Page 78 of Certified Pressure 4
I laughed softly. “You sound proud.”
“Fuck yeah, I am,” he said, pressing a kiss to my lips. “I’m proud as hell, baby. I’m gon’ raise both of ‘em right. They gon’ know who they are.”
His words carried weight, but they always did because when Pressure spoke about his kids, you could feel his purpose in every syllable.
I smiled and leaned my head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat under my ear. “They got the best father in the world.”
He kissed my hair and whispered, “And they got the coldest mama too.”
For a moment, everything was quiet. It was filled with the type of peace I used to dream about. I looked out at the lightsreflecting on the pool, the sound of Prestyn laughing in the distance, and the warmth of Pressure’s hands on my belly.
This was everything I had ever wanted. My family and my heart was beyond full.
As the night began to wind down, I said my goodnights and took Prestyn upstairs while Pressure stayed behind to see the rest of his family off. The house was still filled with the faint sound of music and laughter drifting from downstairs, but up here it felt calm, like the night was finally taking a deep breath. I ran a warm bath for Prestyn, letting him splash around while I rinsed the soft curls on his little head. He was growing so fast, already standing up on his own and trying to take a few steps before collapsing into giggles.
After getting him dried off, I dressed him in his black silk pajamas and gave him his bottle. He laid in my arms, drinking slow, his lashes heavy as sleep started to pull at him. I rocked him until his breathing evened out, then started humming a soft song under my breath. It was moments like this that made everything feel right.
But that peace didn’t last long.
A faint buzzing sound broke the quiet, and when I looked over at the nightstand, I saw Pressure’s phone lighting up. I almost ignored it, but then I saw the name,Ka’mari.
I stared at the screen for a second, my stomach tightening. For one, why the hell was she calling? And two, why was her number still saved in his phone like they still had something going on? I wasn’t the jealous type, but that name did somethingto me. It wasn’t just the fact that she was his ex; it was the fact that she represented a part of his past that had already caused enough pain.
I shifted Prestyn gently onto his blanket, making sure he was comfortable before I picked up the phone. I didn’t go through my man’s phone, and I damn sure never felt the need to answer it before, but tonight I was feeling something different.
I swiped to answer. “Hello?”
There was a short pause, then a familiar voice came through. “Um… who is this?”
I raised my brows. “Who the hell is this?” I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear her say it.
“I’m looking for Pressure,” she said, bold like she had a right to make that request.
I let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, well, he won’t be coming to the phone. This is Pluto. We’ve met, remember?”
“I know who you are,” Ka’mari said flatly.
My irritation rose quick. “If you know who I am, then you should know better than to be calling my fiancé’s phone.”
“Does he have a problem with me calling?” she asked, her tone slick like she was testing me.
That was it. I smirked and said, “Bitch, I got a problem with it. Now get the fuck off my nigga’s line.” Then I hung up.
I sat there for a second, my heart beating fast, staring at the phone like it might light up again, and I wanted it to. I wanted her to try it one more time so I could let her have it again. But the call didn’t come. I took a slow breath, and picked my son back up, just to calm my damn nerves.
About forty minutes later, I heard the door open. Pressure walked in smelling like cologne and cigars, his shirt unbuttoned with that relaxed look on his face that always did something to me. I didn’t say anything at first. I just handed him his phone.
He took it, glancing at me with confusion before unlocking it. I could tell by the way his eyes flicked over my face that he knew something was up.
“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked.
I crossed my arms. “Ka’mari called your phone.”
He didn’t flinch. He just looked at me like I’d said something regular. “I don’t know why the fuck she callin’ my phone,” he said casually. “We don’t talk.”
“Then why her number still saved?” I asked, tilting my head.
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know, baby. I just never deleted it.”
