Page 41 of Surrogate For My Best Friend’s Man 2

“Malik, please don’t leave.”

“I need to get the fuck up outta here.”

“Please.”

He looked at me. “I can’t sit here and pretend everything is okay. I just found out the woman I love has been carrying another man’s babies. And she been letting me believe they was mine.”

Tears rolled down my face. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

“But you did.” He headed toward the door then stopped and he looked back at me. “And when Alisha finds out…”

I closed my eyes.

“…don’t expect her to look at you the same either.”

I started shaking my head.

“Malik—”

“That’s supposed to be your best friend.”

He stared at me. “What type of woman does that to somebody she calls her best friend?”

I couldn’t answer him and he opened the door. “I need some time before I say or do something I can’t take back.” Then he walked out.

The door slammed behind him and I sat there frozen. My chest hurt so bad I could barely breathe. My hand slowly moved over my stomach. One of the babies kicked then the other. For months, I’d convinced myself I was doing this because I had no choice. Deuce needed me, I was supposed to be helping my brother.

But sitting alone in that hospital room all I could think about was Malik’s face. He didn’t look at me like I was the woman he loved. He looked at me like I was somebody he didn’t recognize. He wasn’t going to be the only one. Alisha still thought these babies belonged to me and Malik. She had no idea I was carrying them for her husband and his side bitch.

I wiped my face. I had been so busy trying to protect Deuce from the FBI, I never stopped to think about what would happen when everybody else found out the truth. Now Malik knew and if he was this hurt I didn’t even want to imagine what Alisha was going to do when she found out.

Three days that’s how long I stayed in that hospital. Three damn days of doctors checking my blood pressure, nurses coming in and out, and me staring at my phone hoping Malik would finally call, but he didn’t. He never came back to the hospital either.

At first, I tried to give him space. I knew he was hurt. I had just dropped a whole damn secret on him that changed everything he thought he knew about me. So I tried not to bother him, that lasted about twelve hours. Then I called once, then more times than I wanted to admit. It kept going straight to voicemail.

I sent texts and called again, nothing. By the next morning, I knew he’d blocked me. That shit hurt because Malik had never blocked me before. Not even when we got into one of our worst arguments. I still kept hoping he’d come around. Maybe he needed time, maybe he needed more time to cool off.

Maybe he’d realize I didn’t do any of this because I didn’t love him. I held onto that little bit of hope because I didn’t know what else to hold onto. The doctor finally came in that afternoon and told me my blood pressure had stabilized enough for me to go home. I was ready. I signed my discharge papers, grabbed my bag, and ordered an Uber.

I thought about calling Grandma Lorraine because she would’ve come to get me without hesitation, but then she’d start asking questions. Where Malik was and he hadn’t been to the hospital. Why I looked like I’d been crying, what happened between us.

Grandma Lorraine knew me too well, she raised me. She could look at my face and tell when I was lying before I even opened my mouth. I wasn’t ready to tell her, so I kept my mouth shut and ordered my ride. When the Uber pulled up, I got in. The whole ride home, I stared out the window.

I kept thinking about Malik, I missed him. I was still mad at myself for what I’d done, but I wanted him. I wanted to see his truck in the driveway. I wanted to walk through that front door and hear him somewhere in the house. I would’ve even taken him ignoring me, at least he’d be there.

When the Uber pulled up, I paid the driver and got out. I stood on the sidewalk for a second. Everything on the outside looked normal. I grabbed my bag and unlocked the door. “Malik?” Nothing, I stepped inside. I dropped my bag by the door. “Malik?” Still nothing, I walked into the living room.

I stopped and looked around and the television was gone, I frowned. “What the hell?” I looked around where the couch used to sit and it was empty. I walked into the kitchen and opened the cabinets. There were no plates, no glasses, no silverware. I opened another cabinet and it was empty.

My heart started beating faster. I walked back into the living room. Everything Malik had bought was gone. I hurried upstairs and our bedroom door was open. I walked inside and the bed was still there, but that was about it. The television was gone, the dresser was gone. Even the damn curtains were gone.

I stood there staring then I looked toward my closet. My clothes were still hanging there untouched. I looked toward the corner and the baby shower stuff was still stacked up. I walked into the bathroom and there was one drying towel and one face towel.

I stared at them. “Is he serious?” My laugh came out shaky. He had left me my clothes, the bed, and the baby stuff. I sat down on the edge of the bed and my hands started shaking.

I grabbed my phone and called him and it went straight to voicemail. I tried again and it went to voicemail again. I stared at his name, it was obvious he blocked me. I started crying. “Malik…”

I didn’t know where he was or when he left, and I didn’t know if he was coming back. And I damn sure didn’t know what I was supposed to do now. My phone started ringing and I looked down and it was an unknown number. My heart jumped and I answered. “Hello?” Then I heard him breathe. “Malik?”