“You gotta try better than that, baby,” I warn, my voice low, I do my best to sound upset.
“I’m serious! Trey!” She chuckles.
“Where are you?” I question, making sure I’m extra quiet as I open their apartment door, I almost curse because it’s unlocked. We have talked about this. Switching the call off of speaker, we all enter the apartment.
“Um, me and Lana are in my bedroom doing laundry.”
“Oh yeah, well, why don’t you come over? That way I can give you a real stern talking.” I know they can’t hear me, because Lana’s laughing loud enough to mask the sound.
I hide just to the side of the hallway, by the kitchen table. While Kingston waits on the other side just across from me. That way, when they clear the hall, we’ll be right there to catch them.
“Trey… I was just trying to joke.” Shayla laughs, exasperated. I hear the sound of her door echo down the hall and I peek, seeing Lana and her coming out, Shayla first, then Lana following close behind. I nod at Kings and he smirks back. Ben stays by the balcony door where the girls can’t see him.
“Trey?” she questions into the phone, but I ignore her to put my phone in my pocket. Right as she clears the hall, I swoop her up, Kingston grabbing Lana right behind her.
“Ahh! Oh my God! Trey!” Shayla yells when I swing her and stick my stubbled chin deep in her neck, biting on her chin. I hear Lana screaming and Ben laughing while I continue to torture Shay.
Soon the screams turn into laughter. Slowly, I’m laughing again, living again, I’m finding me again. Pops is listening, helping me heal.
“Trey!” Shay screams between heavy breathing and strangled laughs. “Put me down, careful of our baby!”
I hurry and put her down, remembering the doctor’s orders. How could I forget? When I place her on her feet again, I check out her body and make sure she’s okay. I bring my attention back to her face. That’s when I see her eyes bulging, focused just to the side of us, everyone else is eerily silent.
“Did you just say ‘baby?’”
Fuck, what did we do? Looking over slowly, my eyes dragging to Kingston’s, he stands beside Lana, his face red, his fists closed tight at his sides, and the veins in his neck more pronounced.
“Kingston—”
“No, Trey, I fucking asked my sister a question.” Throwing his hand up, I pull Shay in front of me, keeping my hand on her hip and my other one taking residence on her shoulder. I am just about to defend her when she stops me, looking up at me over her shoulder. Signaling with her eyes that I need to stand down.
“Yes, I did.”
I hate that I have to stay silent. I should be the one telling him.
“You’re pregnant, Shayla?” He gulps and you can hear the distinct sound of his voice cracking with his question.
“Yes, we’re pregnant.”
Just like that he goes from being alert to rage induced. “When were you planning to fucking tell me? And why? Why the fuck would you let yourself get pregnant?” Shay’s body starts to shake, so I squeeze onto her tighter.
“Kingston, take it down a notch,” I warn, defending Shayla.
“No, you stay out of this, you were supposed to be my best fucking friend and this is what you do? Get my sister pregnant; she is only twenty-two, Trey! What the hell, man!” he yells, the vein in his neck moving with each word.
“Baby,” Lana says next to Kings. I watch her draw into herself when he shakes his head, waving her off.
“No, Lana. They’re too young.” He looks from her and back to Shay and me. Ben moves to the side of us and we all wait for him to leave the apartment. He knows we need the privacy and there was no way that was easy for him to be a part of. “You’re a fucking child, Shayla! You’re not old enough to be a mother.” His words hurt Shay, her body shivers and a tiny sob escapes her spread lips.
I bite my tongue, knowing that if he keeps coming at her like this, I’ll say something. This night may end in a fistfight if he doesn’t back down.
“Kingston, don’t say that. This is a miracle.” She grabs her belly, and I place my hand over hers. His eyes watch our joined hands then they flick back and forth between us.
“How is that a miracle, Shayla? You haven’t even lived! You have your whole life ahead of you. Children, are…are…are work!” he stutters, slamming his fist down on the kitchen island beside him.
“I know that, but, Bubba, they said I may never be able to have a family, and I did. Isn’t that what matters?”
“Don’t fucking call me that right now, I can’t even look at you. Who’s to say you couldn’t have gotten pregnant later on? Why didn’t you use protection? Children can really put a damper on plans and dreams, we’re too damn young, Shayla!”