PARADOX

PDX18

"I got it on my way home from work." Isis spoke holding up the pink and white box. She lightly shook it, causing the contents in the box to move around, creating a rhythmic noise.

"I just wanted to be on the phone with you while I took it." She added, Rashad nodded his head. He shut his car off and stayed in the same spot, he wanted all of his attention to go to this. Rashad watched as Isis opened the box and pulled out both tests, she let out a deep sigh before leaving the frame to take both tests. Although they'd been in this position multiple times, he always grew uneasy. Having unprotected sex was like selling drugs in a sense, you did it for the pleasure but always felt a bit nervous knowing what could happen if you got caught up.

Soon Isis popped back up in the frame and washed her hands, she grabbed her phone and propped it up. "Why you acting like you pissed you might be having my baby or something?" Rashad questioned. He grabbed the almost empty water bottle and started to toy with it, sending the water back and forth from end to end.

"I'm not pissed...we're just not in a position to be having a child—I live in Harlem and you live in Dallas, we're not in a relationship..it's just a mess." Isis sighed as she rubbed her temples. Granted what she said was true, but regardless of that Rashad's child would always be good. Him moving back to Harlem was out of the question, but he would definitely move Isis to Dallas.

"If the test come back positive, you needa break your lease cause you're moving to Dallas." Rashad announced, Isis scrunched her face up. "Says who?" She questioned with sass, immediately making Rashad pray a little harder that the test was negative. He could already see what he was up against and he wasn't fuckin with it.

"Why you gotta be so combative?" Rashad questioned, "I'm not being combative—you want shit to go your way all the time and it's not happening like that this time, I can't up and move like you. My whole life is in Harlem and I'm not moving for my man that's just my possible baby daddy." Isis replied. Her family was big on marriage, which is why they didn't like Rashad. They wanted him to marry her once he took her virginity but Rashad wasn't up for that.

He wasn't up for it then and he wasn't up for it now, he wasn't going to marry her just because she was pregnant—in his eyes that would do way more bad than good, especially for the child. He saw his own parents do a lot of shit for the sake of him and his brother and it only led to trauma for everybody—he promised himself he would never go that route at an early age.

It felt like the 10 minutes was going by in slow motion, every time he looked at the time on his phone either no time passed or it would only be a minute later. At this moment he realized he was gonna slow down from fuckin on Isis, he loved her but with everything going on, it was too much.

"If two lines pop up on that test, just know you straight—the baby straight too, aight? Regardless of what we got going on." Rashad voiced, Isis sniffled as she wiped away the fallen tear.

"Why you crying?" Rashad questioned, "Cause." Isis replied, sniffling. "I don't know what imma do if the baby acts like your annoying ass." She chuckled, causing Rashad to do the same.

"Fuck outta here." Rashad lightly chuckled. "I'm bout to go look." Isis announced, she closed her eyes and reached for one of the test.

"Count to three." Isis instructed, Rashad kissed his teeth. "Come on, the results ain't gone change." Rashad spoke, slightly vexed. Isis pursed her lips together as she closed grabbed the test and looked at it, she let out a deep breath before grabbing the second test and looking at it.