Darker The Forbidden Berry

“It felt silly to tell you how I felt so early on. Besides, I had a hard time admitting what it was too, you know?” She said softly, still looking up at him. “When I went to that party with you for the first time and I saw you with those other women, my blood boiled. I was so mad that you were giving them attention. It seemed weird at the time to tell you because we hardly knew each other. I did not want you to think I was crazy.”

Finn hummed a little and rubbed his chin.

“It’s probably better you did not say anything,” he said with a soft sigh, stretching his arms up and arching his back. “I would have thought you were crazy for sure.”

They both laughed and she curled into his shoulders, closing her eyes for a brief nap before it was time to leave. All of her fears and concerns melted away.

*****

Aja stuck her hand out the window, a pair of sunglasses covering her large doe-eyed stare. She moved her hand with the current of the wind, humming along to the song on the radio. Winter in Michigan was cold so Finn and Aja opted to take Finn’s private jet to his summer home in the Florida Keys. It was just a short trip meant to be a reprieve from the cold, but Aja kept extending the date. She’d brought her canvas with her and her final painting was almost done. She did not really see a reason to rush home.

Finn had started out feeling antsy about the little vacation. He was worried he wouldn’t be able to handle his business from a distance, but he quickly found that Zoom calls were just as effective as going to lavish parties.

“See. I told you this would be nice,” Aja said, leaning her head back against the seat and resting her hand on the tiny baby bump that was growing bigger day by day.

“Yeah yeah. You don’t have to gloat.” He said with a chuckle, making a turn. “I do miss my baby, though.”

He was talking about the Monte Carlo, of course. The car available to them at the beach house was a newer electric car that had all the modern whistles Finn did not really care for. He liked a classic car. He insisted that they were timeless and easier to fix. Aja was not sure about that second part, but he was right about the first part.

The shrill ring startled Aja and she sat up, brows furrowed as she stared at the little screen on the dashboard. She did not recognize the number on it, but she certainly did not like the way Finn cursed when he answered it. He sighed in what sounded like defeat and hit the answer button.

“Hey, mom! What’s up?”

Aja’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach as she sank down further into the seat. She tried to stay out of Finn’s business, but she knew for a fact that he still had not told his parents about the pregnancy.

“I cannot believe you, Finn!”

“What are you talking about?” He sounded tired.

“You stood up another girl we set you up with! This is the fifth date you’ve missed! What the hell is going on?”

Finn brought his hands to the bridge of his nose and gave it a good pinch as he let out a long sigh.

“I’m tired of going on these dates. I want to focus on work.”

“You want to focus on partying and running around with loose women.”

“Jesus Christ, mom! I am doing my job. What more do you want from me?”

“I want you to settle down! You’re going to knock up the wrong bimbo one day and it’s all going to be over for this family!”

The words offended Aja to some extent. Was she the bimbo? She put her hands on her belly in an almost protective way, turning her head to look out the window so Finn could not see the hurt.

“Just stop.” Finn finally said; his voice firm with a touch of anger behind it. “Stop talking like that right now. You want to know why I haven’t been going on these asinine dates?”

“Please enlighten me,” she scoffed.

“Because I have already settled down. I did not want to cheat on my girlfriend so I did not go on the stupid fu*king dates.”

There was radio silence for a long moment and when his mom talked again, her voice was stiff.

“And why didn’t you tell us about her?”

“Because I wanted to enjoy one fu*king thing without having you butt in about it. I wanted to enjoy my time with her and not worry about the fact that the second you met her, you would be sizing her up like a fu*king racing horse.”

“Watch your language, Finn.”

“I’m tired of this,” he said finally. “I met someone I love and if you want to meet her then that’s fine. You can meet her, but nothing you have to say about her is going to matter. Do you understand that? I love this woman.”

The silence was tense and Aja could practically feel the tension between Finn and his mom.

“What is her name?”

“Te’Aja.”

“WHAT?! You… The girl we hired to watch you?!”

“Yes. She’s a very successful and talented art student. She is kind, honest and caring. She’s everything I could want in a partner.”

“Finn Reynold…You cannot be serious.”

“I am very serious. If this is where we decide we’re never talking again then so be it, but if you don’t accept this then you will have to find someone to do all your business over here. You know I have good job offers no matter where I go, so don’t even pretend like you can afford to lose me.”

Another stiff silence ensued and Aja could practically hear Finn’s mom grinding her teeth on the other end.

“Bring her to the villa. Your father and I want to meet her.”

“We’ll be on a plane tomorrow.”

Finn hit the hang-up button and Aja just turned and looked at him with wide eyes. She’d been asking Finn to tell his mother about them and the pregnancy for the last couple of months, but she had not really expected it to go down like that. She leaned her head back against the car seat and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.