“I should, but if I get in there and my eyes start shopping like they got their own income, I won’t hesitate to request an emergency Cash App deposit fromBank of Zonnique.” I giggled. “Y’all offer top-tier customer service, same-day funding, andapproval regardless of credit history. Honestly, more people should bank with you.”
She burst out laughing.
“I’m serious. At this point, you’re my personal ATM with clear skin, a big booty, and excellent fraud protection.”
That was meant to be a joke, but it wasn’t far from the truth.
Instead of me receiving a large lump sum of money, Jace decided he’d giveZonniquetwenty thousand dollars a month until the baby was born. That money was supposed to cover food, necessities, and the extra household expenses that came with me staying there. Medical expenses were separate, though. Jace made it clear he’d handle those personally.
I’ll admit… at first, I was a little salty.
Okay, I was damn near sodium and one argument away from high blood pressure.
Because, why wasZonniquereceivingallthe money whenIwas the one doing the actual work? My body was building an entire human being from scratch, yet somehow, she had been promoted to chief financial officer of my pregnancy.
I also felt like twenty thousand dollars was abitmuch to be giving his side hoe, anyway. Food, gas, toiletries, and household bills were rising these days,sure, but I could bet Zonnique’s ass was shaving alotmore than a little off the top forherself. Probably buying the most expensive candles, getting her nails done, restocking that little wine refrigerator I couldn’t touch, and calling a spa day “stress management for the household.”
The whole situation was ridiculous to me.
I considered myselfextremelyresponsible with money. Sure, nobody had ever trusted me with twenty thousand dollars before, but that didn’t mean I would’ve handled it poorly. The way I looked at it, a person can’t judge financial discipline without first providing the finances. Honestly, I just needed somebody willing to fund the experiment.
Be that as it may, as long as I was able to keep my new appearance up, my cravings were fed, and I didn’t have to stress about surviving while pregnant, that amount could stretch comfortably a month, especially since I had no intention of livingregularforever.
“I should be there in about an hour… or less,” I let her know.
“Okay. I’ll be in my room. Just let me know when you make it.”
“I will.”
The second the call ended, I released a shaky breath.
Whew. That was way too close.
See? You’re getting good at this,one voice praised.
She believed every word,another added smugly.
The third voice giggled.
Poor Zonnique. She trusts you so much.
That she does.
Instead of my ‘made-up friend’ dropping me off, I was getting an Uber home. But even if Zonnique stayed up being nosy, peeking through blinds like somebody’s suspicious auntie monitoring the neighborhood, she wouldn’t know whether the driver was actually my ‘friend’ or not. All she’d know was that I got dropped off.
I pulled my hood tighter around my face and headed toward a convenience store across the street, trying not to walk too fast or look guilty… even though guilt practically had its own heartbeat inside me now.
Chapter eighteen
"Merge"
Right before pulling into my parents’ driveway, my phone buzzed against the center console.
Talia.
“The fuck does she want?” I grumbled.
I unlocked my phone and read the message.
