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Page 46 of Out of Bounds (Atlanta Demon Series #4)

This was just year one. We still had the rest of our lives to go. I was moving on, and at my own pace. Kreed was diligent about giving me the space to do so, so yes. While it wasn’t required for me to be here today, this was my family, so there was no other place I’d rather be.

“You sure?” he asked again.

Removing his hands from my waist, I spun around and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’m okay. I’m here. I’m processing it, and I’m pushing through.”

He searched my eyes a few seconds before saying, “I’m sorry, Sai.”

“It’s okay, baby. We’re okay.” I smiled through my tears. “Really… I’m okay.”

Kreed stared at me like he knew I wasn’t sure, and instead of calling me out on it, he pecked me on the forehead. “His mother should be here in a minute to get him.”

“I packed his stuff already. I didn’t want you to have to stop entertaining to do it.”

“Thank you, baby.” He kissed my lips.

“You’re welcome. I’m going to clean the kitchen.”

“Aight.”

Kreed pecked my lips a few more times before finally letting me go. As I walked toward the house, I nodded my head for Koya to follow me. When we were alone in the kitchen, I placed my palms on the counter and sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m working through it. I don’t want to live in this place forever. I can’t keep carrying this weight of resentment.”

“What did y’all therapist say?”

“For me to stop pretending that it doesn’t hurt.”

“Then stop.”

“I don’t think I pretend… I think I just don’t allow myself to process it.” I giggled before taking a deep breath.

“And that could be true. However, I applaud you for moving forward. I know it’s a work in process, but I can say it looks like it’s working.”

“I love Kreed. And I want to get to that final place of healing. I’m content with taking one painful step at a time. I just pray he can do the same.”

“If he wants it as bad as he claims, then he has no choice. After all, it was his actions that landed us here.”

The doorbell ringing had me dropping my head back. “I’m sure that’s her.”

“Want me to get it?” Koya offered.

“Nawl, I got it.”

“I’ll be outside if you need me.”

“Okay.” Pushing away from the counter, I strolled to the door and snatched it open.

“Hey… Masai,” she said in a questioning tone. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“I’m sure you didn’t, but here I am. You can come in and wait. I’ll go grab them.”

Sauntering away from the door, I went out back. “His mother is here. I’ll bring his bag down.”

“Aight. I’mma let the kids say bye.”

“Okay, baby.” I smiled and slipped away.

After retrieving KJ’s bags, I brought them downstairs. Ashton was still standing by the front door with her hands tucked in her pockets. Eventually, Kreed came inside with KJ tucked at his side. His mother smiled when she saw the happy expression on his face.

“He looks like he enjoyed himself.” She reached for him.

“His lil’ ass prolly gonna fall asleep as soon as he gets in the car.” He chuckled. “Sai only gave him a small piece of cake.”

“Thank God. I don’t want to deal with another bellyache.”

While the two of them talked, I watched their interaction.

I knew how she felt about him; she made it clear when she called herself coming to me as a woman.

I was looking to see how he felt about her.

Any man who had feelings for a woman could not look at that woman without some twinkle or twinge.

Kreed had been adamant about not knowing how they ended up sleeping together and that he had no feelings for her at all.

If I sensed a lie, I was going to beat his ass, and possibly hers too.

When my spidery senses didn’t detect anything, I dropped it.

After a while, I made myself known and said, “I’ll let you two talk.

Bye, KJ.” I rubbed his head before turning and walking off.

It took a few more minutes for Kreed to shut the front door and meander back into the kitchen where I was. “Ashton wanted me to tell you thank you again.”

“Ummhmm.” I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t be like that.” He chuckled. “What’s on your mind?”

Sucking in a shaky breath, I asked, “Can we talk about something? I uh… I don’t know how to say this?”

“Wait.” He held his hand up. “Please, baby. I’m trying. I thought you was trying too.”

“No, Kreed. That’s not it.” I knew if I let him go on, the man would’ve been on his knees begging me not to do this to him. My leaving was the least of his worries. We had a bigger issue on our hands, one that I didn’t know how he would take.

“What is it then?”

“I’m uh… I’m pregnant.” There was a pause. Kreed’s eyes rolled down to my stomach before making their way back up to my face. “And it’s not yours.”

“You’re pregnant,” he repeated with disbelief in his eyes. “And it’s not mine.” He paused, his eyes never leaving my stomach. “How did this happen? Are you planning on keeping it? Does he know?” he shot question after question at me.

Cocking my head to the side, I narrowed my eyes. “You know how it happened, Kreed. I don’t know what I’m going to do. And no, he doesn’t know. I wanted you to know first.”

“The fuck, Masai.” The elevation of his voice told me how frustrated he was. “What the fuck am I supposed to even say to that? I don’t even know what the fuck to think.”

“We were done, Kreed. I didn’t think we would work it out.”

“So, you go get pregnant?” He tossed his hands on his head. “Fuck!” he roared. “All right… all right. We gone get through this.”

“You sure?”

“Shit, Masai. We ain’t got a fucking choice. Listen…” He huffed. “Let’s just drop it for right now, and we can talk about it when I’m more levelheaded.”

“Okay.”

Kreed glanced down at my stomach one last time before shaking his head and walking out of the kitchen.

As a woman who’d given birth to five kids, I knew the signs of pregnancy.

The day before yesterday, I woke up feeling icky, and the first thing I thought about was being pregnant with a baby.

I called Koya and had her meet me at the drug store.

I was so anxious to know the results that I ended up taking the test in the bathroom, and sure enough, my ass was pregnant.

I hadn’t told Lamar because, like I told Kreed, I wanted him to know first. I also wasn’t sure what my final decision was going to be regarding this baby. I didn’t believe in abortions, nor did I judge women for having them. It just wasn’t my thing. But having this baby meant more mess to overcome.

On top of that, Lamar is fifty-seven, and his youngest child is ten. That man didn’t need any more kids. Hell, neither did I, if we wanted to be honest. But here we were, and I had some choices to make.

“I’m guessing you told him,” Koya said as she eased back inside the kitchen.

“How you know?”

“He’s crying.” She laughed.

“It’s not funny.” I pouted.

“No, babe it is. Like, this is some next-level Love hell, I was even happy.

It felt like things were finally starting to look up.

I don’t know what kind of games God was playing up there, but Kreed and I had some decisions to make.

Mine was whether or not I was going to go forward with this pregnancy, and his was whether he was strong enough to stick around and raise another man’s baby in the event that I did.

If my choosing to have this baby meant things were over for Kreed and I, then so be it.

After all, his infidelity is what pushed me into the arms of another man.

Had he not cheated, we would be in marital bliss, and this baby would be his.

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