𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

THIRTEEN

Constance

After I left the clinic, I went back to my crib, texting Angelle that I wanted to go out and do something today since I was in the mood.

I almost wrecked my fucking Corvette when she told me I had a guest over.

"A guest?" I kept repeating, holding my phone while it charged. The damn thing had went off on me as I was texting Angelle. I hadn't realized it was on one percent. "A guest?"

I pulled quick into a spot right outside of my place, leaving everything in my car except for my phone as I snatched it off the charger and locked my vehicle. I jogged up the stairs to the third floor. I went right to Apartment number 587 and unlocked my front door.

"Hey, Con."

I stopped dead in my doorway, staring at Arnae sitting on my couch next to Angelle in a t-shirt, who was snuggled against a pillow with a coffee mug in her grasp and a warm expression.

"Why is she here, Angelle?"

I shut my front door behind myself, not bothering to lock it because Arnae would be gone soon.

Very soon.

Angelle shot me a genuinely confused look. "She told me she was gonna wait inside for you. We were all going somewhere together?" Angelle glanced at Arnae next to her. The girl shyly tucked a braid behind her ear, her outfit not a far variation from what she wore the other day as she stood.

"I didn't invite you over, Arnae."

I knew I should have told Angelle about me and the girl's encounter the other day. Maybe then she wouldn't have let her in.

"Arnae was telling me about how you two used to go to school with one another and stuff so I just assumed..." Angelle stared at the girl hard, accusingly.

"I wanna explain," Arnae started, holding up her hands. "I know this doesn't sound too good. But I needed to see you, Con. And I couldn't chance you pushing me away again."

"We were good friends in school, but we were never this close," I stated bluntly. "You've taken shit too far. How the hell did you even find my apartment? Did you follow me home from the other day?"

Angelle's head snapped my way as she heard this.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Arnae gestured to Angelle.

"No," we both answered firmly.

"What we are is none of your business. Now this will be my first and last time asking you nicely to get the fuck outta my apartment, Arnae," I said roughly.

"I didn't mean to act all-all obsessed," Arnae pleaded as I started walking towards her. Angelle watched from the couch, clutching her mug. "I'm pregnant."

"The hell that gotta do wit Constance Clark?" I snapped. She was probably only saying that so I didn't toss her out on that concrete outside my door.

"It's your dad's," Arnae said quietly.

My phone slid out of my hand as I collapsed.

"Constance? Constanceee..."

Someone was slapping my face as I came back to it.

"Get the fuck off of me," I shoved them off, quickly sitting up. Angelle stared down at me with a concerned expression, and my beating heart slowed for a moment, my face softening. Then my gaze found Arnae behind her on the couch, holding a coffee mug of her own with a panicked look about her.