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“You’ve been super emotional lately, which isn’t like you at all.”

“Stress with the wedding,” I said.

“Or… when’s the last time you had your period?”

I racked my brain. I swore I had some spotting last month, but things had been so hectic I wasn’t sure. “Oh. Fuck.”

Siani nodded. “Fuck, indeed, sister. ‘Cause that’s what you been doing, a whole lotta fucking.”

I snorted. “Shut up. It really could just be stress.”

“Uh huh. Denial is a river in Egypt, my love. Go get a test.”

Siani’s phone vibrated on the couch next to her. She glanced at it, smirked, and looked at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Your husband came to get you.” She turned the phone so I could see the text.

(646) 555-9877

Siani, it’s Dez. Can you let Belle know I’m outside? I won’t come up unless she says it’s okay.

“How did he get your number? I told Marco not to tell him I was over here.”

She shrugged. “Tariq probably gave it to him. And where else would you go?”

“Tariq’s a traitor.”

“To be fair, he didn’t know y’all were having a lovers’ spat.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I can tell him to leave,” she said.

“I know.”

I wanted her to tell him to go and that I’d deal with him when I got home, but I had to stop running away when things got hard.

I got up. “I’ll go down. I don’t wanna bring this to your door.”

He was leaning against his car when I got outside. Marco’s truck was nowhere in sight.

“Hi,” he said.

“This isn’t exactly space, Dez.”

“I know.” He rubbed his jaw. “I’ve been thinking about what you said. It’s easier to tell you after the fact than to let you have an opinion about it. That part’s on me.”

“And you understand that that isn’t protecting me?”

“I do now.”

He put his arms out. I went to him and laid my head on his chest.

“The place didn’t feel right without you in it,” he said into my hair.

I felt like I could finally take a deep breath.