Page 33 of Certified Pressure 3 (Certified Pressure #3)

Trill-Land, Jungle Estate

“You sure you good?” I asked Kash while grabbin’ last minute shit for this flight I was ‘bout to catch.

She was laid across the bed in one of them silk gowns that damn near looked like liquid against her skin.

The lights was dim, candles half burned, and that soft R&B she loved was playin’ low from her phone.

A blunt was sittin’ between her fingers, and her glass was halfway gone.

She looked good, but her vibe was off. I could tell she had been in her head about some shit.

She didn’t even look up at me, but just said, “Yeah, I’m straight.”

I knew she wasn’t. Kash never did know how to fake that shit right.

She could say she was fine all day, but her body and facial expressions always told on her.

It was always in the way she exhaled too long, the way her eyes never left the wall and the way her voice came out soft like she was tryin’ not to start somethin’.

I walked over and sat my designer duffel on the edge of the bed. “You sure? ‘Cause you been actin’ different since last night.”

She let out this light laugh that didn’t sound like no real laugh. “Pressure, I said I’m good. Just tired, that’s all.”

That was her way of tellin’ me she ain’t wanna talk about it. I knew better than to press it. Kash had a temper like mine, and when we both was mad, shit didn’t end well.

I sighed and leaned down, kissin’ her forehead. “A’ight then. I’ll be back in a day or two.”

She ain’t move or even blink, and that told me everything I needed to know. Whatever it was, she was pissed, but I had somewhere to be.

I grabbed my bag, and walked out the room. Soon as I hit the foyer, one of my drivers was already waitin’ out front. I nodded at him, got in the backseat, and told him to take me to the airfield.

It was close to eight when we pulled off. The city lights was stretchin’ across the skyline, and for the first time in a while, I felt my mind go quiet. I pulled out my phone, looked through my messages, and texted Pluto.

Me: On my way to the jet.

A minute later, she text back.

Pluto: Okay.

That one lil’ word did somethin’ to me. It had been a minute since I seen her in person, but lately we had been talkin’ more about the baby, her appointments, Zurie and the adoption shit.

I looked out the window, thinkin’ about how this was gon’ be my first time pullin’ up to her city and not stayin’ the night with her. This time I booked a hotel for just me. I knew how it would look if I stayed with her, and Kashmere ain’t need no more reasons to be trippin’.

When we got to the airfield, the jet was already prepped.

I climbed aboard, dropped my bag in the seat next to me, and leaned back.

I slid my Beats in, pulled up my playlist, and let the music take over.

Rod Wave’s voice poured through my ears, and I let it ride while the jet climbed through the night sky.

All of a sudden, my thoughts started travelin’ everywhere. I kept thinkin’ about how Pluto was gon’ look when I see her. She was carryin’ my child that was more than just a baby to me. That was my future.

The flight was only a couple hours, and when we landed, another car was already waitin’ on the runway. One of my people had the keys to the rental ready. I signed the slip and took the wheel myself.

I drove through downtown, passed by a few restaurants still open late, and finally pulled up to the hotel. I had a suite on the top floor—five-star, like always. I ain’t cut no corners when it came to my comfort.

Inside, the room smelled like somethin’ good and fresh linen. I dropped my bag near the dresser and sat on the edge of the bed. The silence was heavy, but not in a bad way. It just had a nigga thinkin’.

I picked up my phone and texted Pluto again.

Me: Just made it in.

She text back quick.

Pluto: Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.

I nodded to myself, then replied.

Me: I’ll be there to pick you up.

She sent a small heart emoji back, simple but enough.

A minute later, I shot a quick text to Kashmere too, just so she wouldn’t start thinkin’ too hard.

Me: Just landed.

Not even thirty seconds passed before my phone buzzed again.

Kashmere: Okay. I love you.

I stared at the message for a minute, rubbin’ my hand down my face. I did love her. She been ridin’ for me, standin’ on business and dealin’ with shit most women couldn’t handle, but right now, my head was on my baby.

I typed out a reply anyway.

Me: Love you too.

Then I locked my phone, leaned back, and stared at the ceiling.

There was no easy way to explain what I felt. I wasn’t tryna play nobody, and I wasn’t tryna be out here on no wild shit. I just had two parts of my life pullin’ me in different directions.

I closed my eyes and took a long breath. My thoughts drifted between them both—Kash laid across that bed back home, mad at the world, and Pluto somewhere miles away, probably rubbin’ her belly while thinkin’ about me.

No matter how much I tried to tell myself it was just about the baby, I knew I was lyin’. Pluto had a hold on me that I couldn’t shake. I ain’t even know if I wanted to.

As the night went on, I thought about what tomorrow would bring. I was about to see Pluto again, and I didn’t even know what the hell was gon’ come with that.

For now, all I could do was sit in this room with my thoughts, my music, and that same feelin’ that always found me when it came to her.

I still could’ve slept for another hour but I was up early, already thinkin’. My mind been on go since last night. I sat on the edge of the bed for a minute with my elbows on my knees, scrollin’ through my phone. I finally stood up, stretched, and dragged myself toward the shower.

Steam filled the bathroom fast, and once the hot water hit my chest, I could feel some of that tension leave my shoulders.

After I washed up, brushed my teeth, and threw some water on my face, I looked in the mirror.

My eyes looked tired, but I still looked like me.

I grabbed my fit for the day and threw it on, slid my chain around my neck, and soda my cologne once before headin’ out.

By the time I got down to the rental, the sun was already burnin’ through the clouds. I texted Pluto, lettin’ her know I was on the way.

She ain’t text right back so I stopped by a lil’ breakfast joint on the way. I grabbed Pluto and Zurie some pancakes, turkey bacon, eggs, fruit, and juice.

The drive was smooth. I wasn’t nervous or no shit like that, but this trip felt different. I wasn’t just comin’ to see Pluto. I was comin’ to see my baby, and that shit hit me harder every time I thought about it.

When I pulled up to her aunt and uncle’s place, I parked in the driveway and grabbed the bag of food from the passenger seat. I walked up and knocked on the door. It only took a few seconds before the door opened. Pluto stepped out, and damn… she looked good.

She had on a light blue dress that hugged her just right, her hair was bone straight with a part down the middle and her skin was glowin’ like she just finished soakin’ in the sun.

I could tell she added a lil’ touch of makeup too.

She would never admit the shit but I knew she got cute ‘cause she knew I was pullin’ up.

“Here,” I said, handin’ her the breakfast. “This for you and Zurie.”

She smiled, soft and polite. “Thank you,” she said, then turned around and disappeared back inside for a minute. When she came back out, she had her purse slung over her shoulder. I opened the car door for her, watchin’ her move like she ain’t even know how fine she was.

Once we got in, I pulled up the GPS for the clinic and started drivin’. She was quiet, and just starin’ out the window, and for a while I let her have that silence. Even without words I could feel somethin’ between us that neither one of us was ready to speak on.

Finally, I looked over at her and said, “I ain’t gon’ keep flyin’ out here for no clinic, Pluto. I want you in Trill-Land where I can make sure you straight. You and my baby both. My mama wanna see you too.”

She didn’t say nothin’ at first, but kept watchin’ the streets roll by.

When we pulled up to a red light, I glanced over again.

It was like time slowed down right here in the car.

Her lips parted just a lil’, and I swear I could feel her heartbeat syncin’ with mine even though neither of us said another word.

She finally looked away, turnin’ her attention back out the window.

I sighed and reached over, lettin’ my hand rest gently on her stomach. Her hand didn’t move mine away, and that alone said more than words could. I rubbed my thumb in slow circles. That was my child growin’ in there.

We rode the rest of the way like that. When we finally made it to the clinic, I parked, got out, and walked around to open her door. She slid out gracefully, clutchin’ her purse, and I followed her inside.

The waitin’ area smelled like disinfectant and baby powder.

Pluto went up to the front desk and signed her name on the clipboard.

The nurse behind the counter handed her a plastic cup and told her to go to the restroom for a urine sample.

Pluto nodded, takin’ the cup before disappearin’ down the hall.

When Pluto came back, she handed the cup to the nurse, then they told her to step on the scale. She kicked her shoes off and climbed on, lettin’ the nurse write her weight down before they took her blood pressure and asked the usual questions about how she been feelin’.

They led us through a long hallway lined with baby pictures and quotes about motherhood, then brought us into one of the exam rooms. Pluto went behind a curtain to change into a thin gown while I sat in the chair beside the exam table, scrollin’ through my phone but still peekin’ up every few seconds.

When she came out, she sat down on the table with her hands in her lap, lookin’ calm but nervous too.