Page 27 of Bern and Isley
“What? I’m just saying I’m glad to see her happy and moving on after her husband died.”
“I feel that,” I agreed. It was hard seeing my mama grieve. So I was glad she was at a place where she felt comfortable moving on. “Besides, it makes me feel less guilty about moving out.”
“Have you decided on a place?” she asked as she stood from the table to rinse her plate.
“Yeah, I’m going to move to the fifth floor.”
“Good. It’s a shorter commute for me,” she teased.
Although I knew she was being funny, that was the reason I decided to move back to the complex. I wanted to be closer to her and the baby. I wanted to be readily accessible if she needed me. I didn’t know if that nigga Marshall was going to man up or not. But I wasn’t going to wait around and find out. I was ready to stand in the gap.
Chapter 15
Isley
“Let’sgo to the baby section since we’re in here,” Snow suggested.
Since I was having another good day, Snow invited me to ride to the mall with her. I didn’t have any heads to braid so I obliged.I was excited to get out of the house, even if I didn’t have money to shop. I was content with just browsing.
“I can’t lie. I hope you have a girl,” Snow said as she picked up different baby outfits. Everything she touched was pink and frilly.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t care about none of that. I just want a healthy baby.”
“I know that, Isley.” She smacked her lips. “I’m just saying I want it to be healthyanda girl.”
I giggled. I tried to imagine what my baby would look like. Would he or she have my bronze complexion or Marshall’s high yellow skin? Would the baby have my small brown eyes or Marshall’s hazel green eyes?
“How did Bernie take the news that you’re keeping the baby?”
I hunched my shoulders. “Good. I guess. Why’d you ask that?”
I knew why she asked but was committed to playing dumb.
“Whatever, you know why. I don’t know why y’all insist on sticking to this delusion that y’all are just friends. There’s more than a friendship type of love going on. You and Bern are soulmates. Everybody knows this.”
“Our relationship is strictly platonic,” I told her, trying to convince myself more than her. I wasn’t ready to admit that since Bern had been home there’d been a shift in my feelings toward him.
“Well, good. I have a homegirl that wants to get at him.”
I snapped my head in her direction so fast. A big, wide grin was plastered on her face.
“Got yo’ ass.” She threw her head back, laughing.
I was ashamed. I had blown my cover. Well, the cover was see-through anyway. But still. I made it even more obvious.
My phone vibrated. I was thankful the call saved me from addressing Snow. I took a deep breath before answering.
“Hello.”
“So, you’re pregnant?”
“Yes,”
“How you know it’s mine?”
My blood began to boil. Was this nigga being serious?
“I know it’s yours because you’re the only one I’ve fucked in the last year. And I regret that shit, might I add.”
