Stardust and Kisses

Confessions and Consequences

Aaron

I sat across from Heather, the weight of what I was about to say crushing my chest. Her eyes were locked on mine, already full of suspicion. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to find the right words. No matter how I said this, it was going to hurt her.

"Heather," I started, my voice rough, "there’s something I need to tell you. About the call... the one I got the other night."

She didn’t say anything, but I saw her tense up. I’d been stalling long enough. There was no easy way to do this.

"I—f**k," I muttered under my breath, leaning forward, my elbows resting on my knees. "A month ago, I... I ran into someone. Her name’s Veronica. I didn’t mean for anything to happen, but it did."

Her eyes narrowed, lips tightening, but she stayed quiet, waiting for me to finish. The silence was suffocating.

"We, uh... we spent the night together," I continued, feeling the words stick in my throat. "It was one night. I barely knew her, and by the next morning, she was gone. I haven’t seen or heard from her since. Until now."

Heather’s face was unreadable, but I could see the storm brewing behind her eyes. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "And now she's pregnant?"

I nodded, feeling the tension between us grow sharper. "I didn’t know about it until that call. I swear, Heather, I had no f*****g idea. She just... called out of nowhere, said she was pregnant, and now—"

"And now you’re telling me you f****d some random girl a month ago, and she’s pregnant." Heather’s voice was cold, like she was keeping herself together by sheer force of will. "Just like that."

I rubbed my hands over my face, feeling like the biggest asshole in the world. "It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was a mistake—one I can’t take back. But I didn’t know, Heather. I’m telling you now because you deserve to hear it from me."

Her expression didn’t soften. "So what now? You’re going to play house with her?"

I shook my head, frustration boiling up. "I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do. I need to talk to her, figure out what’s real, and handle it. But I don't know what to do.”

Heather’s gaze finally broke from mine, staring off into the distance like she was trying to hold herself together. "Aaron, I don’t even know how to process this right now."

"I know," I muttered, feeling the weight of everything crush me. "I f****d up. I know that. But you’re the one person I can trust with this right now. I’m telling you because I need you to understand. I don’t want to hide this from you, not after everything."

She didn’t respond right away, and the silence between us was unbearable. Finally, she spoke, her voice low and full of hurt. "I just need some time."

I nodded, though every fiber of my being wanted to beg her not to walk away.