The Love of Lies

Appreciated

Cori’s POV

I don’t want to hurt Mrs. Lewis’s feelings, but I have no interest in anything except the buttered toast and the strawberries that are chopped on my plate. The eggs are over easy, so I shouldn’t eat them; the sausages aren’t burnt enough for my taste, and the homestyle potatoes have diced tomatoes in them.

Still, I’m enjoying the company of the Lewis family, loving how close knit they are. At first, I was very embarrassed that they clapped when Ashton and I came into the room, but after some time, I realized that they were clapping about the peace that’s been made between us, not the fact that we’re having s*x.

“Are you still not feeling well, or are you unsure how to act in front of my parents?” Ashton must have been able to read my body language, so instead of brushing it off, I tell him exactly how I feel

I never really hated the man, I just didn’t like him, at all. Every time I saw him, I wanted to punch him, but now, I feel like the dynamic of our relationship has changed, and even if it's just temporary, I like the idea of having a supportive partner while I’m pregnant.

It’s important that he bonds with our unborn baby because it could shape the way he treats the child in the future, and it's also the reason I want him to be at my doctors’ appointments, knowing that being involved could foster that bond as well.

“And what do you want to do now?” Ashton asks, but because I’m not really sure what we’re doing, I take his hand and squeeze it affectionately.

If he’s uninterested, he’ll either pull it away or talk to me about it later, but he responds with a light kiss that Mrs. Lewis compliments.

She’s been wanting Ashton and I to work things out from the first week I moved in, but I was angry with him for being a jerk, and he was mad at me for being pregnant.

Eventually, the conversation goes into decorating the nursery, and how Ashton is overstepping by taking me shopping until it finally lands on a baby shower.

I don’t need a party to remind me of how alone I am, but Mrs. Lewis puts it in a different light, and it makes the thought of a baby shower a little less depressing.

Again, the women start talking about the nursery, prompting Ashton to ask me how I feel about the idea’s being thrown out.

Truthfully, I’m fine with anything safe, and nothing they’re suggesting seems garish to me. As long as they don’t want to put rubber ducks and clouds on the wall, I’m fine, but Ashton isn’t buying my indifference.

“Cori, I would like it if you were more involved. This is our first baby.” Those words allude to the fact that we’ll have more than one child together, and because my heart has already been softened, I melt.

“Okay… When we go out, I’ll take pictures of some of the things I like.”

“Good.” The man and I quietly go back to eating, and because breakfast is really about Julia and Troy, they start talking about their engagement, which surprised no one in the room, but is still worth celebrating. “Full?” I nod at Ashton who excuses us before walking me back to my room.

I didn’t need his help, but he didn’t feel comfortable leaving my side. He and I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I’m sure he’s going to bring this experience up, but I’m more than sure that I was light-headed from low blood sugar.

Ashton and I showered before breakfast, but I wasn’t really cleaned the way I needed to be, however, when I tried to go back into the bathroom, Ashton stopped me.

“Cori wait… the soap you use is horrible. My skin has never felt so dry before.” That's probably the only downside of the soap I use, and after filling the tub and helping me inside, Ashton leaves to ‘bring me something better.’

I’m almost positive that he took Julia’s soap, and he admits it when he hands it to me, clearly not wanting me to think that it belonged to an ex-girlfriend.

“Ready to stand?” I kind of feel bad allowing Ashton to take care of me like this, but when I point it out, he literally ignores me. The difference between the body wash and my soap bar is clear from the way my skin feels, but I know the brand is expensive, so I make sure to use it sparingly. “We need to get all this girly sh*t for you too. I don’t have any, and your loofah is falling apart.”

“True, but it costs a dollar and gets the job done.” Ashton chuckles, telling me that I don’t have to be frugal anymore, but regardless of our relationship, I don’t feel comfortable spending his money.

Just like he did earlier, Ashton helps me out of the tub, then he helps me pull out my underwear.

“You need more loungewear, and better shoes.”

“Ashton…” I don’t want the man to think that I’m being friendly to him because of the things he buys me. His change in demeanor happened after I hit him, then he started to buy me food, and now he’s onto wanting to buy me clothes, but I don’t want that. “You know that you don’t have to do this. Those sneakers are just fine for me.” I get that Ashton has an image he wants to keep, but I don’t, and unnecessary luxury has never been something I’ve called my own.

“Cori, I’m not trying to buy you, but we made a deal.” That statement made my heart sink down into my stomach, but I say nothing. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” I lie. “But I'd like to pay for my own things. I work for you, and while your family is helping me, I don’t have any living expenses, I can at least buy clothes.”

Ashton’s POV

Cori clearly isn’t taking the hints I’m dropping, but I don’t want to offend her by insisting, so I’ll ask my mom about it later. I think she and I are past the point of asking each other out on dates, but just in case, I want a woman’s perspective.

When I’m certain that she’s okay, I leave her room and go to ready myself. I make sure to be quick about it, and on my way back, I pop inside my brother’s office, warning him to make sure that his fiance knocks in the future.

“Trust me, she’ll never make that mistake again. By the way, I didn’t peg you as a foot guy.” There’s nothing I can safely throw at my brother without damaging his computers, but I understand why Julia would think that.

“Should I call you out on your weird sh*t?” I've walked in on my brother and Julia way too many times since he moved in with me, and I've seen things I can never forget.

“You could, but I’m not embarrassed. I like what I like, and if you're attracted to toes, I’m no one to judge.”

“You’re an as*hole." My brother is texting, and when my phone buzzes, I know he sent me something offensive.

I cautiously open my phone, and immediately delete the text, glaring at my hysterically laughing sibling.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard you and your brother laugh like this.” I thought my mother was gone, but she must have still been chatting with Julia. “I’ll have the broth for Cori ready before you get back, but Ashton-”

“Ma… before you start accusing me, let me first ask for advice.”

“Okay…”

“Cori isn’t taking any of my hints. She still thinks we’re just friends.”

“What have you done to show her that you aren’t? And don’t you dare tell me anything I don’t need to know about.” Troy starts cackling, likely thinking about the foot pictures he just sent me, so I’ll make sure to flood his phone with sexualized food, knowing that he and Julia like eating things off one another.

“I don’t know what you mean by that.”

“Take her on a date Ashton.”

“She’s already pregnant.”

“Oh? So, that means that she doesn’t need to feel appreciated?” The face I make causes my mother to cover her mouth, walking away from me with a scowl of such disappointment that it's funny.

I know what she meant by appreciated, but it made different thoughts go through my mind. I have ‘appreciated’ Cori two nights in a row, and if the mood is right, I’ll ‘appreciate’ her tonight as well.

“Mom’s right, you need to take her somewhere without a pretext.”

“Isn’t that working backward?”

“Ashton, that's like saying that if Julia got pregnant tomorrow, we should end our engagement.” That was a very harsh example, but I get what my brother means, so I leave his office to apologize to my very disturbed mother before returning to Cori’s room.

Surprisingly, she’s already dressed and chatting in the sitting room with my mother and Julia. I want to make the woman feel appreciated in a nonsexual way, so, I hug her from behind and kiss her temple.

“Ready to go?” I can tell that Cori was caught off guard, but she isn’t embarrassed.

“Is this outfit okay?” It suddenly occurs to me that Cori thinks I’m not happy with her clothing because it’s off brand, but that isn’t the case at all.

In fact, I’m fairly sure the dress she wore to Troy’s party was from the mall, but beautiful is beautiful, and not even Mark, a very materialistic man, was able to ignore her.

“You always look good; my only concern is your comfort.” I notice that Cori changed into something my mother bought for her, making me feel like crap for not giving her context to my earlier comments. “Are you sure you want to wear that?” Again, I feel like an i***t because Cori starts asking me if she should change.

It’s my mother who comes to the rescue, reminding us that we don’t have much time to shop because of Troy’s dinner.

The way she’s looking at me holds a warning, but it has nothing to do with being late and everything to do with my lack of communication with the woman who’s carrying my child. So, after getting into the car, I try setting the record straight, letting Cori know that she’s not an embarrassment to me.

“I just don’t want people to get the wrong impression. You live with me, you’re carrying my baby, and it reflects poorly on my entire family if people think that I’m not treating you well.”

“But your family ‘is’ treating me well. What I wear should have no-”

“Cori…” I cut the woman off because she really has no idea what she’s talking about. “Imagine adopting a child and buying them the cheapest clothes while buying your biological children the most expensive.”

“I’m no one’s adopted child Ashton.”

“No… But you are my…” I almost lose the courage to say it, but before I can force the words out, Cori completes the sentence for me.

“I know… I’m your responsibility. I’m sorry Ashton, I’m not trying to be difficult with you, I’m just in a little bit of a sour mood.”

I don’t want to tell Cori that she’s my girlfriend while she’s in a bad mood because she may become annoyed that I’m not giving her a choice, but the simple truth is that she doesn’t have one.

“I’ll give you time to feel better, but we need to talk as soon as you do.”

“Thanks,” Cori says, closing her eyes while rubbing her belly.

I can tell that she’s uncomfortable, so my first priority is going to get that lotion, hoping that it helps.