Page 52 of Her Loyalty

"Tiana." Deja sung my name in a sing song voice as I sat on the couch with the worst stomach pains on the planet.

"Leave me the fuck alone." I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for her or her hype energy right now.

"Oh so now the monster's being rude?" She laughed at me, considering we were just buddy buddy earlier.

"Mama is just not feeling it today." Hailey, Leek's new girlfriend laughed as she rubbed my stomach. I didn't know her that well but she's been around for a while now and she automatically clung to me, wanting to be friends.

"Listen, I'm really not. So please just stop talking to me, the both of you." I explained to them but they both sat down next to me anyway and I couldn't help but to roll my eyes.

Sitting there feeling like a whale, they both began to rub my stomach while all of the guys in the house paid us no mind at all. There were so many men in here, sitting around playing cards, drinking and being loud and all I could think of was "why don't they have to go through any of this?"

"Do you think Amiri's going to come out tonight, T?" Hailey asked, breaking me away from my anger filled thoughts.

"I don't know." I grumbled, feeling myself becoming emotional.

"He's being so stubborn and we've tried everything at this point so.." I trailed off, speaking barely above a whisper.

I was 2 days past my due date and completely miserable. The doctor's wouldn't do anything for me, they'd told me to just wait it out. But at this point, I didn't want to wait any longer, I was ready for Amiri to be here.

"Don't worry. He'll come." She assured, still rubbing my belly as I sat there, beginning to enjoy it.

Moment later, the front door abruptly opened, making us all look up.

"Yeah, nigga. I was just saying that." I heard Dom laughing as he came into the house with Leek and Zay behind him.

"Damn, it's packed in here." He went onto say, looking around.

"Yo, what up, Dom." Everybody spoke.

"What's up y'all?" He spoke, making his way over to us girls.

"Hey, Dominic." Hailey waved.

"What's up, kid?" Deja spoke.

"What's up yall. What's this a party?" He asked jokingly making Deja shrug. They were all her friends.

"How you feelin' baby?" He then asked me as he reached down to grab my hands while Deja and Hailey finally moved their hands away from my stomach.

My lip quivered looking up at him but he shook his head at me.

"Na', don't start." He told me, slowly helping me stand to my feet.

"No more cryin'''." He went on, putting both of his hands on my stomach and leaning down to peck my lips softly.

"Mama is ready for Amiri to get out of her." Hailey smiled and I poked my lip out, feeling like a complete cow while Dominic stood there rubbing my stomach.

"He gon' come out. My little man just ain't ready yet." He told me as more tears fell from my face.

"What I just say?" He asked, wiping my face.

"Come on, stop all that cryin'."

"You hungry?" He asked and I shook my head no.

"You wun' massage?" He asked and I thought about it before I nodded slowly, sniffling in the process.

"Aight, come on."

"We gon' go upstairs and I'm gon' massage you, ain't no need to cry." He guided me toward the steps as I trailed behind him slowly.

"Your man gon' make it better, aight?" He assured, helping me up the steps slowly.

"Don't even worry bout' it."

Finally making it to the top of the steps, we walked into his old room and he helped me slowly sit down on the bed. When I did, I took a breather because I was feeling so out of breath.

"Why you ain't hungry, ma?"

"Whatchu eat?" He ended up asking as he walked over to his closet, doing something while I sat there.

"Deja and Hailey made me chicken and rice like 20 minutes ago." I told him and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yeah?" He asked and I nodded.

"Why you ain't give me none?" He asked as he made his way back over to me with a smile. His smile quickly fell though once he'd saw that I was crying again.

"What I just tell you, T?" He sighed.

"Stop cryin, baby."

"I can't.." I trailed off, looking down at my hands.

"Look at me." He said, kneeling down in front of me as I sat there now looking into his eyes.

"Talk to me."

"Whatchu cryin' for, ma?" He asked as I poked my lip out.

"Come on. Tell me all about it, I'm listenin'."

"Well.." I started.

"I'm in so much pain right now and I just want to see Amiri." I spoke softly, my voice cracking in the process.

"I just want him here." I expressed.

"I know, baby."

"I know." He spoke sympathetically, wiping my tears away.

"But little man ain't ready yet." He explained, placing his hands on my stomach and slowly rubbing it.

"Just give him some time to get his shit together." He went onto say, making me laugh.

"Oh you liked that one?" He smirked as I playfully rolled my eyes.

"Don't even worry bout' it. When he ready to see us, he gon' fly right out that bitch." He went onto say, making me smack my lips with a smile.

"Stop." I pushed him away from me and he smirked, standing to his feet.

"Na' I'm just fuckin' witcha. Stop cryin' though, Aight?"

"Whatever you need me to do, I'a do it. Just stop cryin' for me."

"I don't wun' see nomore tears on that pretty face." He bent down to kiss my cheek and I couldn't help but to smile.

"Come on na' let me massage you."

* 2 hours later 10pm

Laying in bed with Dominic, I laid up against his chest, trying not to move too much. I'd just started to feel better and I felt that if I moved I would be in pain again.

"Baby." His deep raspy voice spoke, startlingly me.

"Hm?" I answered with my face still in his chest.

"You wun' go home or you wun' stay here tonight?"

"Stay here." I spoke softly.

I was way too scared to go home since Deja was going to be the designated driver for our hospital ride once my water broke. We'd already set out a plan for everything and I didn't want anything to go wrong so we've been staying here the past couple of nights.

"Aight." He nodded as he held onto my waist and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

I'd watched as he'd fallen back to sleep and as soon as he did, my mouth watered in a sudden mood for crushed up ice.

"Babe." I called as he snored lightly. I knew I'd been annoying him so much lately, especially keeping him up these past couple of nights but it wasn't even me, it was these random cravings I couldn't stop having.

"Baby." I called again a little louder this time.

"Yes, ma?" He sighed deeply as his eyes slowly popped open.

"Sorry." I pouted, knowing that he was tired.

"Na' it's coo, baby."

"What's up?" He cleared his throat.

"Can you get me ice?" I spoke softly.

"More ice, baby?" He sighed and I nodded slowly.

"Aight, I'a get you some ice." He agreed but still laid there, not moving an inch. Soon after I'd heard his light snores again and I couldn't help but to laugh.

"Babe." I tapped him, waking him again and he popped up.

"Ice?" He asked and I nodded with a smile.

"Yes, babe."

"Aight, I'm gettin' your ice right na'." He sighed, slowly getting out of the bed and making his way out of the room.

As he did, I laid there listening as they played music loudly downstairs. Everyone was having fun while we were up here being boring. I began to overthink, something that I did a lot these days, thinking my fat ass was becoming a burden on Dominic's life.

To stop myself from crying, I got up from the bed slowly and waddled toward the door. Opening it, I walked out and made my way to the stairs.

"Woah woah, where you gon'?" Dom caught me, coming up the steps while I was about to make my way down.

"I got your ice right here and I crushed that shit up too." He explained with a cup full of crushed ice.

"Why don't we just go downstairs with everyone else?" I asked him as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Na', I'm bout' to go to sleep and so is you."

"No." I whined, not wanting him to miss out on things he enjoyed doing like hanging with his friends, all because of me.

"It wun' a question, Tiana." He spoke sternly, looking at me.

"Ain't shit down there for you, so gon' ahead." He pointed to the room.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned on my heels and made my way back into the room like he'd insisted. Slowly getting back into the bed, he got in on the other side and gave me the cup of ice.

Saying nothing else, I chomped on the ice feeling chills all over my body. It almost instantly made me fell better.

While I ate, Dominic laid with his hands on my stomach while I looked up at the ceiling.

"Am I a burden?" I spoke softly, making him look at me.

"Tiana." He called and I looked down at him.

"Stop playin' with me, Aight?" He spoke sternly and I pouted.

"I'm just saying." I whined to him.

"Na' you sitting' there overthinkin' shit and making yourself upset."

"What I tell you about that?" He asked, turning completely over to me and wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Stop doin' that shit."

"All that dumbass shit you putting in your mind ain't true."

"Aight?" He asked and I nodded slowly.

"I can't hear that, T."

"Okay, babe." I spoke in agreement.

"I'm sorry, it's just hard not to think like that." I explained and he nodded.

"Look, I know you gon' through it but just chill out, aight?"

"I love you and you ain't no fuckin' burden." He made it clear.

"I'm really enjoying this shit if I'm being honest because I know once Amiri get here you ain't even gon' fuck with me nomore." He went onto say and I gasped.

"Don't say that." I hit him softly as he chuckled.

"I'll love you both equally." I explained to him and he scoffed.

"Can't relate." He said, making me look at him in amusement.

"Oh yeah? What does that mean?"

"When he get here, you ain't even gon' be on my mind." He spoke and I tried to push him away but he held onto my tightly, laughing.

"Na' I'm fuckin' witcha, baby." He assured with a smile and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Hurry up and eat your ice though so we can go to sleep." He kissed my cheek.