by Tiece
“To top it off, Faye was in on it.”
“Talking about our ex home girl Faye who is now best friends with April?” She said as a way of making sure that they were speaking of the same trifling bitch.
“Yeah,” Nina said.
“What you mean that she was in on it?” Scarlett asked with a distasteful look on her face.
“She called Rick while he was having his way with me and asked him if he’d did what he was supposed to do and Rick pretty much confirmed that he was in the act of doing it then.”
“While the camera was recording?” she angrily pondered.
Nina shook her head as she wiped the tears from her face. “Yes, while the camera was rolling.”
“I’ma kill that bitch when she have her baby.”
“Not if I get to her first.” Nina said. “Oh and speaking of baby, it was somewhat confirmed that she was actually pregnant by Rick and not Stephen.” She irritably shook her head. “That bitch had been fucking the shit outta Rick’s ass. She had his dumb ass doing all kinda of stupid shit for her,” she said like she couldn’t believe that he’d stoop so low to get back with her and to keep Stephen away.
“So where is Faye at now?” Scarlett questioned wanting to pound her face in again.
“She was over at Rick’s mom’s house when we left yesterday. Mrs. Brown said that she was calling the police on her.”
“So did they lock her nasty ass up?”
Nina shook her head no. “Mrs. Brown called me this morning to tell me that the video wasn’t enough proof to lock Faye up. The bitch did speak honestly about talking to Rick that day, but she denied it to the end. She claimed that she was talking about something else and that she had no clue what he was actually doing to me.”
“That’s some bullshit.” Scarlett cut in.
“It is and on that same video she begged Rick to give it to her to alter some of the footage and everything. However, she claimed that it was because the two of them were having sex on it, and that she didn’t want it to get in the wrong hands. Even though that footage clearly implicated her to me, the police didn’t see it that way. Apparently she had something for everything, crocodile tears and all I’m sure.”
Scarlett angrily shook her head. “Wow, and they believed that shit? That bitch ain’t gonna have good luck behind that.”
“I know she better move soon, because every time I run into her in the streets I’m beating her ass. I need to find a job now so I can keep some bail money on deck.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I got you my girl.” Scarlett teased causing Nina to laugh. “Dry your face. Don’t let this get you down. We already figured that Rick had done some shady shit that day. It makes you wonder why things happened to him the way it did. You can’t do your kid’s mom like that and think that shit is cool.”
“You’re right,” Nina said as she dried her face. “I hate I let him in my house that day. Wish I could turn back the hands of time.”
Just for Nina to mention turning back the hands of time made Scarlett wish that she could do the same. “Well, I have more news for you.”
“Girl, don’t give me too much. I don’t know how much more I can take after hearing about that shit that happened with Luke this morning.”
“You’re going to be an auntie.” Scarlett confessed.
Nina frowned. “Don’t tell me that Sam is pregnant by Ant.” She shook her head. “No, its Brianne ain’t it?”
Scarlett laughed out loud. “No, it’s me.” She responded with a joyful expression on her face. Nina didn’t say anything at first as she just sat there staring at her. “I said that I was pregnant.”
“Bitch, stop lying,” Nina chimed in like she was in total disbelief.
“Nina, I’m for real. I’m pregnant.”
Nina’s smile spread across her face. “You’re not lying?” she pondered.
“No, I’m not lying. I’m so for real.” Scarlett replied with a happy expression on her face.
“My God, Red!!! You’re pregnant??? How come I’m just finding out? How long have you known?” She questioned.
“I just found out yesterday, but I had no time of calling you because things happened so fast with Troy by the time that I’d gotten home that I just chose to wait until today to tell you.”
Nina reached over and rubbed on Scarlett’s flat stomach. “Aww, my bestie is having a baby. This is a miracle baby, you know that right?”
“I know. I explained that situation to my doctor, but she said that there was never anything wrong with me. I just wasn’t ovulating during my sexcapades. Seems I’m not that fertile either,” she added.
“Well, you’re fertile enough. I couldn’t be happier for you.” Nina said leaning over to give her a sincere hug. “I’m going to be an auntie.”
“Who’s going to be an auntie?” Ant questioned as he walked in Scarlett’s bedroom.
“You forgot how to knock?” Scarlett asked.
“Knock for what when your door is wide open. Now, who’s pregnant?” he curiously pondered.
Nina looked from Scarlett over to Anton and shook her head. “Tell him with his nosy ass.” She teased.
“Oh and you’re talking.” Anton said with a light chuckle. “Y’all don’t do nothing but gossip.”
“Well, if I tell you this you better not tell mom.”
“I won’t,” he assured her.
“I’m pregnant.” Scarlett confessed to her little brother.
“Stop lying.” He said with a frown on his face. He’d heard the stories about her past and knew that she wasn’t supposed to be able to have children.
“No lie. I have a miracle inside of me.” She smiled.
“For real?” he questioned. “When did you find out?”
“Yesterday,” she told him. “And, I’m so for real. I have no reason to joke about nothing like this.”
Anton smiled then walked over and hugged her. “Congrats Sis, this news has made me so happy for you. I’m going to be an uncle. That’s great news!”
“It sure is.” Nina said.
“Let me see that ring.” Anton said noticing the bling, bling. Then it all came back to him. “So, is this ring why Luke was crying outside this morning?”
“Part of the reason,” Scarlett said somewhat still feeling bad for Luke.
“So, you and Troy are engaged? I couldn’t be happier for y’all. He’s a pretty cool fella.”
Scarlett smiled, because Troy was a pretty cool fella. “Yeah, so he told me that y’all have been keeping in touch.”
“For a few weeks now,” Anton admitted. “I like talking to him. Since Tommy has been gone, I’ve needed a friend and somehow that friend has actually been him. He understands my loss. I know it sounds weird, but we have this unbelievable connection that has led us to become friends. We even like a lot of the same things. He already feels like a big brother to me.”
Nina smiled. “Well, that’s your sign Red. Take it and run with it.”
“I guess so.”
Anton turned to walk out the room to give the women back their alone time together. He stopped just as he made it to the door and turned to look at Scarlett. “Good thing the baby is Troy’s or you would’ve been caught up in some crazy shit.” Scarlett’s face looked flushed at just hearing Anton say that. He only grinned, not knowing any better. “Well, now all you have to do is tell Ma.”
“If she ever comes home,” Scarlett said.
“I saw her. She should be here soon. She said something about going to the park and clearing her mind. She’s been doing that a lot lately.” Anton told her.
“Wonder what that’s about?” Scarlett pondered.
“Nothing much I don’t think. She’s been clean, because I can tell.” He said.
“Well, I can tell that much myself.”
“Are you going to tell her about the baby?”
“I don’t know,” Scarlett said but she wasn’t really looking forward to sharing that information with Gwen at the momen
t. She still had bitter feelings towards her for making her go through life thinking that she couldn’t have babies. Not to mention, putting her in that situation in the first place.
“I’ll talk to y’all later. I had a long night myself. I’m going to lie down for a little while.” Anton said then exited the room.
Nina looked over at Scarlett. “He had a long night, huh? Who is he calling himself seeing now?”
Scarlett grinned. “You know how he is, don’t you?” Nina slowly nodded her head up and down. “He’s back seeing Miley, the Puerto Rican chick that lives around the block.”
“Yeah, I know Miley with her lil cute self. He sure can pick them.” Nina said. “I’m just glad that he’s back in school and is a senior now.”
“Me too,” Scarlett said. “They allowed him to take the necessary test that he needed, although expensive, but he needed to take them to get himself back on the right track.”
“He seem like he’s in a better place since Tommy’s death.”
“He is,” Scarlett said. “But, it’s times when it still bothers him.”
“I’m sure, just like with Rick’s death. It still bothers me.” Nina said with a shake of the head.
Scarlett smacked her lips with a slick roll of the eyes. “I don’t even wanna discuss Rick’s trifling ass. Normally I’d say God bless the dead, but he doesn’t need any kind of blessings with his nasty ass.”
“I can agree,” Nina said standing up. “I need to go get the kids ready. Stephen is picking them up for the night.”
“Well, that’s a break that you could use.”
Nina nodded her head. “Tell me about it.” She said.
Scarlett looked down at her phone since it had alerted her of a text message. She picked up the phone to read the message and saw that it was from Troy.
I’m running a little behind, babe. I have some things to take care of, but as soon as I finish I’ll call you to make sure that you’re ready. Troy
She messaged him back.
Okay babe. I’m just talking to Nina anyway. I haven’t even started packing yet. Red
Okay, well don’t wait around until the last minute. I’d like us to make it to Savannah during the daylight hours so we can watch the sunset this evening since I got us an oceanfront room on Tybee Beach. Troy
Can’t wait. Red
Scarlett dropped her phone back on the bed and got up to walk Nina to the door. “Well, go handle your business and if you need me, just call me. I need to take a shower and start packing an overnight bag since Troy is taking me to Savannah for the night to celebrate.”
“Aww, I think that is so sweet.” Nina said wishing for the same thing in a relationship with someone that adored her like Troy adored Scarlett. “Anywho, have a wonderful time and check in with me so I’ll know how things are going.”
“You know I will.” Scarlett said as she and Nina hugged each other. “Talk to you later and kiss the kiddies for me.”
“Okay,” she said then stopped shy of walking down the steps on the front porch as she looked back at her best friend. “I saw your face when Anton mentioned Troy being the baby’s daddy. He is the baby’s daddy, right?” Scarlett looked at Nina with a blank expression. “We are not doing this right now. Go on your trip, enjoy yourself, and we’ll discuss this when you get back.” And, with that she exited Scarlett’s house, walking toward her house which was only a couple houses down the street.
Scarlett went back inside her room and fell across the bed. “If only I knew for sure whose baby this is, I would be just fine.” She sighed while burying her head in the pillow.
Chapter 4
Troy popped the top on his Corona and turned it up. “Damn, this is good.” He said.
“You keep them on deck,” Dmitri stated as he turned his up too. “So, what’s up Bro? You wanted to talk to me about something important.”
“I do.” Troy said. He and Dmitri went way back in just being home boys and that trickled down to them doing personal business together which only strengthened their relationship. He was, without a doubt, one of Troy’s best friends and the only person that he could confide in about any and everything without feeling judged.
“So, what’s up?” Dmitri questioned as they made their way into Troy’s entertainment room and sat down. Troy sat on one end of the leather sectional and Dmitri sat in the recliner chair almost across from him.
“I think I wanna come out the streets?” He straight up said.
“Wow,” Dmitri said. “I wasn’t expecting this important talk to be about that.”
“Well, it is. I think it’s time for me to let it go. Man, I’ve been in Pharmaceuticals for some years now. I was into that shit when I was still in high school.”
Dmitri laughed. “You made a lot of money off of them weed heads in high school, too.” They laughed.
“I did, but then I graduated to that hardcore shit. Things were never the same for me after that. The money started rolling in, people started changing around me, friends turned to foes, but we’ve lived a good life thus far. Well, almost.” He said thinking of Slim’s untimely death. “I don’t know if it’s still in me to keep doing this. My cousin lost his life over that shit. My uncle lost his mind over that shit.”
“I feel you,” Dmitri commented while taking another swallow of his drink.
“I just wanna live right, bro. A lot has changed since we last spoke.”
“A lot like what, Bro?” Dmitri curiously pondered.
“Well, for one I’m engaged as of yesterday.”
Dmitri frowned. “ENGAGED? Where did that come from? Not the player with the mega curls and bow legs that drive the women crazy. I know he ain’t engaged.” He chuckled.
“Yes he is.” Troy laughed. “Man, I’m throwing in my player cards, Bro.”
“Well damn,” Dmitri said. “I didn’t expect to hear this. So, who is the chick? Do I know her?” Troy just looked at him. Dmitri studied his body language briefly then said, “Noooo, not her man.”
Troy only nodded his head, and then said, “Yeah Bro, it’s her. Scarlett,” he said.
“Damn, you forgave her, huh?”
“I did,” he said. “I was lost without that woman. I mean, I know that she kept some things from me, but it was all to protect her brother. She honestly was innocent in that whole thing. She didn’t know that none of it had gone down until after the fact. It was by chance that we met up inside the grocery store that morning. I still call it fate.”
“I knew you would,” Dmitri said knowing all too well about Troy’s religious beliefs. He was truly a stand up guy. Most people in the streets just didn’t see that side of him though. He may have looked like a pretty boy pushover, but he was far from that. Not only could he give a nigga a run for their money if it came down to fighting, but he also had a serious aim with his gun that could take a nigga out instantly if he wanted too. A chill day for him and Troy consisted of the shooting range where they’d go all the time to sharpen up their skills. “So, you sure that you want to give it all up?” he questioned.
“I’m sure. I also found out yesterday that I have a baby on the way.”
Dmitri frowned. “By her?” he asked.
“Yep, I went to her house to ask her to marry me and after she accepts my proposal she tells me that she’s pregnant.”
“Damn, that’s crazy.”
“No, what’s crazy is that my mom showed up in my dreams a week ago and I could see her so clearly. She smiled at me and said, Congrats Daddy.”
“Dang Bro; your mama still come to visit you in your dreams?” Dmitri asked knowing that for years it was nothing for Troy to mention his mom in a dream that he’d had. She’d always be on the money anytime she showed up. Coincidently, she’d been showing him signs since her unfortunate death.
Troy always believed that in his heart, she’d never leave his side. “She never stopped.” He said. “I didn’t know what that dream meant until Scarlett told me that she was pregnant.”
&
nbsp; “Well once again, she hit it on the head.”
“I believe so,” Troy said.
Dmitri looked at him. “What’s with the look?”
“I’m just thinking. She has an ex who isn’t quite out the picture. He showed up to her house this morning before I left.”
“What the hell was that about?” Dmitri quickly asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t think that he’s over her and now that she’s moved on I think it makes him want her more.”