The sound of Nina emptying her guts startled Jonathan out of his sleep. His living arrangement with Weston had truly been a vibe. The two got a long great which was pleasing to Jon because he was more than ready to leave the thick toxic air of his old apartment. But he had been missing the presence of his girl so he crawled in her bed late last night after a late night gym session.
Jonathan scampered across the carpeted floor and onto the heated tile of Nina's bathroom. He held her hair back with one hand as he drew soothing circles on her back with the other.
"Baby you okay, you eat something bad?"
Nina wipe her mouth shaking her head quickly. "I'm fine babe, I didn't mean to wake you." She said unconvincingly.
"Nah babe your sick! Lemme take you to a doctor."
Nina sighed. "I umm...I already have an appointment in a few so I'll just go to that and come back.
"Aight cool Ill go with yo—"
"No! That's okay. It's probably just a stomach bug I'll be fine baby." In actuality she had an appointment with her OB-GYN so that could get conformation on what she already knew. And she wasn't exactly ready for him to know about it. She wasn't even expecting him last night.
"Nah it's cool! I'm spending the day with you today lil mama." There was no getting around this so she decided not to protest so that she didn't raise suspicion.
__________
Nina and Jonathan had checked in at the doctors office and waiting for about ten minutes now. But for the last seven minutes they'd been there, he'd grown highly perplexed.
"Baby since when did OB-GYN doctors start seeing patients for stomach bugs? I know I'm not a girl but that just seem a bit extreme."
When that stomach bug became your son or daughter growing inside me. She wanted to say to him. "Actually I'm here to get a ul—"
"Nina Patterson!" The nurse interrupted before waving her over.
"Come on!" A nervous Nina called out to her boyfriend.
After running down her symptoms to her doctor— Dr.Simone and Jon both had their theory on exactly what was causing the vomiting and weird cravings she'd been having.
"Sweetheart have you gotten your period for the month?" The doctor asked and Nina simply shook her head. Dr. Simone nodded and began to type on her computer. "And have you taken a pregnancy test?"
Nina quickly looked at Jonathan then back at her doctor before answering timidly. "Y-Yes a-and it was positive." Nina answered.
She didn't need to move her head to know Jon was staring daggers into her skull. She could feel him.
"We'll let's get some blood work done, because baby girl it seems like you might be pregnant." Dr.Simone explained happily.
After drawing blood Dr.Simone left the couple to sit in crippling silence. Nina nervously faced a quiet Jon who avoided eye contact with her. He was too busy looking at his phone that kept ringing. "Baby talk to me!" She begged. The silence was killing her.
Jon sighed. "Bout what?" He asked typing away on his phone.
"About what's fucking—" Nina was just about to lose her shit when his phone rung again.
"I gotta answer this!" He quickly got up leaving the room.
__________
"Reeves what the fuck is going on? I'm dealing with some shit right now!" Jon asked annoyed by all the text and calls.
"Take all that damn base out ya voice nigga! Jaxson ass is missing."
Jon pulled his phone from his ear looking at it, making sure he heard right. "You said what!? Why you think that?"
"His coach been blowing me up! Jaxson missed practice this morning and ain't been answering his phone. His teammates been blowing him up all day. I called Angelina and she talking bout he left last night and never came home."
Jon couldn't believe what he was hearing. What was going on with his brother? No way he'd throw away his dream like this when he was so close to Championship gold.
"Listen once I leave where I'm at, imma look for him. Just keep trying him."
Seconds later Reeves and Jon said there goodbyes. With a sigh Jon reentered the room. He noticed Nina quickly wipe her eyes. He hated that she was upset, but some things for him weren't adding up, and he just couldn't give her the comfort she longed for right now.
Soon the door opened revealing Dr.Simone who wore a huge smile. "Well congratulations! It seems that you are in fact expecting a little bundle of joy."
Hearing the doctor confirm what Nina knew and Jon suspected to be true, was shocking yet comforting. A piece of both of them was growing from their love.
As they were listening to the heartbeat of their unborn, Jon took a comforting hold of Nina's. The gesture gave her a sense of relief in the midst of all the uncertainty regarding her and Jon's future.
__________
The drive back to Nina's condo was quiet. As they pulled into the parking garage, Nina expected Jon to shut the car off and come inside. "Are you coming up?"
"Nah I'm about to head out."
Nina rolled her eyes hard. "Are you seriously going to act like this? I didn't make the kid myself Jonathan! You knew wh—"
Jon waved his hand to stop her from rambling on. "First of all relax! I'm more upset that you hid this from me than you actually being pregnant. I'll be back later, but first I gotta look for my brother...he missed practice this morning and hasn't been answering Reeves calls."
"Oh my god is he alright!?" Her attitude now turned into concern.
Jonathan shrugged. "I hope so, This not like him. But once I make sure he's good I'll swing by after the game tonight. Okay?"
Nina nodded okay back. "Alright then...fix ya face and give me kiss." He demanded.
Nina quickly changed her demeanor, before meeting Jonathan's lips with hers. "I love you and I'll see you in a little bit."
"I love you too babe...be safe." Nina added before grabbing her Chanel bag and closing the door. Jon watched her head inside before backing out the parking space. "Hey Siri call Big Bro!" He commanded.
He was expecting the call to go straight to voicemail considering his text from earlier went unanswered and Angelina also said she had no clue where he was when he called her, but was surprised when it went through after a few seconds.
"What's up?"
"Nigga where the fuck you at!?"
"Whatchu mean?" Jaxson asked sounding perplexed.
He about to piss me off, Jonathan thought to himself. "What the hell you mean, what do I mean?"
"You asked me if— Hold on! Baby can you make me one too?...the chocolate one. Thank you!" Jonathan could hear a female voice answer in the background that didn't exactly sound like Angelina.
"Aye! You still there?" Jaxson asked.
Jon sucked his teeth. "Yeah I'm still here! Are you at the house?"
"Nah!" He answered curtly.
"Then where the fuck you at nigga!? Got people calling me cause yo ass is MIA!"
"I'm in my skin nigga damn! And I'm grown as hell I don't need nobody sending my little brother to look for me!"
Jon stared at his phone hard, trying to figure out who the hell Jaxson was talking too like that and why? Jaxson was hardly confrontational outside of sports or rude to anyone.
"Fuck all that! Send me the address of wherever you at...Now Nigga!" And with that Jon disconnected the call.
__________
"Aye! Type your address in here so this nigga can stop bugging." Jaxson said holding his phone out to Serenity.
She grabbed it out of his hand and proceeded to type. "Baby you didn't have to talk to him like that. He's only worried about you. You did skip practice and ignored everybody."
Jaxson sighed. "I know baby I just..wanted to spend more time with you before my life turns upside down." He admitted as he pulled her closer to him by her waist.
The entire morning Jaxson and Serenity stayed intertwined with one another. After another moment of passion they talked all morning about what brought him to her.
Serenity held his face in her hands and planted a kiss upon his lips. "I know, but I can't let you hide out here forever. You got a big game tonight and what kind of friend would I be if I let you throw this big opportunity away?"
"One who gives terrible advice and great head!" Jaxson joked.
"Boy!" Serenity laughed smacking him on his chest.
"Nah for real though, I appreciate you for being their for me. Thank you!"
Serenity smiled. "You're welcome. Now take your protein shake in my office and go call whoever you need to call so that you keep your job. I'll send Jonathan in when he gets here."
__________
It took Jonathan about thirty minutes to arrive at the Beverly Hills home his brother had sent the address of. His brother's jeep was a clear indication that he was at the right house.
He rung the door bell and knocked twice for safe measure. Seconds later the door opened and he was shocked to see Serenity was the one to open it.
WTF?
"Hey Jon come on in!" She greeted with a smile as she let him pass her. "What's up sis, what are you doing here?"
Serenity gave him a shy smile. "This umm— This is my place."
"Hold up! So are you and Jax having an aff—"
"I think it's best you hear everything from your brother." She interrupted.
Dragging a hand down his face, Jon took a second to collect his thoughts. What hell was going on today? "Alright! Where is he?"
Down the hall to the left, second door. And take this!" Serenity handed Jon a double shot of casamigos.
He looked at the glass and back up at her like she had two heads. "What's this for?"
"You're gonna need it. You're about to hear some real unscrupulous shit." She warned.
Shrugging, Jon knocked back the shot and made his way to Serenity's office. As he approached the door he could hear his brother's voice faintly from the other side. Jonathan knocked on the door twice making his presence known before opening the door.
His brother was currently sitting leaned back in the white desk chair, talking on the phone.
Jaxson nodded to his brother before continuing his conversation. "I preciate that Bron! And I promise I will be there tonight on time. I just had family shit to handle. But I'mma get up witchu later on my brother just walked in....Aight I'll ask him...peace!"
"Bron said what's up and asked if you wanted to be one of his trainers after the season over?"
"Hell yeah! I'll talk to him tonight after the game. Hopefully y'all win...but aside from that can you please tell me what the fuck is going on!?"
Jaxson sighed. "Take a seat lil bruh!" He commanded. Pointing towards the glass chairs in front of the desk.
Afraid the very expensive looking would break due to his large frame. Jonathan sat down as slowly and delicate as possible. Jax chuckled as he watched his brother nervously ease his way down into the seat.
"Nigga don't laugh! Start explaining this shit...."
__________
By the time Jaxson finished explaining the last twenty-four hours of his life, Jon had consumed another two and a half shots of tequila.
"Damn! That is some real unscrupulous shit."
"Unscrupulous as fuck!" Jaxson added.
"So what the fuck does all of this mean? Your marriage...the girls! They not babies, this not about to be some easy shit for them to handle." Jon quizzed as his head began to feel heavy from all the information he had just recieved. Also! He was a tad bit tipsy.
"Well considering my marriage was a sham the entire time...I don't owe her shit!" Jaxson shrugged. "She can keep the house cause I don't fucking want it. It's paid for--for the next six months, so after that it's on her to continue paying. And as far as the girls...I don't care what the test shit said, those are still my kids because my name is on their birth certificates. And if they want me off that shit, her and that nigga can see me in court."
"Shit I feel that! Angelina would be a fool to try and argue why you should no longer be their legal parent after the shit she did...But seriously though, how you really feel?
Jaxson took a moment to gather his thoughts so that he could answer the question truthfully. And then the tears began to fall. "Honestly bro, I'm hurt as fuck right now. I put my all into her and our family. All I needed in this was world was my girls and basketball. And just when I feel like I'm getting back to a place where I had those two things and life is good, she fucking blows my world up and..." Jaxson couldn't even finish his sentence before his words became incoherent from his sobbing.
Jon wasted no time getting up from his chair to wrap his arms around his brother. He began to shed tears of his own as he tried to breath life back into his brother with his words. "Hey don't you worry about nothing alright, all of this will work it's self out. Like you said those girls are still your daughters. All they know is you and they gone continue to love they daddy. You still got an abundance of people who love and support you. You don't even have to look too far. I'm gone always show up for you. Mom and Pops, Sis even grandaddy mean ass. And you know the boys gone have ya back! The way I see it the only thing that changes is your relationship status. But for right now you just focus on getting that ring."
His words seemed to have worked as Jaxson began to calm down. Jon had made his way back to his chair flopping down. His loud sigh was an indication of how mentally exhausted he was. "I swear this has been the craziest day of my life."
"Something else happen today? You wanna talk about it?" Jaxson inquired.
"Nah its cool. You got enough shit to deal with." Jon waved him off.
"Honestly! I'd much rather deal with somebody else's shit than mine. What's up?"
Jon thought about how much he should share. But on the account that it was his brother , full transparency was the best policy. "So! Long story short...Nina's pregnant." He announced shocking his brother. "She kept it from me, up until we got to the doctors appointment and I got upset with her about it. To add insult to injury lately I've just been scared that maybe we're moving too fast, and now this shit between Angelina and you couldn't have come at a worse time. I looked up to y'all, but now its like what's the point? Do I even keep fucking trying!?"
"Hell yeah! You keep trying lil bro. Love is a beautiful thing when it's mutual and loyalty, respect and trust is involved. If I'm being honest Angelina and I should've never been your relationship goals because, we had none of those things before Ajourni was born. Hell our entire relationship started off a lie! In the beginning I knew she wasn't some susie homemaker. She wanted to fuck and I did too! When she was on bullshit, I did me and whoever I wanted. When she told me she was pregnant is when we got serious. But here's the kicker! The only reason she and I got married in the first place is because her pops is best friends with the Warriors owner."
Jaxson's revelation came as an utter surprise to Jonathan. "Are you serious!?"
"I'm deadass! Without saying so much, he basically gave me two options. Save him and his family from embarrassment or risk losing my job. So I married her! We put up a front like we were some picture perfect couple up until I got the job overseas to play ball. That time forced us to grow closer together and eventually we did fall for one another. When Carmella was born I had dedicated just as much time to building a foundation with my wife as I did basketball. And it worked, up until we moved back to the states."
"Shit! Bro why have you never told any of us this?"
"Same reason you never told us how much of a piece of shit Ciara was. Both of us were looking for a happy ending with the first women we fell in love with and the shit ain't pan out how it was supposed to in the end. But baby boy I can tell you right now, Nina is nothing like Ciara. She actually gives a fuck about you and whatever you have going on. That girl loves yo big head ass and you love her too! Cut her some slack lil bruh, she was probably scared. Her career is just about to take off then boom! The personal trainer done got her fat for the next nine months...The irony!"
The last part made Jon chuckle. But he also saw things from her point of view. "I just don't wanna fuck this up."
"Then don't! You gotta think positive. Don't let your old shit or my old shit keep you from the most amazing girl you've ever met. I sure as hell am not! WE ARE A FUCKING PRIZE! And somebody just as much of a prize deserves us and vice versa. So make things right with that girl and you raise the most amazing, athletic and musically gifted kid the world has ever seen."
Jon nodded. "I appreciate that. And I'll definitely fix things. That girl too fucking important to me not to. I just hope she doesn't resent me if things don't work out with Beyonce."
"Well if anybody would understand its Beyonce. Y'all gone be alright! But I gotta get ready to head over to the arena. But we can talk tomorrow or sum'n."
The pair began to get up when Jon asked the main question that's been on his mind. "So you and Serenity, what exactly is this that y'all got going on."
Jaxson thought about how easy it was to open up to her this morning, and how she made him feel every time they kissed. And the sex! That was like no other.
"Like I said...I'm not letting Angelina's bullshit stop me from getting to know Serenity. Right now we just really good friends and maybe down the road we'll become something more."
Jonathan nodded needing no further explanation. If Serenity made him happy so be it. And he'd stand on top of any mountain to defend his brother against anybody who thought different.
__________
Later that night Jaxson had put up thirty plus points, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in order to advance to the Western Conference finals. Their new opponents....The Golden State Warriors.
His family and boys watched from the stands to support him, with his mom screaming louder than the fans. Serenity also came but sat with other WAGs she had as clientele. She and Jaxson didn't want to bring any attention to him and his marriage while he played in the finals.
Jon slowly trudged into the house after using his key to get in. The house was somewhat quiet and when he turned the corner he understood why. A smile split his face as admired his gorgeous girlfriend sleeping peacefully on the couch as recaps of the game played on the screen.
His quietly slid behind her wrapping his arms around her. His touch slightly startled her, causing her to gasp. "It's just me baby."
Nina let out a sigh of relief.
"Jon?"
"Yeah beautiful?"
"Umm...I'm sorry f-for not telling you about the baby."
"I'm sorry too baby. I know this is probably scary for you as well considering your career is on the line. I should've never acted the way I did. But listen ma'? I want you to know that I'm gonna be with you every step of the way. Plus I know we bout to make some fire parents."
Nina smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too." Jon leaned over to kiss her lips. "Now come on!" Jon announced slapping her leg as crawled over her to stand.
"Where are we going!?"
"To the room girl! We gotta a lot to celebrate." Jon lifted a giggling Nina into his arms and walked her to her room, tossing her gently on the bed.
"Wait babe! Is everything with your brother Ok?"
Jon smiled. "He's doing just fine. A lot happened but let's not worry bout that right now. Cause it's MR. NASTY TIME!"
"Oooh! MR. NASTY TIMEEE!" The two both did a jig as Jon stripped.
For the Givens brother's, this wasn't the beginning of the end. It was a New Beginning!
A/N:
It's a boy 💙 or Girl 💖Thoughts on Nina's pregnancy? And is the couple moving too fast?
Was Jonathan justified in having a attitude with Nina about not telling him about her pregnancy beforehand?
How do you feel about Serenity and Jaxson?
Was Jaxson's truth about the origin of his marriage shocking?
Show of hands..Who got the two movie references?
Vote!...Comment!...Share!