Page 49 of You Make Me Feel

“Kinisha! You’re pregnant!”

“It wasn’t really a fight. She didn’t hit me. I snatched her like Ramsey did Anise.”

“Oh my God. So now, Oliver is upset. He didn’t come outside.”

“Yeah. What am I gonna do if he’s done with me?”

“Unfortunately, that will be his loss. As long as he takes care of his child, we won’t be able to hold it against him.”

I swallowed hard because this shit with Jarod was about to throw them for a loop. I couldn’t understand for the life of me why he was over there spilling the tea about me like he wasn’t a fucking participant. On top of that, he distanced himself from me, not the other way around. It was like that muthafucka just wanted me to be miserable like his miserable ass, just what Braylon told me he would do.

When she turned in the driveway, my insides started boiling. I had a headache from hell and wanted to go home and crawl under my covers. My phone chimed in my hand as I got out of the car. I looked at the screen to see it was a text message from Oliver. I couldn’t bear to see what he had to say right now. I was glad he wasn’t here with me. He would probably end up in jail.

Kiana caught up with me when I got to the back door. I hesitated for a minute, closing my eyes and saying a short prayer that God would help me keep my hands to myself and my tongue mild in front of my parents. I wasn’t feeling feisty and angry. I felt sad and depressed that this was what my life had come to.

Walking inside the house, I could see Jarod sitting on a chair and my parents sitting across from him on the couch. A tremble went through my body as he looked in my direction with a smirk. As I entered the area they were in, I could see the frown on my dad’s face. My mom looked perplexed as well. I only lowered my head and said, “Hey.”

“Kinisha, please tell me what he’s saying isn’t true.”

“What is his lying ass saying?” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

“He said that you were trying to pin a baby on him, and when he wouldn’t go for it, you pinned it on Oliver. Were you sleeping around like that?” my mother asked.

“I was only sleeping with Jarod. When I told him I was pregnant, he called me everything but a child of God right there in church. We practiced safe sex, but the condom broke one particular time that I know he remembers. Oliver knows all of this. I didn’t ‘pin’ a baby on him. Oliver loves me and wanted to help me save face in front of y’all and a bunch of people who I don’t even care about. Jarod refused to step up to the plate. He knows this is his baby. That’s why he’s here. He didn’t care until he saw me with Oliver today, like he doesn’t have a whole fiancée.”

Kiana was standing to the side with her mouth open. I didn’t realize Lazarus was here, but he stood beside her with his arm around her shoulders. Everyone was extremely quiet until Jarod said, “Kinisha, if you were sleeping with me, how can I be sure you weren’t sleeping with someone else?”

“What reason do I have to lie? You ain’t got shit, nigga! Having your baby won’t benefit me one bit. Why do I need to lie? IwishI were having Oliver’s baby. He stepped up to the plate to claim a baby that wasn’t his simply because of how he felt about me.He’sgoing to be my baby’s father. What was even your point in coming here with this shit? To make me look bad? So I can be as miserable as you are? Why?”

“So they can know they raised a whore. You aren’t innocent.”

Before anyone could say another word, Lazarus laid him out. “You willnotcome into this house and insult my sister. You have to be out of your mind to think that was gon’ fly here.”

“Get your ass out of my house,” my dad added.

Jarod stood from the floor with a smirk on his face.

“And wipe that shit off your face before you get knocked down again. I will take this to the pastor. Deacon in training my ass,” my mama said.

I was shocked they were cursing. That rarely happened. However, I didn’t get my hopes up because I was sure I would suffer their wrath once Jarod left. As soon as he walked out, my dad glared at me. He remained quiet until he heard Jarod’s car crank up and drive away. “Kinisha, I don’t even know what to say. I thought we raised you to have good morals and standards for yourself. I’m not gonna even ask why you slept with him because I can only imagine.”

“That’s why I didn’t want to tell y’all I was pregnant without having a boyfriend. Jarod doesn’t want our baby, but Oliver was willing to raise a baby that wasn’t his. Now, I may be raising my baby alone. I have to go. I feel dizzy and just want to go home and lay down.”

I walked away while my mama begged me to talk to them. I couldn’t stand to see the disappointment on their faces. I squeezed Lazarus’s hand as I went outside and down the driveway.

“Kinisha! Where are you going?”

Kiana was running down the driveway to catch up with me.

“Why are you running? Stop before you fall or hurt yourself.”

“Nisha, where are you going?”

“Home.”

“You live five miles from here. Are you crazy?”

“Yeah. I just wanna be by myself.”

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