literally the same thing, just that mum will be there and breathing down my neck sometimes. Just today she was yelling about a bunch of stuffs." I rolled my eyes as I recalled our conversation earlier.

He chuckled. "She's your mum, don't be too surprised." He sat on the arm rest of the couch.

"Oh I'm not," I chuckled too. "I just don't think I want that.

"You know that if you leave today, I'm going with you." He stated.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. You having to leave work just because of me. Your dad needs you in that office and you know that."

"He can always do without me, he'll find a way." He shrugged.

"Miles you have responsibilities and I don't want to be the one to shake you off of that." I bit my bottom lip as I waited for his response.

"You're not doing anything. I choose to be with you and dad understands so if I follow you to Nigeria he's going to have to deal with it." He took the remote and changed the channel.

"I don't want you to just follow me everywhere. Andrew does that enough." I definitely said that last part without thinking.

But it is true. Andrew really follows me everywhere and sometimes it's annoying.

Miles face changed instantly and I knew what he was thinking about but he didn't say anything but focused on finding something to watch.

"Miles," I called but he stood up and went into the kitchen.

When he came back into the living room, he sat on the one seater chair away from me. I knew my words definitely made him withdraw.

"Miles," I called again and this time he looked at me.

"What?" His gaze was only on me for a second before he fixed it on his plate of food.

"I'm sorry." I apologized.

He scoffed. "You're sorry for what?"

"You know what Miles." I rolled my eyes. Is he going to make this difficult for me?

"I don't know what Victoria." He still didn't look at me.

I sighed. "Are you really going to do this?"

"What am I doing Riya? You're apologizing for something that I don't even know." He now looked at me but only for a second again and I could see the anger in his eyes.

"Then why did your face change, your attitude." I  was trying not to raise my voice.

This is how he behaves when somehow Andrew comes up in our conversations. Trying to avoid the topic.

"Everything is about Andrew. It's like you can't live without him or his name or the thought of him and I understand. You can't expect me to just smoothly and quickly come to terms with it like that. You guys were engaged and I came along so I get it, there's nothing I can do about it." He didn't for once meet my eyes.

I didn't say anything again, just watched him eat and watch the news.

It's hard to just forget someone who was always in your life, everyday and second. If Andrew wasn't the father of my child, maybe it would have been easier to forget but knowing that he's always going to be here somehow spoils everything.

I want to move on, it's time I move on but sometimes, the past is hard to let go and even if you let go completely, it's hard to not think about that past.

I had a life with Andrew and a life that I was happy with. He was my everything and I couldn't go a day without him invading my thoughts.

It's definitely going to take a lot of time for me to get used to this new norm but I'm willing to get used to it.

***

"I'm coming!" I yelled when the person at the front door just wouldn't stop hitting the doorbell.

I was comfortably in my bed when I heard the first doorbell. I wanted to just sit there and hope that whoever it is would just walk away but the person went at it again, and again and I grudgingly got down from the bed.

Going down the stairs was just the annoying part. Maybe I should start using the room downstairs, going up and down the stairs is really exhausting.

I swung the door open and I was faced with confusion then anger.

"I didn't order pizza." I was ready to slam the door but the delivery guy held it open with his leg.

"Yes you did or at least someone in this house did." He held a piece of paper and read from it. "Miles Jacobs?"

I groaned. "Right. Wait here." I as quickly as possible took the cash that was on the coffee table and gave it to the guy. "Thank you."

Before Miles stepped out to quickly meet someone he told me that he was going to order pizza for me but I didn't really take note. I wasn't in the mood to eat it so I left it on the kitchen counter.

My phone started ringing so I sat on a kitchen stool and took the call. It was Andrew.

"Hey," he said first.

"Hey, what's up?" I opened the pizza box and just looked at it.

It did look tempting though.

"Nothing much. How are you? How was your night?" He sounded... Nervous?

"Fine, fine." I took a slice and looked at it, as if examining it to be sure it was okay to eat it. "You?"

"I'm great." Silence followed. "I'm calling to ask if you're still down for today."

Today?

Right, we were supposed to browse on baby names together but I guess it's something we can both do at our houses. Thank God for technology.

"Andrew, we need to talk." I dropped the pizza slice.

"Okay," I could sense his anxiety from here.

"I get that you're the father of the child and all that but that's all that you are to me and of course my friend but we should know when to draw the boundaries." I had so much more to say but I didn't want to hurt him. We both have a track record of saying hurtful words to each other.

He's smart and he should get the memo clearly.

He cleared his throat. "I understand."

"Thank you." I forced a smile even though he couldn't see my face.

"No need to thank me." Silence. "We'll talk later? I guess I'll just drop my ideas in your DM."

"Yeah sure, no problem." He hung up.

I almost wanted to feel bad but it's something that needed to be done.

Somehow I ended up eating all of the pizza despite my earlier lack of interest in it.

***

An update to encourage you guys. I haven't forgotten you all, just been busy writing.

Lots of love ♥️