Chapter 71: Chapter 71

The next day showed up sooner than she had expected as she woke up to someone knocking on her front door repeatedly. She seat up with a groan and reached over for her glasses before checking her table clock, it was just 8am causing her to groan even more in annoyance.

She pulled the covers over and placed her feet into her bedroom slippers before dragging herself to the living room with a lazy yawn.

She pulled the door open and came in face to face with Henry who stood with two large black bags in both hands.

"Good morning sleepy head" he chirped happily.

"Good morning. What are you doing with those in your hands" Aria had asked with a raised brow.

Henry only bypass her by the door as he head inside her apartment and went straight to the kitchen.

"Why don't you come in and find out for yourself" he called back at her.

Aria let the door close as she turned and hurried back to the kitchen and stood beside the kitchen counter with Henry on the other side while he began to dispatch the content of his bags.

Aria stood with wide eyes not knowing what to say.

"But how? I mean_ Why did you go through such trouble to get all these?_am not even your responsibility Henry"

He gave a careless shrug.

"Well, that's where you are wrong because you are my responsibility"

Aria was shocked at his response as she had both hands resting against her waist with a raised brow to go with.

"And how am I your responsibility exactly?"

"Well, you see?_I'd promised the doctor that I'd take care of you if he let me take you home last night so am just keeping my own end of the bargain by taking care of you"

"But Henry_you don't have to do all these. I mean, I can very well take care of myself" Aria had tried to reason.

"Of course I know you can very well take care of yourself but I want to help too"

Aria was hesitant for a moment as her eye continued to scanned all the items over. Everything was exactly what she wanted to go out and get later in the day and now he got everything for her.

"I don't know what to say other than thank you for this Henry. This is just too much"

"It's nothing..." Waving her off

" Now tell me_what do you want to have for breakfast" he asked.

"What?_please don't tell me you want to cook me breakfast as well because that would be taking too much responsibility"

"Not just you. Am hungry too"

Aria could only shake her head at him before giving in. She was hungry no doubt.

"Alright. You can boil the noodles let me go freshen up"

"But that's not healthy for the baby ma'am" he answered with a thoughtful glare.

"Oh no?_okay what do you recommend I eat?"

"Go freshen up and I will cook something"

"Okay but make sure it's eatable"

"You bet it will be".

**

Forty five minutes later. Aria was dressed in blue sweater shirt and paired with a white jogger pant as she walked into the kitchen to find that_Henry was still busy with the dish and didnt even noticed when she round the kitchen counter and leaned against it.

"smells good" she said sheepishly with a smile.

"It taste good too" he jested.

"I hope so"

They were both silent for a while before Aria had asked the next question which kinda caught him off guard.

"Why are you doing this?_I mean aside from the doctor and everything. Why are you helping me when you have absolutely no reason to do so and please don't blame it on what you had promised the doctor. That doesn't count"

Henry had wrapped both hands across his chest with a thoughtful look in his eyes for a moment before giving a curt nod.

"You do have a point there. I have no reason to be nice to you. In fact we should be enemies because that's the best thing to do right?"

Aria could see the playful tone in his voice and wished he could just drop it because she was being absolutely serious right there.

"C'mon Henry. You know that's not what I meant. Am just curious to know why even after everything that happened?"

"I like you for real and even though you don't like me that much_at least we can still be friends"

"I'm pregnant Henry! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does Aria. It means you need help now more than ever"

"Look Henry, I appreciate all you have done and still doing for me but..."

"...no but! Just stop worrying about all these things and go seat over there let me serve you breakfast because it's ready"

"Henry? I'm serious"

"Yes I know. Now go seat over there okay?"

Realizing that he won't budge, she sigh in exhaustion.

"Okay but we will talk about this later_after breakfast"

"Yeah sure".

**

After breakfast was over_Aria decided to go out and get more supplies for her upkeep and some toiletries as well.

The sooner she got used to her new status, the better as she grabbed her car keys and purse off the table and head towards the door.

She didn't even bother to check her phone for missed calls from Frank or anyone else as she rather keep her mind busy and away from hurtful thoughts.

The thought of Frank walking out on her back at the hospital kept flooding her mind still even though she has made up her mind not to dwell on it.

Thoughts like that would only make her anxious which is not good for the baby.

If he has decided to walk out of her life right when she needed him the most then_it's possible that he never really loved her to begin with. But whatever his feelings were, it no longer interest her as it has become more of a bother than comforting.

She pulled the door open and was about to step out when she almost collided with Frank by the door way; with his fist raised and ready to give a hard knock against the door frame but stopped when he saw her walking through.

His hand fell back to his side as he took a step back and just stood staring at Aria with a deserted expression.

He looked like he has had a rough day_dressed in a forest green T-shirt and Jean. Aria knew from his appearance that,he must have gone to the hospital only to realized she has been discharged_hence his reason for being there.

"You left the hospital last night?" he asked.

Aria said nothing as she stood staring at him with her lips forming a thin red line in anger.

Isn't it obvious enough? Or he need more confirmation that she is back at her house.

"Why did you leave the hospital without informing me" he asked again, this time, taking a step closer.

Her brow furrowed at his question which seem kind of abnoxious to her at the moment given how he reacted the previous night at the hospital.

"I didn't think you would care" she countered back with a glare.

Aria could see the little frown grazing his forehead at her response but she could careless.

"Can we go in? We need to talk" He had asked after a while.

Aria stood unmoving by the door not very willing to oblige him still.

"I'm afraid we have nothing to talk about anymore than we already has. We both made our point crystal clear last night so yeah, we have absolutely nothing to talk about" she deadpan wrapping her arms around her chest in a defensive mood before leaning back against the door frame.

Frank only shook his head in disagreement as he squared his shoulders with a new kind of courage.

"I know what I said yesterday okay? And pretty much everything was said out of anger and frustration so you need to hear me out"

"Anger doesn't justify you walking out on me and saying all those demeaning words like nothing mattered other than your bruised ego"

Frank gave a half hearted chuckle at Aria's accusations which only made her to blow up the more in total frustration.

"My child will grow up with a father with or without you" she had snapped angrily.

That statement must have ringed a bell in his ears as his eyes snapped back at her direction with fire burning in them.

"What do you mean by that statement?"

"It means exactly what you think it is. I will be both parents to my child"

That actually send a relief through his body as his tense demeanor became less rigid.

"Well you dont have to because i also want to be a part of the baby's life even if it's not mine"

Aria must have thought she heard wrongly as she quickly pushed herself off the door frame with wide eyes. She didn't think he could be any more absurd than he already has been.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me! I will support you and the baby even if it's not mine"

"So you want to be part of the baby's life even if it's not yours?" She had asked nonetheless with a raised brow.

He took a deep sigh before speaking again. Aria could see how hard he was pushing himself to accept his own child which only breaks her heart.

Frank is still as blind as a duck but she isn't about to be treated like a fool either. The last thing she needed is pity from him or begging for her child to be accepted by him whole heartily.

"Can we just go in and talk about this like two matured adult at least?"

"I already told you there is nothing to talk about"

"Listen, I don't have much of a choice okay? That baby could be mine or not and I don't have time to do guessing games. All am asking is to be here for you until the child is born and we figure it out from there"

Aria took a step closer with both arms crossing her chest as she stared fiercely at Frank.

"Is that all you care about? For the baby to be born so you can give him out to be poke with needles just to proof that he is yours?"

"If that's what it will take then yes" Frank had answered with a shrug.

"And if it turns out he is not yours?"

Frank could only answer with a frustrated groan.

"I will save you the stress of finding out later because my baby is not yours. Now you can go"

Aria was about to shut the door at his face when he reached out a hand and stopped her.

"I already told you, I don't care if it's mine or not. I will be a part of the baby's life still"

"No you won't. Just go away"

"You are not being reasonable Aria"

"I'm not being reasonable?" Aria had asked in total disbelief... "... You are the one who has been unreasonable and irrational right from the start and you stand here to accuse me of being unreasonable?" Aria had countered back in a fit of rage before walking away from the door and indirectly granting him permission to trail after her.

"You haven't given me much of a choice you know?" Frank had resorted after her causing her to turn swiftly towards him.

"Neither have you! What else do you want from me. My child is not yours how hard is that for you to understand and just leave us the hell alone"

Frank was about to say something when he realized Aria was starting to hyperventilate with both hands grabbing her head hard. He rushed over to her side and held her with both hands

"Are you okay?"

She gave no reply but instead tried to break free from his hold.

"You need to seat down Aria"

"No, you need to leave!"

"C'mon Aria. I can't leave you in this condition"

"You did it last night. You can do it again" she snapped at him.

Frank could only sigh out in frustration as he finally let go of her arm.

"I'm sorry okay? I was upset and confused and heck!_I still am but I can't leave you in this condition"

He picked her off the floor_bridal style before she could protest any further and stalked off towards the bedroom.

"Just hold still okay? I will just lay you on the bed while I grab water for you"

Aria only snort at him while she was gently lowered back onto the bed.

"Lie still Ari_I will be right back"

He quickly hurried off to the living room and came rushing back when he heard her screaming only to find Aria crying her eyes out.

"Whoa whoa_why are you crying" he rushed over to her side and placed the bottle water against the lamp stand before reaching for her again.

"What happened to you?"

Aria looked so frightened staring at her hands that was stained with blood as she choke in tears.

"My baby" she cried..

Frank who had just noticed the condition she was in,quickly spring up from the bed in panic.

"Shit!_calm down darling, don't be scared. I will get you back to the hospital right away" he stammered all at once.

Aria could only nod with more tears tripping down her cheeks.

Frank quickly picked her off the bed as he hurried towards the door while murmuring apologise over and over again.