“I love you, bestie! Call me!”
“Will do.”
I watched her go to her car before taking my ass in the house and shutting the door.
I hated how quiet my house was, and I hated it even more when my baby wasn’t with me. I kicked off my shoes while simultaneously pulling out my phone to call Chris to see her, but an incoming call from Kenzi halted my plans.
I hurried and answered. “Hey, love! How’s everything going? Please don’t tell me she had the baby already.”
I heard her sigh before she spoke. “I don’t even know what to say or where to start.”
“Uh-oh. Let me sit down for this.”
“Yeah, you may have to do that.”
I walked into my living room and took a seat. “Okay. I’m listening.”
“We went to a barbecue Nichelle’s family was having at a park, and she was there, being a little too friendly with this guy she claims is her childhood best friend, which my brother knew nothing about. And get this: He’s part of a biker club here in Tennessee.”
I gasped. “Really? Did your brother see this?”
“Yes! And he’s pissed. The fact that she was defending him, acting like she didn’t want to leave, and let him touch her stomach while calling herlove, is what really has himandme fucked up. Autumn, I don’t want to think it, but I think the baby may not belong to my brother.”
“Wait, Kenz. Let’s not make assumptions, and don’t say that around your brother. What makes you think that anyway?”
“It’s the connection I saw between them. Ghana asked her to leave, and she sat, debating with him, instead of reading the damn room. She knows how my brother is and still wanted to challenge him. The nigga even touched her stomach in front of him. Real disrespectful.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, wow. Autumn, if I came down here, expecting a niece, and I don’t get one, I’m slapping the dumb out of her ass.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. My friends and I may have been doctors, but when that lab coat came off, it was a different story. I knew how much Kenzi looked forward to welcoming her niece into the world and even went down a month early to be with her brother, so hearing this put a damper on my mood.
“I’m sorry to hear this, toots. Just give her a chance. She may not have done anything with that man. He could very well be just her friend.”
“Psh. I’ll believe it if the baby comes out looking like us.” She huffed. “Autumn, if it turns out my brother isn’t the father, I’mbringing him home, and I need you to treat him. I would do it, but we’re too emotionally connected, and he won’t listen to me. I just need you to do me this one favor. I’ll pay you.”
“No favors, friend. If you need me to treat him, I will. And no money is required either. You already don’t let us pay for our office space. The least I can do is treat him for you.”
“Thank you. Let’s just hope I’m tripping, and it’s not true. The last thing he needs is another person against him.”
“Right. I’m always here if you need me, Kenzi.”
“I know. You’re the best. Now, tell me something good to get this feeling off my chest.”
I smiled and told her about my night out with the MCR. I prayed that things would be okay for my friend. With their family history, I hoped to God that woman was being faithful to that man. Or else I feared what would happen and that Kenzi couldn't stop it.
One Month Later…
There wasn’t too much shit I feared in life.
When I was younger, I didn’t even fear the monsters that were in my closet. I didn’t fear the voices in my head that told me to do bad shit, and I didn’t fear the thought of losing my life.
But the thought of losing my sister or Nichelle was my fear. Even the thought of not being the father to the baby was my most challenging and biggest fear. I told Nichelle not to give the name I chose for her until I knew the truth. I didn’t want to think of any of that shit, and to not strangle Nich in her sleep, I had been staying with my sister and Ruger.
No matter what she said to me, I knew her ass was lying about fucking that nut-ass nigga.
She had been blowing my phone up with text messages, popping up at my sister’s house and at the bookstore. She didn’t like coming to the shelter since it was so close to the hood, but she would have her cousins or Kaylani pull up on me.