AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Whose baby is this?” I asked, carrying the baby girl deeper into my home.
Allegra’s chuckle was soft as she closed and locked the door. “Mine.”
For a split second, my breathing suspended. A sharp, soft scream escaped me before my hand rushed to cover my mouth.
“What?” My eyes shifted from the baby to Allegra, and the longer I looked at the baby, the less I was able to reject my best friend’s words. This baby was literally her twin. They both had the same light brown eyes, round lips, and caramel-brown skin. Baby girl even had the same diamond-shaped face as her mom.
Forced laughter led to a smile that quickly faded as tears filled my eyes. Heaviness settled within my heart, weighing my body down.
How could I have missed my best friend’s entire pregnancy and delivery?
Why hadn’t she called to tell me?
My sadness was becoming replaced with anger the longer I held the beautiful baby girl in my arms. I felt like my absence had robbed me of this experience and Allegra of my support, but I had no one to blame but myself. Actually, I had Nova and Tiffany to blame too, and this was yet another reason for me to get my revenge.
“How could you have a baby and not call me, Lay?” I asked, voice devoid of emotion.
Allegra scoffed as her eyes rolled to the ceiling. She released a quiet chuckle as she made her way over to the island and poured herself a glass of wine.
“You left us, and you told us you would contact us when you were ready.”
“That’s true, but damn. You don’t think being pregnant was something I needed to know about?”
Allegra shrugged as she took a sip of her wine. “I didn’t want to bother you. I figured you’d reach out when you were ready, and I would tell you then. I just didn’t expect it to take this long.”
I was prepared for anger, even sadness, but not the nonchalant tone and expression she had… the uncaring way in which she talked about something so significant in her life. We’d talked about this for years. How we’d be the godmothers of each other’s children. How we’d plan and host each other’s baby showers. How we’d pick our babies’ names together.
Releasing a low huff, I kept my anger at bay as my body heated and tried to shake. However Allegra wanted to handle my absence was her right. If she wanted to downplay me not being here, I had no choice but to accept that.
“Regardless, I’m happy for you, Lay. She’s beautiful. What’s her name?”
“Thank you. Her name is Ava. She’ll be four months on the eighteenth.”
“Aren’t you a little cutie pie,” I cooed before kissing Ava on the cheek. She gave me a gummy smile.
“Are you back for good?” Allegra asked, fixing herself a plate as I paced with Ava.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“So you’ll be at work Monday?”
“Yeah. I wanted to make sure I was here in time for the meeting. There’s no way in hell I’d miss it and let Tiffany have my position permanently.”
I sat next to Allegra and chuckled at the size of her plate. She ate like a child. Whatever was unhealthiest or the least filling, she filled her plate with most. Pickles and olives covered the bulk of her plate, but she did have a few pieces of cheese, meat, and crackers as well.
“Tiffany has been doing a good job, Chapel. I’m glad you’re back, but I don’t want you to come and disrupt the flow of business. It took a lot for us to find a steady flow after you left. Please don’t mess that up.”
My eyes widened and blinked rapidly. My body tensed quickly and skin tingled. Breathlessly, I massaged my chest, swaying from the impact of her words.
I couldn’t respond to what she’d said immediately, because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She’d said it so casually, but her tone was firm and sincere.
What the fuck was going on with her?
“I don’t give a damn how good of a job Tiffany is doing. It’s my position and my business, and I’m not going to let her run it. The fact that you even okayed her taking my position temporarily is suspect to me, but I was going to let it ride, and you’re sitting here telling me not to disrupt the flow of business like she didn’t do that by sleeping with my man?”
The only thing keeping me partially calm was having Ava in my arms. My voice was low but a bit shaky because of my anger. I don’t know what was pissing me off more—her words or how nonchalant she was acting. This wasn’t the Allegra I knew. It felt like I was genuinely talking to a stranger, and I couldn’t tell if she was acting this way because she was upset with me or because she’d changed over the last year.
“Look, I don’t agree with what she did. I wanted to beat her ass on your behalf, but you left us, Chap, without a plan or replacement. Tiffany had been brought in for an entry level design position and she was training under you. I hated it, but she was the perfect replacement.”
