Never say forever (Never series Book 1)

by Taylor, Courtney A.

  “I know. I know. I’m just lonely.”

  I still feel sad.

  “Don’t even do this, Serena. He is working on something for you. I have no idea what it is because no one will tell me. Not even Ben. I tried to get it out of him by withholding sex but that didn’t seem to work. Just believe me. He isn’t losing interest, he isn’t seeing someone else. He loves you with all his heart. I have known that boy for a long time and I know for a fact that boy is head over heels for you. As far as lonely... What the hell am I? Chopped liver? Hello Serena, I’m here.” She is waving her hands in front of my face.

  I actually start smiling at that. “I know. I just don’t know sometimes. My feeling and emotions seem to override everything. I feel like I’m losing him, like he’s slipping right through my fingertips and it makes me feel lonely. The only thing that can cure it is to be in his arms and feeling that connection we have.”

  “I know. Let’s eat some food. I know baby in there is hungry.” It’s almost as if my baby responded because my stomach started rumbling letting me know I need food.

  We sat there and talked while eating. She told me all about her childhood and when she first met Ben. I loved hearing about their love story. They are still going strong. They have been together since they were both seventeen. Hearing stories like that make me optimistic that I could have the same thing. If only I can see my boyfriend. I really hope this project is almost done because I don’t know how much longer I can go without having my other half right alongside of me.

  ***

  Aiden

  This past month has been the worst to date. We have been working extra hard but we are almost finished. Through all the long days and pain from working hard will all be a glimmer in the past once I see Serena’s face. This will all be worth it in the end. I feel like a terrible boyfriend at times because she hasn’t seen me and she’s been getting upset lately. My heart breaks knowing that she is sad because of me. I know I’ll see her beautiful smile again, until then I have to deal with the pain of seeing her emotional just a little bit longer.

  Football season is almost over and the project is just about complete. Just a little bit longer and she will have nothing but my attention. Although, I do need to look for a job after this. I will still be spending my days and nights making this up to her.

  From what I have seen of her, she has a small bump, reflecting our love growing inside her. Being here for this journey with her just makes me fall even harder for her but at the same time scares the crap out of me. We are very young but yet forced to grow up so we can do right for our child. Last year, what I thought I would be doing at this age was so far from what is happening. I never imagined having a kid before the age of twenty. It’s just not something I thought about. But everything is changed and I am now looking at everything differently because ever since I found out she was pregnant, I have felt myself grow up.

  I was in the process of finishing up the project today when Serena called. She has been calling a lot, which I don’t blame her for. I know she’s emotional and she needs me. She said all she wanted was a hug. As much as I wanted to just drop my things and run over there, I was dirty from the work and I was almost finished. As terrible as I feel, I know she will forgive me.

  After I got off the phone with her I spent the next hour with Ben finishing up.

  “Wow, we really did this huh?” Ben asks while looking at everything.

  “Yeah and it’s exactly what I pictured in my head.” I am mesmerized by our work and anticipate her reaction.

  “Dude, you know she’s going to cry right? She’s in for a surprise alright. I’m glad you found your one of a kind. She is definitely right for you and she’s lucky to have you by her side. You’ve always been a good person and this just makes you even better. I didn’t know you had it in you.” He claps me on the back, “Good job!”

  “I wasn’t the only one that made this possible. I had your help too. Thanks a lot, man. You have no idea how much this means to me. I know she’s going to cry but it will be tears of joy. I just need to finish up a few loose ends here over the next few weeks and then I can show her. Now I can finally start showing her some more attention,” I tell him.

  “I know she’s emotional because she’s pregnant but once she sees this, she isn’t going to even remember that she was upset. That will all be dust in the wind, my friend.”

  I sure hope so.

  “I hope you’re right. I just hope I haven’t been losing her this whole time.”

  Just thinking about it makes me sad.

  “She ain’t going anywhere. She’s head over heels for you.”

  He starts to walk to his car.

  “Why don’t you come over for a little bit. We can celebrate, maybe have a drink?”

  “I would but I don’t want to risk driving home since I am underage and because that’s what killed my mom.”

  I won’t ever get behind a wheel while I’ve been drinking, mainly because of my mother. She was hit by a drunk driver and ripped from my life. I would never want to feel the agony of being the cause of another family being ripped apart. I know how it feels, so I always refuse when I have to drive.

  “That’s fine. I understand. Still come over, I’m sure Abby made some dinner, I’m sure your starving. I know I am after this work. This had to be the worst day working on this.”

  “Okay. I’ll follow you to the house.”

  I enter my car and follow him to his house, which isn’t too far away. I pull into the driveway, turn off the car and open the door. I walk out and follow Ben up the steps to his house and in the door. I walk in and see Serena sitting on the couch. My heart flutters from the sight of her. I have missed her. She jumps up from the couch and runs to me.

  “Aww, you came to give me a hug.”

  Crap. She thinks I came just for that. I don’t want to rain on her parade and tell her that I came for dinner because I had no clue she was here. I hug her and hold her longer than I usually do.

  I whisper in her ear, “I always want to hug you, Baby. I missed you, sweetheart!”

  She looks at me and beams with her glistening violet eyes, “I missed you, too. Please don’t tell me you’re leaving already. I just got you, and I don’t want to let go yet.”

  I lean down and whisper, “I’m just about done with the project so you have me back now. I promise, pretty girl! I’m all yours!”

  I stay there longer, eyes closed, taking her all in. The closeness I feel right now is something I have been missing the past month or two. It was the best feeling and I didn’t even know it until it wasn’t there for a while.

  She tilts her head up with a big smile on her face.

  “Really?”

  I nod my head yes and she just hugs me tighter.

  “I am so happy. I have missed you so much, I have been sad.”

  It hurts to hear those words and knowing I’m the reason behind it.

  “I know baby and I’m terribly sorry. I am here now and nothing will take me away I promise. I do have a few more things I have to take care of but I won’t be spending all day doing it. It will be quick little trips but I promise you have my full attention.”

  I kiss her forehead. Our moment of bliss is cut short when Abby walks in clapping her hands.

  “Bravo, Bravo! Now time to eat!”

  I see Serena’s face blush because someone else had just witnessed our intimate moment that should only be shared between the two of us. I’ve missed her so much that I forgot we were at Ben’s house. The moment I saw her, everything around me dimmed and it was just me and her. We walk to the table where she had made a chicken casserole. I sit down at the table and we start eating and Ben breaks the silence.

  “I remember all the times our families went camping together. Which reminds me, we need to start our own camping trips. Maybe once the baby is born.”

  Ben mentioning that does bring back a lot of memories of my childhood. Ben’s parents and my parents always got along. Ben live
d down the street from the house I grew up in. We became fast friends, even though he’s four years older than me, he was always like a big brother to me. “Yeah, good times”

  Ben starts laughing.

  “Remember when we went tubing and you flew up like twenty feet in the air? I thought you were gonna piss yourself, you looked so scared.”

  “Well considering I was only twelve, yeah I was scared. But it was fun! I do admit that.”

  That was the first time I had flown that high when I got knocked off the tube. Ben was the one driving it. My dad let him take the wheel and he hit every single huge wave, head on to try to get me off that tube. He succeeded and I still have yet to get my payback. Maybe I’ll take him up on his offer to go camping. I could get my payback.

  We sit there and talk about our camping stories. We talk about how we used to sit around the campfire telling ghost stories. He tells Serena a story about my mother telling a creepy ghost story around the fire. Of course, I was young so I ended up falling asleep earlier than usual and Ben and my father decided it would be a good idea to reenact my mother’s ghost story and scare me. They succeeded in that too. I can’t get too mad at that story because it is a memory involving my mother. One of the memories I will never forget.

  We continue telling stories and laughing at each other until it gets late. I take Serena back to her house and we sit in the car and kiss for about a half hour. We are definitely making up for some lost time. She finally breaks and heads inside. I drive home just thinking about how different our lives are going to be in five short months.

  Chapter 15

  Serena

  One Month Later

  My life has returned back to normal. I have my Aiden back. He’s not working as hard. He is currently looking for a job but I’m being selfish right now and hope he doesn’t land one. I know I shouldn’t think that way because we need to look out for our future but I just got him back and I’m not ready to give him back to the working world again.

  I am now five months pregnant. We have the ultrasound today to find out the gender of the baby. I have been really excited these past few days. The closer we get to the date, the more excited I get. My stomach has gotten a little bigger. I can no longer fit into my old clothes. I have been in sweatpants mainly which I can’t complain because it is really comfortable. I know I look like a bum but I really don’t care. Being five months pregnant, it’s all about comfort and not looks anymore.

  School will be out for the summer in two months. I am happy for that. I can’t see myself waddling around the halls eight months pregnant. This whole pregnancy I have been an emotional wreck because I didn’t have Aiden all the time, but now that he’s done with his project, I couldn’t be happier. Although I still don’t know what this project is. He hasn’t showed me or said anything. He was practically done with it a month ago. I’m anxious to find out what it is but he has given me no clues or said anything about it which leaves me confused.

  Aiden pulls up to the house to pick me up for the ultrasound. I get in the car and give him a big kiss.

  “You ready to see our little munchkin?” he said with a big smile. I clap my hands excitedly.

  “Oh my God, yes!”

  I couldn’t get any more excited than I am in this moment. He just laughs at me while he drives. I can see the happiness and pure joy displayed on his face while we are making our way to the doctors. He is anticipating this just as much as I am and that makes my heart sing.

  We pull up to the doctor’s office and check in. We wait side by side, hands entwined, in the waiting chairs, awaiting our announcement. I can feel the connection I have with him even through our fingertips. It’s strong, just like our love for each other.

  The doctor calls us back and they go over the same routine I’ve been through before. I undress and put on the gown and lie on the table. The doctor comes back in.

  “Okay first up, we have to do an internal to check your cervix. We need to make sure you aren’t dilating and everything looks good.”

  I haven’t had an internal one yet so I am not sure what to expect. I see her take a long device.

  “You don’t have to use the washroom right? This will make you feel full inside and they are not bladder friendly. I suggest if you need to go, go now.”

  “No, I’m okay.”

  With that she brought this funny looking device and rolled a condom on. That’s very strange, why would they put a condom on it? My thoughts got washed away when I felt it enter me. I definitely was not expecting that. I have never had anything in there besides Aiden so this feels a bit foreign. I look up and I see something on the monitor.

  “Your cervix looks good. Still closed. Exactly what we’re looking for. Now are you ready to see your baby?” she asks with a smile.

  I nod my head and she takes the device out and cleans it off. She then takes the other device and spreads some jelly on it and places it on my abdomen. I look at the screen and I can see the baby. Aiden is next to me holding my hand and the minute the baby appeared, he squeezed my hand just a little tighter, showing his affection and his excitability.

  This is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I can see the baby’s head and I can see the baby’s heart beating which is one of the coolest things I’ve seen. She is moving the wand around my belly and snapping pictures. I see the arms and legs and everything seems so real now. I can’t wait to meet my little baby. She moves a little further.

  “You see that there?”

  I’m not sure what she’s getting at. I’m not sure what I’m looking at.

  “What am I supposed to look for? I’m not really seeing anything.”

  “Exactly. Congratulations. You’re having a girl!” she told me and I felt the tears streaming down my face.

  Aiden leaned down and kissed my forehead. He held his face to mine, eyes locked on each other.

  “We’re having a little princess. I hope she looks like you. She will be the most beautiful baby.”

  He closes his eyes and I can tell he’s just taking it all in, and maybe trying not to cry.

  We finish up at the doctor’s and she hands us a bunch of ultrasound pictures of the baby. We get into the car and Aiden is driving me home. The whole way home, I never take my eyes off the pictures. I am infatuated with these pictures; the key to my soul, the growing love in my stomach. I can’t get enough of it. I drink it all in, all the happiness that is to come.

  One Week Later

  I woke up this morning to the sweetest text message.

  Aiden: Happy Birthday my beautiful Violet! I have plans for us tonight. I will pick you up at 5 P.M. Be ready! Don’t even ask where were going. It is a surprise. A special birthday surprise for my special girlfriend. I love you to the moon and back!

  I sit here on my bed thinking for two hours what this could be. I contemplate every possible thing he could be doing for my birthday. The first thing was maybe were going to the waterfalls but then again it really wouldn’t be a surprise if that is my first response. I think of everything around here but I am stumped. I don’t dwell too much longer on it. I decide to get ready. I have gotten a few cute maternity items since I no longer fit into my old clothes. I found a cute short sleeved babydoll top that hides my bump pretty well. I throw on some yoga pants with it, rather than wearing sweatpants. I put some sandals on and apply a little makeup. I didn’t do anything with my hair because it has that natural wavy look and its actually pretty cute today.

  Once 5 P.M. hits, Aiden is at my door at the exact minute. This must be something special if he is this prompt. I open the door and he walks in and kisses me.

  “You ready for your birthday surprise?”

  “Am I ready? I’ve only been anticipating this all day long.”

  He laughs at me and walks me to the car. When I get in, he surprised me with a blindfold in his hand.

  “What’s this for?” I’m kind of puzzled by what’s going on.

  “It’s a surprise, which means you will b
e blindfolded until its time.” He smiles at me and then puts the blindfold on. This reminds me of the first time he brought me to the waterfalls. I’m nervous, anxious, excited and giddy all at the same time. I have no idea what’s in store for me. I feel him shift the car and start driving. I just sit here listening to the music play while sitting here in darkness. I know when he takes this off my eyes are probably going to hurt when they adjust to the light. I know it’s not the waterfalls because he has been driving longer than it would normally take to get there, unless he’s driving around in circles to make me think it’s something else.

  I finally feel the car come to a stop. He opens the door.

  “Don’t take the blindfold off yet. I will guide you the way.”

  I’m kind of scared. I don’t like walking when I can’t see, especially being five months pregnant. It doesn’t feel right. I feel his hand grab mine and he throws his other arm across my shoulders and holds me up.