Chapter 79: Chapter 79

Around 11 o'clock, I get a call from Noah.

"Hi," I answer.

"Hey, I'm outside," he says.

I look out the window and he's parked outside my home. I open the door for him.

"Is everything alright?" I ask him.

He's never been over this late before.

"Yeah," he gestures to the chair facing the island. "Can I sit?" He asks.

"Sure," I say.

I sit down beside him.

"Sorry about today," I tell him.

"It wasn't your fault, I kissed you. Devlin was really upset. She thinks you're trying to break up the marriage. It's ridiculous, I tried to tell her." He rubs his hands through his curly black hair. "You would never do that, and if anything, I'm the one ruining the engagement. You didn't even know I was engaged when we had sex."

I nod in agreement.

"So is she okay now?" I ask even though I could care less.

"Yeah that's what I came to talk to you about, we made an agreement." He looks at his ring. "She wants to move up the wedding," he says.

"Move it when?"

"In three months."

"But that's around the same time I'll be going into labour," I tell him.

"I know, I know, I tried to tell her that. She scheduled it a day after you're due to give birth. She wants all the attention on her."

"That's ridiculous! What kind of grown woman would compete for attention with a newborn?" I say now angrily.

"I wasn't going to allow it but my mother agreed. It's out of my hands now. They already started to make the wedding arrangements... I'm sorry."

He bites his lip. There's something else he's not telling me. "What?" I ask him.

"Well, she doesn't want me to see you anymore. Not if it doesn't concern the baby. I got her to cave a bit. I can see you now, but when the baby is born and when I and her are married, I can only see you to pick up or drop off the baby. That's it."

"Is there anything else?" I ask in annoyance.

"Well, I got her to drop the whole full custody thing," he says. "So I guess that's all." He tries to make a joke.

"This isn't funny," I say.

"I know," he says. "I really love spending time with you too. You're fun to make fun of. I'm going to miss you and your clumsiness."

"Then why do you have to listen to her?"

"Ava, in a few months, she's going to be my wife."

"Why are you even with her?" The words come out before I have a chance to think about what I just asked him. I'm I going too far? Is this something I can ask? Deep down I've always wanted to know.

"I've known her since I was six. My mom loves her. She knows the ins and outs of the company. She's not so bad once you get to know her. There was a time when she was funny, and fun to be around. Things have been crazy lately, especially with her dad being sick and all."

"She's not that person anymore," I tell him. "And you're going to be miserable waiting for the old her to resurface. Sometimes people change, and she has. People outgrow each other. You don't have to be with her out of obligation."

"I made a commitment, and I have to keep it," he says, his voice sounding firm.

I decide not to continue with this conversation. It's creating tension between us.

"How about we think of names!" I quickly change the topic.

This makes him smile. "How about Penelope," he suggests.

I laugh. "If sounds like the name of a Disney character," I say. He laughs.

"You're right. What about Lacey."

"Sure if you want her to be a slut."

This makes him laugh even more. "Brittany?"

"Dumb blond."

"I knew that nice girl act of yours would wear off eventually," he says. "Fine, you choose a name."

"Maybe Aileen"

"Do you want her to get beat up on the playground?" He asks. This makes me laugh.

"Okay, how about Willow?"

"Like the tree?" I roll my eyes.

"Fine... What about Melody?"

"Like music? It reminds me of you. I love it."

"Really?" I smile now.

"Yes. I even hope she inherits your beautiful voice." He looks at my eyes. "And your eyes," he touches my cheeks. "Your looks. The more of you, the better."

When he says things like that, how can I not fall for him? Why couldn't he be rude and arrogant? Why'd he have to be so nice?

I get up. "It's getting late," I say.

"You're right. I should probably go." He goes to kiss me on my forehead, but I dodge it. He looks a little hurt. He has no right to be.

"Goodnight," he says before he walks out the door.

I'm getting ready to go to bed when I hear a knock on my door. I look out the window and there is a car in front of my house I can't identify. Maybe it's one of Dayna's guys of the week dropping her home because she was too drunk to drive. This wouldn't be the first time. But wouldn't he have her key? I look at the time, it's almost one o'clock. She doesn't finish work for another two hours. I decide maybe I should ignore it, but the knock becomes louder.

"Alright, I'm coming!" I open the door. An officer is standing in front of me. "Can I help you, officer?" He takes off his glasses and Devlin comes in sight. This throws me off guard.

"I just received a noise complaint," the officer says.

"That's ridiculous," I say. "I wasn't even making any loud noises."

"Did you have any guests over?" He asks.

I look at Devlin. I know what this is about "You're the most childish woman I have ever met," I start

"Ma'am, I'm afraid I'm going to have to write you a ticket." He takes out his notepad. Devlin is leaning on my doorway smirking. The officer hands me the ticket.

"Are you kidding me?" The ticket is for two hundred dollars. "This much for a noise complaint?"

Devlin finally speaks. "Well for me, this is pocket change. But you," she looks around my condo. " You clearly cannot afford such things." She steps into my house. "You thinking about asking Noah to lend you money?"

She looks at the officer. "Can you give us a minute?" she asks him. He closes the door and stays outside.

She looks at me now. Her face goes cold. Her eyes lit with anger. "What was Noah doing here so late?"

I don't answer her. I can't believe this is happening right now. She smirks now. "Fine, I guess you are not obligated to answer me. However, you can listen." She steps closer to me now. She is almost three inches away from my face. "You are young and stupid, so I would not expect you to understand me the first time when I said this to you. So I'll say it again." Her eyes are locked onto mine. Her rage is evidently displayed on her face "Stay. Away. From. Noah." She puts one-second spaces in between each word.

"If that does not appeal to you, maybe this will." She finally steps back a little. She is calmer when she says this, making it sound even more threatening. "My dad is the lieutenant officer in this city. This means that I have a significant amount of power within the police force. This ticket you received today is nothing compared to what I am capable of."

She walks towards the door. "If I were you, I would think about my next actions and the possible consequences of those actions." She looks at my stomach smirking. "Remember, I will be the stepmother of your unborn child."

She opens the door. "Oh, I almost forgot, I looked at your police record. Juvie huh? Who would have known sweet little Ava was a troubled youth? Running away and stealing. Does Noah know that you are a thief?" She looks amused. "Was it really a coincidence that you found him or did you plan this?"

She takes her gloves out of her pockets. "My mother always said: Bad habits don't die, they're only hidden." She puts her gloves on. She can't help but threaten me before she leaves. "If you do not stay away from Noah, I'm going to make you wish you aborted that child," she says and walks out. The police officer follows after her.

Sasha was right. If I didn't stand up to her, she'd walk right over me, and that is exactly what she is doing.