Page 60 of Pregnant By A Rich Demon 3

Or am I just so fucked up from everything that’s happened that I’m seeing threats where there aren’t any?

I didn’t know.

And that uncertainty—that not knowing—was almost worse than the fear itself.

I grabbed my bags and hurried out of the car, my eyes darting around the quiet street as I made my way up the walkway to Mama’s front door. I could hear the faint sound of the television and laughing through the screen door.

I knocked twice and waited, my heart still hammering against my ribs.

The door opened, and Mama appeared, her face shifting from curiosity to concern in an instant.

“Baby? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

I stepped inside quickly, closing the door behind me and locking it. Only then did I let myself breathe.

The smell hit me the second I stepped inside.

Gumbo.

Rich, thick, spicy—the kind Mama made when she knew one of us needed comfort. The scent wrapped around me like a blanket, and for the first time since I’d left the college parking lot, the tightness in my chest eased just a little.

I could breathe.

“Truth!” Raven appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. Her eyes swept over me, sharp and assessing. “You cool?”

“Yeah.” I set my bags down by the door. “Just… jumpy. With everything that’s been going on.”

“Jumpy?” Saroya emerged from the hallway, her arms crossed over her chest. She was wearing scrubs—must’ve just gotten off her shift at the hospital. “Mama told us about that shit that went down at the clinic. We ready to beat some ass, Truth. Just say the word.”

“Facts.” Honor came out of the kitchen holding a wooden spoon, her expression deadly serious. “Let us know what block they on, so we can spin it. After dealing with Terrance’s bullshit and my bad ass kids all day, all I got left in me is assault and battery.”

Despite everything, I felt a smile tug at my lips.

“Y’all need to calm down,” Mama’s voice cut through the chaos as she appeared in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. She had on her apron—the one with the faded floral pattern that she’d had since I was a kid—and her reading glasses were perched on top of her head. “Let the girl talk before y’all start planning a damn crime spree.”

Raven snorted. “We just saying.”

“I know what you’re saying.” Mama pointed the spatula in her hand at each of my sisters in turn. “And I’m saying let Truth breathe before you start interrogating her.”

I moved into the living room and sank onto the couch, the familiar worn fabric soft beneath me. My sisters settled around me—Raven on the armrest, Saroya in the chair across from me, and Honor leaning against the doorframe.

Mama stood in front of me, her eyes soft but searching. “You okay, baby?”

“I punched Dr. Beaumont,” I said quietly.

The room went silent.

Then, Raven burst out laughing—loud, unrestrained, the kind of laugh that made her whole body shake. “About damn time! I been waiting for you to stop letting these hoes play with you!”

“Raven,” Mama started, but she was smiling too.

“What?” Raven wiped at her eyes. “I’m just saying. Truth been too nice for too long. Somebody needed to get they ass beat.”

“I also slapped Amai,” I added.

Saroya’s eyebrows shot up. “You slapped Amai Landry?”

“For playing with me.” My voice was steady now, stronger. “For lying to me. For thinking I was just gonna sit there and take it.”