|| CHAPTER SEVEN||

Here..
we've come to the end of our winding road
no one knows..
the reasons my eyes had til now been closed..
still you constantly, openly, stripped of me my deepest love
built on promises you never kept.. so just stay gone
There you are.. broken.. fake it

- For The Taking, Blackout

The crib was frustrating her. She glared at the heap of materials in the middle of her bedroom floor and then scowled at the sparse direction sheet that had even come with the thing as her father asked from the doorway, "Can I come in?"

"Sure, Charlie.. Think you can figure this damn thing out? Because I am working on a college major, sir, and I've yet to figure out which part on the damn diagram of this crib goes where.. What's up?" she asked as she looked up at her father, brow raised. He seemed tense tonight, almost like he was worried about something. And she was getting a feeling that the something in question was her situation. She'd finally given him all the details earlier and tried her best to reassure him that it was probably nothing, but the man was a worrier, it couldn't be helped.

Charlie sat down on his daughter's bed and took the instruction sheet while sipping a beer he held in his hand. His eyes darted over the paper in his hand and he said solemnly, "I think you should consider letting a private investigator look into these calls.. Or at least letting one of the guys down at the station look into it. I mean given what you've told me about your ex, you can't be too careful.. I also think it wouldn't be a bad idea if you spent more time with Jacob when I'm not here.. I just.. Knowing what's going on, Aria, I really do not feel like leaving you alone in the house anymore."

"Dad, it's not a big deal.. I mean if it were my ex, he hasn't done anything but make a few calls. He hasn't shown up here and trust me.. If he were angry enough, if he wanted something badly enough, he would. I'm sick of living in fear every single time the damn phone rings, sir.. I want to enjoy being on my own two feet again, I want to work through what I've been through.. I can't do that when I'm worrying and upset constantly. I can't take being worried and upset anymore, either. It's not good for me or for my baby. And how do we know anyway, that it has to be my ex.. Like I told Jacob, the calls could just be the work of some little horny ass teenage boy here in town."

"Well, I'd rather know."

"Okay, sir.. I'll let one of the guys look into the calls. And I'll go down and file an order against my ex in case he shows up. In the meantime, sir, I have mase, I have taken self defense and I do know how to operate a handgun. I do believe I'll be okay." Aria said as she looked at her father, gave him a reassuring smile. Inside, yes, she had to admit that she was scared as hell.. She didn't want him seeing it though, because she felt guilty because she'd gotten herself into this mess she was in. She didn't want to have anyone she cared about hurt or anything by what she'd managed to get herself into.

It was bad enough her unborn child was in the middle of it. She already felt like a failure as a parent and stubborn pride kept her from showing just how afraid she really was, because her father had been through more than enough in recent years thanks to her sister and her sister's endless stunts and problems. And then her marrying the guy and leaving for God only knew where to boot hadn't helped any.

"And you'll spend less time alone when I'm working?" her father asked hopefully as he worked on assembling the crib beside her. She sighed and he looked at her and said solemnly, "It's for your own good. I'm worried about you. I wish you'd come to me when it got this bad instead of pretending everything was just fine. I could have helped you get away, I could have put a stop to this jerk's antics. I am your dad, Aria."

Aria sighed quietly and then said "I was disgusted and ashamed of myself, okay? Because I thought before all of it happened that surely I wasn't stupid enough to just fall for someone like that.. Then I did and before I realized it.. I was afraid, okay? I didn't know what he would or wouldn't do and I didn't want to drag you or Mom into this. I hate myself for even dragging my kid into this. My kid's not even born yet and I'm already doing a stellar job of fucking up their life."

"You are not. You got out." Charlie told his daughter in a firm voice as he looked at her a few moments, quietly sipped his beer and then mused aloud, "People make mistakes, Aria. You thought he was a good guy and that he loved you.. You took a risk.. Sometimes risks don't pay off.. But if you stop trying to take them, Aria, you won't ever know what you're missing out on. Just some advice."

Aria chuckled and then said "I haven't stopped.. I'm just putting more thought into the risks I take.. I can't just do something anymore.. That was about Jacob, right? Are you trying to set me up with Jacob, Dad? Because trust me.. I think the only reason he's even around so much is because the absence of Bella is driving him to replace the void he feels with my presence or something. He's not into me, I'd know it if he were. I mean he's always been a kinda flirty guy, you can't take it seriously when he flirts.." as she bit her lower lip and their odd conversation from two days prior in his father's truck came back to mind..

He'd been getting at something, but she hadn't let him finish whatever it was he'd been wanting to say to her. And he'd dropped it. He still came over and sat with her, did things with her, but he dropped their unfinished conversation.. And for some odd reason, she sort of wanted to hear what he thought she wasn't 'ready to hear' quoting his words.. He still flirted with her, sometimes, even, she'd look up or something and catch him watching her with this strange look on his face, almost as if he wanted to say something but he wasn't going to yet.

"It was worth a try, huh?" Charlie chuckled as he stood, helped his daughter off of the floor also and hugged her, fluffing her hair as he asked, "So.. What'd the doctor say about my grandkid?"

"The usual.. They have ten fingers and toes, they're forming correctly, they have strong vitals.. I got a sonogram, actually.. The doctor could've told me the sex.. I kinda think I want it to be a surprise. I mean I know I said earlier that the doctor thought it'd be a boy and that I was going to get the sex found out and confirm what I was having.. But I kind of want the surprise too..."

Charlie chuckled and with a shrug said "Just think about what I asked you to do, okay? The guy's here all the time.. Between you and I, Aria, he wasn't even around this much when your sister was living here." which made Aria bite her lip and ask, "So you knew I liked him back then, huh?"

"You've always liked him.. I know it had to have hurt to watch him have feelings for your sister.. But people change.. And sometimes good ones make mistakes."

"Gotcha, sir." Aria said as she mock saluted him and held out the sonogram photo so that he could see it and Charlie remarked, "Personally? I think it's gonna be a little boy. That'll be good."

"Dad, no.. We're not going to turn him into a sports addict.. Sports hurt, I'm not sure if I even want my kid playing any." as Charlie pretended to pout and then said "Oh come on.. At least give me baseball, huh?"

"Okay, baseball." Aria relented, laughing as she walked into the kitchen of her father's house and grabbed a green tea. The knock on the door had her raising a brow and she looked out the kitchen window. The sky was almost black and she wondered who in their right minds would be out driving in the crap. When she opened the door to her father's house, she got her answer.

Jacob stood in the doorway, looking at her with a smile as he asked, "Feel up to getting out in an hour or two?" a bundle of nervous energy as he held her gaze, licked his lips and waited on her answer.

Aria looked at the sky behind him and asked, "But the weather?"

"It won't matter.. It's a thing.. At Sam's.. For Claire.. I didn't wanna go by myself, thought I'd ask if you wanted to come with me?" Jacob asked as she laughed and nodding said "Let me shower and change and tell Dad what's up." as she walked back up the stairs to get ready. When she told her father where she was heading, her father smiled and said "Just remember.. Maybe some risks are worth taking, huh?"

"No wedding plans, Charlie." Aria joked as she finished getting ready and walked down to where Jacob sat waiting on her.. But maybe her father was right.. And she did feel a lot safer and happier with Jacob around all the time.. And he was flirting with her..

But was it still too soon?