Page 119 of Lyric Squared

“I’m not hungry, Keanu,” I assured him.

Just as I did, his cell phone rang. The music stopped being that it was playing through his Bluetooth connection. Quietly, I occupied myself with my cell.

“Yeah?” he answered.

I couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying, but Keanu quickly followed up with words that exposed the other caller.

“You and Laike?”

He paused briefly.

“Yeah. I’m handling some business right now, but I can meet you niggas at the gym at four.”

There was another pause.

“A hundred dollars? Nigga, do you hear yourself? That’s a poor man’s come up. I can’t do shit with that. Bring ten stacks. Two per game and then we have a bet.”

Keanu’s chuckle was infectious. His teeth weren’t hiding behind those pretty golds he wore often. The pearly whites were on full display. As he tossed his head back in laughter, my centerpiece oozed.

“You sounding really fucking broke right now. Stop having so many fucking kids and maybe you can keep some of that money you’re making in your pocket.”

With a shake of the head, Keanu ended the call a few seconds later. I could feel him gazing at my cheek as I scrolled my Instagram feed. Posting as of lately just wasn’t in my interest. Life was kicking my ass and faking it wasn’t for me. When I felt better – mentally, emotionally, and physically – I’d share some visuals. Until then, scrolling was satisfying enough.

“It’s time we let them in.”

“I know.” I sighed, locking the screen of my phone.

“Maybe we could put together a dinner or something for tomorrow night. Shit, maybe even meet at Oat + Olive. Really, we could tell them tonight. I can get the niggas there if you’d just show up,” he suggested.

“Telling my brothers I’ve been fucking and am now pregnant by their best friend in a public setting… are you even thinking right now? Do you hear yourself, Keanu? How well do you think that will go?”

He responded with a shrug. “Dinner, then?” he asked a few seconds later. “At my place tomorrow?”

“Too soon, Keanu.”

“When you trying to tell these niggas? At the fucking baby shower?” The annoyance in his voice resembled what I felt inwardly.

“Here you are obsessing over this once again. I’m not saying that we have to wait even a few weeks to tell them. I am simply asking for a chance to let it soak in for us both. We just found out, Keanu. We don’t have to run and tell anyone. I haven’t even told Ever or my mother. I know you’re thinking I just don’t want to tell them but at this point, I don’t give a fuck about them knowing. I don’t.”

“But, let me digest it first. I’m not even asking for a full week. Just give me a few days to wrap my head around it and you can plan whatever it is you want. I’ll be there, and I’ll be ready to tell them. At this point, it is what it is. There’s no more running or hiding because in about two months, I won’t be able to conceal my growing belly. I won’t attempt to, either.

“The faster we let them in, the better both of our lives will be. I just wish things never ended. They’d know and a baby announcement wouldn’t be overshadowed with their disappointment. I can’t stomach it right now. But I know that they’re human and it’s only right to feel a way about this all – especially with a baby involved.”

Keanu said nothing. He simply nodded his head, agreeing with what had come from my mouth. The music continued to play in the background until I realized it was his home and not mine that he was taking me to. I wasn’t ready to be there.

“I want to go home, Keanu,” I expressed.

“This is home.”

“My home. Take me to my house. Two days, a baby, and a few rounds of sex will not fix what’s been broken between us. I don’t mind working towards mending things but it won’t happen overnight. The last thing I want to do is fall into the routine of us, again, burying everything that happened before addressing it. The last time I was at your house, you made it clear that I was an immature, entitled thorn in your side. Four weeks haven’t changed that.”

“I didn’t mean that shit and you know it. I was just upset, Lyric.”

“Well, I happened to take it to heart and it isn’t as easy as taking it back. I understand that I have some work to do and before we begin this thing, I want the opportunity to do so.”

“You’re going to make this difficult, huh?”

“Am I making this difficult or am I holding you accountable for your actions and your words?” I asked him.