Page 206 of The Ninth

You’ve always thrown up and became emotional when stressed....

No!

It’s the test. The positive test is the only reason you feel something else is going on, Devyn.

I snatched the toilet paper from the roll and wiped myself. Letting go of that dream after sitting with it was becoming hurtful. I’ll just go to the doctor tomorrow to confirm if it’s still in place. If I’m carrying Duke’s child.

Just as I was about to drop the toilet paper in the toilet, I stopped. My breathing almost came to a stop seeing the crimson paper stare back up at me. There it was. The missed period, popping up to be the tiebreaker. To be the one to confirm everything revealed to me over the past fifteen minutes. I wiped three more times just to be sure.

No thoughts ran through my head as I grabbed a tampon from my stash, putting it in and getting myself together. I stared at myself in the mirror as I washed my hands. This isn’t the time to play delusional. It’s not the time to act like what’s happening isn’t happening.

The late period and positive test created a false solution. My period was simply late. I let the chance of that test being mine and fishy fish convince me I was pregnant which caused the stress. The stress led to the puking and emotions. Although I’m not pregnant, I did let myself dream after some thinking. The dream is gone, but I’m not distraught over it. I know it will be a reality one day.

What I was avoiding was the truth. The positive couldn’t be mine, so it was Cassandra’s. The same Cassandra that was risking her life at this very moment to fix a mistake from a situation we got in because of me. They made sure I stayed home safe and out of trouble because I was carrying a Maddox. When really, it’s Cassie.

Heat kissed my body everywhere. I started breathing heavily just remembering the shootout from the night of the set up. The man walking past the door and then trying the knob. The anxiety of running away. I have my pregnant cousin right back in that situation. If something happens to her, that baby, or both....I would never be able to forgive myself.

Duke and K3’s laughter started sounding sinister. It felt as if their voices in my head was laughing at me. A cruel turn in reality where we thought we were doing the right thing, but we weren’t. Another let down by fucking Devyn.

I grabbed my throat. I couldn’t stop it from coming up. Running to the toilet, I vomited for the second time in twenty-four hours. Both from immense stress. I was the only person in the house that knew Cassie blocked all of us, and there was no way of contacting her. My hand began to shake realizing how bad we’ve fucked up, again.

As I gathered myself, there was no second guessing what had to be done. What I had to do. Yes, Duke will be upset. So will K3, Trent, and Dean. But this one revelation has caused me to realize how fucking stupid this situation was. It’s not true we can only depend on each other all the time. This shit is bigger than us and they could die! Cassie would be distraught to lose her baby! I know they wouldn’t want me to tell, but I have to.

The bathroom door creaked as I pulled it open. I couldn’t feel myself walking slowly through the room and towards the front. I just knew my eyes were getting closer and closer. It felt like someone took control over my body, and I was just a spectator. Shaky. Mouth dry like cotton. Their laughter echoed in my head like we were in a tunnel.

As soon as I entered the living room, Duke looked at me. The smile dropped from his face instantly.

“Baby, what’s wrong? Is it your grandmother?”

K3 looked at me. The worry on his face deepened within a matter of seconds. He hopped up from the table, rushing to me. I couldn’t even feel his hands as they gripped my shoulders.

“Devyn, G. Tell me. It’s Cassie, isn’t it?”

I’m so sorry, K3 and Duke.

“It is.”

Chapter 40: Damsel in Distress

Cassie’s POV

Kenzie and I were ducked down into the backseat of Poncho’s car that smelt like Fritos and nutsack. Tati was in the front passenger doing the same. Just from the car, we can hear the amount of fucking kids in the house. Like G, we gotta let the grannies be at some point. I know she in there tweakin like a mothafucka.

We didn’t really fuck around or waste time. We had our phone calls and once K3 went to Duke’s, we had no choice but to see it through. I blocked everyone and turned my location and phone off. This has to be quick before this nigga notices. As bad as I felt for doing this behind his back, I had to get us out of this fucking mess.

“Can you still see the basement window from here?” Kenzie asked me.

“Yeah. He hasn’t flicked anything yet.”

The plan was for Poncho to come smoke with this dusty ass nigga. Seeing him answering the door with no ski on like he had on in that video made the situation more realistic. Poncho said he would go to the basement to “use the restroom” and leave a window unlocked. On his way back up, he said he would flick the light which is what we were waiting for.

Shit sounds coo and sweet to Tati. I don’t know about Kenzie. But for me? This shit sounded bogus as hell. Clearly them niggas got a clue on who it may be. Why the fuck would the nigga still be coo enough to smoke with Poncho? At his granny house with kids? That’s hella comfortable if you ask me. And everybody in Chicago know who his BM is. Either Poncho is going to get backdoored while backdooring...or he plans to backdoor me and Kenzie only. I’m prepared for which ever one and I don’t trust that nigga.

I hated to go against my sistas but with snakes like Pink and Poncho slithering around....after we get this camcorder? I’m telling Kenzo. I just need the camcorder to buy me some time. To find the right words and moment.

Just as I started feeling nervous, the lights in the basement flickered twice. I sat up in the tinted car, causing Tati and MacKenzie to do the same. Our dumb asses had on all black with black gym shoes, looking stupid and incognito. We shared a look before I nodded,

“Okay. He flicked the lights. Listen to see when he made it back out back.”