Stripping off the robe and pulling up my jeans, his voice stops me. “I want to see. Can I see?”
I turn my head to him. “See what?”
He looks down, then back up to me. “Your belly.”
Turning around I show him, it’s bigger when I stand. But I can still hide it as I’m not large yet.
“You’re beautiful.” His words make my heart skip a beat. Brushing the words away, I reach for my shirt and don’t look back as I start to walk out, knowing full well he’ll follow me.
“It’s a lot to take in.”
I laugh as we walk outside, then look around for the nearest cab so I can get out of here. I don’t want to deal with this right now. I want to stay on a high from seeing my baby.
“For you? Or the person who’s actually carrying the child,” I say with an eye roll.
“I didn’t want kids, Elicea.”
Turning to face him, my high now officially gone and instead, anger sits in its place.
“You think I did?” I poke at his chest. “This wasn’t just me. You forgot to wear protection, or did you forget that?” Waving down the cab, I walk off and away from him. His footsteps follow me, though. “I’ll drive you home.”
“Go away, Creed, I’ve been dealing with it by myself. I can manage. I don’t need you.”
He grunts behind me. “I had to have time to adjust.”
Getting into the cab, I shut the door not even bothering replying. Who the fuck gave me time to adjust? No one, that’s who. Why does he get the privilege when I didn’t?
“I’ll just follow you.” He throws money to the cab driver then he walks off. I spin in my seat and see him getting in his car and doing just that, following like he said he would.
Calling Tracey, she answers on the first ring. She wanted to come today but I thought it was best she didn’t in case he did show up.
“Was she beautiful? She was beautiful, wasn’t she?” she gushes into the cell.
“You all think you know the sex of the baby.” I laugh.
“Please, it’s a girl, I just know it.”
“He came.”
She goes silent. “Can I stab him now?”
I laugh into the cell. “No. I may need him to be a dad—if he wants to, I guess.”
“Please, you don’t need him. You have me. I’ll be a great dad.”
“You’re a girl.”
“True. But I can be mean, ask Billy.” She giggles.
“He’s following me right now. I’m in the cab, he’s in his car,” I say, looking behind to see him still there following like a stalker.
“You didn’t get in his car? Good girl.”
“I don’t know how long I can keep this up. Wouldn’t it be easier to just let him be there? Not for me—but for the baby.”
“I can’t answer that for you. I’m sorry, El.”
“I gotta go, talk later?”
“Yes, call me.”
I hang up and get out. No point in running from him when he plans to follow me anyway. And I bet he also has a set of keys to my place considering he owned it. Opening the front door, I leave it open for him to come inside. He does so, following me without saying a word, while I put my things down and turn to face him. He’s watching me, he always is.
“What do you want to talk about, Creed?”
He looks around my small apartment, his eyes landing on the baby things that I still haven’t gotten around to unpacking.
“It’s time we talk, like adults.”
I scoff at him. “Like adults? Is that a dig at me or something?”
He shakes his head. “No, I just mean—” He pauses, and his fists clench as he takes a deep breath then looks back up to me. “I don’t mean anything by it. I’m trying here. I’m trying for you.”
“For me?” I step up to him anger now taking hold of me. “I don’t need you to do anything for me, Creed. Remember that.”
He takes a deep breath clearly just as frustrated as I am. “I don’t want us to fight, Elicea. I didn’t come here to fight with you. I’m trying for us.”
I attempt to turn away from him, but he captures my wrist then pulls me back to him so my front is on his. I hear him breathe me in, and as I watch in slow motion his lips come down to meet mine. I don’t fight them even if I want to, even if it’s not what I want out of this conversation. Knowing where this will lead, I try to take a step back from him, but he glues me to him and I’m unable to move, locked in his embrace.
“If only escape were that easy.” He almost laughs, it’s evil mixed with something else. He doesn’t scare me, though. His lips find mine again as he holds the back of my head, his other free hand still on me. We take a breath at the same time as our lips touch, but no longer kissing, we breathe each other in. Like it was meant to be. He’s taking pieces of me again as I do the same to him.