Page 83 of Crash: Love in Scrubs
“Ms. Andrews? This is Crystal from Dr. Cole’s office. She wanted me to remind you that when you take the prenatal vitamins, you need to take them with food. She also said you could get some Flintstone gummies. And alarms help. She said she knows it’s been a while since you’ve had to think about that.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Crystal?”
The look of horror that crossed her face once she realized what she’d heard made her turn to the sink and throw up. My mind was spinning, trying to keep up. Everything was happening at once. I was going to be a father. I was losing my woman at the same time. The woman carrying my child was looking at me like I was the enemy. Hell, I felt like throwing up too.
“Ms. Andrews the symptoms you were worried about weren’t menopause or perimenopause, you’re pregnant.”
She hung up the phone as tears sprang to her eyes and mine. I shook them away still trying to process.
Pregnant. She was pregnant with my baby, and she’d just found out the same way I did—through a random phone call during the worst fight of our relationship. This wasn’t how I’d imagined finding out I was going to be a father. This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to go.
I stepped closer, taking this as my opportunity, hoping to reach her, because this changed everything. But she held up her hand.
“I still want you to leave. I need to think. Decide what comes next.”
“Decide what? Spell it out for me.” My eyes locked on hers. The words came out sharper than I intended, but she had me fucked up if she thought making decisions about my baby without me was acceptable.
She wiped her mouth with a paper towel. “Decide if I can trust you. Decide if I want to do this alone or with someone who thinks keeping secrets is ever okay. Decide if I want to raise another child with a man who makes decisions about my life without me.”
Every word was a low blow, and she knew it. Now it was my turn to show the pain in my face. Another child. She was comparing me to Ashe, and that cut deeper than anything else she could have said.
“I’m not him,” I said quietly. “Don’t you ever compare me to him. I’ve shown up from day one, and I will continue to. Have your moment, but you got me fucked up. That nigga wanted this reaction, and you’re about to hand it to him on a silver platter.”
I didn’t want to come at her like this, but she was acting like what I was trying to do wasn’t exactly what I said it was. It was protection, whether she liked it or agreed with it or not. That was my job as her man. A man.
“Malik. I’ll call you when I’m ready to talk.”
“When will that be? I’m sure you have follow-up appointments we need to go to. And I ain’t feeling being left out.” The reality of her pregnancy was starting to sink in. Doctors’ appointments, decisions to make, a whole life to plan for. And she wanted to do it alone.
“I don’t know.” She looked exhausted, defeated. “I just found out I’m pregnant in the middle of one of the worst days of my life. I need time.”
I wanted to argue, to stay and fight for us, but the look in her eyes told me that pushing any more would only make things worse. I pulled her toward me, and she came reluctantly. I kissed her nose, her lips, then her temple, trying to memorize the feel of her in case this was the last time.
“I love you, and we’re not finished. Take your time, but I can tell my patience is gonna run thin. Don’t take too long. I want to be there for you and my child.”
Her chin was in my hand as I looked into her eyes again. I kissed her lips once more and left without another word.
“Maj, let me talk to you real quick.” He followed me outside, a scowl on his face so deep I worried it would get stuck that way. “Aye, kid, fix your face. What we know?”
“We know we got this.”
“Exactly. I need a favor from you, as the man of the house. Make sure she rests, make sure she eats. I got dinner tonight. I know she’s tired and spiraling. I hate leaving her like this, but I gotta respect her wishes. But take care of her in my absence.”
“I got it. You can depend on me, Lik.”
“I’ll be checking in, aight?”
“Okay. I’ll try and talk to her.”
“Nah, I gotta fix. But you man up and do the same on your end. I got me and my part. Never ever call a woman crazy or accuse her of overreacting. You almost met your maker in there.”
We shared a laugh, it was my attempt to lighten the mood.
“Yeah, never again.”
We dapped and then hugged, and I watched Samaj stroll back inside. As much as I hated it, I needed to give her space to process everything. But if this was where we ended up, if I losther for good because of Ashe’s games, that motherfucker’s time was definitely up. I was upping the price and the score.
As I sat in my car, one thought kept running through my mind: I was about to be a father, and I might lose the woman I loved on the same day. Shit, I’d fucked around and become a baby daddy. This wasn’t how I wanted things to go. This wasn’t how I wanted to bring a child into our lives. This wasn’t how I wanted her to find out about the photos and blackmail. This wasn’t how I wanted to find out I was going to be a father.
