Stardust and Kisses

The Game Begins

Heather

Aaron sat back down, his phone clutched in his hand, his thumb hovering over Veronica’s number. I could see the tension in his face, the uncertainty. He glanced at me, and for a second, I almost told him to wait, to think this through. But we didn’t have time for second guesses. If Veronica was playing him, the sooner we figured it out, the better. I needed to hear her voice, to catch her off guard, even if it was just the slightest flinch, some hint that would give her away.

“Call her,” I said, crossing my arms, my voice steady but my insides churning. “We need to know what she’s really up to.”

Aaron exhaled hard and hit the call button, putting the phone on speaker. The ringing seemed to stretch on forever, and I could feel my pulse in my throat, waiting for her to pick up.

"Hello?" Veronica’s voice came through, smooth as ever, but there was a sharpness to it. It wasn’t the voice of someone surprised to hear from him. I clenched my jaw.

"Hey, it’s Aaron," he said, his tone flat, controlled. "We need to talk."

There was a pause, just long enough to make me think she was calculating her response. "Aaron... I wasn’t expecting to hear from you this soon. Is everything okay?"

I narrowed my eyes, watching Aaron’s face, but it was Veronica’s voice I was listening to—every inflection, every pause.

"No, everything’s not okay," Aaron said, his voice tightening. "You dropped a bomb on me, Veronica. I need to know what’s going on, and I need to know now."

Her laugh was soft, almost amused. "I told you what’s going on. I’m pregnant. I didn’t expect you to take it lightly, but I thought you’d at least want to talk this through."

Aaron shot me a look, his frustration obvious. I stayed silent, staring at the phone like it might reveal more than her words ever could.

"That’s exactly why we need to meet," Aaron said, his voice low. "In person. We need to figure this out, all of it."

Another pause. This one felt longer, more calculated. "You’re right. We do. How about tomorrow? My place?"

My stomach twisted. Of course, she wanted to control the situation. "No," Aaron replied quickly, glancing at me. "Not your place. Somewhere neutral. Somewhere public."

Veronica hesitated, and for a second, I thought I heard something—something small, like a c***k in her confidence. But then she recovered. "Alright. The café by the park. Tomorrow afternoon?"

Aaron looked at me, silently asking if I was okay with that. I gave a slight nod. It was neutral enough, though I had no intention of letting him go alone.

"Fine," Aaron said. "We’ll meet at two."

"Good," Veronica said, her voice a little too sweet now, like she’d just gotten what she wanted. "I’ll see you then."

Aaron hung up without another word, tossing the phone onto the table. He leaned back in the chair, exhaling like the weight of the conversation had finally hit him.

"She didn’t sound nervous," he muttered, rubbing his face. "Maybe we’re wrong about her."

I shook my head, staring at the phone like it still had answers. "No, she’s good. Too good. But there was something off when you didn’t agree to her place. She’s trying to keep control of this."

Aaron looked at me, his brows furrowed. "So what now?"

I took a deep breath, formulating the plan I’d been thinking of ever since he dialed her number. "You meet her at the café. Alone. I’ll be there, too, but I’ll sit in the background. She won’t see me. I need to watch her, Aaron. Every little move, every word. If she’s lying, she’ll slip. And I’ll be right there to catch it."

He shook his head. "I don’t like it. I don’t want you in the middle of this mess."

I stepped forward, planting myself right in front of him, my arms crossed tight. "I’m already in the middle of it, Aaron. We need to figure this out, and I’m not sitting on the sidelines. If she’s screwing with you, I’ll know."

Aaron looked at me, his eyes conflicted, but after a moment, he nodded. "Alright. But if things get tense, you stay out of it. I don’t want her thinking you’re involved. She might get suspicious."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, she’ll never see me coming."

He snorted, shaking his head with a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "This is fucked."

I couldn’t argue with that. It was f****d. But we didn’t have any other options. "We’ll figure it out," I said, though I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring him or myself.

As I walked out of the room, my mind raced with the possibilities of what tomorrow would bring. If Veronica was lying, I’d find out. And if she wasn’t… well, we’d cross that bridge when we got to it. But for now, the game was on. And I was damn sure ready to win.