“Sorry. What did you say?” Tempest turned from the window to face him. “I was distracted by the beautiful view,” she added, lying.
“I asked if you wanted to dine in or out.”
“Actually, I’m not hungry.”
“You should be starving. I am. We haven’t eaten a thing since breakfast.”
“Geren.”
“Yes?”
“We need to talk.” Tempest walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. “Before you ask me whatever it is you want to ask, there’s something I really need to tell you.”
Geren splashed on some aftershave and then searched through his toiletry kit for his deodorant. A twinge of nervousness shot up his spine, but he tried to act nonchalant.
“Go ahead, sweetheart. I’m listening.”
“This is so difficult. I don’t want to lose you, but I’ll understand if I do.”
Geren chuckled. He found her statement ludicrous; he had no intention of ever breaking up with her. “You’re not going to lose me, Tempest. I promise you that.”
“Please don’t make me promises you can’t keep.”
“Oh, but I can keep that one. I adore you.” Geren flashed his cinematic smile at Tempest, but he could feel the tension rising in the room. “You know that, don’t you? That I adore you. In fact, that’s what I wanted to—”
“Please, Geren!” Tempest shouted at him. “Just let me get this out before I lose my nerve. I should’ve told you everything a long time ago.” Tempest sighed heavily. “Before we ever became intimately involved.”
Geren was putting his deodorant back in his bag on the dresser when the last comment froze him in place. He looked at Tempest’s reflection in the mirror. “You don’t have a disease, do you?”
Tempest sucked in her bottom lip and glared at him. “No, no diseases. We discussed that already. I’d never put your health in jeopardy, Geren. You should know that. Maybe you don’t really know me at all.”
Geren came and sat down beside her on the bed. “Not only do I know you, I love you.” Tempest didn’t respond. She edged farther away from him on the bed. He didn’t know what to make of it. He had planned out the weekend perfectly in his mind, but as usual, things were never the way he dreamed them up. He felt like their relationship was all of a sudden bordering on disaster. “Okay, so what is it? Are you seeing someone else? Did one of your ex-boyfriends come back into your life?”
Tempest couldn’t hold it in a second longer. “I’m sterile, Geren,” she whispered in a barely audible tone. Geren’s eyes widened in stunned disbelief. “I can’t give you the household full of children you’re always talking about. I would sell my soul if I could, but I can’t. I can’t.”
Geren’s throat was extremely dry. He reached over on the nightstand to get a bottle of springwater. Tempest moved back farther on the bed when his fingertip accidentally brushed against her thigh. She made him feel like he’d done something wrong.
“I don’t know how to respond, sweetheart. I’m stunned. Are you sure about this, baby?”
Tempest pulled a pillow up in front of her chest and crossed her legs Indian-style on the bed. “Unfortunately, I’m positive.”
“It’s okay,” Geren said without hesitation. “I still love you, and I want to be with you always.”
“That’s very admirable,
and I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less from you, but I need to tell you everything. Once I’m done, you’ll probably think I’m the stupidest sistah in America and kick me to the curb.”
“Why do you keep saying that?” Geren asked, getting irritated by Tempest’s assumptions. “I’m not dumping you. It sounds like you almost want me to.”
“Part of me feels like I deserve it,” Tempest said, the first tear finally escaping and making a caravan down her right cheek. “Losing the one man I’ve ever truly loved seems like just punishment for what I did.”
“What did you do?”
Tempest fell silent for a few moments, searching for the right words—words she should’ve spoken months earlier. “Geren, the reason I went so ballistic when Dvontè abandoned Janessa and the reason I’m so determined to help Kensington is because I know how they both feel. I know how it feels not to have anyone to talk to, anyone to help you.”
The truth hit Geren like a Mack truck. “You were pregnant before?” he asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer.
Tempest took the pillow she was holding, placed it on the bed, and lay down, facing away from Geren. She felt so ashamed she couldn’t even bear to look at him.