“This the second baby of mine you tryna get rid of, Charlie.”
The seriousness of his tone was unsettling.
“You getting a little used to taking the selfish way out,” Demi said. “This ain’t just your decision. That’s my baby too.”
“It’s my body! It’s my career! My life! What happens when you decide you’re done with me and my time is up, the same way you did with Lauren?”
She knew she took it too far when she saw him recoil.
“I was with her for fifteen years,” he said solemnly. “I didn’t cheat. I didn’t fucking disrespect her. She ain’t deal with me chasing pussy in the industry. Wasn’t no hood rats in the streets coming at her over me. I honored my wife. I didn’t leave her on a whim. I left her because when I met you, you made a nigga feel like he would miss his entire life if he stayed where he was at. Like you were the last train out the station, and if I missed it, I would never get to go somewhere I knew I needed to be. I been giving this shit my all, Bird. I’ve been touching you, letting you touch me in ways that she couldn’t earn in a lifetime. I never even think of waking up to a day where you’re not in my world, but if you kill my kid... If you get rid of one of my babies again! And I been here, and I been on my shit, being a good nigga for you. If that’s your decision, it ain’t shit else for us to do.”
Charlie’s tears were free-falling without a parachute. She didn’t sob, she didn’t even make a sound, but she mourned…grieved because it felt like she was losing him.
“Why do we have to do this right now? Why can’t we just wait ‘til the time is right? You can be patient for me, Demi. You love me enough to be patient. I know you do.”
“Life don’t wait, Charlie, and timing ain’t never right, but we could do this. We can love this baby. Put it on me. All the work. Shitty-ass diapers and all. You can sing and have everything you want. You don’t got to choose. I ain’t a nigga that’s gon’ leave you to parent by ya’self.”
“I know you won’t,” Charlie said. “But my answer is still no.”
A nurse walked into the room, and Charlie sniffed away her tears, wiping her eyes.
“Can you bring the doctor back in? I don’t want the ultrasound. I need to know what the options are...”
“Options?” The nurse asked.
“For an abortion,” Demi finished. He turned around and walked out of the hospital room, leaving Charlie with a hole in her heart.
Chapter 12
Ican’t believe Charlie’s pregnant.” Stassi sat across from Day in the back of his Mercedes Sprinter. He hadn’t said one word, and neither had she. His mind was on his money. Ironically, so was hers.
Day’s thumbs were moving rapidly across the screen of his phone, and he looked up over an irritated brow.
“Yeah, this shit just keeps getting worse and worse,” he said. “If there’s anything worse than an artist that got a rep for being a side chick, it’s a pregnant fucking artist. Ain’t nothing less marketable than that. Should have never agreed to sign Demi’s girl, man.”
He blew out a breath, and his stern face softened. He placed his phone face down on the seat beside him.
“Ayo, my man, swing by MGM and call ahead to let them know I need the penthouse,” he said. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. “Ro, cancel the rest of my day. Something came up.”
“What came up?” Stassi asked.
“Trouble,” he said. “You free? You tryna get in a little trouble for a minute, or you scared?”
“I’m scared, but I’m not running.”
“What scares you?” He asked.
“Failure,” she answered. “Ending up like my mom. She hopped from man to man until she met Charlie’s dad and she’s only with him for the money. I mean, she probably learned to love himover the years, but how sad is that? To learn to love someone? I want love to find me on the most casual spring day. Like on a day when I’m not even expecting it. While I’m at the gym or…”
“In Aisle 6 wearing an apron with flour all over you?” Day replied.
Stassi nodded. “Yeah, on an unsuspecting day.”
“Hey, boss. Don’t mean to interrupt. Word just came in. The new single is hitting radio after this next segment. When they come back from break, they gon’ break the record. Roman just text me,” the driver said.
“Turn it up,” Day instructed.
Stassi heard the popular DJ introduce the record, and when Stassi heard her voice come through the speakers, she was mortified. Day had mixed the recording of her masturbating into the beat of his single. He didn’t even look up at her as it played. He nodded his head to the beat cooly and scrolled through social media.
