“You’re going to pay for that!” The cameraman shook his head as he gathered his equipment and headed to the elevator.
“Aye, wait! Wait! Where y’all going?” Max appeared from a side hallway. Launching a tripod at his head, Marli approached him. His chestnut skin and dimples were no longer attractive. She could barely stand to look at him.
“We are not filming this, Max. Are you crazy?”
“Yes, the fuck we are. The blogs gon’ tell it anyway; we might as well capitalize on it,” Max responded. Marli couldn’t control herself anymore as she lunged at him. Her hand connected with his face.
“I hate you!” She sobbed. “You’re a sorry fucking excuse for a father!” Max attempted to grab her, but Blue stepped in between them. Marli had forgotten he was even there, but apparently, he’d been watching the whole time.
“I wish the fuck you would, nigga!” Blue barked.
“Sure the fuck do!” Loretta walked up next to her son, gripping her purse. Usually, the drama in her life was scripted or exaggerated for television. This, though, was her reality. As Marli stood there looking at this mess, she felt broken.
“Maxwell Demetrius Mitchell!” Ms. Woodard shouted. Her voice demanded attention and caused them all to stop moving. “I don’t know where I went wrong raising you, but God dammit, we are not filming this. Tell those damn camera crews to leave, now!” Her voice thundered. Max frowned. He turned to follow the cameramen down the elevator but was stopped by two more detectives coming up the stairs.
“Maxwell Mitchell, you have the right to remain silent.” The detectives began detaining Max. Marli collapsed into the waiting room chair as she watched Max being handcuffed and led away by the police, the camera crew filming as they followed him.
“We not filming this!” Max thundered. The weight of the day released from her all at once as she balled up in the chair. This would have to do as her safe place to fall apart. Everyone ran to her, providing their comfort, but the one person she wanted wasn’t there. She’d sent him away, foolishly, and knowing Dru and his pettiness, she’d probably lost him forever.
Twelve
Twelve Weeks Later
Marli
Marli walked down the clinic stairs, shaking her head. Her worst fears had been confirmed. Pregnant. She had called it. As soon as her breasts started aching, she knew what was going on. This wasn’t her first rodeo. When she’d gotten pregnant with the boys, her boobs ached so bad, she would just lie in bed and cry. As she strutted through the parking lot, the summer sun beamed down on her, making every step she took toward the car seem taxing. This was the last thing she needed right now with Tres’s recovery. Her baby had undergone strenuous rehabilitation. Due to complications from his surgery, he ended up having to have two more operations. It had been an uphill battle, but he was finally beginning to make a full recovery.
“When you gon’ tell him?” Kay questioned as they made it to the door of Kay’s Tesla. Marli had asked her sister to tag along because she was the only person available at the time. Erica was out of town for her flight attendant work, and Nesha was back at home in Texas. She thought about coming alone, but she was too much of a chicken. Marli didn’t address what Kay had said. She’d been trying to get the tea on who the father was since Marli had mentioned the possibility of being pregnant.
“Sis, I know y’all not on good terms, but you gotta tell Dru you’re pregnant.” Marli’s head snapped around at the mention of Dru’s name. Marli never told Kay about sleeping with Dru in Turks and Caicos, so the fact that she had just dropped his name was a shocker. Had Dru been discussing their time with Blue?
“I don’t think you can get pregnant by someone you haven’t fucked.” Marli smirked, allowing the lie to roll right off her tongue. This baby was one hundred percent Dru’s. She hadn’t been with anyone else in over six months.
“Girl, please. You know we saw y’all in that pool the night before my vowel renewal.” Kay started the car, a smirk appearing across her face. Marli’s eyes grew wider, and her mouth fell open. She couldn’t do anything but giggle as a flashback of that night played in her head. She and Dru and been fucking for hours when he went outside on the patio to smoke. Marli soon joined him, and after she’d dropped to her knees to suck his dick, she ended up riding it in the pool. Marli turned her head to her sister.
“Y’all, as in you and Blue? Why you just now saying something?”
“I was waiting on yo’ secretive ass to spill the tea.” Kay and Marli both laughed.
“Okay, we fucked a few times in Turks. That still doesn’t mean it’s his,” Marli sassed. She hated lying to her sister, but if Kay knew, it was a possibility that Dru would find out. She knew Kay and Blue pillow talked, and Blue wouldn’t waste any time telling his brother she was pregnant.
“Marli, you are twelve weeks pregnant, and my wedding was three months ago. I can count!”
“I slept with someone else right before my trip, so you’re wrong.”
Marli rolled her eyes, telling another lie. The truth was, she had attempted to call Dru multiple times, but he’d either blocked her number or didn’t want to talk to her. Sure, she had alternative methods of reaching him, but she felt stupid, popping up pregnant. He would probably think she was a joke.
“I can’t tell him if he has me blocked. Besides, I don’t even know if I’m keeping it.” She mumbled another lie. She was keeping her baby.
“No problem. I’ll call him right now, and you can tell him you want to kill his baby.” Kay took out her phone.
“No! You need to focus on driving this damn car!” Marli shouted playfully at her sister. If he wanted to know, he wouldn’t be ignoring her. She’d seen him with Janel on the blogs. He wasn’t thinking about her. He hadn’t checked in on her or her son once. She already had one crazy co-parenting situation. She didn’t need two. Looking out the window, she grabbed her belly. She and her baby would be better off without Dru. Years ago, when she’d asked to be pregnant by Dru, she didn’t think her request would be delayed for four years. God must have been being funny.
“I don’t think you should kill it, but it’s not my choice. I’ll say this: Not being the twin’s father hurt Dru… I’ve never told you this, but he showed up at our house that night, bawling his eyes out. If that’s Dru’s kid in your belly, killing it without telling him will crush him.” Kay said her piece and focused her attention back on driving. Marli dropped her head. She never knew how badly Dru had taken the DNA results. She knew he was pissed, but tears? Her heart filled with regret. Maybe God was giving them a second chance to get the shit right.
“I’ll tell him after my trip,” Marli replied as they pulled into the airport drop-off lane.
“Are you sure y’all gon’ be okay? Kay questioned. She had been concerned about Marli and the boys traveling to Atlanta for the weekend by themselves. It wasn’t ideal because Tres was still not one hundred percent healed. He was always tired and couldn’t walk or play for long periods of time, but Marli had to be in Atlanta to film some footage for the show. After all that had happened, she wasn’t letting Deuce and Tres out of her sight. So, they were coming too.
“Yes. Don’t forget Mama coming too. I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Marli replied.
“I’m referring to you taking the boys to see their daddy while you’re down there.” Kay parked the car. Marli sighed. Things with Max had gone from bad to worse to just plain complicated. After being arrested, he was charged with Class B child endangerment. The detectives had concluded that he’d left the boys unattended in the living room with a loaded gun lying on a table. They’d stripped him of his custody rights, and he was currently awaiting trial. The whole thing had been a mess. He’d been removed from the reality show and destroyed all over social media. Marli hated Max, but she also felt bad for him in a way. He was still their father, and the boys missed him. They were only four; they didn’t understand all the politics of why they couldn’t see him. He’d been staying at his home in Atlanta, working, and had asked if the boys could come for a few days. Marli had ruled out them staying with Max for a few days but had decided that she’d take the boys to see him a couple of times while they were down there. She wanted the boys to spend time with their daddy, especially with the possibility of him doing jail time for Tres’s accident. She just wouldn’t leave them alone with him ever again.
“The boys miss him, sis. This has been so hard on them. Max has been acting like he has some sense lately, so hopefully, it’s a good two days.” Marli sighed.
“You gon’ tell him about that?” Kay pointed toward Marli’s belly.
“Why would I? It’s none of his business.” Marli rolled her eyes.
“How do you plan to hide your morning sickness? He’s going to know.”
“Max should be too focused on spending time with the boys to realize anything that’s going on with me.” She rolled her eyes.
“It’s not his baby, is it?” Kay mumbled. She was being funny. Had to be. Marli gasped and cut her eyes at her sister who’d obviously lost her damn mind.
“Hell no! Now you know Max ain’t hit this since the boys were small babies!” she shouted.
“Just checking. Yo’ ass be so secretive.” Kay chuckled.
