8
"August I want you to come with me. I want us to be together." I plead with him. Tears running down my face as I put my pride aside and begged the man that I love to be with me. "August I am in love with you! Just come with me we can make this work we can make it work baby I promise we can!"
"Adira I can't just pack up and leave everything behind like you.Everything I know is here, in NOLA. My family my friends-"
"But I won't be here August. This won't be here!" I held up the object in my hand and waved it in his face. "You have to choose. You have to choose August."
"You gotta get up." I heard a voice say, snapping me out of my trance. My eyes were glued shut but there was no need to open them, I already knew who the tone belonged to. "You can't just spend your birthday locked up in this room."
"How'd you know it was my birthday?"
"You really think that I would forget about your birthday? My babies birthday? "
"Your baby? And it doesn't feel like my birthday. My friend just had a child with a girl that ain't me. My moms a bitch. I feel like crap."
"Friend? And you spent the past three days in this room. You gotta get up." I turned over so his face was no longer in my sight. I heard him sigh, clearly frustrated at my distance attitude. If anyone should be aggravated it's me. "I remember how you told me you always wanted breakfast in bed even though it's not breakfast time," He paused as he sat a food tray in front of me. "I can't take back the baby thing, if I could I would. But I can't Adira I can't so can you stop treating me like this. This is the most me talked in the past three days. If this baby is gonna ruin somethin that ain't even start yet then I can leave."
There was a shift in the bed, revealing that he had gotten up. "Don't. Don't leave. " I spoke up. The bed taking a slight dip assured he had sat back down."I really don't want to get up August. Im tired. I just wanna sleep till 5 then go back to sleep at 6."
"It's already six."
"Exactly."
"I know this is more than just Lalia. What's up? Is it ya mom, the shit she said the other day? Or what happened-." I cut him off. I knew that one day this would have to be a conversation we would have to have and we would have to put it all on the table but right now, on my birthday just days after his first child was born was not the time.
"Can I ask you something August?"
"Wassup ma?"
"If this baby....if this baby isn't your's would you be open to having one?" This had been a question on my mind for some time now. Despite all the issues we had I knew that August would be an amazing father.
"If this ain't my baby we can make a new one tonight." He joked. "Now come on I'm taking you out." While his tone was playful my question was real. Maybe it was because I wanted August around forever or maybe it was because I was thinking about what could have been but I was serious about having a baby with him. Maybe not now but soon, very soon.
"August where could we possibly be going?" I questioned. After getting dressed we made our way to the mystery venue. Along with all the walking It was getting dark out and the scenery gave me an uneasy sensation so I wasn't exactly cheerful at the moment.
"You ask to many questions, why can't you just go with the flow? But were here now." He stated, pulling open the door to an abandon looking warehouse.
Inside lights flickered on and faces became visible.
"Surprise!" The crowd called out. A good ninety percent of the faces were unfamiliar but, nevertheless, I was thankful. The huge grin that grew on my face was inevitable. Before I could even respond I was engulfed into the crowd of dancing people.
I continued to make my way around mingling with the crowd of unknown people. Thanking them all for coming, getting money from the ones I knew. I was in the middle of extracting some change from an old friend when my attention was redirected.
The slight tap on my shoulder caused me to jump. "Chill Ma it's just me." August assured. My body relaxed as he took me in his arms as he pulled me closer. "I ain't talk to the birthday girl since we got here. You enjoyin yaself?" He asked.
"Yea. You believe how much money I managed to gather." I joked. "I never had a surprise birthday party. It's nice."
"Yea." He agreed. " I woulda just got you a gift but I ain't got a lot of money so I couldn't buy you no Louie Viton-" "Louis Vuitton." "Yea that. I couldn't buy you none of that so I called up Shanicee and she helped put this together. Well actually she did most of the work. I just gave her the idea." He explained. I couldn't help but smile. Even after my little bitch fit that has lasted for the past few days he still did all this for me, no one has ever done something so sweet, so kind, just for me.
"Thank you," I whispered to August, a genuine smile covering my face. "Thank you. For all of this. It means the world to me. It really does."
"I had ta get ya ass out ya house one way. I thought ya face was in a permeant frown." He joked, pointing to my huge grin.
"Can I ask you something, again?"
"Go head." While I was about to ask August a question about the future of the two of us and ask him if we could make it official my attention was quickly taken away from the conversation when my eyes landed on two figures in the distance. "Why are King and Angel here?" I asked myself aloud.
"I don't know I ain't invite them. Shanicee was in charge of the guest list." August answered.
"I'll be back."
"Adira don't, just leave it alone." He said as he grabbed ahold of my wrist. "I'll be right back." I replied before I broke the grip walking over to where Shanicce was seated.
"Hey boo. You like the party so far?"
I gave her a slight nod. "Why did you invite Angel and King, knowing damn well I don't fuck with them."
"I only invited King." She replied, taking a sip of whatever is in her cup. "I don't know why he brought Angel, I told him not to."
"Why would you invite King!?" I shrieked.
"Because the two of you were together for months." She explained. "Plus I wanted the two of you to talk." She whispered the last part through a mouthful of the mysterious drink. I honestly hope that the alcohol streaming through her system was why she was acting so foolish.
"I'm not making up with him. Why are you so caught up on this nigga? How many times I gotta tell you me and him ain't gettin back together? Let it go."
"I'm trying to help you out."
"No your not."
"I only want what's best for you."
"August is what's best for me. Rather you like it or not the two of us are together. I," I paused, rethinking about the words I was about to say and if u truly meant them. Words that seemed like they had so little meaning nowadays, but I wasn't one to use the words lightly. Only to be used if thats how I truly feel, and that is how I feel. "I love him." I confessed, a weight being lifted of my shoulders. "I love August not King. He cheated on me with that bitch Angel and he hurt me and you just expect me to forget about it. There is no way in hell I'm getting back with him. You couldn't pay me enough to forgive that shit."
"Wait. What?" Angel butted in. "I didn't start fucking with King until the two of you were over." She said sounding genuinely confused.
"There's no need to lie. King told me."
"Why would you tell her that? You know I would never help anyone cheat, especially after what happened between me and you know who." She tried to whisper but it came out more as a hush yell.
"I..I'm sorry aight." He stuttered, knowing he had been caught in a lie. Seeing him in a rut was humorous to me but it didn't cause me to replace my stale face with a smile.
"So if it wasn't you who was it?" I asked. My eyes darted from Angel to King seeking an answer but both remained quiet. I could feel myself reaching my boiling point already. "You got 5 seconds to tell me." I started. "5." I began to count down. "4. 3. 2,"
"Adria. It was me." I heard from a distance. I didn't even notice that a crowd had formed until I ask that simple question. My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute, I had a repeat of the feelings I experienced just nights before when Lalia had her child. The crowd gave way to reveal the one who had confessed to having sexual relations with my ex. Never in a million years would I have thought it was her.