“I need you, Kareem. Always. You’re all I ever needed.” I whimpered with fresh tears in my eyes.
Kareem’s jaw clenched as he moved into me, slowly and intentionally. “I’m here now, love. You ain’t gotta worry ’bout anything ever again. You understand daddy?”
I nodded and whimpered again, unable to verbally respond. This man had my eyes rolling to the back of my head and scratching at whatever my nails could come in contact with.
It didn’t take long for me to reach my peak, and he was right behind me.
After, I lay in his arms, drifting off to sleep while he rubbed my back. The last thing I remembered was feeling his lips on my temple and thinking that I was exactly where I needed to be.
chapter 12
KAREEM
Watching Arielle fight her sleep and run a fever while I drove had me ready to burn the world down. It had been two days since we confessed our love for each other, and instead of her getting better and things playing out like a movie, my baby’s health kept declining.
I glanced over at her again in the passenger seat. Her head rested on the cool window while her eyes opened and closed as if sleep was winning the battle. I wanted to tell her to rest, but we were already pulling up into the parking lot of the store. I’d wanted to take her to the emergency room, but she had a doctor’s appointment with her primary care doctor tomorrow and insisted she could make it until then.
When I called my mama to ask her for advice, her crazy ass asked if Arielle was pregnant. That caused me to realize I’d been hittin’ that sweet ass pussy nonstop since I met her. I asked her if she’d had her period during those two weeks we were apart, and she couldn’t remember, so I gathered her up and took her to the car so we could get some tests. She didn’t know that was what we were doing, but she was definitely about to find out.
After I parked in the parking lot of NellanNem’s Corner Store, I cut the car off and gently rubbed her arm.
“Baby, lean away from the window so I can get you out.”
She followed my instructions, and I got out and rushed to her side of the car. When I opened the door, she reached for me like a little baby, and I made a face halfway between a smile and a frown. The sight of her made my heart swell, but I also felt sad as hell. I just wanted her to feel better.
“Why are we here?” she asked as I helped her out of the car and let her lean into me.
With a sigh, I braced myself for this conversation. I didn’t know how she would feel about possibly being pregnant. I knew she already felt like we were moving too fast. If she carried my baby not even two months in, I didn’t know how that might fuck with her.
“We gotta get a pregnancy test, baby.” I braced myself for her response, ready to talk her off the ledge, but she surprised me.
“Okay.”
I pulled back and looked down at her. “Okay?”
“Okay.” She shrugged.
“You think you’re pregnant?” I asked.
“I think there could be a chance. When you asked me about my period earlier, the thought entered my mind. I can’t even remember the last time I had my period. My brain feels so foggy,” she whined as she rubbed her eyes.
“My poor baby. Let’s go get a test and get you back home.” I guided her toward the entrance of the store.
“Why did you bring me along, anyway? And who goes to NellanNem’s for pregnancy tests?” she asked.
“I brought you here because I ain’t ever bought a pregnancy test before.” I opened the door to the corner store, and my stomach immediately grumbled. Someone had to have just ordered a cheesesteak, because the smell of grilled meat filled the air.
Arielle’s nose scrunched up, and I could tell she felt queasy. I waved at Habib, who sat behind the counter counting a stack of money with his feet kicked up on the counter in front of him. He lifted his hand lazily, and I chuckled. That man knew everyone and treated everyone like family, as long as they were good people. I’d been coming to this corner store since I was a kid, and Habib had yet to retire, even though he had several sons he could pass the store down to.
“And you think I’ve bought a pregnancy test before?” Arielle asked as she elbowed me in the side. I directed my attention back to her and shrugged.
“Have you?” Just the thought of it had raging jealousy boiling to the surface.
“No. Only nigga that ever nutted in me is you,” she grumbled.
Relief swept over me, and I stopped down the feminine care aisle and hugged her tightly.
“I love the hell out of you.”
