The Girl Next Door

When she had woken up this morning, she knew it was going to be a bad day. Veronica knew that this might be a turning point in her relationship with Alex. Their voices could be heard by their neighbors downstairs, and a few of them were getting worried.

“I can’t believe you would still lie to me. Even now.” The words came out of Veronica’s mouth with anger and hurt.
“Why would you even believe that slut? How could you believe her? You remember what she did to you back then!” was Alex’s reply.
“As I remember, it takes two to tango. You were involved too! And you’re still involved now!”
“I’m not doing anything wrong....”
“To hell with that!” Veronica was threw listening. Her voice was sore and raw from yelling for so long.

“You are a fucking ass hole and I want you out! Now!” Veronica screamed.
“You think you can put me out! Fuck you, I’m leaving!” Alex screamed back. He barreled over to the door and stormed out.

Veronica slumped down on the living room floor of her one bedroom apartment. Too angry to cry, she just sat there with a scowl on her face as she stared at her small coffee table. She had found out that Alex was still fooling around with Sandra, the so called “friend” from high school.

Sandra had been attending someone else’s graduation, but was shocked to see Veronica in the same class. She decided to go to her afterwards to say hi. To Veronica’s surprise Sandra had a child by her side, no more than two years old, and a very round belly as well. “I know you are still seeing Alex. I am too.” was what Sandra had said as she rubbed her belly. That was when Veronica took a closer look at the little boy by the other woman’s side. She saw Alex staring back at her stomach lurched forward.

“That’s his son.” Veronica whispered.
“And this one is too.” Sandra said patting her stomach.

Alex had been too busy to come to the graduation, or at least that’s what he had told her, and couldn’t defend himself. Veronica had been holding on to this information for over a week and had just gotten paternity documents from Sandra on little A.J. “Alex....Junior.” Veronica said as she read the copy of the birth certificate that Alex signed. Now that she had proof, she wanted to confront him.

Alex denied everything, even with Veronica waving papers in his face. ‘I can’t believe it’ Veronica thought as her mind traced back to the fight about who was lying. A loud noise jarred her from her stupor. Then she heard it again. After the third time she realized it was her doorbell. She stood and looked out her window, seeing noone on the sidewalk before. She looked out to the street, seeing the usual cars and a very nice, shinny Porche.

She frowned slightly as the doorbell rand again. Walking over to her intercom she pushed a button and asked “Who is it?”
“It’s me!” came a soft voice. ‘Dammit Alex.’ she thought and buzzed the man in. After a minute or two she could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, getting louder, until the stopped right outside her door. A soft knock could be heard before Veronica swung the door open.

A tall young man was standing her doorway, decked out in a blue military uniform. Any thoughts of yelling flew from Veronica’s mind when she saw the man standing there, white and blue cap pulled down over his eyes. All she could see was a lopsided grin. Confusion was written all over her face as she stared at him. ‘Who...what....?’ her mind scrambled.

“Hi Ronnie” came the slightly familiar, yet very different voice. Answers flooded her mind at once as the name formed on her lips.

“Jason.”