Reckless (24 page)

“Ready to get it over with,” I said.

“Me too,” he said as I lean against him and feel his heart beating rapidly. “Alright give me your hand,” I put my hand in his and he walks me to our spot. Barely a second passes before we walk through the makeshift door of a small town restaurant and bar.

Scene: Reckless: Aimee / Ava

TC holds my hand but barely acknowledges my presence as we walk up to his crew. He greets them with a smile except for Lacey who ignores him noticeably. We sit as far away from her as possible but close enough for them to exchange glances at each other throughout our meal. I do not say much, except when someone asks me a question about the baby but mostly I just sit and watch TC staring at Lacey.

“If you want to go talk to her you can,” I said as he looks down at me for the first time tonight.

“I don’t.”

“It sure does seem like you do. If you like her, I understand if you want to be with her instead. You don’t owe me nothing.”

He looks back at me angry as he downs his beer, “Why don’t you mind your own damn business?”

I look away from him, glancing at her as she gathers her things and leaves abruptly. TC slams another beer on the table and looks out the window to watch her leave. As person after person leaves us, he sits silently ordering another beer and then another.

 
“Are we going to leave soon?” I asked shyly glancing at the table full of bottles.

“To go where?” He snapped.

“I don’t know. Home maybe?”

“Home? Then what.” He snaps. “What - you want to play cards or maybe curl up on the sofa together like the beautiful couple we are?” He stares into the side of my head as I squirm in my seat. “What do you want to do Aimee?”

Cringing I feel the tears surfacing again.
I’m getting good at this.
“I’m kind of tired I’d like to go to bed.”

He laughs, “Tired? It figures. You’re not a whole lot of fun you know that?”

“I’m pregnant, the doctor says that’s what supposed to happen.”

He rolls his eyes, “Fine.” He sits for a few minutes before pushing away his last beer and sighing. “Do you mind if we go somewhere first?” I shake my head anxious just to go. “Come on.” He helps me up, walking me to the door casually with one hand on my back and the other holding the door open for me.

End Scene: Reckless: Aimee / Ava

Sean and I wait while they setup our last scene. We are going to be sitting in his convertible now. Sean is already in the car waiting for me when I come in. I sit next to him and he slides me closer to him, focusing in on my eyes and caressing my face.

“What?” I asked him.

“Ava I love you, please don’t ever forget that,” Sean said kissing my hands gently.

“I love you too. It will be fine baby - I promise.” He nods allowing me to lean against him, his heart now imprinting on his shirt it’s thumping so hard.

Scene: Reckless: Aimee / Ava

I stare at the stars from his lap, while TC drinks another beer and plays with my hair. “This is beautiful. What made you want to come here?” I asked.

“I just thought you might like it.”

I sit up to look at him, “I thought you were mad at me?”

He shakes his head, “I didn’t mean to take it out my problems on you, it’s not your fault.”

I move to my side of the car, leaning against the door as I look up at the stars. I smile as I try to imagine something any more perfect than this. TC suddenly leans over and kisses me hard, “What are you doing?” I asked him holding my mouth.

“Damn, can’t I kiss you?”

“I just didn’t know you wanted to.”

“I do, and in fact.” He fumbles around in his pocket pulling out a ring. “I want you to marry me.” My eyes widened with his casual handling of the ring.

“What? Really?”

“Really, but you have to kiss me right now to get it,” he smiles his cocky smile holding the ring out from me like bait. I kiss him happily and he gives me the tiny ring. I put it on my finger and smile wildly at him. He kisses me hard again, barely giving me time to breathe, “I want you Aimee, I want you right now,” he said moaning and rubbing my thighs.

“Okay,” I said trying to catch my breath.

He continues to kiss me as he undoes his pants. Kissing my neck and sliding his hand up my leg and under my dress. He makes it to my underwear and starts to pull them off when he suddenly jumps to the other side of the car.

“What the hell is that?” He yelled.

“What was what?” I asked confused.

“Your stomach, it jumped at me.”

I laugh feeling my stomach, “No it’s just the baby kicking.” I reach for his hand and place it on my stomach. “I bet he knows you’re his Daddy.” He stares at his hand and then at me. “It’s not a big deal, it happens sometimes,” I smile but he pulls his hand away from me.

“I think we should go,” he said avoiding my eyes.

“I thought you wanted to …”

“No, let’s go home, you need some rest I’m sure.”

I sit back in my seat staring at my ring smiling, “Do you think we can get married in a church? I would really like to start things off right.” I asked fantasizing about my expected wedding day.

“Whatever you want,” he said in a daze.

End Scene: Reckless: Aimee / Ava

The scene needs a change of scenery and we adjust as Sean closes his eyes with a heavy breath. I grab his hand, rubbing circles with my thumb but he doesn’t look up at me he simply waits for the scene to begin again.

Scene: Reckless: Aimee / Ava

I look out at the rode as we drive home. “Aimee?” TC asked.

“Yeah?”

“I … I” He closes his eyes for a second. “I slept with Lacey last night and I asked her to marry me.” My mouth drops, but I stay silent as I look at the ring on my finger. “She said no and I thought …”

“You thought you would ask me since she turned you down?” He nods. “Because you are hurt not because you wanted to.” I stare out over the passenger door wanting nothing more than to jump out of this car and run.

“No, I do want to. I mean I love her but she doesn’t want me and I know eventually I can love you the same way.” Tears pour from my eyes. “I never forgot you Aimee, you were important to me at the time. I just didn’t expect to see you ever again.”

“No TC!” I yell pushing his hand away from me.

He grabs my face and tries to get me to look at him, “I want to be with you Aimee, please say you want to be with me.”

“You only want me because she doesn’t.”

“No that’s not true, she even knows that. That’s why she said no.” I shake my head pulling as far away from him as possible.

“Do it for the baby, Aimee.” I go silent. “He deserves a father in his life,” he pleads.

“Are you going to be there? Or are you going to be out running around with other girls?” I stare at him as he tenses his hands on the wheel. “You know you won’t be able to stay at home and work a regular job and not cheat on me every chance you get.”

“I don’t need to get a regular job Aimee, I have a job, and I won’t cheat on you.” TC tries to convince me

“You already did!”

“I did not!”

“You slept with her just last night.”

“So what, that was before I proposed to you.”

“But we’ve been together.”

“Together? You live in my house, I have barely touched you since you moved in. How do you figure we’ve been together?”

“I sleep in your bed with you every night,” I cried to him.

“So what, you slept in my bed when I got you pregnant. Did you think we were together then?”

“At the time … kind of.”

“Oh please, you are either really naïve or stupid. How many guys have you slept with Aimee? What five, fifteen or is it more like fifty?”

I cry hard, “No!”

“No, then what is it?” I turn from him, not wanting to answer. “You want to talk about me let’s hear the truth about you!” He continues to scream. He reaches for me grabbing my arm and turning me around to look at him. “How many?” He yelled staring straight through my eyes.

I cry, “One!” His mouth falls open. “Only one,” I jerk away from him again. “TC stop!” I scream.

End Scene: Reckless: Aimee / Ava

We stop and everyone freshens up, including Sean who is fidgeting and pacing. I am just relieved I do not have any more lines. The next part is easy for me, I am overjoyed before seeing the pain in his face. I did not realize how hard this is for Sean. They take me away to redo my makeup, bringing me back to place me at the scene properly, positioning me far away from the tree that the car is now wrapped around. Focusing on breathing Sean gets into the wrecked car and takes one final breath before they start again. Smoke consumes the air around us as he begins to come to life from his now hunched over position.

Scene: Reckless: Aimee / Ava

TC looks around him, “Aimee?” He said searching for me. He gets out of the car, stumbling around it, and yelling for me. “Aimee!” He yells holding his head where it bleeds. He finally sees me laying on the ground after being thrown from the car, broken, bleeding and dyeing rapidly. His cautious breath matches his touch, “Aimee, it’s going to be alright. I’m going to go get help. I look briefly at him, struggling for breath as I die in his arms. “No!” He screams at me. He grips me hard trying to find my life but it as well as the life inside of me is beyond saving. He cradles me to his chest screaming and crying. “Oh God no! ……. No. I’m so sorry! Don’t leave me, please don’t leave me. I’m sorry.” His pained pleas continue as he presses me to his chest. He screams furiously, kissing my face as he cries. “I’m so sorry, Aimee. Please don’t leave me, I don’t want to be without you. Don’t leave me like this … I can’t lose you both like this. Not like this.” He cries out his pain, in a deafening tone as darkness falls completely around us.

End Scene: Reckless: Aimee / Ava

As the scene ends I open my eyes and try to regain my position but Sean holds me so tight against him, I cannot move. The entire set is silent as his whole body trembles, shaking his tears from his face onto mine.

“Sean? It’s okay, I’m okay,” I reach out wrapping my arms around him and hold him.

Sean kisses me on the forehead and helps me up, “I need a few minutes, Ava. Get cleaned up and ready to go and I will meet back up with you at my trailer.”

I search for his eyes but he won’t look at me.“Okay.” I reach out for his hand before he can walk away and he squeezes mine tight within his before letting go again. It breaks my heart watching him walk away torn apart.

Sean is silent most of the way home. I place my hand on his leg as he drives and he takes hold of it and doesn’t let go.
I wish I could say something, anything to make him feel better.
“I am going to make an appointment for the doctor this week, would you like to go with me?”

Shaken out of his daze. “Yes.” He said with a bright smile. “Yes, I would like that very much.”

I smile at him, “Okay.”

I can’t help but notice him stare at me as if I have some blinking button to show whether I am pregnant or not. I know he is not meaning to but he is making me nervous.

“Sean stop staring at me.”

“Sorry sweetheart, I just …” He sighs. “I don’t know what I’m waiting for.”

“Well even if I am it’s going to be a few months before you have to rush me to the hospital. At least wait until then to act like a nutty father.”

“I won’t be nutty. I was trained to handle all kinds of stressful situations,” he said calmly with a smile.

“Oh please, you will be freaking out as soon as you see that little baby inside of me, especially if it’s a boy.”

Sean smiles so wide his expectations are written all over his face. “Maybe, so will we see something tomorrow if …”

“It won’t be much to see right now but you can if you want to.”

“I can’t wait to be there with you this time, and experience everything I missed with Lillah.”

“Everything?” I joked.

“As much as I can, beautiful,” Sean kisses me sweetly.

“So you’re going to get up for feedings and change diapers …”

“Hey I changed Lillah’s diapers and if I recall she was still getting up fairly early when I found out about her.”

“And what about watching me get huge and …”

Sean leans over to kiss me, “And? Beautiful you mean, sexy even.”

“Sexy, I can’t imagine being that.”

I look into his smiling eyes, “Ava I saw the pictures when you were pregnant with Lillah, you were incredibly sexy to me. You’re carrying my child, what is sexier than that?” I give him a look. “Fine, maybe sexy isn’t the right word, but you were certainly beautiful.” Sean continues to kiss me everywhere he can until I laugh. “And you will be just as beautiful this time.” I grip his hand on my cheek smiling uncontrollably at him. He leans back lost in his happy thoughts.