Tonight

Erica stared at him for sometime, the guy she kept thinking of had suddenly appeared before her.

“Oh…. That, yeah” she replied and went aside making way for Aurelio to come in.

He took slow steps in with his hands in his pocket. Erica didn’t take eyes off him, she kept wondering what he is doing here and then she shook her head after blinking her eyes rapidly.

Erica slowly closed the door and turned on the light switch since she turned it off.

She turned around to look at Aurelio looking at her with a smile.

She was totally confused and slowly crossed her hands behind fiddling her fingers.

“You should have your seat..” she managed to say and then she sighed.

Aurelio took his seat on one of the couch and Crossed his legs.

He looked round the room and smiled, he could see her portraits on the wall, a nice art on the wall, beautiful decorations like flowers beside the TV and hanging on the wall.

“what a nice apartment you’ve got”

He said to her

“I know it’s little, more like a studio apartment” she clicked her tongue

“even if you were creative to make it look beautiful than other big empty living room I’ve seen” he replied

Erica raised a brow at him and scoffed.

“first of all, how did you know where I live?” she asked him then stood in akimbo

Aurelio paused, should he tell her?

Rowan said she doesn’t know he is working for him so let him keep it low.

“I got your address from one of your colleagues in the hotel” he shrugged.

Her eyes went wide immediately “gosh! Do you have to go there?? Oh my goodness, I haven’t gone back there for days now!” she slapped her forehead as she shook her head at the same time and slumped on her couch.

“What have I gotten myself into?” she asked herself.

“Huh? Why?... From my point of view, you’ve stepped into success” Aurelio replied.

He knows what he meant by that, if Erica would just move in with him, he knows what’s up. How her life would be turned around immediately.

A smile plastered on his face as he thought of it

She paused and turned to him with a glare.

“ don’t think I welcomed you into my house young man, what are you even doing here?” she pouted and got up on her feet as she made her way to the kitchen.

“Oh well that hurts, that I am not welcomed in..” Aurelio replied.

Erica chuckled and took the tray of avocado toast out of the kitchen, and another tray of oat porridge in her hand.

She walked back to the living room and placed the tray on the table before Aurelio.

“You are lucky I just made breakfast” she said to him and went back to the kitchen.

Aurelio eyes went wide as he looked at the beautiful avocado toast before him on the table.

Was she inviting him to eat with her?

When last did he eat avocado toast??

A side smile appeared on his face and then he sat up, the appetite that had left suddenly came back with full speed.

“How do you like your coffee??” Erica asked him from the kitchen.

He thought if he should let her know, it’s his first time in her house, would he tell her?

He doesn’t want it to look like he is placing orders

“Any type” he replied with a shrug even though his best is black, no sugar, no milk.

“Ha! Well from your look I think you’ll like it dark” Erica replied.

He couldn’t help but smile, not too long Erica returned to the living room with two cups of coffee in her hand.

One creamy and the other black.

She dropped the black coffee before Aurelio and sat on the rug close to the table.

“Why you sitting there?” Aurelio asked her immediately shocked.

“what? I like it.. besides it’s more comfy” she replied and dropped a plate of the avocado toast before Aurelio.

“You should eat…” she said to him and began to eat.

“What If I don’t eat?” he replied and heard her laugh.

“then I’ll kick you out of my house” she replied and took a bite into her mouth.

Aurelio laughed lowly and took a slice into his hands, he looked at it for sometime before he took a bite into his mouth.

He could not deny how good it was. Just a perfect taste.

“hmmm..” Erica heard him moan lowly and turned to him.

“good?”

“yeah! Totally!” he replied and gave her a thumbs up.

“So what brought you to my house?” she asked him as she sipped her coffee in.

How would Aurelio start.

“I—uh— I’ve been trying to reach you before now, to thank you for the other night” he replied and saw her pause eating.

“Oh.. what did I do?” she asked him lowly and took another bite.

“A lot, thanks for being by my side back there. I really appreciate it Erica” he said and saw her chuckle

“are you really thanking me? I only tried to protect you but I got something else bigger in return” she laughed lowly.

“I think I know what you mean” he replied

“you don’t” she replied him lowly and continued eating

“You were drunk, so I don’t think you remembered what happened after eating” she added

“Yes I was but I remembered everything from the start till when you left that morning” he replied as she turned to look at him wide eyed.

“seriously? You do?! Ha! What a jerk.. you know you got drunk and hurt yourself” she clicked her tongue.

Aurelio laughed lowly and picked another slice of avocado toast into his mouth.

“Thanks for taking care of my wound”

“And where is my handkerchief?” she asked him

“It’s okay, you can keep it though” she said with a shrug.

“Erica…” Aurelio called her, she turned to look at him with a ‘what’ look on her face.

“How have you been since that night..?” he asked her looking into her eyes.

She gulped down heavily “does he really remember that night?”

“You left the following morning, I couldn’t even get to see you again until now.. don’t you know I’ve been looking for you” he replied and saw her laugh.

“I think you are mistaken, looking for me? Why would you be? And besides I.. I am fine, been doing well” she replied and looked away

“Erica, you can be honest with me” he replied her softly.

“why should I? I don’t even know you.. and how do I tell you?” she replied already feeling a lump in her throat.

She was getting teary again.

“I know it would be hard for you to, but I’ll tell you Erica, I’m a honest person.. you should be free with me” he replied.

She paused eating and got up from the floor “You should eat and leave mister, what happened in the hotel that night was a mistake and I promise myself I won’t repeat that again” she said about to walk away but Aurelio stopped her immediately by holding her wrist.

She stopped just beside him. “you will not have the opportunity to repeat it again.. not when I am here” he replied as she slowly looked down at her wrist and could see his hands around her wrist.

Aurelio slowly got up and turned her to himself.

“Tell me Erica, how have you been feeling? Any symptoms?” he asked her placing his hands on her shoulder.

Her eyes were fixed into his icy blue eyes, without looking away she replied.

“Weird… and I know why”

“Should I take you to the hospital huh? We should run a test, you could be pregnant”he replied and her eyes went wide immediately.

“And what if I am? What does that has to do with you?”

“Off course it has something to do with me pumpkin” he replied and saw her shake her head.

“from your look and everything I’ve seen already, I think you are someone controlling millions of money around the world, but don’t worry. I am not aborting my baby, I will take care of my baby while you watch your reputation” she said to him and then a tear dropped down her eyes.

Aurelio was taken aback, she isn’t just pretty but smart!

At the same time he was sad because of what she had just said.

“Why should you say something like that pumpkin..” he gasped

“What? Was I wrong.. I am sorry to say this but you look like someone that sleeps around” she replied.

He didn’t react because she is right. He actually used to sleep around but since he met Erica, he became a different person entirely.

“I understand, my look is judging me” he faked a laugh

“Mister, I don’t know why you came to see me, but be rest assured. I won’t spill it out.. and besides I don’t know your name nor your identity. You are safe okay?..”

“how would you raise the child alone huh?” Aurelio asked her

“I can work.. I’ll work and feed myself and my baby hmm?” she faked a smile and wiped her tears.

“I will give my baby the perfect love I could not get from my own parents and make sure my baby is well trained and lack nothing, Even if it’s to sell my organs out, I will” she replied as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

Aurelio was amused. He had never seen a woman indeed like Erica.

Seeing her cry was already hurting his heart.

“In that case let me buy your heart” Aurelio said to her

“ I see you don’t trust me.. I need your trust Erica. I know you had a bad family love, your mom, your dad, they didn’t took care of you like you’re their daughter. Erica—” he trailed off as she cut him short

“no you don’t understand, you really don’t have an idea of what it was like. All I just want is to live a good life even though it’s without them but here I am, having a living thing growing inside of me” Erica cried out.

Aurelio pulled her in for a hug immediately. Her head rested on his chest as she cried out like a baby.

Aurelio hands were slowly rubbing her back. Erica doesn’t remember the last time she hugged someone nor got embraced.

Aurelio was smelling more than so good, she leaned onto him crying and at the same time enjoying the fragrance coming out of Aurelio.

“shuuuuush… it’s okay pumpkin, I won’t let you do it all alone” he said softly to her ears and then a phone call came in.

Erica jerked up a little hearing his phone ring and then she pulled away from the hug as she wiped her eyes.

“please excuse me” Aurelio said to her and took his phone out of his pocket to see the caller was actually Rowan.

“What’s going on?” he thought and answered the call.

“Yes ? What’s up?” Aurelio asked immediately he answered the call.

“Sir.. it is Rolph. You need to come see this” Rowan said to him from the other end.

“Is it that urgent?” Aurelio asked and saw Erica walk away to take her porridge into her hand.

“yes sir.. are you with her already?” Rowan asked

“Hmm” he replied

“Oh my.. you need to find a way to come over, it’s urgent” he replied and Aurelio sighed.

“Okay then…I’ll be coming over” he replied and ended the call.

“you should be going.. I don’t want my porridge to get cold so I’ll eat it right away” Erica said without looking at him.

Aurelio sighed and stood before her, she could only see his legs but then she leaned forward to her.

“I’ll be coming back hmm?” he said to her and she only laughed lowly.

“You must be stubborn. I can see it already” Aurelio chuckled and cupped her cheeks in his hands.

Her eyes went wide at his touch. His palms were soft and cold that it sent shivers all over her body.

“Don’t miss me too much okay?” he smiled at her

“why should I?” Erica laughed and then he surprisingly pecked her forehead.

She froze immediately, her lips were slowly parted and then she slowly blinked her eyes.

Aurelio pulled away and stood before her “give me your phone” he said to her and stretched his hands out at her.

She glared at him first before she reluctantly gave him her phone.

Aurelio’s fingers moved on it and then he returned it.

“That’s my number. Give me a call and I’ll come over immediately hmm?” he smiled at her.

She looked at his number and saw that he had already saved it as love bug

“Love bug??” she exclaimed.

“even If you don’t love me now…believe me you will pumpkin” he winked at her then walked back to her table and picked up a plate.

“ I’m leaving with this, it’s been years I ate a good avocado toast. Thanks for the coffee too. That was actually my best” he winked at her before he made his way to the door.

“call me like I said!” Aurelio stopped and turned to her.

“I heard you… I don’t know if I’ll have a reason to” she laughed out and waved at him.

Meanwhile,

Rolph was seated in the car on a call.

“You said she is pregnant? How is that possible!!” a loud thick voice was heard.

“The only thing we have to do now is to make her lose that baby, Aurelio would take her in anytime soon” Rolph replied

“Send me her house address since you said you have been to her house before. I’ll be waiting for it”

“ I will right away, he will not get what he wants.. never!” Rolph replied

“when would you be going to her?” he added

“it has to be as soon as possible.. or we loose her”

“Tonight!” he laughed from the other end

TBC

Good morning lovelies 🥰🥰✨