LOVING MY BEAST

AUNT GINA

Claire’s POV (A WEEK AGO)

I drove out of the mansion leaving Alexander in shock. Tears continued to pour out. Thank goodness this car had heavily tinted windows or I would be scouted for the next American horror story cast. I made my way to my Aunties’ apartment in New York City.

I parked my car and fixed my makeup before entering the building and greeting the receptionist. I knocked and was greeted by my brother who was now almost my height. He leaped into my arms with a huge smile. I hugged him back. We might fight a lot but we love each other dearly.

“I missed you.” He mutters with his face buried in my chest. “I missed you too.” We enter and find my Aunt sitting on the couch with a bowl of cereal in her hands. She looks at me from the corner of her eye then turns back to the television. Classic Aunt Gina. I go behind her and wrap my arm around her shoulders. “I missed you too.”

“Miss me my a$$. To think that you would choose a man over your beloved Aunt. Hmph.” I sighed and chuckle then took my seat. I grabbed my tummy and started groaning in pain. Aunt Gina immediately leaped towards me with a worried look. “Oh my God! Are you okay? Did your wounds not fully recover? Are you in a lot of pain? Oh, my baby!” My painful groans slowly turned into laughter.

A mortified Aunt Gina gave me a punch on the shoulder. I continued to laugh and she joined in. “First stage of madness.” These were obviously the words of my brother who was in the kitchen. “Isn’t it past your nap time baby boy?” I retorted with a smirk only to be given a stink eye. What Max hated more than being called Maxwell was being seen as a baby.

I chuckled and continued my conversion with Aunt Gina. She told me about her recent relationship with a man. He turned out to be a billionaire but he took on a façade and lied to Aunt Gina. She felt as if he didn’t trust her enough to tell her who he was. 

I could see the hurt in her eyes. Aunt Gina has always had the short end of the stick when it comes to relations. Cheating, toxic, fakes, f*ck boys, married men(accidentally) you name it, she has seen it all.

I could tell she was at her wit's end and on the edge of a breakdown. She seems to have given him her heart without restraint. I hug her and she buries her face in my chest. A smile spreads across my face. Thirty-two years old and she still acts like a teenager. I guess age is just a number with Aunt Gina.

“Now are you ready to tell me why you look like the cast of the walking dead?” I chuckle and nod my head. I tell her everything except for the fact that I was pregnant. I don’t know why I just couldn’t bring myself to tell her.

“Is that why you came waltzing into my house looking like a zombie.” I smile and lean my head on her shoulder. “I guess we just have terrible luck when it comes to romance.” “Couldn’t agree more.”

“Want to express yourself better?” I nod my head and we head towards a small room. The walls were painted white with splashes of different colored paint. The room contained easels, canvases, palettes, inks, etc. She picked up her canvas and I follow suit.

We sat down and painted whatever was going through our minds. She and I always had a thing of letting out frustrations and excitement with art whether it was writing it out in a form of a novel or painting it out on a canvas it always calmed us down.

I dipped my brush in the red paint and began. I finished painting with the last stroke. I felt a presence behind me. “It’s that bad huh.” My Aunt muttered behind me. “I could say the same for you.” I directed my chin towards her canvas that had a drawing of a man in his late thirties but was undeniably good looking. “Men are such stressful creatures.” “Argh. Tell me about it.”

“I loved him. I still do and it hurts.” I see a sorrowful look on my auntie’s. She turned around and left in silence. I stared at my canvas absentminded. I sigh escaped my lips I used red and black to paint and it was of a man standing hugging a woman from the side view. He hugged her with one hand and hid his heat in a small cage behind him.

I pursed my lips and folded my hands. So that was how I felt; that was the reason for lashing out. I lashed out not only because he hurt me but also because he didn’t give me his full heart. But the question is why? I know he loves me but why won’t he… trust me?