Unit
2163 Words
Ashton’s POV
I was able to convince Cori to come back to bed, but I learned a valuable lesson when it comes to the woman.
She isn’t interested in who I was with before her, save for Vanessa, who she has her own issues with, which I don’t blame her for.
It’s me; I’m the one who wakes up wondering if Cori’s going to be there, if she's going to realize I don’t deserve her, or worse, if she finds out the truth and leaves.
I’m not in love, but I love who we are as a couple, and who Cori is as a whole, down to the way she snores when she’s really tired.
This situation can’t be easy for her, but she’s adjusted quickly because that’s what she's had to do her entire life, and I’m afraid that quality of hers will come back to bite me in the future.
“Do you want me to cook breakfast?” Cori mumbles, clearly disturbed from sleep by the way I’m rubbing her belly.
“No. I just want to watch you sleep for a little while longer.” The woman smirks, then turns to face me, struggling to open her eyes as she does.
“No work?”
“I’m not going into the office today. I want to make last night up to you.”
“Make it up to me by going out and making money.”
“Seriously?” Cori smiles lazily, and because I know she hates kissing with a stale mouth, I do exactly that, wanting to tease her back.
“Eww.”
“How is that any worse than what you did to me last night?” Cori scowls, recognizing the phrase as her own.
“Oh, you’ve been waiting to throw that back at me, haven’t you?”
“You know it.”
“Uh-oh. Gotta pee.” I can sense the urgency in Cori’s words, so I help her get up faster than she’s able to move on her own, and because neither of us bothered to shower well last night, I set the water while she relieves herself.
I don’t know when we got to this level, but we’re here, and I don’t mind it.
“Are you really staying home today?”
“It was my plan. Why? Have anything in mind?”
“Not really. I just wanted to get away from your mom for a few hours.”
“Something going on?” Cori takes a deep breath, and because I can tell she’s done, I help her stand up from the toilet, and into the running shower stream.
“Ashton, I really don’t want a baby shower. I don’t have friends or family, I’ve only met a handful of yours, and it just sounds like a big waste of money to me.”
“Celebrating my babies isn't a waste of money.”
“Let’s celebrate them by actually opening a college fund for them.” Cori mentions that any time we’re doing anything that involves money, so I know she’s serious about it, so after our shower, I take her to Troy’s study.
She doesn’t venture into my brother’s side of the house much, so she’s curiously looking around while I explain what I want from him.
“Ashton, I don’t know if I want to do that,” Cori says, still looking around my brother’s office wearing a combination of awe and interest on her face. “There are too many variables.”
“Come here Cori.” I did not like the way my brother just called my girlfriend over to him, so when she stepped forward, I did too, wanting to stand in between them. “What do you see?”
Troy is pointing at a grid, and Cori explains it as she sees it. He then asks her where she would put her money, likely wanting to make a point, but the woman shocks us both with her response.
“I don’t know what any of those companies’ stocks looked like six months ago, so I wouldn’t invest in any of them.” Curious, Troy pulls up the information Cori asked for. “I’d put my money on the guy who hasn’t moved much.”
“Then how will you make money?” Cori’s stumped, but she’s not exactly done.
“I hear you, and that's my problem with investing. It's not just taking a risk based on market trends, it’s also being subject to several layers of manipulation.”
“What do you mean?” Troy lives for conversations like this, so I take a step back, not wanting to kill his joy.
“These graphs are showing me the change in value, the shifting trends, and the projected growth, but it doesn’t show me who the puppet masters are.”
“Puppet masters?”
“Yeah, people like us are the ones who drive these markets, but who makes us want what we do and why?” Pushing me aside, Troy takes one of Cori’s hands, making me glare over the woman’s shoulder.
“Cori, give me all your money.” My girl starts laughing as she pulls her hand away, shaking her head at my brother’s joke. “I don’t understand why you went into nursing. You have a good understanding of the markets, why didn’t you take finance?”
“There's a limit to your clientele, but people are hurt, born, and need treatment daily. You’re employed because you have a family backing, after I give birth, I’ll be able to get a job anywhere. Besides, I don’t like math.”
“That’s true, but in two days, I can triple your money, guaranteed.” Troy doesn’t guarantee anything, so if he’s telling Cori that, it must hold some weight.
“How can you ensure that?”
“Because my dear sister-in-law, I know who the puppet masters are.” Cori is stunned silent, as am I.
Troy shouldn’t have called her that when she’s barely even my girlfriend, and like me, she doesn’t know how to respond.
“You guys can breathe. I used that title because ‘my brother’s baby’s mother,’ doesn’t sit right with me.”
“But that’s who I am,” Cori replies, giving Troy a half smile that’s clearly fake. “I’m not embarrassed.”
Clearly she’s embarrassed, but I say nothing because marriage is the furthest thing from my mind, regardless of the woman’s condition.
Cori’s POV
I am not ready to get married, and if Ashton asked me to marry him tomorrow, I’d say no, but being someone's baby momma was never in my plans, and it’s hard to come to terms with it.
Even my father married my mother, and while I’m not asking for that, it would have been nice to be a wife before carrying twins.
Embarrassed, I quickly change the subject, not wanting the mood in the room to become any weirder than it already is.
“How much do you need to start off?”
“A good three-thousand will do.”
“That’s literally all I have to my name.”
“I thought Ashton was paying you.” Ashton makes a face, likely feeling guilty for stiffing me, but he doesn’t actually owe me anything.
“He’s spent the money he owes me on the things I need for pregnancy.”
“You’re an as*hole,” Troy suddenly says, turning away from me and his brother to go back to looking at his monitors.
“What did I say wrong?”
“He was talking to me, and babe, I didn’t spend your money on anything. Tell me how much I owe you and I’ll transfer the money over right now.”
“I’m really okay. You can hold it for when I really need it. I don’t have health insurance, so I can use it for my postnatal care.”
“I cannot believe we have the same parents.” Troy is talking to himself, but I now know he’s speaking with the intention of making Ashton feel bad about something.
“Cori, I’ll take care of those expenses as well.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“Absolute fool,” Troy says, pulling my eyes to the back of his head once more.
“Cori, babe. We are in this together. All of your bills are my bills, and I will sign as the responsible party when you're in labor.”
“Really?” I don’t know why I assumed Ashton would only cover the prenatal care and the delivery, but if he’s willing to pay for my aftercare, I won’t argue with him.
“What kind of an as*hole do you think I am?” He asks, pointing to his chest as though he’s gravely offended.
“The kind of as*hole that hires a pregnant woman as a servant, then doesn’t pay her.”
“Okay Troy, I’ve got your point.”
“I hope so.” Ashton leaves the study in a huff, and not knowing what to do, I roughly pat Troy’s shoulder, making him look up at me.
“Why did you do that?”
“Cori, you aren’t just pregnant with Ashton’s kids. That’s my niece and nephew in there.” The man points to my belly, but doesn’t touch it, he never does. “He should be more considerate, and if he needs reminding, I don’t have a problem doing it.”
“But Troy, Ashton didn’t ask to be a father. If he could have had his way, I’m sure he would be happy to have never seen me again.”
“And if you could have had your way you probably wouldn’t have-...” The man pauses, sighs, and turns away. “Give me your banking information by the end of the day, and if you're not satisfied with what I can do in a week, I’ll return all your money and profits to you without taking a fee.”
“What's your fee?”
“Fifteen percent.” I don’t ask for a family discount because that would just make this conversation weirder than it already is.
Ashton’s POV
My brother has a real as*holish way of doing things, but he’s right. He's been saying it since we made up, but I'm only just understanding.
I’m sitting up at night wondering how long I’m going to have Cori by my side, and yet, all I'm doing to keep her is buying gifts to make her comfortable.
How didn’t I know that she would need help paying for postnatal care, and how did I forget to pay her when I was the one who suggested for her to work for me?
“Ashton?” I’m running on the treadmill to blow off some steam, so when Cori comes into the gym, I lower the speed to a walk so that I can hear her. “Please don’t be angry. I don’t think Troy meant to make you feel bad. I think he was just shocked because I don’t have that much in savings.”
Cori comes closer to me, and tugs on my arm, making me step off the machine and into her hug.
“Why don’t you talk to me about those kinds of things?” I ask in a whiny tone, burying my face in Cori's neck as I pull her as close as her belly allows. “Why do you just keep those things to yourself?”
“It’s been just me for a long time. If you would have asked me, I would have told you, but this isn’t a reason for you to be angry.”
“Yes, it is.” I pull back to look at Cori’s face, kissing her forehead with as much gentleness as I can muster in the moment. “I know this isn't easy for you, but can you at least try to let me in fully? I want to know everything, all your fears and worries; I want them to be mine too.”
“Ashton, what’s the point of stressing us both out?”
“None,” I dejectedly reply, already guessing that Cori was going to say that.
“Hey,” she whispers coaxingly. “It’s good to know you plan to continue helping me even after the twins are born.”
“Did you think that I wouldn’t?”
“It’s not that. I just didn't expect that you would?”
“What’s the difference?”
“The disappointment I’d feel if you chose not to.” I’m not mad because I can tell Cori’s trying to be open and honest. “I can’t want what I never expected.” It’s funny because just a second ago, marriage was a distant thought, and now…
“Babe, we’re a couple. You should always expect more from me.”
- Writer
