Page 144 of Tainted

“So what’s your solution, Keyes? We have a problem, and your girl is at the center!” he shot back, his voice cold and clipped.

“Take some of that bass out of your voice. This wouldn't be happening if-.”

“If what?" Kross interrupted, his voice dripping with disdain as he cut off my train of thought. “If you didn’t have to step in and help me? Is that what you're getting at?”

What I was going to say was no longer important. Instead, grief had shown up at the party, and the argument took a turn.

“If you didn’t think you had to fix everything by yourself, I guess you get that from Pops, too.”

“That apple didn’t fall as far from your tree as you think!” Kross defended.

“At least now I know why you had me running all over the city for bullshit that Nolan could’ve handled. Great fuckin’teamwork.”

“You didn’t have the heart to do what needed to be done tonight! Even if you did, that shit would’ve eaten at you. As your brother, I took that!” Kross yelled, hitting his chest. “I always took it for you so you could go run around playing with cars and shit! I was there with Pops, so you didn’t have to be.”

Zara’s neck flipped between us, trying to keep up with the conversation.

“Out of respect foryour brother, you were supposed to come to me the minute you found out! But just like him, you call the shots, and we fall in line. Since you wanna be like your fuckin’ daddy so bad, visit him on the mantle and ask him how to solve this,” I replied.

“Keep talking to me crazy, and your ass will join him,” Kross threatened.

“That sounds better than listening to you bitch and moan.” I threw my hands up, the frustration boiling over, “If I wanted to point fingers, I’d bring up that you hired her genius.”

“You fucked her and let her get too close. I told you to leave her alone!”

We were nose to nose, when I heard Zara gag. My head whipped toward the bathroom as she bolted for the door, barely making it in time. With so many details to argue, I’d forgotten the biggest caveat to all this bullshit.

Kross and I shared a look I didn’t want to acknowledge. For once, he wasn’t barking orders or making accusations. He sighed, running a hand over his face before nodding toward the bathroom.

“Go check on her, Stupid.”

I approached the door, and all the anger from our argument faded, watching her lean over the toilet.

“Zara.”

“I’m fine. Tonight’s just been a lot,” she wiped her tear-stained face with the back of her hand, out of breath.

She pushed past me, walking out of the bathroom. The tears in her eyes made me want to wrap her in my arms and tell her that I had her. Both of them, but there was still so much shit that needed to be sorted out.

“You need to get a pregnancy test now,” Kross advised.

“Nigga, you go get it!” I fired back, tired of him ordering me around.

“Can somebody please just go get a fuckin’ test!” Zara yelled, running her hands through her hair.

“Go fetch that test,” Kross smirked.

I flipped him my middle finger and walked out, barely remembering the drive to the store. I was preoccupied with all the words thrown around my living room tonight. It didn’t get any better staring at shelves stacked with pregnancy tests, clueless about which one to pick. I grab one and another, stuffing them into the basket before heading to checkout.

When I returned to the house, Kross was still watching Zara like a hawk.

“Did you buy the whole store?” she asked, climbing to her feet.

“I’ve never done this before.” Her jaw was damn near trembling, trying to keep her sarcastic comment to herself as she snatched the bag from my hand.

“Where are you going?” Zara asked, turning around with her hand on my chest.

“Now you’re too shy to pee in front of me?”

---