Page 165 of Are You Going to Love Me

“Okay. Then that’s the plan. You take care of yourself.”

“You too. You’re carrying his heart and his soul.”

Eden smiled. “Yeah, he likes living in my skin.”

Two straight weeks of rehearsals.Eden would get up when Maximus tiredly shuffled in from the studio. They’dshare a quick kiss, a quick exchange of I love you’s, and she was off. The script had been tweaked to accommodate her growing belly. However, home life was overwhelming. No time to connect, no time to keep everything as tidy as she wanted to.

Dragging herself into the house, she heard Hayla Johnson playing throughout the speakers of the surround sound. Just above the saxophones and guitars was Maximus humming the lyrics. He only paused because he sensed his woman.

Eden offered him a soft, “Hey, you.”

“Hey you,” he returned, folding their mountain of clothes. “How was today?”

Eden took a seat next to him, feeling a weight fall off of her. “Good, filming starts soon, and the script has been tweaked to fit this growing situation.”

“That situation is about to take over everything,” Maximus said with a smile, rubbing her belly.

Eden picked up a shirt and started assisting him with their household chores. “How are you? I feel like we’ve been passing each other.”

“I don’t like that shit. I’m getting in when you’re leaving. Ain’t felt you, ain’t smelled you. Tasted you. You in here eating dinner without me, falling asleep without me.”

“And after the album drops, you’re going on tour. It’s going to take some adjusting. Especially now that I’ve gotten used to being up under you all the time.”

“From running from me and actin’ like you wasn’t feeling me to having my baby. And they say stalking is a crime.”

Eden threw her head back and laughed. “Only because it’s you. Anyone else, I’m calling the law, and I don’t ever call the law. Ugh, I'm going to miss you.”

“Honestly, I’ve been back and forth about pushing it back. If I handle it now, I’m home with you and the baby. If not, I'mleaving you here with a newborn and I ain’t trying to have that on my head.”

“You’re sweet. I’m really going to need you home with us.”

Maximus kissed her face. “You are, too.”

He grew quiet, and Eden picked up on his mulling. She abandoned the folding and reached over to massage the back of his neck. “Talk to me.”

“I finally went to a family day today. I’ve never heard my mother talk to me clearly. She’s either been fueled with anger, liquor, some bitch ass nigga or whatever they were telling her at that church. Never heard her apologize either. Up until today, she has never admitted to being wrong. She’s only looked at me and saw me twice that I could remember.”

“You needed that. I’m happy you got it.”

Maximus hummed. “I feel like I need to thank you for that.”

“You don’t need to thank me for that. I love you that much that I’ll go as your proxy and advocate for you. There’s some things that can be saved. I think what you can experience from her now will help you later.”

“What about you? I know you saw the news, MRA is being sued along with Natavia and Rico.”

Eden scoffed. “Heard it on the radio this morning, headed to the set. Hosting drug-fueled orgies or whatever else under your agency’s name is crazy. Part of me feels bad for Mac'Roy, but then I don’t. He sat back passively and let Nativia run his brand into the ground because of ego.”

“Pride is the devil.”

Eden scrunched her nose. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because maybe if I can try and work shit out with my mother, you can too.” Maximus’ suggestion was out of pure intention.

Eden scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You think she’s going to own anything?”

“You’ll never know until you go talk to her. At the very least, get the answers you need so you can move on. You can’t focus on healing me when you need it too.”

“I hate when you’re right.” She retreated her hand and picked up another article of clothes to fold. Maximus reached over and placed her hand back where she had it.

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