The Love of Lies

Satisfied

Cori's POV

Ashton is trying hard to cheer me up, but I'm not angry; I'm just anxious because I don't know how long his attention is going to last, and while I thought I'd be okay with pretending, my current mood tells me that I'm not.

"Why don't we just get them all?" I was reading the label of one of the stretch mark creams, but I had to pull my eyes away to look at Ashton like he's a fool. "Just a suggestion." I chuckle at the man's willingness to bow down to my mood, but because I feel guilty, I move closer, letting him see what I'm reading.

"These are the active ingredients; they aren't good for the baby."

"Then… Why do they sell it in this kind of store?" Ashton picks up a different bottle, reading it for himself.

"It’s meant for postpartum care."

“And that means…?"

"It’s for after someone gives birth."

"Oh…. So we can get one later?" I nod at the man, putting the cheapest option in the shopping cart, much to his dismay. "Cori, we’ve already talked about this…"

"It's actually the safest choice, and if you check the price per ounce, it's not as cheap as it seems." I point to the small number next to the cocoa butter’s price, hoping it helps him understand what I’m talking about.

"Fine, let's get many so that we don't run out." That's a good idea, and since the man is offering, I stock up on several types of the same brand.

Afterwards, we make our way to the maternity section of the baby store, but it's way too overpriced and extremely ugly.

“I’m not going to force you to get any of this stuff because I feel like I saw better options online.”

“Shopping for Pauline?”

“No… What? Not her, I was looking for you.” That gives me an opening to ask Ashton something that’s been bugging me since the guacamole.

“Have you been reading my pregnancy guide?”

“Let me explain…” The man looks panicked, but I’m not angry at all. He’s taking the initiative, and I won’t fault him for that. “Yes, I was looking through your things, but it wasn’t intentional, I just wanted to see if you were connected to the Wi-Fi.”

“So, how do you like the reading so far?” Hopefully, Ashton can sense that I'm being sarcastic, but based on the way he shrugs, he doesn't, and wanting to have a little fun with him, I make a face and storm away, causing him to scamper after me with an apology that makes me giggle in guilt.

"You know that was mean as hell, right?" Ashton is hugging me from behind, and he doesn’t let go even after I pick up a stuffed animal to show him.

"Is this real?" I ask, needing to know the answer for my peace of mind.

"Yes, and it's called a penguin.” I use the stuffed animal to hit Ashton’s nose, finding his joke funny, but a little annoyed that he just one upped me. “Are you in a better mood now?”

“I’m just on the cusp of hangry,” I admit, giving the man puppy dog eyes because I know what I want, but I’m not sure he’ll take me to get it.

“No…” Ashton says, turning away from me and pushing the shopping cart toward the register. “Not gonna happen.”

“Just one cookie. One, and you can pick the flavor.”

“Cori. No.”

“Please Ashton? I barely ate breakfast, and the baby wants it.” The man just stares at me, his face blank until he starts mockingly laughing.

“The baby doesn’t want sh*t. ‘YOU’ want a cookie.” I can’t help but to laugh at my shame, feeling guilty for already using my unborn child as a bargaining chip. “I tell you what… If you allow me to take you to lunch, I will stop and buy you ‘TWO’ cookies.”

“What’s the catch?” Ashton isn’t just offering to take me to eat, I can sense that, but I don’t know his motive.

“You have to finish at least half of your meal.”

“But… what if I don’t like it?” The man shrugs, but because I’m desperate, I agree.

Ashton’s POV

I do not like mood swings, but Cori isn’t that hard to deal with because if I don’t talk to her, she’s fine. I know from Chris’s stories that it could be much, much worse but the man has learned to navigate his wife’s pregnancy hormones by doing exactly what she says.

I used to think that he was a fool for being so obedient to the woman, but now that I’m expecting a child of my own, the notion of peace is much more important than my pride, especially considering the risk of complications.

I stupidly terrified myself by looking up some of the birth defects that can be associated with stress, and since then, I want Cori to be happy, if only for my own sake, so when she starts teasing me, I feel like a million pounds have been lifted off my shoulders.

However, I don’t get to bond over-stuffed penguins for long because Cori tries to guilt me into buying her cookies from the bakery she likes, and I almost caved, but I was able to negotiate with her.

At checkout, the woman at the register keeps glaring at Cori, irritating me because I know jealousy when I see it.

The worst part about it is that Cori is keeping her eyes on something else, slightly moving away from the counter as though she’s done something wrong.

“Why are you looking at her like that?” I blurt out, annoyed because I feel like all my hard work has been undone. “Staring is rude.”

“Okay,” the clerk says, shocking me when she makes me the target of her gaze.

That must’ve been funny to Cori because she snorts loudly, walking away as she struggles to compose herself.

I quickly finish the transaction and chase after her, wanting to know what she found so amusing.

“What are you laughing at?”

“I just think it’s funny how you thought your words were going to scare her. Not everyone is afraid of rich people.”

“What are you talking about?” Cori links our arms as we walk toward the car, and she explains that in all of her life, people with money were among the rudest. “Should I have just let her stare at you like that?”

“No. I’m happy that you stood up for me, but I was fine ignoring her.”

“You didn’t look like you were ignoring her.”

“I thought maybe you knew her from somewhere.” My jaw drops, but I can tell Cori isn’t joking.

“What would give you that impression?”

“Well… I’ve not really had good luck when it comes to the women in your life. I don’t really know what your type is, so theoretically speaking…”

I can understand that Cori doesn’t know much about my preferences, and truthfully, I don’t really have a type, but when I’m really with a person, I’m theirs completely. Sadly, I can’t even defend myself to the woman because I have been unfaithful to pretty much every girlfriend I’ve had, but only after I already knew the relationship wasn’t going to work out.

“I just don’t want to be caught off guard again,” the woman mumbles.

I’m not sure if she knows that I know that Vanessa hit her, but I don’t want to bring that up right now.

“You have a lot to learn about me.” I hope that Cori actually gives me a chance to show her that, at least for now, I’m totally hers and have no interest in anyone else.

“You also have to learn a lot about me.” I can accept that, but rather than asking her random questions, I would rather get to know Cori naturally, studying and watching her reactions the same way I would with a potential client.

So far, I know that she doesn’t like sudden movements, behaviors that can be read as aggressive, or people staring at her, likely all things that resulted from her past.

“Are you prepared to see the baby tomorrow?” Cori shrugs, turning to face me as she waits for a reaction. “What exactly are you afraid of?”

“I’m afraid of everything Ashton. What if I’m a bad mother?”

“I don’t think that's possible.”

“How do you know? I can’t even eat the food I know that I should.”

“You know what? I think your main problem is that you're too critical of yourself. I know that I shouldn’t drink as much soda as I do, but I can’t go two days without it.”

“Soda isn’t the same as having a baby.”

“Neither is food, but you make everything so serious that you can’t even tell the difference.”

“Ashton, I have a lot-”

“Don’t go there with me right now.” I know that Cori is about to bring up promises that she made to herself, and I’m not exactly fond of hearing about how much she’s done to honor the memory of her dead mother because I don’t really think it's a healthy way of mourning. “Listen, you’ve done well on your own. You’re twenty-one, you have a career, and you're pretty well put together considering that you’ve lived on your own since you were sixteen. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

“Is that how you really see me?” I didn’t think that I said anything significant, but Cori’s expression and demeanor tell me that she’s been seeking some sort of validation for her life’s efforts.”

“Sh*t… not just me; my parents, my brother, and Jules too. I mean, Cori, no one thinks anything other than the fact that you made one mistake. I happen to resent that notion, but then again…” Cori giggles, realizing that I’m her mistake.

“You’re a pretty big mistake though.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Cori’s eyes go wide as her lips slowly part in shock, so I kiss my fingers and place them over her lips, unable to lean over and give her a real one.

“How can you just say that with a straight face?”

“I hope that you’d say the same thing if asked.”

“I would not!” At the light, I shift my body to look at Cori, wanting to know what she means by what she just said. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Are you trying to say that I have a small d*ck?”

“I didn't say that! Why would I? I mean… What?”

“I’m just checking because if you want, we can measure it together. You may not have experience, but I do-” I pause, realizing how what I’m about to say sounds, and Cori’s choking laughter lets me know that she knows as well.

“Go ahead Ashton, let me know your ‘experiences.’”

“Stop messing around,” I shrug the woman’s hand off my shoulder, annoyed that I just embarrassed myself in such a weird way.

Eventually Cori stops laughing, trying to catch her breath while I sit and sulk. Her nose has turned completely red, and there are tears falling from them.

“I needed that laugh.”

“Whatever.” Again, the woman starts cackling, but because I love seeing her let go in this way, I just listen in silence; well… I tried. “It’s not that funny.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just that you were so confident as you spoke. I wish you could have seen your face.”

“I WiSh YoU cOuLd haVe sEen youR FaCe,” I mimic in annoyance.

Cori bursts into another laughing fit, and while I don’t have any complexes about my d*ck size, nor am I worried about it, I could use a little confidence boost, which I randomly get when she’s laughed enough.

“I’m satisfied,” she says, reaching over to take my hand. “Very.” That’s all I needed to hear, but just in case…

“You’re in trouble tonight.”