Page 113 of Love me Like XO

“I mean I know it’s there, but Empress I’m not there yet. Or am I? I gotta be to be knocked up by th?—”

“Then stop talking so much and go pee. I need your to be giving my sons a cousin, so I don’t have to make one myself.”

I mugged her. “That’s some selfish shit, bro’. How do you want me to have a baby so you don’t have to? Sick shit.”

“It’s not sick at all. It’s resourceful. Do you know what I went through? What my body endured to give you these nephews?” Here she was with the dramatics.

“Nope I didn’t feel it, but I was there. Why on earth would you want me to go through it?”

She snickered. “It’s inevitable. Malik wants a baby and the way I see it you’re not denying him, shit per granny you may be popped off right now. Now please, for. The life of all that is holy and breathing go take the damn test.”

I waved her off, but instead of arguing I went into the washroom to take the damn test. A test I already knew the answer to because Malik was determined. A determined man could move a fucking mountain, among his other shit, so who was I to underestimate him?

After pissing the stick, I cleaned up after myself before walking out into the living room where my sister was.

“You happy?”

“Very.” She made faces and kissed toward Aimer’s little face. Of the twins he was the one who didn’t care to sleep. He wanted to be up with the action and near his mama. All of that was evident in the first few days of his life.

“What do you think about me and the twins moving in here with Zero?” She glanced around, before her attention immediately went back to baby boy.

“I mean wasn’t this always a part of the plan? Considering your house is like more of Empress’s playroom than a space where you raise babies.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

“Very much, but this space is open. One floor and enough space for you to raise your family and even add more if that’s on the table.”

“Glad that isn’t on the table, huh?”

I cackled.

“Go look at the test, ho,” she demanded from the couch.

My eyes immediately went to the washroom before my feet began to carry me in that direction.

Then we made it, and like I already knew it would, the test results read pregnant. Shit was real now. It was no longer an assumption with the only basis being my overthinking.

“Okay, what does it say?” Em asked from the other room.

“That I’m pregnant, bitch. But you already knew that.” I entered the living room where she sat with a knowing a smile on her face and the same twin nestled in her arms. “He’s going to be spoiled, you know that right?”

“So is my niece or nephew when you have them.”

I was about to say something smart to my sister, but the doorbell rang. Not expecting anyone she and I looked at one another before shrugging. Then I walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. Of course it was Irish, and he had food. My brother knew us well and always showed up at the right time depending.

“Open this damn door, it’s ‘bout hot as hell out here,” he fussed.

Stuffing the pregnancy test in my pocket I opened the door letting him in. “Well thank you for the food.” I took the box from him while he Immediately be-lined to the kitchen to wash his hands. I already knew he was about to get the baby from Em. When we were at the hospital he claimed God gave him a young bull through Zero and Empress, because let him tell it he and Zarali weren’t having any more kids. Hell they were so fucking toxic, I believed it. One minute they were good the next they were beefing. They were meant to be but acting stupid together. Hell, I was willing to bet he was here to talk about some shit they had going on. When they were beefing or on the outs, my brother always came to one of us if not both.

“Why you tryna hog him, Em?” Irish’s tone of voice interrupted my thoughts.

When I looked up he was standing over her with a mug.

I laughed watching her reluctantly hand over the wide awake, nosy ass baby.

After taking one of the pastries out of the box, I sat it on the island and went to take a seat. Almost at the same time as I took a seat Irish’s eyes were on me. There was a lookin in his face, one I couldn’t pinpoint. One that had me about to ask him what his fucking problem was, but I couldn’t because he was already using his free hand to point.

“Bit—You fucking pregnant.”

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