Page 42 of Her Exception

The sound of his doorbell ringing caught us both by surprise.

“Are you expecting someone?” I asked as he released me.

“Not at all.”

His frame straightened as he headed toward the door. I wanted to give him space in case it was something personal, so I decided to head to the bedroom and shower.

“Hosanna?” he called, surprise dripping from his voice. “What the hell are you doing here?”

I hung back, leaning against the wall to hear what this woman had to say.

“I don’t know how to say this without just saying it… I’m pregnant, Mecca.”

My heart stopped beating at the sound of her words. Covering my ears, I laughed quietly as my head shook. I pulled in deep breaths before swaying softly in anticipation of his words.

“What? How? I strapped up every time.”

“I’m not sure, but I am pregnant.”

“And you’re sure it’s my baby?”

She sucked her teeth. “Of course, Mecca. Whose else would it be?”

“Well, we were not in a relationship, so I’m not sure who else you were sleeping with.”

“You might not have wanted to be with me, but I wanted to be with you. So no, I was not sleeping with anyone else, Mecca.”

At the sound of that, I decided to give them space so they could talk. I rounded the corner, gently tapping him on the back. He looked back at me with remorseful eyes and a defeated spirit.

“I’m gonna go so you two can talk, love.”

“Yeah, do that,” was what Hosanna said.

“No, I want you to stay,” was Mecca’s reply.

“Mecca, I…”

He grabbed my hand but turned to Hosanna. “I’ll need a DNA test to confirm this is my child as soon as it’s possible.”

“Fine.” Hosanna shrugged.

“You can go. I’ll be in touch.”

She looked at me, then back at him. “You’re not going to invite me in so we can talk?”

“No. I’m about to spend the evening with my woman. I’ll call you in the morning to discuss setting up an appointment for the DNA test.”

Scoffing, Hosanna crossed her arms over her chest and rested the bulk of her weight on her left side. “Let me get this straight… I just told you I’m pregnant with your baby, and you’restillgoing to spend the evening with her?”

“Yeah, what else would I do, Hosanna?”

“Be with me!” she shrieked, flailing her arms.

The low, menacing laugh Mecca released told me all I needed to know. “You having my baby doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to be with you. If that’s what you came over here thinking, let’s rectify that right now.”

“But, Mecca, I…”

“If you are pregnant, and this baby is in fact mine, I will be there for you while you are pregnant and there for my child once they are born. In no scenario or circumstance will this baby lead to us being together.” He used my hand to pull me closer to his side. “Now will you please leave? I’ll call you in the morning.”

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