Went out together

Chapter 2

    Aliyah POV

    The last few days have been filled with me working on the new project for Cooper's company, and avoiding Jeffrey has been really hard for me. It was Friday evening, and I was just about to get to work since I had to write overnight.

    "Why aren't you sleeping?" I glanced at Nancy, who was sitting on the bed after I put her to sleep minutes ago.

    "Nothing," She shook her head, but the look on her face showed that something was bothering her.

    "What did momma say about something bothering you?" I asked her after I sat on the bed and cupped her cheeks in my palms while staring into her eyes.

    "I should talk about it," Her tiny voice sounded through my ears, and I smiled at her

    "Good. Now, tell me what is wrong with you? Did you get bullied in school by your classmates?" I asked her as I patted her hair, but she shook her head.

    "You don't look fine. Is everything alright? Are you hungry? Do you want Mommy to make something for you to eat?" I asked her, even though it was late in the night. I could always go to the kitchen at any time to make food for her if it'll make her happy, but having her shaking her head got me worried about her, wondering why she was like this.

    "Nancy, I..."

    "Where is Daddy, Mommy?" She asked the question that sent me frozen on the bed, and my mouth dropped open in shock as I stared at her. For some seconds, I tried to hold myself together, but it wasn't something easy to do, not when she was staring at me dead in the eyes and I felt she was looking through my soul. I tried to at least find something to say to her, but it was as if my tongue was tied to my mouth, my brain was numb that I couldn't even come up with anything to say to her.

    "All my classmates sometimes come to school with their dropping them off... When we have parent-teacher meetings, their dads come to attend the meeting, and I have never seen mine. Did he die?" She asked innocently, and I felt tears building in my eyes, but I held them back. This was what I've always feared most in my life, this day was what I've always prayed for to never come, but it seemed like it wasn't something I could avoid. It was her first time asking me such a question, and the look in her eyes showed how desperate she was about this.

    "My classmates are always bragging about their dads in class. They are always talking about how their dads would take them to the park... I am really jealous of them," She pouted her lips sadly, and I pulled her in my arms.

    "Your dad... He is..." I paused when I couldn't find something suitable to say to her. What if I told her he was dead and she found out later that the bastard was still alive? Won't she feel betrayed and maybe hate me for lying to her? She was also too young to understand what happened, and hearing about it was going to traumatize her, so what was I supposed to say to her?

    "Your dad went on a trip, and he will be back soon," I knew the lie didn't come out well, but I tried not to stutter. The tears I'd been hiding finally found their way down my cheeks, but I quickly wiped them off with my palm.

    "On a trip? I've never seen him all my life," She uttered, and I bit my bottom lip as the realization dawned on me that the lies I told her didn't sit well with her.

    "Oh, that? Trust me, your Daddy will soon be back, ok?" I finally pulled away from her, and I assured her even if it was an empty assurance. Liam rejected me and the baby, and there was no way he was ever going to come back to us, and even if he did, I won't ever allow him anywhere close to my child. Never!

    "Why don't you get some sleep, sweetheart?" I asked her after I kissed her forehead, but she shook her head.

    "You are going to write, right?" She asked me, and I nodded my head as I hummed.

    "I want to stay with you. I will stay here and watch you write. Since tomorrow is Saturday, and I won't be going to school, I can sleep late today, right?" She smiled at me, and I nodded my head.

    "Alright, sweetheart. Do you want me to get you a glass of juice?" I asked her, and her face beamed with excitement.

    "Yes, Mommy," That was all the permission I needed to go to the kitchen to get her a pack of juice, and while she was drinking later, I was busy with my work. 

    "What do you think about including a baby character in my new book, Nancy?" I asked as I glanced at her. She is just a child, you would say. Well, this child is the only one I have, and she is the inspiration behind every book I write, so I always asked for her opinion in every single book I've written.

    "A baby character will be fine. What are you writing about?" She asked me.

    "Just a normal billionaire book," I replied to her.

    "Yes, I think it will be a good idea. You should make the child a little older than me. Maybe seven will be nice, and also, he or she should be smart," She suggested, and I nodded my head affirmatively. Although Nancy was just five years old, she was smart. Like really smart.

    The rest of the night was just me writing, even after Nancy fell asleep. I finally went to join her in bed once it was 3am.

    I had no idea how long we'd been asleep, but the sound of my ringing phone pulled me out of my deep sleep, and I tossed on the bed before I reached out for the phone, and swiped the answer button without bothering to check who the caller was.

    "Good morning," I snapped my eyes open when I heard the familiar voice. It was Jeffrey's. Why the hell was he calling me on the weekend, and this early morning too?

    "Good morning," I replied to him, regardless as I checked the wall clock, and it turned out that I was actually the one that slept for so long. It was already 10am. Gosh! How did we sleep for so long?

    "Did I wake you from sleep? I'm sorry," He apologized, and I rolled my eyes.

    "Hmm, it's fine," I replied to him.

    "I was thinking of going out to have fun today, do you want to go with me? And little princess too. What do you think? Should I pick you up on my way?" His gentle and calm voice sounded through the phone, and I sighed briefly.

    "Alright," I replied before I ended the call. Since I've been busy with work, I didn't think it was a bad idea to take my baby out today that we are free.

    She woke up about an hour later, and I was already done with breakfast by then. I bathe with her and got dressed before we finally went downstairs to wait for Jeffrey since he promised to be here in five minutes. 

    He arrived in less than five minutes with his six-year-old daughter, and Nancy rushed to hug him. They have only met about two times that Jeffrey was here, and guess what? She had developed a likeness for him. I forgot to mention Jeffrey is a single dad of two children too, and they were twins.

    "Aunt Aliyah," The two little girls squeaked excitedly as they rushed to hug me excitedly. We have only met about two times, and I could say the kids were really fun.

    "It has been a while. Why have you not been coming to see us?" Ella, one of the twins pouted her lips.

    "I'm sorry. I've just been busy with work," I apologized to her.

    "We are going to spend time together today, right?" The second one, Emily asked excitedly, and I nodded my head.

    "You haven't come here in a while now. Is everything alright?" Nancy asked later as he drove us to the Park, and he glanced at her visor since she was sitting in the backseat along with his kids.

    "I've been busy with work. How about your studies? Hope you are still studying well?" He asked her, and she nodded her head.

    "Yes, I am. We are having a Christmas celebration in school in five days. Will you come over?" She asked him, and he smiled at her.

    "Why not? I will be there," He replied to her, and she beamed with excitement.

    The rest of the drive to the Park was filled with Jeffrey and the kids, talking about one thing or the other, and when we arrived, we all left to play games. We played different games, but Jeffrey spent the most time with Nancy and the kids since she was clingy to him for some reason best known to herself. Well, she was just a little kid that considered Jeffrey my friend. I convinced myself.

    Seeing them smiling together, I couldn't help but imagine what life would've been like if Liam had accepted us. Maybe we would've been living a sweet life somewhere, and maybe who knows, we would've had another child by now. Just the thought of it brought nothing to my heart, but hatred. Recalling how he chased me away, how he told me to get rid of the baby that he didn't want it even though we were married, just thinking about it was breaking me into pieces, but I knew I had to be strong, if not for anything else, but for the sake of my baby.

    "Come and play with us, Aunt Aliyah," Ella yelled from where they were about to go on a rollercoaster.

    "Enjoy yourselves. I will watch you from here," I replied to her before she left with the others. 

    My phone suddenly started ringing, and I checked the screen to see that it was a call from a strange number.

    "Who is this?" I mumbled before I swiped the answer button, but the voice I heard from the other end made me freeze on the spot.

    "Hi, Aliyah," That was a voice I would never forget, the voice I would never fail to recognize even though I was in a coma. It was Liam's voice. Liam just called me.

  

"Who is this?" I asked him after I braced myself, trying not to sound nervous.

"This is Liam," His voice made my heart even quiver, and my mouth dropped open in shock as I stared into space. He was really the one. I quickly ended the call with my trembling nervously.

"Are you ok?" I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard Jeffrey's voice behind me, and I turned sharply to find him staring at me with a questioning expression on his face. When did he get here?

"Oh, it's nothing. I need to use the restroom," I replied to him hurriedly before I walked away with my heart thumping hard against my chest. It has been six good years. Why did he suddenly call me?