Walking On Thin Ice

CH 22: It Isn't Easy

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

~ Kiondra ~

What in the hell is taking Branson so long? All he had to do is get some of my clothes...unless he's sniffing my panties like he was when I caught him last month. Ew, what's that smell?! My stomach churns. I sprint to the bathroom and empty my stomach's contents.

My sister LaToya bursts through the bathroom door.

"You okay?" Her voice is overflowing with concern and another emotion that I can't decipher at the moment

"Uh yeah, must be a stomach bug." She laughs out loud. What part of that is funny?

"Nah, you're pregnant!" Pregnant? Yeah right! My stomach churns again and I hover my head over the toilet bowl.

Wait...when did I have my last period?!

"KIONDRA!" I hear another voice in the bathroom doorway. Branson. I lift my nauseated head in his direction. Veins are protruding from his neck and his skin is flustered. "YOU COULDN'T HAVE TOLD ME YOU WERE PREGNANT?!"

"I'm not preg-" He interrupts me.

"THEN EXPLAIN THIS!" He throws an envelope at my feet. I lower my body to a cross-legged position right as I hear a smack.

"Don't talk to my daughter like that!" DADDY! I reach out my arms as tears flow down my cheeks. I haven't seen him in well over a decade. His milk chocolate skin is still smooth and mostly wrinkle free with well-kept facial hair. "You feeling ok pumpkin?" I nod my head and he carries me to the master bedroom and puts me underneath the blankets. Scanning the room, I notice my mother and younger brother sitting on a love seat together.

"You're pregnant Kiondra?" Mom asks with a pointed look directed towards a still fuming Branson.

"I don't think so..." I really don't know. Life's been so busy that I haven't even bothered to keep track of stuff of that sort. Wordlessly, Branson puts an envelope in my hand then leaves the room. I open it and see it's from my OB/GYN. She always mails out my yearly lab work, at my request of course.

Ignoring the chatter from my family about Branson, my eyes first fall on the word PREGNANT in large bold letters underneath the diagnostic section.

Holy shit, I am pregnant...

"Lemme see!" LaToya grabs the letter out of my hand and quickly reads it. "From that look on your face, you sure as hell didn't know!"

"I didn't..." my voice comes out barely above a whisper.

The room sits in silence. I'm not in the mood to deal with this tonight. Letting out a sigh I meet the eyes of everyone in the room.

"I just need some space tonight, so I'll see all of you in the morning. Goodnight."

The pets and I make our way upstairs to the fourth, and last, guest bedroom. Making sure to brush the sour taste off of my teeth, I climb into bed with a heavy heart.

My promise ring sparkles in the slivers of moonlight...and I take it off of my finger. I just need to be truly alone tonight.

Except for my pets and the baby, of course.

===========================

~ Branson ~

The whole room turns and glares daggers at me and I immediately feel like shit.

"Sorry..." is all I can manage to get out.

"You really hurt her feelings and I should kill you." Her father says with his voice hostile. Kiondra's brother nods in agreement.

"Both of you shut up! He's going to be a father. At least he didn't faint then run off for three days like you did Martin!" Kiondra's mom interjects.

That makes Kiondra's father silent in an instant.

"Go up there with her, she's just as shocked as you are" LaToya urges me.

"Goodnight everyone." Everyone says their goodbyes and I make my way to my bedroom only to find it empty.

What the hell?

I walk down the hallway feeling as if my legs are composed of lead. Does she not want to be near me? I come across the final guest bedroom with the door shut. I turn the knob only to find it locked.

"Kiondra? Open the door..." My voice comes out shaky. I hear her voice talking to either the pets or someone on the phone.

"KIONDRA!" I yell knowing that she'll hear my voice.

"Go away Branson..." My anxiousness immediately switches to anger and I kick the door open.

She sits before me on the bed with a wastebasket, tissues, water, the pets, and her phone. Her expression is an annoyed one but I don't give a fuck.

"What the hell?! Is that necessary?" She yells at me.

"You didn't open the door." My voice is casual.

"I don't want to be bothered with you right now."

"Well you're pregnant and my girlfriend" The word "fiancée" almost tumbles from my lips but I catch myself. "Come to our bed."

She rolls her eyes. "No."

"Yes." I'll carry her if I have to.

"No. By the way, Isis and Kev have finally decided on a wedding date...it's in two days. Everything we need will be delivered in the morning. I just found out and I'm tired do please leave and close the door behind you." I can't believe the words are coming from her. She can't just can't push me away like this!

But judging from the look on her face, she's not in the mood to compromise. I nod my head and walk towards the door feeling even more unsettled than ever.

"I love you Kiondra." She nods her head in return and lays down without another glance in my direction.

Trudging towards the bedroom, my breath leaves my body in wispy, ragged expirations and I feel absolutely no comfort.

Love is harder than I thought.

*Hey guys, I'm back! I'm sorry about the chapter being short but I'll try to update about once a week.

Thanks for the support,
•Deeja