Page 38 of Girl, We Go Together
“You’re not,” she said firmly. “You got me. Always.”
“Thanks, girl,” I huffed before yawning. I had to schedule a doctor's appointment as soon as Monday morning came. “Let me try and get some rest, girl, I’m exhausted,” I admitted.
“Yeah, you're about to be sleeping your ass off, preggo. Love y’all.”
My heart warmed. Zynea always knew what to say to make me feel like myself again.
“Love you, too,” I whispered before ending the line and turning off the lamp in the room.
Orion
The bass from the speakers thumped through the walls of Obsessions, my spot, my empire. The place stayed packed on the weekends, especially on a Sunday night, because I droppedthe price a bit on admission and on bottles. I smiled at my sanctuary. The lights were down low, and women came dressed to kill. I leaned against the bar with a glass of Henny in my hand, smirking as the bartender laughed at something slick I said. She was leaning in too close, smiling too wide, but I didn’t mind.
Ever since Ma passed, I looked at life differently. Everything felt short and more fragile. You could be here today and gone tomorrow. And if that was the case, then why the hell should I tie myself to just one woman? Don’t get me wrong, I was happy about Cayla being pregnant. It felt like a new start and a chance to build something solid. A new baby would give me a piece of family I’d been missing since Ma left us. But at the same time, there was this pull in me I couldn’t shake. Like the streets, like the hustle, temptation was always around. And the funny thing was, now that I was spoken for and had a woman waiting at home, it seemed like every other woman wanted me more. These bitches loved to see how a nigga loved on a bitch. They loved wishing and trying to make it happen for them.
The bartender slid my drink across the counter. Her fingers brushed mine longer than necessary. She gave me that look, the kind that said she knew what she was offering without having to say a word. I sipped slowly. My eyes roamed the crowd but circled back to her. In the back of my mind, Cayla’s face flashed. I couldn’t get her smile when she showed me that test out of my mind. Ever since we found out, it was the way her hand lingered on her stomach, like she was already protecting something we created. It made me feel proud. All worrying about her gaining more weight aside, there was another part of me, the darker part, that was addicted to the chase. Addicted to being wanted. Losing Ma showed me how quick life can take from you, and I wasn’t sure I believed in playing it safe anymore. And that thought right there was the part I kept locked away from Cayla.If she knew that I no longer saw a monogamous lifestyle for myself, it would shatter her to the core.
The crowd roared when the DJ flipped tracks, bodies pressed tight on the dance floor, but all I heard was the bartender’s laugh. T’asia had been working here since I first opened, and she always had this sweet, low, and teasing tone to her voice. She leaned across the counter again, whispering something I barely caught over the music, but I caught enough.
“You really should let me take care of you sometime.”
I should’ve brushed it off, especially since over the year, on numerous accounts, she’d seen my woman come up in here. But that wasn’t her job to do. It wasn’t her place to worry about my relationship; it was mine. I should have been the one thinking about Cayla at home. She was probably stretched across our bed with one hand on her stomach, just glowing already, even though her belly hadn’t even started showing. I should’ve told myself I had too much to lose. But I didn’t. Instead, I finished my drink in one pull and set the glass down slowly. I glanced at her for a while. I wanted her to feel the weight of my attention. Her smile said she’d been waiting for it.
Minutes later, I was behind the bar with her, tucked away in the narrow hallway leading to the stockroom. The music thudded through the walls like a heartbeat, muffling her giggles as her hands slid under my shirt. I watched her have her way with me, and I hesitated a bit. Although the moment felt so right, something about it still felt wrong. I pushed my doubts to the back of my mind, though. My lips found hers, and we shared the kind of kiss that tasted like danger. And that’s because it was laced with betrayal.
My head told me I was crossing a line that I couldn’t come back from, but my body was louder. I pulled her close and let her press against me until all I felt was heat. It took me no time to bend her ass over and hike up the leather skirt she was wearing.In that moment, it wasn’t about love or family or even lust… it was about the rush. That feeling of being wanted, of having control, of escaping the weight that had been pressing down on me since Ma died.
When it was over, I stood there catching my breath, guilt already clawing at me. T’asia smirked, smoothing her hair back like she’d just conquered something. And maybe she had. This was what I was sure she had been waiting for since she got hired. I walked back into the club like nothing happened, but deep down, I knew something had shifted. I’d crossed Cayla without her even knowing it. The sick part about it all is that some twisted piece of me wondered if I’d do it again. I knew I would.
Cayla
I sat up quickly from my slumber. Something didn’t feel right. I patted the spot beside me, and it was empty. Orion’s side of the bed was untouched. I looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was two in the morning. I had half the mind to call Orion to see where he was, but I decided against it. I pulled the blanket over my shoulder and then tried to find a comfortable spot.
My stomach had this weird feeling that something was up. I ignored it, although I knew I shouldn’t have, and then closed my eyes to force myself to go back to sleep. I had a doctor’s appointment coming up, and worrying about this baby growing in my stomach had to be my priority.
Chapter 14
Cayla
The room smelled like sanitizer and lavender hand soap, the scent that felt too sharp to breathe in easily. I hated the aroma of hospitals and doctors’ offices. The pleasant, clean smell was just a reminder that death was just around the corner for some. I sat on the edge of the paper-covered exam table, the crinkle beneath me loud as thunder in my ears. I couldn’t seem to sit still, so every time I shifted my weight on the surface, the noise erupted.
Orion leaned against the wall with his phone in his hand. His thumb was moving like he had a hundred better places to be. His face didn’t seem interested at all. The doctor clicked through my chart, smiling like this was routine.
“Well, Ms. Carmichael, it looks like you’re about fifteen weeks along. Congratulations.”
I blinked, the number hitting me harder than I expected. Fifteen weeks? My hand instinctively pressed my stomach.
“That far?” I whispered.
The doctor nodded.
“Yes. Did you not notice you missed your period?”
Heat rushed to my face. I hated feeling like I had to explain myself.
“I’ve always had irregular cycles. Since I was a teenager. Sometimes I’d go two or three months without one. I didn’t think…” My voice trailed off.
She nodded knowingly, typing something into the computer.
