𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

FORTY FIVE

Constance

After my classes, I parked my car at work getting out and preparing myself to relax into a comfortable ease until it was time to leave. Working at the library, for me, really wasn't a stressful job. It was peaceful and it made me feel whole. Sometimes I even consider switching my career to being a librarian, but then I think about how far along I've come in architecture and school and how Coach is trying to get me hooked up with a position as her assistant coach over at the high school somehow.

I was heading inside of the building when I saw someone get up off the bench off front and start approaching me out of the corner of my eye.

This is it. Angelle den sent somebody to kill me.

I'll miss you Vee.

"Constance?"

I frowned, dropping my balled up fists, not even realizing I had flinched back. "Arnae?"

"Long time, no see, huh?" she chuckled nervously.

"Did you...need something? Did Angelle croak?"

"Noo. No," she chuckled again, "Do you, um, have some time before you have to start work?" she gestured towards the doors.

"Yeah," I said hesitantly. "But let's talk outside."

I was tired of having to apologize for crazy girl's actions.

"You never said anything after I sent the results to you in the mail," she said quietly.

"So you did get the results back? I tried asking Ang about them before she switched shifts but- She was a freakin' solid wall and she wouldn't tell me nothing. I knew you two were together so she had to have known."

"It didn't last long. It was a big phase of experimentation for me and I realized girls weren't my thing veryyy quickly."

"Girls, or just Angelle?" I smirked.

"Ha. Who knows which," Arnae said softly.

She was really pregnant now and obvious.

A black turtleneck on and a black skirt, her hair out in a natural 'fro.

"Due any day now. I really shouldn't even be out in this cold," she said, her voice sounding empty. "I coulda sworn I sent you the results. I knew you'd wanna know if the baby was your father's or not as soon as you could. I knew if I was in your place that'd be eatin' me alive."

"I'm sorry about the way I treated you," I apologized again. "You didn't know he was my dad and even so..."

"I didn't," she repeated, her eyes honest.

"So what were the results?" I asked.

"The baby isn't his," she shook her head, "But it was him that I slept with. I know that's kind of an awkward truth to face."

"Well, at least the baby won't have to be in my life," flew out of my mouth, then I sent her an apologetic look, "Sorry. That was kind of asshole-ish of me."

"It's okay," she sighed. "Did he ever try to reach out to you?"

"Of course not. I don't even know why I had hoped he would," I said bitterly. "How many years and he hadn't bothered to get to know me?"

We both sat in silence for awhile.

"Do you know who the father is?"

"I don't care how long it takes me to figure it out, I'm gonna find out who this baby's dad is," she vowed, determination in her voice. "And I'm not gonna make a mistake like this again...I'm giving the baby up."