run of the mill.

16th

"No ma'am I'm not mad at you for calling so late," Beyonce said into the phone. She was sitting on the bed, Indian style with her big eight month belly sitting in her lap watching TV with her when Debra called to speak with Shawn. 

"It seems like this is the only time I can catch him to talk," Debra said in an apologetic manner. "He's always so busy, you know?"

Beyonce nodded and muffled a yawn. It was 2:30 in Florida but that was only an hour behind in Texas so she imagined Debra was just as tired as she was, but also just as determined to talk to Shawn as she was too. That was the only reason she was up right then anyway, to talk to Shawn as soon as he walked through the door. He had missed yet another important checkup and this time she'd told him when it would be and he promised he would be there. And as Debra talked she realized that she would, again, have to wait her turn after people in his life. "Yes, ma'am I know what you mean."

"Does he always come home this late?" Debra asked curiously. Beyonce heard a tone in her voice, an accusing tone and she knew she couldn't tell on Shawn. His mother would nag at him and she couldn't have that.

Beyonce put a hand on her head and closed her eyes at the lie she was about to tell to the only woman who seemed to give a damn about her... all for Shawn. "No, this is kind of rare."

"Don't lie to me Beyonce," Debra said in a soft but strong tone. "I know he runs the streets."

Beyonce said nothing.

"Devon tells me about all of his crazy ways when Shawn sends him things like shoes and clothes. It's not right Beyonce, for him to be coming home at hours like this. Not with you in the condition that you're in."

Beyonce nodded. "Yes, ma'am I know."

There was a pause and the elevator chose that moment to chime to alert that someone had reached their level. Beyonce stood and made her way to the living room to meet him. "Debra I think he just walked in," she said as she went. 

Shawn stood just outside the elevator doing something on his phone. He glanced at her and offered a smile that was short-lived and preoccupied. He looked good in his designer clothes and doing his GQ pose effortlessly. Beyonce remembered why it was so easy to be into such a handsome man. He was the epitome of beauty. "Debra did you hear me? I said I think he just walked in."

At the words Shawn did look up at her and shake his head furiously. He put his hands out and Beyonce nodded in understanding. "M-my mistake Debra that was the maid." Shawn nodded and relaxed. He placed a kiss on her temple, thanking her for lying for him again and made his way into the bedroom. Beyonce sat on the couch and closed her eyes. 

"The maid," Debra said though it was not a question. There was that same eerie silence and then Debra asked Beyonce a heartbreaking question. "Beyonce," she breathed. "What happened to my baby?"

Beyonce blinked her eyes open and sighed. She didn't know, hell she had been wondering the same thing her damn self. What happened to him? Where's the man she fell in love with because this was not him? She didn't know the man they came into this house every day. She kept hoping that one day the real Shawn would walk in and wake her up from this nightmare but it was becoming more and more clear that he wasn't ever coming back.

"I don't know," she croaked. "I'll tell him to call you when he gets h-home ok? Bye Debra."

Beyonce hung up the phone and sat back into the leather. Thinking about sleeping there. She knew that if she went into the room Shawn would start his seduction as he did all the other times and tonight she wasn't sure if she wanted to be touched by him. Not after all the lies she had to feed his mother for his sake. She didn't even want to look at him.

But of course she went. Beyonce stood and clutched her phone in her hand as she waddled to the bedroom in her maternity night gown. She had just walked in when Shawn lay down on the bed above the covers. Beyonce stood, contemplating whether not she even wanted to argue with him about the doctor's appointment he'd missed. She looked at his tired face and realized how tired she, herself was and shook her head. She'd do it tomorrow. Besides, if she knew Shawn like he thought she did he would be trying to have sex and she just wanted to sleep.

But something wasn't right. When she lay down, he didn't move. Beyonce waited, sure that he was just resting up a little or something, but he didn't roll over. And right when she heard his soft, even breathing on the other side of the bed, she realized.

Shawn had been with someone else. 

He had cheated on her. 

She didn't need to go through his shit or argue with him about it. She knew him and Shawn always brought his lust home to her, pregnant belly and all. He had never let someone else take care of that problem for him. That was always Beyonce's place of expertise. Shawn always came home and had sex with her. It was just the way things happened. If she was asleep, he'd wake her up. If she was awake... he'd put her to sleep.

But now he just lay there, comfortably asleep when turmoil was boiling in her chest and her breathing had quickened. Her eyes began to water and she snuck out of bed and quietly as she could as she made a b line for the door. He'd cheated on her. Shawn had had sex with someone else. With her pregnant with his child, wearing his engagement ring, living in his condo, and doing everything she could to make sure he was happy. She sat on the couch and looked at all the expensive shit they had surrounded themselves with in disdain. 

She sat her hand on her stomach and looked at her canary diamond ring, willing herself to stop breathing so hard before the baby woke up. She was surprised she was still asleep after all the walking she had been doing. Shawn had cheated on her. 

Beyonce walked to the guest bedroom and lay down on the cold sheets. She didn't want to be beside him. She curled up and lifted her shirt to rub her tummy. Beyonce didn't even realize she was still holding her phone. It was sweaty in her palm and she flipped it over and looked at the bright screen in the darkness, wondering what she was gonna do next.

Shawn didn't love her anymore. He wasn't exclusively hers. Nothing was sacred anymore. Their whole relationship was pointless. And it broke her heart... he broke her heart.