Weight of The Untold

Chapter 43

Week 7: Hands and feet are starting to form. The uterus is double in size. The brain is growing faster than the rest of the body.

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“Am I the only one who thinks Xavier is annoying?” Hazel asked, tossing a packet of pasta into the cart.

Saturday had finally arrived, and true to her word, she was helping me stock up on groceries. Meg walked beside us, her attention glued to her phone, fingers flying as she worked on an assignment. I pushed the cart forward slowly, letting the normalcy of the moment sink in.

“Xavier? The cute boy in school?” Hazel added, earning a sharp glare from Meg.
“Sorry, babe.”

I giggled. “Yeah. That jerk.”

Hazel added peanut butter to the cart. “I don’t know. Usually people like him have a terrible past. That’s why they behave like that.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think he’s just a spoiled brat looking for attention?”

“Kyla, the guy literally gets attention wherever he goes,” Meg said without looking up. “I don’t think he’s looking for it. It just comes with who he is. Just like you.”

I hated being compared to him. My jaw tightened.

“That’s true,” Hazel said. “He is the most popular boy on campus. And he’s Paul Black’s son.”

I rolled my eyes. “Still annoying. Did you guys know he’s Clyde’s cousin?”

Hazel’s head snapped toward me. “Really? Clyde—the one you’re tutoring?”

I nodded. “Yup. His mom is a Black.”

“That’s weird,” Hazel said thoughtfully. “I’ve never seen them together.”

“And Clyde’s the complete opposite,” I added.

She placed the last item in the cart, and we headed to checkout. I paid for everything, and before heading back to campus, we made a quick McDonald’s stop—nuggets and a supersized double cheeseburger.

This baby was making me eat like my life depended on it.

The fear was still there. The idea of being a mother terrified me in ways I couldn’t fully explain, but every day I got a little more used to it. And Zach—Zach never failed to remind me I wasn’t alone.

I smiled to myself as I drove.

“Let me guess,” Hazel said from the passenger seat. “Zach?”

I giggled and blushed. “Yeah. I’m thinking of surprising him tonight.”

“I say do it,” Hazel said instantly.

“Please use a condom,” Meg added casually. “We don’t want to become aunties.”

I froze.

“She was joking,” Hazel rushed to say, but the knot in my chest didn’t loosen.

“It’s okay,” I said quietly. “She’s right. And if anything happens, I’ll leave and be back Monday morning. Just… letting you guys know so you don’t worry.”

“And if Caleb comes,” Meg said, finally looking up, “we’ll tell you immediately.”

I smiled. “Thanks, guys.”

We arrived at Parc Cameron, carried everything up, and filled my fridge and cupboards until my apartment finally felt like a home. After they left, I showered quickly, packed a small weekend bag, and drove to Zach’s place in silence.