Richard O'Reilly's Apartment

[R. O'Reilly]

889 Court Avenue, Apartment 529

 

Vehicles Owned

[R. O'Reilly]

*It had been a few weeks since the deputies had all visited me in the hospital, and I had fortunately been discharged from the hospital about two weeks ago now. Physical therapy had gotten set up with me at home, and I was well on my way to a recovery. The hospital had gotten me walking with crutches and then a cane, and now at home I was progressing from a cane to just limping around. It still hurt to walk, most of the time, so I tried to limit it, but it was definitely better than being bedbound. Anything was better than that.

I hobble my way into the kitchen, glancing around. I still hadn't decided if I was cooking tonight or if we'd just order delivery. Ashley Russo was coming over shortly, and we were planning on spending the evening in my apartment and watching a movie or something. I still didn't really feel like going out into public. It made me nervous. I didn't feel like I was 100% yet. Since meeting in the hospital room, Ashley and I had been talking pretty steadily. She had been to see me in the hospital a few more times, and she had helped me come home, as well as having already been over since I had returned. I had taken her out a couple times, but we had agreed to stay in tonight. It made me feel better, for sure. More secure. Safer. Never knew who was dangerous out in public. Never knew how a situation could go south in a New York minute. Ashley had told me she was hiding our relationship from her father, and for the moment I agreed with it. He certainly seemed like he didn't want her dating a cop - or at least, dating me - when he had first brought her along to the hospital with him.

I mutter to myself about the pain in my leg before deciding we'd just order something in. I wasn't that great of a cook, anyways. Just okay. Well enough that I didn't have to order out all the time and could take care of myself. The doorbell rang, and I smiled as I hobbled towards it. That had to be Ashley. I open the door, letting her in. I smile at her as she steps in, giving me a hug and lightly kissing my cheek.*

'Hey there,' *I grin. I hobble over to the couch with her, taking a seat.*

'How're you feeling today? Getting around okay?'

'Yeah, yeah, I'm doing fine. They're telling me I should be able to back to work in just a week or two. I'm ready. Sitting around the apartment all day gets too boring.'

*She shakes her head.*

'I don't know why you're so eager to go back. Work is what got you hurt.'

*I shrug.* 'I love it, though. Wouldn't have it any other way. Getting hurt is just part of the job.'

*She makes a noise and shakes her head, settling in next to me on the couch and laying her head on my shoulder. I slip an arm around her shoulders.*

'Did you decide what we're doing for dinner?' *She asks, abruptly changing the subject.*

'Not exactly. I thought we'd just order in tonight. My cooking probably wouldn't impress you, anyways. What're you feeling?'

'Hmm...we could keep it simple, do pizza? Or something different, like curry or Thai.'

'Curry sounds good. Let's do that. There's a pretty good Indian place down the street. There's a menu hanging on the fridge.'

*Ashley got up, retrieving the menu from the fridge and bringing it back. We perused it for a moment before deciding, and I let her call it in. I started flipping through Netflix, debating what to watch as Ashley sits back down. She starts pointing out chick flicks, and I resist for a few minutes before agreeing to watch one with her and putting it on. Not my first choice, but oh well. It didn't really look that bad, I supposed. And were we really going to watch much of it? I hold Ashley close as the movie starts, her head laying on my shoulder.*

[R. O'Reilly]

I sit up in bed, fumbling around for my phone. I had just had it, talking to Ashley before she went to eat with her family. I must’ve dozed off watching Simpsons reruns after we hung up. Today was one of my fortunate off days, and I had spent most of it doing nothing in particular. Eating pizza, drinking beer, playing Call of Duty, and watching cartoons had been my chief activities of the day. It was a much-needed self-care day if you asked me. I find my phone and look to see who’s calling before swiping to answer the call. It was Ashley again.

‘Hey babe,’ I say, and am quickly cut off. She’s in a mood - angry and upset and crying all at once. Her and Zach had a fight. A big one. He had told her to leave?? I frown. That didn’t sound like him - not that I thought Ashley was lying. But maybe they had gotten into it enough that he was pissed off. It really sounded like they both needed some time to cool off. I give her some supporting words and quickly get off the phone, telling her I’ll see her shortly.

I toss my phone back on the bed and start clambering out of bed. My apartment is a mess. There’s a case or so worth of beer cans scattered around my bedside table, a couple empty pizza boxes around the apartment, and laundry on the floor. The place looked like a pigsty, and now Ashley was on the way. Not to mention that I was definitely buzzed and needed a shower. Great.

I grab the laundry up and toss it into an already-overflowing hamper, then start sweeping beer cans into the empty box they had come in. I set the full box next to the trash can and then stick the pizza boxes with it. I survey the apartment and grimace slightly. I needed to do some real cleaning but it was going to have to do for now.

I head into the bathroom and turn the water on as I strip, tossing my boxers to the hamper. I step in and let the warm water flow over me, quickly scrubbing my body. I rinse the soap off and then just stand in the shower, breathing in the humid air as I wonder what kind of fight Ashley could possibly have had that got her kicked out. I step out of the shower and towel off, then head into my bedroom. As I pull on boxers and pajama pants, I hear Ashley letting herself in. I had given her a key a couple months ago, when she started spending the night pretty frequently.

‘I’m in here,’ I call out to her. She comes in and immediately comes to me, hugging me and burying her face in my shoulder. She’s still upset and crying. Zach must’ve really done a number on her. I sit on the edge of the bed and pull her down with me.

‘C’mere, baby. Tell me what happened,’ I say softly. I start gently rubbing her back, holding her close as she cries and tells me the story. Zach had been a real dick, it sounds like. As she finishes up the story with Zach telling her to get out, I frown and gently kiss her forehead.

‘Don’t worry, babygirl,’ I say softly. ‘Stay here with me. As long as you need. He’ll realize he was the asshole and he’ll come around.’ I start gently rocking her back and forth in my lap, calming her down. I really hoped he’d come around. Surely he didn’t really mean that he was kicking her out and would stop paying for her college. I mean, because she didn’t come right down for dinner? Come on, that was ridiculous.

I pat the spot in the bed next to me. ‘Come on, put your pj’s on and let’s lay down. We’ll put something on and cuddle.’ She nods and gets up, going to my closet to get a t-shirt to sleep in. I scoot back in bed and lay down, waiting for her as she changes. Once she crawls into the bed with me I wrap my arms around her, holding her close as she lays her head on my chest. I close my eyes, starting to drift back off to sleep.

[R. O'Reilly]

I read the text from Ashley over and over again, my mind running a hundred miles an hour.

We need to talk.

To say I was anxious was the understatement of the century. That text from your girlfriend was never a good one. I was racking my brain, trying to figure out what we could need to talk about. I couldn’t help but pay attention to the pesky little doubt in the back of my head. What if she was tired of me? What if she wanted to see other people? What if she didn’t love me anymore?

 

I take a deep breath and force those thoughts out of my head. She’d say something more if those were true. I hope so, anyways. I don’t think she’d do that to me. I collect my wits about me and tap out a reply.

Okay. You wanna come over?

She replies nearly instantly, telling me that she’s on the way. Jeez. Must be something for her to be so on-the-spot. I pull on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, then start to pace my apartment as my mind slips back into a pit of self-doubt and anxiety.

It’s an eternity later when her key rasps in the lock. I stuff my insecurities in a chest and slam it closed. This is it. Time to man up.

She steps in the door, closing it behind her as she walks into the living room. I smile nervously, trying not to wring my hands.

‘Hey babe, what’s going on?’

I sit on the couch, motioning for her to sit as well. She looks as nervous as I do, if not more. She sits next to me and bites her lip. She looks like she’s trying to collect her words. She opens her purse and reaches in, then silently hands me a small white stick. I take it and turn it over in my hand, looking at it. Two pink lines cross a small screen and I realize what’s in my hand. Oh no. Oh no no no no. Shock spreads across my face as I look back up at her.

‘T-this is yours?’ I ask shakily. She nods quietly and looks away as I turn the stick over and over in my hands. A positive pregnancy test. This couldn’t be. We had been careful, we had intentionally tried to avoid this. Oh God, I don’t think I’m ready to be a father. Not like this, not unplanned. I mean, I loved Ashley, and I’d do right by her, but this...this was so unexpected.

I look back up at Ashley and realize she’s crying. I quickly pull her into a tight hug, needing the comfort almost as much as she did.

‘I don’t know if I’m ready to be a mom,’ she sobs.

‘I love you no matter what. We’re gonna figure this out, babygirl. Me and you, we got this,’ I say softly. I said that, but I didn’t know if we actually did. I mean, a kid? I’m too young for a kid, and Ashley is younger than I am. Then again, I didn’t even know what she wanted to do. Did she want to keep the kid? I had no idea. We hadn’t really talked about our future, not in any definitive terms. Not like this. Ashley pulls away after a moment and wipes her eyes. I take her hand in mine and squeeze it softly.

‘Have you told your parents yet?’

She shakes her head and I nod in reply. I didn’t think she had told her mother - and I certainly knew she hadn’t told Zach. No way she would’ve without talking to me first. He’d just blow up on her. His temper was finicky, and that certainly would’ve set it off. Just the thought of having to tell him at some point put ice in my veins. That conversation would not end well for anyone involved. It’d definitely involve a whole lot of yelling, and probably tears from Ashley.