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“It’s cool…ain’t nothing incriminating in there. But I’ma call Naz when I leave here and tell her we're done. Our friendship and all.”

“Call her?” I repeated before shaking my head. “No, you gotta pull up on her and have a conversation. Or maybe have her meet you somewhere. I don’t know, but it should be a face to face conversation because of y’all history as friends. You even admitted you gave the girl false hope.”

“I was thinking I should have a conversation with her face to face but I didn’t want to disrespect you.”

“Are you planning on fucking her one last time or something?”

“What the fuck? No!”

“Well then, I won’t feel disrespected because of a conversation. Handle your business with her tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, huh?”

“Yea, because we’re going to Chuck E. Cheese today and we’re ignoring everybody who’s not with us.”

“Shit, that sounds like a plan to me. Bring them lips here,” he gripped my neck and pulled me towards him. I puckered my lips and he flickered his tongue over them. Within seconds we were making out like long lost lovers. I had to push him away because my clit was thumping and we couldn’t get it cracking right then with Zee in the room. He excused himself to the bathroom to slip on some clothes, so they could leave, handle their business, and return in a timely fashion. Zee was done eating, so he came and snuggled up to me on the couch. He wanted me to watch some kid’s Youtube show with him, but it was watching me as my eyes got heavier. I was about to drift off to sleep when I received an incoming text message from an unknown number. But based on the text message I knew exactly who it was.

901-260-2345: Lourdes, you and I know there’s a possibility that the baby you're carrying is mine. I want a DNA test because I’ll be damned if another nigga is raising my kid. And bitch no kid of mine is gon’ be broke. Just because I stopped giving your user ass money doesn’t mean I’m not gon’ look out for my kids.

I didn’t have time for Kenny and his bullshit today or ever! He was trying to bring chaos and confusion into my life, but I refused to engage with him. The only reason he was popping up now was because of my argument with Kayla and Lyss. My maternity shoot with Armias probably ruffled his feathers, too. He clearly hated to see me happy despite his efforts to snatch it away from me. I blocked the phony number from my phone and deleted the message. Access denied!

Chapter 11

Armias

“Oh yea, Bubby, you did your big one!” Aspen raved through Facetime as I showed her my new house. “I can’t believe you kept this a secret!”

I had been moving in silence throughout the entire process because I didn’t want anybody in my ear about what I should or shouldn’t do. The only person I talked to was Qaylo and that was for advice.

“It wasn’t a secret. I just didn’t want to say anything until I got the keys,” I said while holding them up in the camera. “If it makes you feel better you’re the first person I called.”

“I’m surprised it wasn’t Lourdyyy,” she teased. “I texted her to check in last night after all that drama on Instagram.”

“I know, I was laying right next to her when you did,” I responded without thinking about what I was revealing.

“Wait, what?! I knew y’all was still hunching! If nothing else gave it away, those maternity pictures did!”

“Mannn, you tripping,” I stifled a smile. “We really wasn’t doing shit until Saturday night.”

“It didn’t seem like it to me or anybody who sees y’all interact. It gave y’all were still in love.”

“Because we are,” I shrugged. It made no sense to deny what was obvious and true. “But we wasn’t doing anything becaus-”

“You were still in your feelings?”

“Yea,” I admitted.

“I wasn’t asking, bubby,” she laughed. “I was telling you. She was probably mad at you about Naz.”

“Yea, but that’s because Naz was doing too much. She was answering my phone and talking like she was the head huncho. Shit was wild.”

“You gave her the confidence to do all that, Bubby. She’s never moved like that in the past because you didn’t carry her like she was your girl in the past. You were probably talking shit about Lourdes to her, too.”

“I wasn’t talking shit. I just told her what happened and how I was feeling. I’ve vented to her about bukoo shit in the past, including other women because we really are friends. So I definitely wasn’t moving differently in that aspect.”

“Maybe not, but I’m sure she took note of how different you were with Lourdes and that made her feel threatened. You also let her know that another side of you existed and she probably was determined to experience it for herself. Then of course you slipped up and gave her what she wanted. Now she really thinks y’all are locked in.”

“She can’t think that,” I shook my head. “If we were locked in we would have been on some exclusive shit and we weren’t. Despite my actions I always made it clear that I was single. And keeping it real….even my actions weren’t enough for her to think we were in a relationship. I was open about fucking with other girls. In what world is that synonymous with being locked in?”