Page 20 of His Baby Her Gift

A few moments later, Mesha returned with Harlem’s bag. “You were right. It was next to the table with the onesies.”

“Thanks.” Harlem quickly went through it. She sighed in relief after finding her wallet and credit cards still there. Harlem paid for her items, and they left the store.

Mesha was confused. “Harlem, I thought Elaina was a red-head?”

“She was the last time I saw her.”

“Did you notice that her hair was not only dark with high-lights like yours, but it was styled almost exactly the same?”

“Of course, I noticed. It’s a pretty drastic change.”

“I just didn’t realize you two resembled each other so much. It’s not just the hair. I mean, even Elaina’s eyebrows are shaped like yours.”

Harlem was uncomfortable. “Not only does it look like she changed her hair similar to mine, butshe’s gotten some work done. Her lips were more plumped as if she got fillers, and she’s tanned, I mean really really tanned.She’s now a light shade of brown, just like me. It’s freaky.”

“Is she trying to morph herself into you?”

They stared at each other for a while.

“That would be crazy, right?” Harlem spoke softly. “Elaina might be a lot of things, but I don’t think she’s a head case.”

Mesha figured they were blowing things out of proportion. At least she hoped they were. “I almost forgot that I need something from the Vitamin store.”

“I’ll meet you at the car.” Harlem was shaken, and she was ready to go. “Actually, I’ll pull the car around to the front entrance.”

“Cool. I’ll meet you out front.” Mesha started walking towards her destination, and Harlem marched outside the strip-mall towards her car.

Harlem pressed the button on her key-fob to open the trunk. She placed her bags inside, and when she closed the door, Elaina was standing on the other side of it.

Her new appearance was throwing Harlem for a loop. “What do you want, Elaina?”

“I want a lot of things. World peace, a cure for cancer, and for you to stay away from Carter.”

“He seems to enjoy my company. Therefore, that’s a conversation you need to have with him.”

Elaina’s eyes flashed with such hatred that it looked borderline unhinged. Her stare was intense, fevered, and demonic.

Harlem watched in real-time as Elaina worked to control it. It was the strangest display of human behavior she had ever seen. The woman’s body stood rigid. Elaina blinked rapidly as if she were fighting a war within herself.

Once she seemed more in control, Elaina spoke through clenched teeth. Her voice dripping with suppressed rage. “I told you that I would even the playing field.”

Harlem was not going to be intimidated by this woman.She was angry too, but Carter didn’t deserve to be manipulated in such a way.“You’re disgusting, Elaina. Women who get pregnant and use their baby to trap men are lower than pond scum.”

Elaina was boiling with fury. Her lips tightened, and there was a slight twitch at the corners that told Harlem that her words had hit the mark.

Elaina shot back. “You really have a lot of nerve! Every fuckin’ time I turned around, there you were, needing Carter's so-calledhelp.” Elaina lifted two fingers on each hand to mark her last word in quotes. “You’ve been using that baby to lure him into your clutches from the moment Damian died! You don’t like being alone? Is that why you’re screwing the best-friend only months after his death? Nowthat’sdisgusting!”

From the outside looking in, Harlem could imagine that’s how it might look, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Harlem’s hands were balled into fists. Her nails dug into the palm of her hands as she worked hard not to wrap them around Elaina’s neck. If she weren’t pregnant, this conversation would have looked a hell of a lot different.

There was a silent stare-off between the two women as they stood in the parking lot. Elaina’s arms were still folded across her chest as she stepped closer into Harlem’s space.

She is doing way too much. Oh Lord, please give me strength not to snatch this woman up. Please, God. Give. Me. Strength.

“I told you, I wasn’t giving Carter up without a fight.” Elaina reached into her purse and pulled out her cell. She made an exaggerated display of making a call. Her entire demeanor changed as she spoke. “Carter? I hate to bother you, but I’m not feeling well. Do you think you can drop by to bring me some saltine crackers and soup?” Her eyes narrowed into tiny little slits as they landed on Harlem. Her voice dripped with sweetness. “Thank you so much. I’ll see you later.”

It was more than freaky to see the way Elaina could transform–and not just her appearance. Her voice and demeanor were polar opposites. They didn’t match.

After Elaina disconnected the call, her Colgate smile turned sinister. “Let the games begin.”

---