Page 78 of Only for Tonight
Ariella
I grab the packing tape and seal another box closed before grabbing the black marker and marking it with the word bedroom. “How can one small apartment have so much—” My mother looks at the boxes around the living room, stacked up by one wall all with where they belong.
“Shit,” I fill in for her and she laughs. “It’s New York, Mom.” I sit on the couch and put up my feet on the little space that’s left on the coffee table. “You learn how to make things compact.”
“You have stuff here from when you lived at home.” She grabs the bottle of water that is on the table before coming over and sitting down next to me, placing her hand on my little bump. “It’s like Hoarders but cleaner.”
“Mom.” I look over at her and I swear my whole body feels like it’s been through the wringer. We started packing up yesterday morning and have been going since, and I have about another day to go. I can’t wait to get it done so I can just sleep for a full twenty-four hours. “I’m tired,” I admit to her.
“There is no rush to finish packing in ten minutes.” She smiles at me. “You can take your time. Jaxon is going on the road tomorrow for five days anyway.”
“I know.” I take a deep inhale. “I just?—”
“You want to get back to him.” She moves to the corner of the couch and tucks her feet under her. “So it’s just you and me now.” My father just left after being with us for the last two days. My brother, Brookes, left too because he has a hockey tournament this weekend and he can’t miss it.
“Yeah,” I say, looking at her, putting my hand on my little stomach that seems to be growing daily.
“Jaxon,” she says his name, laughing nervously, “Jaxon, Jaxon.” Her face lights up. “Like our Jaxon. Well, now your Jaxon.”
“I know.” I shake my head, closing my eyes, and all I can do is picture him smiling at me. The tightness in my chest feels like someone just took my heart and squeezed it in their hands. “Trust me, no one is more surprised at this than us.” I chuckle. “I mean, no one is more surprised than me and then maybe Jaxon.”
“No. No one was more shocked than your father.” My mother points to me.
“Yeah, but he loves me, so he’ll come around,” I tell her and she rolls her eyes.
“Of course he loves you,” she barks out, “you’re his baby. Do you feel the baby yet?” she asks me, and I put my hand on top of hers.
“I’ve been feeling flutters,” I share with her, “but at first I thought it was?—”
“Because of how you feel about Jaxon.” She can read me like a book.
“It was a lot,” I say, “but now it just feels like a swoosh. According to the baby book, I’ll be able to really feel the baby between sixteen and twenty-four weeks.” I look at her and she gives me big eyes. “I have an appointment with Zoey’s OB/GYN next week when I get back to LA.”
“Do you want me to fly in and go with you?” I want to say yes but instead I shake my head.
“It’s okay, Mom.” I avoid looking at her. “I’ll be okay and Jaxon will be in town.”
When the phone rings from the coffee table, I pick it up, seeing it’s my Uncle Evan. I turn it to face my mother and she snorts, “That’s for you.”
“Did you tell him?” I ask her nervously.
“No”—she shakes her head—“that’s for you to do.” I look at the phone. “You better answer that.”
“Hey, Uncle Evan.” I put it on speaker so my mother can listen to the conversation with me.
“Hello, niece,” he replies. “I’m here with your Aunt Zara.”
“Ohhh,” my mother murmurs, “a conference call. Must be serious.” I bite my lips as she and my aunt laugh.
“Hey, sweetie,” my aunt Zara says.
“What’s up, you guys?” I inquire, knowing full well why he’s calling me and mouthing to my mother she’s “a liar liar,” which makes her snicker.
“What’s up, you guys?” my uncle repeats the words. “Is there something you have to tell your aunt and uncle?”
“Um, not that I can think of,” I say, waiting for him to inquire more, but I’m not done fucking with him. “I decided that I’m leaving New York and I’m moving to LA.” I smirk at my mother, who snorts.
“I heard,” he says. “You know what else I heard?”
