The girls talked a mile a minute during the entire game. Of course, I took tons of pictures and videos. After the game, they had only been in the car for ten minutes before all three of them were asleep.
“You have any idea when you want to introduce them to Hymn?”
“Nope,” I pushed out a deep sigh. “Maybe in another month or two. I’m just afraid to move too fast. But Corey has or had a girlfriend, and they don’t ever talk about her.”
“That’s because they probably recognize she’s a nut job.”
Josie’s comment got a chuckle out of me. “You ain’t never lied. I don’t know how it will be when the baby is born, because I wasn’t playing when I said he wouldn’t be getting my daughters again. I don’t want anything to do with Imani so that’s that.”
I didn’t have a problem with them having a relationship with their sibling, but that would be hard to do when both the parents were idiots. At home, I woke the girls up, so they could walk inside. I also texted Hymn and congratulated him on his win. The next morning when the girls went to school, I’d give him a proper congratulations.
Five days later, I walked out to London’s car and got inside. Even though it had been a minute since Corey saw the girls, his mother called them at least once a week. She asked if she could keep them overnight, and I told her she could. London knew that the girls were with their grandmother because I did her makeup for an event that she had to go to. I was just about to take a shower and get in bed when she called asking me to ride to Charlotte with her.
Charlotte wasn’t right around the corner, but she could get there in less than two hours depending on how she drove. “You good?” I inquired after closing the car door.
“Not really. I thought Isaac and I were in a better place. He finally stopped being stubborn and forgave me forcommunicating with my ex and not telling him, but something is suspect about how he’s been acting. If he uses what I did as an excuse to cheat, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
I truly felt sorry for London because no woman wanted to be cheated on. That feeling was something no one should have to experience. I was nervous myself for what London may find. Isaac and some of his teammates were going to an afterparty at a popular club in Charlotte. They had lost the game, so I wasn’t sure what the mood would be like. I talked to Hymn for an hour after the game. He was going to the club, but he assured me that he would be at my house bright and early the next morning since I didn’t have the girls.
Once I’d had my IUD in for three months, my periods stopped. I loved that for me and the fact that I never had to worry about Aunt Flow coming at an inconvenient time. Despite the fact that Hymn hadn’t met my children, we found plenty of time to get it in. Dating an athlete was challenging for sure, but it was much easier than I had anticipated it to be.
“I’m pregnant,” London blurted out.
“Really? Aww congratulations, boo.”
“Huh,” London laughed sarcastically. “Isaac has wanted a baby for so long. When I finally decided we could try, I didn’t get pregnant for five months. Every month we had sex like maniacs, and my period came each and every month like clockwork. The very moment we aren’t in the best place, I pee on a stick, and it’s positive. I really don’t like God’s sense of humor,” she grumbled.
“Does Isaac know?”
“Nope. I just found out last night. I was going to try and hold out until Christmas, so I could surprise him.”
Christmas wasn’t that far away. She’d be able to hide it as long as she didn’t have insane cravings or terrible morning sickness.
“I’m sure Isaac isn’t doing anything that would upset you. You two have been together for a long time. I know you know there will be some bumps in the road. Those challenges will only make you two stronger.”
“I hope so because no amount of child support is worth me bringing a child into something broken. Lord knows it would kill me to walk away from Isaac, but I’m tired of apologizing. Maybe I was wrong for communicating with my ex and not telling him, but he could see for his self that nothing inappropriate was going on.”
I was doing everything in my power to comfort and reassure London, but the closer we got to Charlotte, I was lowkey nervous. What if I walked into that club and caught Hymn doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing? Of course, I didn’t want to be cheated on, but they say when you go looking for things you find it.
On the car ride I told myself if I could get over Corey cheating, Hymn would be a walk in the park. He said if we ever broke up, I could keep the makeup bar, and I intended to do just that. I wasn’t about to be starting over every time a man couldn’t keep it in his pants. Aside from him giving me his card to decorate the makeup bar and money for the girls’ Christmas, he had given me $4,500 toward decorating my home. No matter how many times I told him he was doing too much, he never let up. And honestly, it felt good to be spoiled.
I yawned at least five times on the way to Charlotte. If I had it my way, I’d be home in bed and not out on a Cheater’s episode.
“Alright, you ready?” London looked over at me with a small smile on her face.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Heart pounding like an African drum, I walked behind her as she walked super-fast. Nervousness had it feeling like my heart was beating to the rhythm of the music blasting throughthe club. I wasn’t exactly dressed for the club, but neither was London. She was on a mission and had straight tunnel vision. The club was packed, and it took London a few seconds to spot Isaac’s teammates. About six of his teammates including Hymn were in a section littered with bad bitches. I couldn’t spot one ugly one. On top of that, there was a woman talking to Hymn. He was seated on the couch, and she had her palms flat on his thighs while she whispered in his ear.
Of course, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it should have been nothing after, “I’m in a relationship.”
Just as I suspected. Come to catch Isaac and just might leave single my damn self. Trusting Hymn when he was on the road was imperative for a healthy relationship. I wanted nothing more than to put my insecurities to the side and walk with my head held high confident that my man would never cheat, but I would never play myself. I didn’t see Isacc right away, so I continued to follow behind London while keeping my gaze trained on Hymn and his companion.
It had been at least ten seconds, and she was still in his face. My mouth was suddenly dry, and it was looking like London wouldn’t be the only one pissed. London and I were three feet away from the security guard securing the section when big tits backed up out of Hymn’s face. He picked his phone up from his lap and was about to unlock it when he spotted me. Hymn did a double take before shooting up off the couch. He headed in our direction just as London was telling the bouncer she was with one of the patrons of the section.
“They good,” Hymn brushed past the burly man. “What you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” He didn’t seem upset that I was there. Just shocked.
“And miss the chance to see women all in your face?” I was hurt but trying not to show it. Was this what giving a man your heart felt like? Constant games of Russian roulette.
