Page 94 of Heart of a Savage
“Can you just kill me? I don’t want to feel like this anymore.”
“Stop being dramatic?—”
“I’m pregnant!” I blurted out.
Paige stared at me before a smile drew up on her face, and she wrapped her arms around me. “Oh em geeeee! I’m going to be an auntie! Ah!” She clapped excitedly.
“Whoa! Slow down. I can’t keep this baby, Paige.”
“Why the hell not? Arie, do not punish this baby because of him!”
“What the hell am I going to do with a kid? I don’t know how to be someone’s mother.”
“I’m sorry, where the hell they selling the handbooks at to teach you how to be a mother? Papa Lo and Mama ’Brina raised you, and you turned out to be okay.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, so teach my child how to shoot and be savage is how I’m supposed to raise them?”
“No. Making sure they are cared for, fed, and given love is all you need to do. You don’t have to raise them how you were raised. Show them a different way… a different path.”
“I don’t know, P. Me and the father ain’t on that type of time anymore. I would need a lot of help.”
“What the hell are me and Mama to you? Chopped suey?”
I fell back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.
Paige took my silence as a cue to continue. “You really don’t want to give him another chance?”
“I don’t know… He had Lamont killed. Even if Aunt Eva and Lena don’t ever know, I will. It’ll bother me too much.”
“Don’t let it, Arieana. I love Uncle Lamont, too, and I’m going to miss him, but he did something foolish. It was his consequence. It’s not on you, and I keep telling you that. It’s unfortunate that Messiah had to be involved, but it’s just the way it had to be. I’m sure with time things will work out for the better.”
“I really don’t like your logic, sis.”
“You ain’t gotta like it. Furthermore, I’ll be officially moving to SC next month. We’ll be closing on the house soon.”
Sadness washed over me again. My friend was leaving me. I didn’t want her to go, but I knew I couldn’t hold on to her forever.
“You should come with me… if you want.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Maybe a new scenery would do you some good. Gain some clarity and do some self-reflecting.”
“I don’t want to impose on the newlyweds.”
“Girl, I showed you pictures of the house. There is more than enough room for you. You can stay in the guest house. Harvey doesn’t mind at all, and I’ll make sure he keeps his mouth closed.”
I thought about it for all of ten seconds before I agreed. “You know what? I think I will take you up on your offer.”
“Yayyy! I love you, sis,” she said, hugging me again.
“I love you too.”
Five Months Later…
It was Christmas Eve.
MJ and I walked through the mall, getting some last-minute shopping done, while my moms, Madisyn, and Piper were at my parents’ house prepping the food.
