Page 1 of Certified Pressure 3 (Certified Pressure #3)

Trill-Land, Jungle Estate

“Pressure, what the fuck she mean she’s pregnant?” Kashmere asked, her face already streaked with tears.

I couldn’t even say shit right now ‘cause my mind was racin’ in too many directions.

Pluto done walked out the door, leavin’ a storm in this bitch, and here I was still standin’ in the foyer with Kashmere lookin’ at me like I done committed the ultimate crime.

My chest felt tight, and I ain’t gon’ lie, I wanted to chase after Pluto, but I knew that shit wasn’t smart right now.

Kash was right here, wildin’ out, and this was her moment that just got flipped upside down.

She slapped her hands against her thighs, pacin’ like she ain’t know what else to do with herself. “Nah, Pressure… nah, tell me she lying. Tell me this bitch just tryna ruin us, ‘cause what the fuck, you literally just asked me to be your wife, and now she talking ‘bout she pregnant?!”

I ran my hand down my face and looked up at the ceilin’ like God was gon’ give me some type of lifeline.

My whole life stayed on some movie shit, and right now I felt like the script was flippin’ faster than I could keep up with.

“Kash, calm the fuck down,” I said, my voice low but firm, tryna keep her from spiralin’ further.

“Calm down? Nigga, you got this bitch pregnant and you telling me calm down?!”

Her voice cracked, but she kept shakin’ her head hard like she was fightin’ herself.

“You just told me I’m gon’ be your wife, you just put a ring on my finger, and she walk in here throwing a test at you?

Nah… nah, Pressure. You outta your fuckin’ mind if you think I’m about to just sit here and accept this shit like it’s normal. ”

I stared at her, my jaw clenchin’ even though I tried not to show it.

Deep down, my stomach was twistin’ like a bitch.

I wasn’t blind to how crazy this shit looked, but one thing I knew for sure—there was no way in hell I was about to deny what Pluto just put in my hand.

This test was real. I could see it in her face when she gave it to me.

She ain’t one for games, and I knew damn well she wasn’t about to fake no pregnancy just to get a reaction outta me.

Kash stepped closer, her finger pointed right at my chest. “You need to fix this. You need to tell her to get rid of that shit. Ain’t no baby about to ruin us, Pressure. Not after everything we been through.“

I froze for a second ‘cause that word hit me harder than she even realized. Get rid of that shit. I had to bite my tongue ‘cause the rage was bubblin’ up inside me. She ain’t know how deep that cut.

She ain’t know what it felt like to lose a baby and bury that pain every day.

She ain’t know about me sittin’ in the hospital starin’ at Ka’mari while she cried, both of us broken in ways words couldn’t explain.

I stepped forward, towerin’ over her, my voice droppin’ low, and heavy with warning. “Watch your fuckin’ mouth. Ain’t nobody gettin’ rid of shit. You lost your mind if you think I’m about to tell Pluto to do some shit like that. You trippin’, Kash. For real.”

Her eyes widened like she couldn’t believe I really just said that shit . She pushed me in my chest, her nails diggin’ through my shirt.

“So what? You just gon’ keep her around? You gon’ raise her baby like y’all some happy family? That’s what the fuck you telling me? After everything me and you done been through? After I held you down? You choose her?!”

I grabbed her wrists and squeezed them before she could try to hit me, holdin’ her still.

My voice came out harsher than I intended.

“Ain’t nobody said shit about choosin’ her over you, but you not about to stand here and talk reckless about my kid.

I don’t give a fuck how mad you is right now.

That’s mine. You hear me? That’s mine, and I don’t play about that. ”

She yanked her arms back, tears brimming in her eyes again, but this time she ain’t let ‘em fall. She stood there, breathin’ heavy, her chest risin’ and fallin’ like she was tryna hold all the fire inside her.

For a moment, the room was silent except for her sniffles and the sound of my own heartbeat poundin’ in my ears.

Then she shook her head slow, her voice tremblin’ but clear.

“You just proposed to me, Pressure. You looked me dead in my face and told me I’m gon’ be your wife.

And now this bitch tryna come between us.

I don’t give a fuck if she’s carryin’ your baby or not.

Ain’t no child about to stand in my way. You hear me?”

I looked at her like she had two heads. The way she said that shit sent a chill through me.

Not ‘cause I thought she would hurt Pluto or no shit like that, but ‘cause I realized how far Kash was willin’ to go to keep her spot. She wasn’t foldin’.

She was diggin’ her heels in, lettin’ me know right then and there that she wasn’t steppin’ aside for nothin’ or nobody.

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, then turned slow, lookin’ toward the door where her bags was sittin’. She stared at them, then back at me, her eyes red but steady, like she made her decision.

“I’m your fiancée now, Pressure,” she said, her voice low but sharp, almost like a promise and a threat at the same time. “And I don’t care what she talking about. Ain’t no baby going to take that from me.”

With that, she walked past me without another word. The sound of her heels clickin’ against the marble floor echoed through the foyer. She grabbed her luggage, yanked the handle up, and rolled her bags straight toward the elevator. She ain’t look back once.

I just stood there, starin’ at her back as she disappeared inside, my chest heavy, and my hands balled into fists at my sides. My mind was spinnin’ outta control.

On one hand, I just proposed to Kash, and she was makin’ it clear she wasn’t about to bow out. On the other hand, Pluto just dropped the biggest bomb of my life, and no matter how crazy Kash was actin’, she couldn’t erase the fact that I had a baby on the way.

And that’s when it hit me—shit was about to get real ugly.

Fuck! I kept thinkin’ to myself while still standin’ in the hall, starin’ at this damn pregnancy test. My whole body felt heavy like somebody dropped a weight on my chest, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the stick.

I had just slid a ring on Kashmere’s finger, and made a promise I wasn’t even sure I could keep, and then Pluto had the nerve to hit me with this?

I heard my phone buzz in my pocket, pulled it out, and saw Renza’s name flash across the screen.

I ain’t even bother pickin’ up. I wasn’t in the mood for no jokes, no wild comments, not even him tryna calm me down.

I wasn’t calm. I was pissed off, confused, and if I’m being real, scared as fuck.

And all that was before Kashmere opened her mouth down here and told me to make Pluto get rid of my baby.

That shit sat in my chest like poison. The words kept echoing every time I blinked. Make her get rid of it. She ain’t even realize what she was sayin’, and maybe she did, but either way that shit cut deep.

I slid the test into my pocket, pressin’ my hand over it for a second like I was tryna protect it already.

Then I headed for the elevator. I hit the button, waited on the doors to slide open, and stepped inside.

My reflection stared back at me in the mirror on the back wall, and I almost didn’t recognize myself.

My eyes looked wild, like I was halfway between snappin’ and breakin’ down.

When the doors opened again, I walked out and straight to my room. Soon as I stepped inside, Kashmere was pullin’ clothes out her suitcase, foldin’ them like she was settlin’ in for the long haul. Her hair was a mess, her makeup smeared, eyes swollen and red like she’d been cryin’ nonstop.

I let out a long sigh, rubbin’ my face with both hands. “You don’t need to get comfortable too fast,” I said, my voice rough as hell.

She froze, her hands holdin’ one of her dresses mid-fold, then slowly looked up at me. Her eyes were glossy, her lips tremblin’ like she had more words to throw at me but she was holdin’ them back. She just stared for a second, then put the dress down and stood up straight, facin’ me.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Pressure?” she asked, her voice low, like she already knew but wanted me to say it anyway.

I stepped closer, my hand pullin’ the test out my pocket, showin’ it to her like proof of why I couldn’t even think straight. “It mean exactly what it sound like. You said a mouthful downstairs, Kash. And I ain’t appreciate none of that shit. Not one fuckin’ word.”

She took a deep breath and shook her head, her hands goin’ to her hips like she was tryna hold herself together.

“Pressure, I was hurt. You think I wanted to say that shit? You think I ain’t been runnin’ it back in my head since the second it came out my mouth?

You asked me to be your wife, and then two seconds later the person you just eliminated tellin’ you she pregnant?

What the fuck you expect me to say? Congratulations? ”

Her voice cracked again, and I could see the tears fillin’ up her eyes even though she fought hard not to let them fall. And as much as I wanted to stay mad, I couldn’t even lie…she had a point. If the roles was reversed, if I was standin’ in her shoes, I probably would’ve said some wild shit too.

I ran my hand down my face and shook my head.

“Look, I get it. I ain’t gon’ sit here and act like you ain’t got the right to be mad.

This whole situation fucked up, and it’s gon’ test you in ways you probably ain’t never imagined.

But one thing I’m not gon’ let slide is you disrespectin’ my kid.

I don’t give a fuck how angry you get, Kash.

Don’t ever fix your mouth to tell me to get rid of my baby again.

You do that shit one more time, and this engagement is off. I mean that shit.”

Her face dropped like I had just slapped her.

She stumbled back a step, clutchin’ her chest like my words hit her harder than she thought they would.

Her lips parted, but nothin’ came out at first. Then finally, she whispered, “So that’s how it is?

You’re going put a baby that’s not even born yet before me? ”

I ain’t even hesitate. “If that’s how you wanna look at it, then yeah. My child come first, always. That’s just common sense, Kash.”

Her tears finally spilled over, rollin’ down her cheeks as she stared at me like I just ripped her heart out, and maybe I did, but I wasn’t gon’ backtrack. I meant every word.

She dropped her gaze to the floor, her body shakin’ like she was fightin’ to keep it together.

“I love you, Pressure,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I love you so much I can’t even breathe without you, and that’s why I ain’t leavin’.

I’ll deal with it. I’ll deal with her. I’ll deal with and accept the baby.

But don’t… don’t shut me out. Don’t make me feel like I’m already losin’ a game I don’t even wanna play. ”

Her words hit me hard, and for a moment I ain’t even know what to say. Here I was, standin’ with a fiancé who was damn near beggin’ me not to throw her away, and a baby on the way with a woman I couldn’t stop lovin’ even if I tried. My whole body burned from the weight of it.

I turned away, grabbin’ my keys off the dresser, needin’ space before I said somethin’ that made shit worse. “I need some air,” I muttered.

Kash sniffled, wipin’ at her face, but she ain’t stop me. She just watched as I headed for the door.

Minutes later, I was in the garage, slidin’ into my Ferrari F8 Spider, that red leather huggin’ me like a glove.

I pressed the button, the engine came to life, and I peeled out, hittin’ the freeway with no destination in mind.

The city lights blurred past me, but my focus was stuck on the pregnancy test sittin’ in my lap.

Every few minutes, I glanced down at it, my mind spinnin’ faster than the wheels beneath me.

I wanted this. I wanted a baby. I wanted a son to carry my name, to teach him the game, to show him everything I learned and everything I built.

Hell, I was already thinkin’ of names, rollin’ them around in my head like the shit was real already.

But then reality slapped me in the face.

I had just proposed to Kashmere. My parents was already on my ass about settlin’ down, and now I had to explain a baby mama and a wife?

I could already hear my mama’s voice, calm but sharp, askin’ me how the hell I planned to clean up the mess I created.

My pops would probably shake his head in disappointment before pourin’ a drink and tellin’ me to figure it out.

I gripped the wheel tighter, my chest tightenin’ at the thought of Pluto not makin’ it full term.

That fear was already creepin’ in, reminding me of Ka’mari, and of the night I lost everything.

I shook my head hard, forcin’ the thought out.

I wasn’t about to let that shit happen again.

This baby was gon’ make it, and I was gon’ do whatever the fuck I had to do to make sure of it.

As the freeway opened up in front of me, my mind drifted further, draggin’ me back into memories I tried to bury… memories of the last time I thought I was about to be a father.

And just like that, the past came rushin’ in.