I covered my mouth as I squealed from embarrassment. I hadn’t expected him to say anything off the wall, but I obviously underestimated him.
“Essex, what the hell?”
“My bad. I just had to put it out there. I’m over here going through withdrawals. As a matter of fact, I think my beard is getting thinner because it hasn’t been watered. You got me out here looking crazy. I’ma need that as soon as you get home.” His bedroom eyes almost made me forget where I was.
“Umm, I’m gonna call you back when I leave from brunch. You are embarrassing me in front of the hoes.”
“I don’t give a fuck about none of that. As far as I’m concerned, the whole world needs to know your pussy tastes like Fruity Pebbles and pink Starburst mixed with vanilla. Maybe I need to bottle that shit up and make some incense like Erykah Badu. I could make a killing off that shit.”
The serious expression on his face sent me over the edge, causing me to burst into a fit of giggles. I always thought Logic was the fool out of the group, but all three of them were reckless at the mouth.
“Goodbye. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you have made your point. I love you, silly man.”
“I love you more. FaceTime me when you pick up my baby.”
“I told you we were gonna come see you before we head to Nauri’s house.”
“Man, I don’t want to hear that shit. I’m still salty about you leaving me, so I better get some pussy before you leave. Anyway, I want to see my baby before y’all come. I didn’t get a chance to talk to her this morning.”
“You are ridiculous. I got you though. Bye, baby.”
“Love you, ma. See you soon.”
As soon as the call disconnected, Kiara and Summyah sounded off.
“Bitch, my brother-in-law said you better stop playin’ with him! Spend that money!” Kiara shouted.
“Exactly, bum bitch where? Bro said the accounts are overloaded. Ain’t no limit, trick!” Summyah squealed, flipping her hair over her shoulders.
“Oh, please. You can never make me feel any kind of way because I see right through all of that shit. You’re just a new, young, and gullible piece of pussy for him to play around with! You aren’t special!” Bianca roared as she leaped out of her seat.
I immediately got up because I didn’t want to run the risk of her trying to sneak me.
“You sound like a bitter bitch who’s mad because she didn’t get picked. You and your ditzy-ass friend tried to play me, and now you’re standing here salty because my man made it clear that I’m wifey. Chin up, pussy-ass hoe. You didn’t get chosen, and that’s okay. With all the qualities you claim to have, you should have no problem finding a man who will want you. It just won’t be mine.”
“Fuck you! If it wasn’t for that ugly bastard of yours, he wouldn’t be giving you the time of day.” I was ready to knock her head off her shoulders, but I was caught off guard by the glass flying toward my face. Davinette had thrown her entire drink at me, which distracted me enough for Bianca to hit me.
Everything happened so fast, and the next thing I knew, I was on top of Bianca, sitting on her chest while I punched her wherever my hits landed. From my peripheral, I could tell my girls were fighting with their friends as well. In the midst of the brawl, Davinette broke free and grabbed hold of my ponytail. She proceeded to punch me in the back of the head, which dazed me for a moment. I never loosened my hold on Bianca, but I feltit when Davinette ripped out a chunk of my hair. My scalp was on fire.
Kiara knocked out the other girls and immediately set her sights on Davinette. I couldn’t say how long the fight lasted, but eventually, a few male patrons pulled us all apart. The owner was someone East was cool with, so I wasn’t worried about them calling the police, but they did ask us all to leave.
I stood to my feet, gripping the back of my head. While it was clear my squad could handle their own, I knew I had no business fighting. Before I could even process what happened, my vision turned blurry, and I passed out.
“Congratulations again. I recommend making an appointment with your OB/GYN as soon as possible to confirm how far along you are. Make sure to drink plenty of water to help with dehydration. I also recommend coconut water as well as drinks like Powerade, Gatorade, cucumber water, or even liquid I.V. This is fairly common with expectant mothers, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Just try to take it easy, and make sure you are mindful of your water intake. I’m gonna go ahead and have the nurse get your discharge papers together. You all enjoy the rest of your day.”
The doctor shook Lyric’s hand and then mine. I stood there in shock for a moment, trying to wrap my head around the news we had received. A baby wasn’t something we planned for, but the moment she announced Lyric was pregnant, I felt my heart expand. I never saw myself having kids, and now here I was, about to be a father of two. There was one particular thing I noticed, and that was the fact that only one of us was surprised. As soon as the doctor left the room, I looked Lyric right in the eyes.
“How long have you known?” She knew exactly what I was talking about, so I didn’t clarify any further.
“About a week. My period didn’t show up, and I was sick as a dog,” she murmured.
“Is that why you were throwing up the other day?” I asked, recalling her saying something about throwing up when I was chilling with the fellas.
“Yeah. I was nauseous for a few days, but that was the first time I physically threw up.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
Lyric gave me a guilty look. “I was going to that night, but then I chickened out. We joked about having more kids, but neither of us was planning for a baby. I wasn’t sure how you would react,” she admitted.
