More Than Us

“Oh my gosh, Lani. A baby?” She nods her head, her eyes far away. “Who is the man?”

“It doesn't matter. Everything he told me was a lie. Now, I have to figure out what is next. It’s obvious I can’t continue to stay here. I was thinking I would go to Savannah and start over. I could finally finish my degree, get a job and take care of my baby.”

“Wait, you are going to move? By yourself? Lani, I don’t think you have thought this through. How are you going to survive? Let alone pay for an education and childcare to go to school? Lani, you need to think about this.”

“I have, Phillipa. I have thought about nothing else since I found out. But I can’t stay here, my friend.” Oh man. How do we get ourselves into these situations?

“Well at least let me give you money to get you started.”

“Absolutely not. I will be ok. Just promise me you will fix this. You have something we all search for...devotion and love. Don’t let it go.” I feel emotions welling up once again, knowing that without her here, I will be without my sounding board. My lie detector. My friend. I can’t have her worrying about me, so I nod my head. “I promise.”

“Good,” she says, smiling.

“When do you leave?”

“The end of the week.”

“So soon?”

“Yes. If I don't do it now, I won’t be able to and I don’t want to risk the chance that he will find out.” Once again, I am crying. When the hell did I become so emotional.

“Are you sure, you don’t need anything? I will help you anyway I can.”

“Phillipa, stop. I will be fine. I am strong, capable and willful. Me and my baby will be just fine.”

We continue talking and then she says she has a doctor's appointment, so I hug my friend, for what I know will be the last time, and walk out the door. There is no way I can confront this situation with Cord, right now. This is too much to process. No, now is not the time.Chapter FiveCordTwo Weeks LaterLooking out my office window, I can’t help but admire the people down there, busy, going about their day, strolling through life, where everything keeps moving. They have something to look forward too. Knowing what comes next. Unlike me, who has no idea what to do next. We had that one wonderful night and though I knew it was going to be strained, I thought at least something would have shifted. Nothing. It is back to being a mausoleum. She is slugging through the house like she lost something I can't find anywhere else. I have asked multiple times, tried to hold her, soothe her, nothing. She won’t confide in me and I wonder if there is anything left. “Cord. I got the message you wanted me to come to the office.” I turn to see my best friend Dun walk through the door.

“Well shit man. You look how I feel. What the hell is going on with you?” I ask him, noting his disheveled, ungroomed appearance. “Work really that bad?”

He is a successful real estate mogul who owns several commercial properties including hotels, casinos, clubs and I believe he just bought ownership shares in an island getaway somewhere in the Caribbean. However, with the downturn of the market, maybe his business is suffering. That is not including the fact he comes from one of the premier families in Chicago. If I am not mistaken, his engagement to Laurie Winston, the granddaughter of Harry Winston, is the most anticipated engagement in a decade. I wonder if that is what is bothering him.

“Work is fine, asshole.” he says running his hand through his head. He leans forward with his elbows on his knees and I see something is really bothering him and as his best friend, I will put my shit aside to help him.

“Dun, what is going on? Is it the engagement?” He flicks his wrist at me.

“That has been over for over a month.” Thank god. Not that Laurie wasn’t a darling. It’s just...I wanted him to have what Phillipa and I have...had. True love.

“What brought this about?”

“I found her, Cord. I finally found what you told me about. I was in a hotel, hosting a business meeting. The maid walked in to change the hand towels in the conference room and the moment she walked in the room, it was like in those fucking shifter books and shit. I could smell her. Something in me was chanting mine over and over. As she walked around the room refilling coffee, smiling at the other men in the room, I heard myself literally growl, Cord, wanting to snatch the eyeballs out of all the men, staring at her. I knew, right then she was mine. As soon as she left the conference room, I walked out the door and caught her. I asked her name and to go for a late meal with me. She said yes, and my life changed forever. We spent a month together, getting to know each other, making love, fucking, going out, staying in, you name it. I was seconds from proposing when all hell broke loose.”