Page 71 of Surrogate For My Best Friend’s Man 2

I stared at the message then laughed. “Man…”She embarrassed herself by approaching me. I typed back.

Me: You walked up on me.

The bubbles popped up immediately.

Shante: So you really talking to other females now?

I read it twice not because I didn’t understand, but I couldn’t believe she was out here really trying to play victim..

Me: I’m single.

Her bubbles disappeared, came back and then disappeared again. Then my phone started ringing. I looked at her name and then hit decline and she called again. She called back three times and I declined all three times.

Then a text came through.

Shante: You're doing this to hurt me.

I stared at it for a few seconds, I could’ve said a lot instead, I typed: Everything ain’t about you. That stopped her no bubbles, no call. I set my phone down then I noticed something sitting on the counter. It was a little folder from the realtor. I opened it and inside was the picture she’d taken of me holding the keys the day I closed. I remembered exactly what I told her. “My girl don’t know shit about this. I’m surprising her after she has the babies.” Everybody in that office had smiled like I was doing some big romantic shit. I closed the folder, funny how fast plans could change.

My phone buzzed one more time. I thought it was Shante, but it wasn’t. It was Grandma Lorraine.

Grandma Lorraine: You could’ve left that girl some damn forks.

I stared at the message then busted out laughing. “Man, ain’t this some shit.”

I typed back. Tell her Target got plenty.

The typing bubbles popped up. Grandma Lorraine: Smart ass. And don’t think I ain’t got some words for you too.

I smiled and another message came through.

Grandma Lorraine: But she was wrong. I know that much.

I read that one twice, Grandma Lorraine wasn’t choosing sides. She didn’t have to, she just knew Shante had fucked up. I set the phone down and looked around my kitchen. For the first time since I moved in, I didn’t think about what Shante would’ve changed or imagine her standing there. I didn't wonder what she would’ve thought about the house. I just looked around at what was mine.

Maybe that was what I needed to start doing. Stop thinking about the life I had planned. And figure out what the fuck I wanted my life to look like now. A couple days later, I was coming out of Somerset with a bag in one hand and my phone in the other when I heard somebody call my name.

“Malik!”

I turned around and it was Alisha. She was walking toward me with a couple shopping bags on her arm. “What’s up?” I asked.

“Hey.” She hugged me, and I hugged her back. “You've been good?” she asked.

“Yeah, You?”

“I’m making it.” She responded.

I nodded, I knew exactly what she meant. With everything she had going on with Deuce, “making it” was probably the best answer she had.

She looked around. “Are you here by yourself?”

“Yeah, I just grabbed a couple things.”

She nodded, I thought that was going to be it, then she smiled. “I can’t believe y’all only got about a month left.”

My stomach tightened. “Yeah, that shit went fast.”

“Sure did.” She adjusted the bags on her arm. “Are you excited?”