Page 41 of Certified Pressure 3 (Certified Pressure #3)

Drahma Town

The night was still young, and I was livin’ it up with my brothers tonight.

Me, Renza, Kay’Lo, and Blaqson had been movin’ around all week, but tonight we was finally chillin’ for real.

We was at this private lounge out in Drahma, where the lights was low, the drinks hit smooth, and the music kept the vibe right.

A slow R it was finally leadin’ to this. She was bringin’ my baby home.

When I walked back in the lounge, I felt like a brand new nigga.

I don’t know if it was the air, the liquor, or that phone call, but somethin’ in me felt lighter.

For the first time in a long minute, I had a real reason to smile, and now my mind was on a whole different wave.

Pluto was finally comin’ to Trill-Land, and that shit had my blood pumpin’.

I tried to play it cool when I walked back to the VIP section, but I knew the energy on me was different.

Renza looked up as soon as he saw me walk back to the table. “Boy, what the fuck you lookin’ all happy about?” he asked, his face twisted up like he already knew I had somethin’ to say.

I dropped down on the couch next to him and grabbed my glass off the table. “Ain’t nothin’,” I said, even though I couldn’t hide the smirk creepin’ up.

Kay’Lo looked up from his phone. “Yeah, okay. You just walked out lookin’ like you had somethin’ heavy on your mind and came back lookin’ like you just hit the lotto. Go ahead and spit it.”

“Pluto and Zurie comin’ to Trill-Land tomorrow,” I said, tryna sound casual even though I was lit inside. “For good.”

Kay’Lo let out a low whistle, and Blaqson’s eyebrows shot up. “Word?” he said, leanin’ forward. “How you feel about that?”

Before I could answer, Renza jumped in. “How the fuck you think he feel? Look at that nigga face. He happy as hell.”

“Man, shut up,” I said, shakin’ my head.

Then, I took a sip of my drink, tryna bring myself down some, but my heart was still movin’ fast as hell.

Blaqson nodded and asked, “How far along she is now?”

“That’s what’s up,” Blaqson said, liftin’ his glass. “How far along she now?”

“She’ll be four months next week,” I said. “That bump comin’ in.”

Renza let out a low whistle. “Damn, time flyin’. That mean you gon’ be a daddy in a few months.” He laughed, then added, “But you know Kashmere ain’t gon’ like that shit one bit.”

I looked over at him and took another sip. “It ain’t about what Kashmere want,” I said flatly.

He shook his head, grinnin’. “Nigga, you might as well be with Pluto at this point. You sound like her man.”

Kay’Lo spoke up from across the table, noddin’. “I been tellin’ him that. He just don’t wanna admit it.”

Renza’s eyes met mine, serious now. “Bruh, I’m just sayin’, you might as well be with Pluto. You know that’s where your heart at anyway.”

Kay’Lo jumped in, pointin’ his drink toward me. “I been tellin’ him that. Nigga just don’t listen.”

I sighed and rubbed my hand down my face. “Man, how ‘bout y’all muthafuckas go talk to Pluto then? ‘Cause clearly she ain’t listenin’ to me. I can’t make nobody be with me if that ain’t what they want.”

That shut the table up for a second. Renza and Blaqson looked at each other, then Kay’Lo just nodded like he understood. They knew I wasn’t in the mood to talk about that no more.

Blaqson leaned forward and grabbed the bottle, pourin’ more liquor into each of our glasses. “A’ight, fuck it. Let’s toast then. To Pluto comin’ to Trill-Land and to the baby we can’t wait to meet.”

Everybody raised their glasses, and I clinked mine against theirs. “Yeah, to that,” I said, lettin’ the liquor burn down my throat.

We got back to laughin’ after that. Renza started tellin’ another wild-ass story while Kay’Lo and Blaqson joined in, crackin’ jokes and talkin’ over the music.

The DJ switched it up, playin’ some slow trap mixed with old school R&B, and everybody in the lounge was vibin’.

I leaned back on the couch, feelin’ the bass thump through the floor while the liquor warmed my chest. For once, I wasn’t thinkin’ about no problems, no pressure, no weddin’ plans.

It was just me and my brothers, celebratin’, drinkin’, and lettin’ the night ride out exactly how it should.

After a while, we started packin’ it up. I threw some cash on the table for the waitress and stood up. Renza and Kay’Lo followed behind me as we made our way out the lounge. The music faded as we stepped outside into the night.

I slid into my car and leaned back in the seat, exhalin’ before hittin’ the push to start. Renza’s car pulled out behind me, then Kay’Lo’s while Blaqson peeled off in a different direction. The drive home was quiet, while my mind was turnin’ circles the whole way.

Pluto was comin’ to Trill-Land… damn…

I needed to hit my realtor in the mornin’ so we could get her and Zurie into somethin’ nice. Obviously, they couldn’t stay with me. That would just start more problems, especially with Kash livin’ in the house. But even if she wasn’t there, I knew Pluto wouldn’t want to stay with me anyway.

I wanted her and Zurie to have a home that felt like theirs.

They needed somethin’ safe, clean, and close enough where I could pull up whenever I needed to check on them.

I started plannin’ the details in my head, like how I was gon’ make sure she had everything she needed for the baby.

Soon we’d be findin’ out the sex, and I wanted to be there for that.

I was already thinkin’ about callin’ my assistant in the mornin’ to start lookin’ for a private doctor to handle her prenatal care.

It was a lot on my plate, but it was the kind of shit I ain’t mind handlin’. I had money, I had power, and I had a baby on the way. I was gon’ make sure everything around my baby was solid.

But I couldn’t ignore the other part of it. I still had to tell Kashmere. She had no idea Pluto was movin’ to Trill-Land, and that conversation was gon’ be messy no matter how I tried to spin it. I decided I would handle it later. For now, my focus was gettin’ Pluto and Zurie here safe.

By the time I pulled up to the mansion, it was close to two in the mornin’. I parked in the driveway and climbed out, stretchin’ before headin’ inside. The house was quiet, only a few lights glowin’ down the hall. I walked through the foyer, and hit the elevator to go up to the master suite.

When the doors opened, I walked in and saw Kashmere sittin’ in bed with the TV on low. The blanket was across her lap and her hair was wrapped up neat. She looked up when she saw me, then reached over and turned the lamp on. Her face was calm, but I could tell she had somethin’ on her mind.

She reached for somethin’ on the nightstand and held it in her hand. “I took a pregnancy test earlier,” she said, her voice soft but serious. “I’m pregnant.”

I froze.

For a few seconds, I ain’t even know how to respond. My heart was beatin’ but my mind was blank. I wasn’t expectin’ that.

She watched me close. “What’s on your mind?”

I looked at her, my expression unreadable. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “You just dropped that on me.”

That wasn’t the answer she wanted, but it was all I had right now. She nodded slowly, her eyes searchin’ mine. “I’m going to schedule a doctor’s appointment soon,” she said finally.

I nodded back. “A’ight. That’s cool.”

I turned toward the bathroom, tryin’ to keep my thoughts straight. Once I got in, I closed the door behind me and just stood there for a second.

I took a piss, washed my hands, and stared at myself in the mirror. Every time I thought I was makin’ progress, life threw me another curveball.

Pluto was comin’ to Trill-Land, pregnant with my baby. Kashmere was in my bed, pregnant too.

I leaned against the counter, lettin’ that shit sink in. Two women, two babies, two completely different worlds crashin’ into each other.

This wasn’t how I planned this shit, but it was the reality I was standin’ in. I ain’t even know what to feel. Excitement, guilt, confusion—all that shit was all mixin’ together in my head.

One thing was for sure though. Tomorrow was gon’ change everything.