38. Still cheating on Tony.

BETH.

I still could not get over the news of my pregnancy. It came as a shock, and it is so unexpected. How could I be pregnant with Tony's child? I sighed as I sat in my sitting room, and despite my television being on, my mind was somewhere else. My mind just wouldn't leave this issue. To make things worse, Luca knows about it already. Hopefully, Lara doesn't find out yet. I still need to figure out who I'd call the father whenever I'm asked.

My doorbell rang and I raised my head in the direction of the door. I was expecting no one, so I wondered who it could be.

"Coming," I replied and stood up from the sofa to go open the front door. When I did, the visitor turned out to be Lara. "Lara?" I was surprised to see her.

I opened the door wider and she walked in. Closing the door and returning to my seat without any other words from me, Lara also made herself comfortable on one of the sofas.

I was mad at her, and the best thing I could do right now to show my anger was to not say anything to her. So, as I sat down, I increased the volume of the television and began to watch it, even though I had no interest in it. I guess she noticed what I tried to do, so she went to the wall socket and switched off the television. Then, she stood in front of it, arms akimbo, and facing me.

"If you're mad at me, just tell me you are. What's with the awkwardness and the unnecessary silence?" She asked me.

I scoffed, still not wanting to reply to her. I lay on the sofa and turned to face the ceiling. I'd rather count the ceilings than reply to her.

"Hey! Beth, I'm talking to you!" She called out. Seeing that I still didn't reply to her, she walked closer to me and dragged a nearby stool. Then she sat on it directly in front of me. "Look, okay, I know you're mad. I'm sorry, okay? I had no idea you were sick."

The Lara was apologizing to me without being forced. That was a new development. I turned to face her, a look of surprise on my face. "Did you just say sorry?"

She rolled her eyes, then she probably remembered that she wasn't supposed to do that, since I didn't say I had accepted her apology yet. She cleared her throat and held my right hand, which was the closest to her. "I'm very sorry. I had no idea. I was busy. I've been going to the hospital to have a series of checkups on this baby," she said and touched her slightly protruded stomach. "And you know, I have work too. So, everything has been making me unable to come to visit you. I'm sorry, okay?"

That was all I needed to hear from her. My heart became soft immediately and I smiled. I was not mad at her anymore. She was still my best friend after all, and no one can ever take her place, no matter how hard they try.

"It's fine. I ain't mad anymore." I replied and she pulled me closer, and we hugged each other. When we retreated from the hug, I sat upright and she also changed her location to the sofa, right beside me.

"So, what are your plans?" She asked and nudged me.

I looked at her confusedly, unsure of whatever she was trying to say. "Uh, plans? For what exactly? I don't understand you."

"You and Luca, duh." She said and nudged me again playfully. She had a wide grin on her face, making me smile at her. She was indeed beautiful.

"Okay, so what do you mean as plans? What plans? Plans for what?" I asked her. I still wasn't sure where she was coming from with that question.

"Janet said you two have been going out often and all that. Said she saw you both at the bar some weeks back. One time, she said you guys in a restaurant." She said and shrugged. "I mean, for you to go out with him that often, I thought you two had plans. Plus, you haven't been looking for a man lately. So, you know…" Her voice trailed off as she tried to use her hands to demonstrate what she meant.

I chuckled lightly. Lara thought it was easy to find a man, forgetting that not everyone was like her. She had a lot of opportunities when it came to finding a good man. But she's the one who still isn't doing the right thing. Despite her being with Tony and him being sincere with her, she's still seeing her other men. For what precisely, I could not tell.

"There are no plans. I don't like Luca that way. We're just bringing back the fun we missed for the past years that he had gone abroad." I simply replied to her.

It showed that Lara was disappointed, but she didn't say anything about it, she just simply rolled her eyes. "Anyway, would you be able to make it to the get-together tonight?"

"Oh, yeah, I saw your text on that. I'm not sure, but—"

"It's fine if you want to rest at home. Luca said he isn't joining us, so that would make two of you. But yours is understandable, at least. You aren't feeling very well, unlike that…" she scoffed. "Whatever."

I giggled, seeing how pained she was that Luca wasn't going to be there. But hearing that only made me want to attend. Since Luca wouldn't be there, it would be easy for me. I wasn't ready to face him yet, since he knows the truth about me already. "I'll come," I said.

"Wait, for real?" Lara asked, looking excited.

"Yeah."

"Yayyyy!" Lara squealed like a little child, making me laugh.

Then, her phone rang. It was in between both of us, so I was able to see its screen. It was Jerry calling her. I couldn't believe she was still keeping in contact with these guys even when she's engaged already.

"What?!" She snapped immediately as she picked up the call. "Okay, so, how the heck is that my business, uh?" She paused to hear what the other person had to say. "Oh, please. Whatever," she replied and hung up the call. "Dimwit," she said and dropped the phone on the chair.

"What happened?"

"It's Jerry. He's still mad cause Tony almost caught us making out some days back, and I had to lie to Tony that he was my cousin. Now, he's saying he didn't know I had an actual person I was engaged to. That he couldn't believe I was playing around with him." She paused to exclaim. "I mean, if you're tired, go, man! Other people will come. I am Lara and men want me! If one leaves, another will come. Does he even think he's that important?" She scoffed.

I sighed. She still hasn't stopped cheating on Tony despite his faithfulness to her. "Lara, you shouldn't be seeing other men. You know that."

"Oh, please, Beth," she raised her hands, meaning I should stop talking about it. "I don't want to have this discussion. I can do whatever I want to, it's my life after all. Why be serious with one man and get married to him at twenty-eight? It's like leaving a party at 8 pm." She replied and rolled her eyes.

"Okay," I simply replied and let her be. As she said, it was her life after all, not mine.