Page 45 of Beyond The Stars

Her button nose scrunched which rubbed Janay the wrong way. “Who are you?”

“Noodle,” Esmeray spoke up with her nose just as scrunched.

Noodle was wrapped up in Qamar’s world so much so that she didn’t even hear Janay. “Can I hold her?”

Placing the tiny human in her arms, he guided her on how to hold her properly. “You gotta hold her head like this.”

“Is this right?” Noodle looked up at him so much admiration.

“Mhm. You gone babysit when she gets older?”

“Yea.”

“And me too?” Esmeray pointed at her chest.

Noodle smiled. “Both of y’all ‘cause I love y’all so much.”

“Q, who is she?” Janay had had enough of the private moment they seemed to be having. Her wide nose spread more. The pregnancy body was still cursing her and she hadn’t quite accepted the changes of carrying a child.

“Hey, I’m Noodle,” she introduced with the most innocent smile and eyes. “She’s so pretty and little.”

Looking at Noodle warmed Janay’s heart, removing all the animosity she had seconds before. Her innocent aura was contagious and blocked out all negativity. Noodle was special and as she faced life head-on, she would grow to master it—able to twist and turn people into puddy.

“We’ll talk later,” he directed to Janay. “Where yo’ mama, Es?”

“Gone on a date,” Noodle answered, still focused on Belinay.

Janay swallowed, waiting for Qamar to feel away. When he didn’t her racing heart slowed to a normal rate.

“Qamar!” Stephanie’s voice boomed through the hall, slicing through the air like a knife. The sound echoed off the walls, a familiar mix of authority and concern that made Qamar’s heart race. His eyes widened, darting to Noodle, searching for some kind of reassurance or explanation.

“Siasia down there,” Noodle finally admitted, her brow furrowed in realization, as if the weight of the message had just hit her.

Janay’s gaze flicked between them, confusion etched on her face. “Who is Siasia?” she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and suspicion, as if she sensed the tension brewing beneath the surface.

“My daddy’s girlfriend,” Esmeray piped up, her innocent tone cutting through the moment like a bell ringing in a quiet room.

Before Qamar could react, Janay was already off, sprinting across the grass, determination in her stride. Panic surged through him as he watched her go, knowing that whatever confrontation awaited would only stir the pot further.

“Wait! Janay!” He chased her unable to catch up with her like he wasn’t the athlete and she didn’t just have a baby.

Stephanie stood in the hallway with her arms folded across her chest and smoke coming out of her ears. She was pissed that Qamar had left a complete stranger in her house without her knowledge. Then, he had the nerve to bring another girl into town when he just had a baby with another. Her son was out of his mind, and she needed to be the one to hold him accountable.

Janay rushed past Stephanie only to stop dead in her tracks when she looked at Siasia.

Siasia stood frozen, caught in the moment like a deer in headlights, clad in a pair of Qamar’s oversized sweatpants that hung loosely around her waist, a t-shirt that swallowed her frame, and one of his big jackets draped over her shoulders, making her look almost small and vulnerable. To top it off, she wore his giant slides that flopped with every anxious shift of her feet. The nerve of her, knowing full well who Janay was; the internet had already spread the images of Janay and Qamar at the hospital, cradling their newborn like a precious gift. A knot twisted in her stomach, a mix of dread and realization settling in as she braced for the inevitable.

“Are you out of your fuckin’ mind?” Janay raged. Her chest pumped up and down. Pissed was an understatement. “Qamar, I just fuckin’ know.” She pinched the bridge of her nose unable to complete a full sentence.

“Calm down and let me talk to you.” Qamar stood in front of Janay, blocking her view of Siasia.

Siasia’s foot tapped against the floor as she tried her hardest not to say anything.

“Nigga, fuck you!” Janay grilled him before spinning around to call her mama and get the fuck on.

The hard thuds of her stomping off seemed to shake the floor. Steam followed her, leaving a trail of a burning heart. She couldn’t believe Qamar could be so disrespectful. No, they were not together but she had just had his daughter. Like, how could he be so selfish to go out and give another girl pieces of him he withheld from her? If those were the games he wanted to play, she could play it too. First with taking her baby the hell away from him, his family, and the homewrecking bitch.

Luna stepped up. “Wait a minute, Janay.” Javen pulled her back, not wanting her to insert herself in Qamar’s drama. They needed to let him handle his shit like the man he was.

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