X sat with his phone in his hand, going back and forth into his text log for the umpteenth time, checking to see if Harlow had responded to his messages yet. When he saw that his message was still left on delivered, he decided to send his ninth message, worry beginning to fill his gut.
Across from him sat Lovely and when she noticed that she didn't have his attention she smacked her lips and rolled her eyes.
"Are you even listening," X heard an annoying voice ask?
Here he was, finally getting the chance to meet up with Lovely to hash out these rumors he's been hearing her spread however he couldn't even concentrate. Harlow was the only thing on X's mind at this time. He wondered where she was, what she was doing, why she wasn't responding. His thoughts even went as far as pulling up to her house after he was done with this bullshit.
"If you weren't even going to have the decency to listen why show up," Lovely asked irritably?
"What's up man," X asked putting his phone away in his pocket?
"Thank you," Lovely mumbled noticing his actions, "But as I was saying I'm pregnant X."
"Ok? What that got to do with me?"
Lovely reared her head back in shock. She wasn't expecting X to react in a negative way which went to show that Lovely didn't really know him outside of sex and even then Lovely only knew of the "fuckin" aspect. She wasn't aware of the love making he was capable of.
"What you mean what that gotta do with you?"
"Exactly what I asked. I don't know what you tellin me for or why you even tellin people that baby belongs to me. Every time we fucked I wrapped up and I made sure each and every time that shit didn't bust."
"You must've forgot that one night you came to my house drunk as fuck. We fucked without a condom. The dates add up. I'm pregnant and it's yours. And I want us to be a family for this baby."
It was now X's turn to be shocked. He remembered that night all too well.
"Alright well if it's mine then Ima do what I need to for my kid but as far as us being a family? Yeah that's not happening. I'm already with the person I want to have a family with."
"You're with someone? Who?!"
"That shit don't even concern you," X responded waving her off.
Feeling the vibrations from his phone, X pulled it out of his pocket and Harlow's face covered the screen, signaling a call coming from her.
"What's up Lo? You good," X rushed out?
"Can you come over please," Harlow asked softly?
"I'm on my way baby," X ended the call and stood up from his seat, pulling out folded up cash.
Pulling a hundred dollar bill from the roll, X threw it on the table before starting to walk away until he turned to face a frozen Lovely who seemed rooted to her spot.
"I'll be in touch. In the meantime, stop tellin people this my kid. Everybody know you a hoe lookin for a come up. That could be anyone's baby."
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Almost an hour later, X pulled up to Harlow's house with her favorite food, chocolates and drink from Starbucks, hoping that whatever had her down in the dumps could be fixed with this.
Using the key Harlow gave him a few weeks back, X made his way into her home, taking note of the cleanliness and quietness. Although X had ventured into her house more than a few times over these past few months, he has yet to meet her niece and nephew however he wasn't in any rush to do so. He wanted everything to be done when Harlow was comfortable.
Making his way upstairs, X finally made it into Harlows' room, spotting her in the middle of the bed.
After placing his gifts onto the night stand on the side of the bed, X stripped out of his clothes and climbed into the bed, pulling Harlow onto his chest and only then did her waterworks begin. X didn't know what to do. Over the course of them getting to know each other Harlow never came off as the crying type so X immediately knew something was wrong. He consoled her to the best of his ability, never uttering the overused "it'll be alright" phrase because for all he knew, it wouldn't be.
It wasn't until a few hours later and the couple sat across from each other, Harlow leaned against her pillows eating the recently warmed up food X brought her, and X sitting towards the end of the bed with her left foot in his hands, that Harlow opened up to him about her sister. X knew that she had a sister and that she passed away a few years ago but he never would have guessed that she was murdered by her kids father.
"I've always been weary of guns, especially since where I come from murder happens left and right but ever since my sister was taken by one from the one person she ever loved, it's just a no deal for me. I just don't understand how people can just kill someone else though either. Like you aren't God, you don't get to make the decisions of when someone gets to live or die," Harlow ranted vehemently.
X couldn't help but to listen as guilt filled his stomach. He didn't want to lie to Harlow but he had no choice to keep her in the dark with not only Lovely's pregnancy but his career in killing. He just hoped and prayed that everything would work out in his benefit in the end but a niggling feeling told him it wouldn't.
