Crystal
I rinsed the last dish and put it in the dish washer. KJ did make it to my house before me and she made me dinner. It was very nice. I appreciated the company. I didn't want to tell her but it did feel better to have somebody here with me for the night. Sometimes I do feel a little lonely, but that just goes to prove how much of an unnecessary space in my mind. It's like he's renting out my mental and he's not even paying for it. I hate that I even feel this way about him. I think once he goes back to New York and I start focusing on the baby, then I'll be okay.
KJ and I talked and she thinks that it's time to tell my parents. I don't know how I'm going to explain this situation to them. I wanted to tell them soon, but I don't want to tell them during the holidays. They're coming to me for Christmas along with some other family members, so I don't think that it would a good idea to bring that up during the unwrapping of presents.
When it comes to my career and how I'm going to move forward, I have no choice but to go to the press. It's going to be a hard band-aid to rip off, but the sooner I do it, the easier it will be. By time the baby comes I want to be at some kind of peace.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock
"Hold on!" I said from the kitchen.
I turned the sink off and grabbed a towel to dry my wet hands. I walked to the door and looked through the peep hole. I opened the door.
"How'd you get my address?" I ask opening the door.
"I didn't have a choice but to haunt you down." Stacy said batting her eyelashes.
"Come in." I said opening the door for her to walk all the way in.
I closed the door behind her and walked through the hallway to the living room.
"Something to drink?" I ask her.
"No thank you." She said. "When were you gonna tell me?" She asked looking at the coffee table.
She held up a row of printed out ultrasound pictures.
I squinted, "I'm sorry.. I didn't know I owed you answered." I say grabbing them from her. "If anything, you owe me answers." I tell her.
Stacy looked at me and started laughing. It was that arrogant laugh that always made me want to slap her. I used to think that she believed that she owned the world and that everybody somehow owed her something. I see that nothing has changed.
"What do you want to know?" Stacy asked me.
I sigh deeply and sit down on the couch. I get comfortable with my legs crossed and rest my hands on my knees.
"Why did you want to leave Tennessee so bad?" I ask her.
Stacy nodded her head and sat down next to me. She ran her hands through her head before speaking.
"I wanted something different," She said shaking her head. "I didn't want to have to take care of my grandma or MJ anymore. I just wanted to be young and dumb, make mistakes." She conveyed honestly.
"And did you get to do that?" I asked curiously.
Stacy shook her head. "I got into a relationship the first semester I got to LSU." She told me. "And I really liked her, so I stayed even though deep down inside...."
"You wanted to come back home..." I finish her answer.
She nodded slowly. "Yes I did." She said. "I missed you." She admitted.
"I missed you too." I say turning my head. "And I'm sorry that I said all those terrible things about you-"
"Crystal that was so long ago." She said cutting me off.
"Yeah but I didn't need to do that to you, we were friends before anything." Stacy reminds me.
"I still love you." I quietly disclose.
"I love you too Renee..." Stacy said rubbing my shoulder softly. "Do you want to talk about this and how it happened?" She asked tapping the fetus on the printed pictures.
I chuckle and looked at her gleaming eyes.
"It doesn't really matter." I tell her.
"The co-star of your's?" She asked me.
I nod slowly. "Yeah it's his." I tell her.
"I'm not surprised." She said catching me off guard.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask getting slightly offended.
"You'e always been a little quick to fall in love." Stacy tells me.
I shake my head. "I'm not in love with Devale.. I thought I was, but I'm not." I say smiling proudly.
"That's a cop out statement and I won't accept that-"
"You come back into my life after 24 years and you think you know everything about me?" I ask her.
Stacy nods his head. "I do know you." She said grabbing my hand.
"You know that teenage me." I tell her for the second time.
She sighed, "Okay can I get to know the new you?" She asked me.
I take a deep breath and let go of her hand.
"I don't need anyone else trying to be in love with me right now." I tell my former lover. "I just need a friend." I said.
"Who said I'm trying to be in love with you?" Stacy asked me.
I shrug my shoulders and laid back on the couch. "I don't know." She said.
"Exactly. Shut up and tell me about the 'new you'." She said using air quotes.
I sigh deeply and close my eyes for a little bit. The world seemed to be spinning a lot slower. I think that it was making time for Stacy and I to get to know each other all over again.
Devale
"Dad you're back!" I hear one of my sons say making me turn around.
I sighed. "Why are you up? It's almost midnight." I tell them.
"Because we don't have school tomorrow." Kairo says making me laugh.
"Go to bed." I said playfully pushing him. "Where's your mom?" I ask moving my suitcase to the side.
I hear footsteps and turn around. Khadeen was walking up to me with a wine glass in her hand. She had a messy bun on the top of her head and was wearing one of my t-shirts and a pair of grey sweatpants.
"Hey baby." She said pecking my cheek. "How was your flight?" She asked me.
"It was okay, we gotta talk." I tell her.
"I don't like your down." She said making me smack my lips.
"Please.." I scoffed out. "It's nothing too serious." I tell her.
"You sure?" Khadeen asked.
"It's about Crystal." I tell her.
She rolled her eyes. "Of course it is." She mumbled.
"Don't do that." I tell her. "I thought that was your girl." I sarcastically tease.
Khadeen sighs and walks me into the kitchen. "Devale you know what I realized." She starts.
"What?" I ask rolling my eyes.
"I realized that people like Crystal only want one thing, that is to feel loved." She tells me. "If I can pull myself away from her, that is one less person to inflate her problem.." She says.
"Well that makes two of us." I say making Khadeen look at me. "Yeah we talked today and she told me that she wanted out."
"Is that gonna be a problem for you?" Khadeen asked me.
I sigh deeply adn shake my head. "I don't even want to talk about it." I say walking away from her.
She followed me all the way upstairs to the bedroom. I started taking my airport clothes off. A shower sounded nice.
"Devale are you about-- Are you serious?" Khadeen said in a questioning tone.
"What?" I ask my wife feeling frustrated.
"You're acting like you just broke up with your girlfriend." She said shaking her head. "I mean I knew you liked her but damn." Khadeen said.
"Kay it's not even like that." I say taking my shirt off.
"Yeah I totally believe you." She said sarcastically.
"What me adn me and Crystal have is complicated." I say shaking my head.
"You don't think I know that?" Khadeen asked me.
I shake my head. "I think you know, but you don't understand." I say sitting on the bed. "I love Crystal." I tell my wife.
Khadeen walked over to me and sat down on my lap.
"This is really fucking weird." She said holding me closer. "I don't know any wife that would comfort her husband because he's breaking up with his side piece." She mumbled.
"I think I'm gonna go to therapy, something is wrong with me.." I tell Khadeen making her chuckle.
"Devale you don't need therapy." She tries to convince me.
"Are you sure?" I ask her.
"Maybe we both should go to couples therapy." Khadeen suggested.
"I wasn't expecting Crystal and I's situation to become as serious as it is." I say thinking about the baby.
Khadeen shrugged her shoulders. "I means it's nothing you can't cut off right?" She asked me.
I sigh deeply and remove her from my lap. Khadeen doesn't know that Crystal is pregnant. I haven't told her yet because the back and forth between Crystal and I has me in a space where I don't even know if I'm claiming that child. Crystal is acting like she doesn't want me around or doesn't even want me in the baby's life. Regardless of me telling Khadeen or not, when Crystal has the baby everyone is going to know or at least assume that the baby is mines. Now whether or not Crystal denies those allegations will make a big change in the outcome. But, I don't see Crystal lying about who her child's father it. I just don't think she'll say anything at all.
"Let me shower first and then we can talk about this, all night if you want to." I say standing up.
Khadeen sighed and nodded her head.
"Actually I'd rather not talk about Crystal anymore." She said taking her shirt off. "But we can talk about something else, anything else.. In the shower?" She said turning the shower on.
She let the water steam up before pulling me over to her. She grabs my face and kisses me passionately. I stepped into the shower and pulled her in with me. I watched her take her bun out and drop her head back letting her hair get wet. I grabbed her face and kissed all the way down to her neck.
"If we can stop talking about her and just enjoy us for a second that would be nice." Khadeen said looking me in the eyes.
I nod slowly, "I can do that." I say bringing her lips to mines.
Author's Note 📝
How long do y'all think Devale is gonna go without talking to Crystal?
Aren't Crystal & Stacy just the cutest?