Page 53 of Girl, We Go Together
At first, I thought she was brushing her teeth too hard, but when I went to check, she was hunched over the sink, rinsing her mouth. I walked into the bathroom, and that’s when she snatched her toothbrush out of the holder. Her face looked pale as hell.
“You good?” I asked, brow raised.
She nodded quickly, but her hand rested on her stomach like she didn’t even notice.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just been queasy lately. Probably something I ate.”
I narrowed my eyes, watching her carefully.
“You sure?”
She gave me a little smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Moms always told me to pay attention to a bitch’s eyes because that is gonna tell you the truth in her story. Although the corners of her mouth were faintly turned upward, the windows to her soul looked worried, scared almost.
“Mhm. You know how women are sometimes.”
But the way she said it, the way she avoided my stare, made my chest tighten. I knew that look. I knew that tone. Shenell wasn’t just talking about an upset stomach. I gave her the privacy that she was hinting at wanting. She had looked at thedoor multiple times in our brief conversation. I walked to the living room with my mind racing, a heat spreading through me that had nothing to do with desire. If she were pregnant… if Shenell was pregnant again… That meant everything was about to get way more complicated than I’d planned.
Chapter 19
Shenell Stalling
Ileaned against the bathroom sink after Orion walked away, pressing my palm to my flat-but-aching stomach. The taste of bile still lingered, and I closed my eyes, remembering the little stick I’d stared at earlier today. Two pink lines. Clear as day. I was pregnant again. My heart twisted, not just from the nausea but from the weight of what that meant. I’d been here before, holding my breath, wondering how Orion was gonna take the news. Now it was different. Because there was Cayla and that new baby of hers.
I’d seen the pictures floating online. Just because I didn’t ask him about his life didn’t mean I didn’t know shit. I knew he was splitting himself between two worlds. Me and our boy on one side. She and their daughter, on the other hand. And still, somehow, he came here. To me. To this house and to my bed. Since we had started messing around again, for months, I wondered what that meant. Was I his safe place or just his escape? I sat down on the edge of the tub, chewing my bottom lip. Part of me wanted to tell him straight up. Another part wanted to keep it tucked away, protect myself and my son until I knew exactly where Orion’s head was.
Lately, I could see how OJ was taking to his dad being around. Orion being around was giving my son the stability of a two-parent household that I knew he secretly yearned for. Honestly, I had desired this as well. I wondered if a new baby would ruin all this for me. But deep down, I knew keeping this secret wouldn’t last long. Sooner or later, I’d have to open my mouth and say it. The real question was… when I did, would Orion see this as a blessing or just another problem he couldn’t outrun?
I looked down at my stomach, then at the positive test I’d wrapped in tissue and stuffed at the bottom of the trash. Either way, the clock had already started ticking. I came out of the bathroom, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, trying to play it cool. Orion was sprawled on the couch, scrolling through his phone like nothing was wrong. I sat down across from him, twisting my fingers in my lap.
“O, we need to talk.”
He glanced up with his eyebrow cocked. “Talk about what?”
I took a deep breath and tried to build the courage to spit it out.
“I’m pregnant.”
The air shifted instantly. His body went stiff, his eyes narrowed as if he hadn’t heard me right.
“The fuck you just say?” His voice was sharp, low, and dangerous.
“I’m pregnant,” I repeated, quieter this time. “I found out this morning. I was gonna wait to?—”
He shot up from the couch and started to pace the living room while his hands flew to the back of his head.
“Hell nah. Nah, Shenell. You gotta be playing with me right now.”
Tears stung my eyes, but I forced myself to hold his stare.
“I’m not playing. It’s yours.”
He laughed bitterly, shaking his head like the words were poison.
“Man, I just had a baby. You know what kind of shit I got on my plate? You think I’m trynna add another one right now? Nah, you gotta get rid of it.”
Instantly, tears started to build in my eyes because the words sliced through me.
“Orion—”
