Quiet as Kept

In The Meantime

Time jump -5 months and some days later
Crystal is due any day now and these last 5 months have been the hardest on her. She has been happy for the sake of her baby but truth be told she missed Devale. She missed his laugh, his smile,his scent, his touch but most of all his presence. She's glowing and to the world she has never stopped being the diva she is. Crystal is carrying well and hasn't gained an ounce of fat except in her belly thanks to her daily workout regiment with her trainer. But those closest to her know when she goes home behind closed doors she still cries herself to sleep. Kayla has officially invaded her home as she has been staying with her for the last two weeks to help her get ready for the baby. Her cast mates threw her a baby shower but because no one knew the sex of the baby everything bought was gender neutral. Devale didn't attend he made up some excuse as to why he couldn't but he did send a gift. One that Crystal had yet to unbox. Everything was ready for her little bean as she called her baby. Crystal knew the sex of her baby but she never revealed that to anyone they thought that she couldn't find out. Kayla didn't even know and Crystal wanted to keep it that way. She had been buying all the things her baby needed and hiding it in her closet patiently awaiting little beans arrival. She was restless the last few days and chucked it up to being pregnant she had read in her book "What to expect when expecting" that there was a nesting period so she knew she possibly was in it. Crystal loved how those within her small circle loved on her especially now but Kayla was driving her mad acting like her shadow. Thinking she needed a break she wrote up a grocery list as well as party supplies and floral arrangements and asked Kayla to go to the store under the pretense of them having a big dinner with friends or as Crystal called it "The Last dinner of her being One". Seeing as though Crystal seemed genuinely happy Kayla happily agreed and off to the grocery store she went as Crystal flopped  down on her big comfy couch with ice cream the remote and a few hours to herself until..

Over at the Ellis Residence
These last 5 months have been pure hell for Devale between the constant feuding with Khadeen for the first three months and his ache for missing Crystal. He has been out of it. Devale has been reaching out daily to Crystal but she never responds to his text they show delivered just not read. She doesn't even answer his calls and all the flowers and gifts he has sent have always been returned to sender. The first few weeks apart from Crystal were the hardest. He constantly cried while Khadeen would find him in various rooms in the house and berate him to no avail. Khadeen found solace in his pain as her own seemed not to matter to him. So anyway she could make him feel like shit she tried, until even that wasn't satisfying anymore. And when that happened she decided to simply file for a divorce and take whatever she could get; but Devale wasn't going to leave without a fight. And he damn sure wasn't leaving his home the one he bought with his hard earned money so the two began to fued constantly until Devale moved out of the master bedroom and into one of the spare bedrooms eventually only going into that bedroom to bath or change his clothes he sought refuge in his man cave. Khadeen's pregnancy has been wrecking hell on her emotionally as well as physically to the point she had to be placed on bed rest with a little under two months left to go Devale doesn't know how much more he can take of her constant feuding or the fact that she has asked for a divorce he would happily agree to if it didn't mean losing all that he has worked hard for. Today is no different from any other day Devale thinks as he wakes with a stiff body from falling asleep yet another night in his man cave's otterman. He tends to drift off to sleep nightly with Crystal on his mind as he replays her last words to him and chokes up every time trying to understand how someone he is so in love with and that was so in love with him could become as cold as I've and spew forth the venomous words she said. The look on her face and in her eyes was so callous he wonders often if anything she ever said to him was real. Stretching to try to get the stiffness from his body he decides that today he's just going to confront Crystal. He hasn't seen her since that day in the hospital over 5 months ago and he knows she is nearing the end of her pregnancy and just wants to try to at least talk before the baby is born. He doesn't even know what they are having and when the cast decided to throw her a baby shower as excited as he was for the gesture he knew his presence would destroy any joy Crystal would have on her special day so he quickly declined with an excuse of a prior engagement. Suspicion surrounding Crystals child's father is still a daily blog thing with everyone suspecting any cast mate who is single as well as various single friends of hers she goes out with. Crystal has stayed mum on the topic as has Khadeen surprisingly. Snapping out of his hurt thoughts Devale makes his way upstairs hearing Khadeen yelling at one of the boys and quickly heads towards one of the many bathrooms in the house to do his morning routine and get his day started. Not wanting to get into yet another fight Devale rushes his shower and gets dressed quickly praying that today is the day that will change his life with the love of his life.

Over in Target
Kayla has been shopping for what seems like hours she got everything Crystal requested on her grocery list as well as all the floral arrangements. She is picking up the last of the party supplies and ready to check out however, she can't seem to locate a "Friends" banner. No one seems to know what the heck she's talking about so she calls Crystal to confirm that's what she requested because after going to two party city stores and three target stores she's convinced pregnancy brain has hit Crystal and she doesn't know what the hell she's talking about. Looking down at her phone she patiently waits for Crystal to answer but it rings out and goes to voicemail, calling her again  it rings out again. Deciding to call the house phone she gets the same thing voicemail. She tries one last time to call but quickly decides to FaceTime Crystal and it rings as she becomes even more frustrated now that she can't reach her friend. Figuring that Crystal is sleep or simply not answering kayla ends the call or so she thought as she goes to place her phone in her back pocket this time as she hears a unfamiliar voice say hello and quickly grabs her phone looking into the camera seeing a person who isn't Crystal on the other end.  Before she can even question who the person is she looks behind the man holding the phone as a commotion is going on in the back ground and Kayla hears crystals faint voice as she tries to scream "HELP ME".

**Authors Note**
YEA I PLAYED IN YOUR FACES I WASN'T READY TO CRY OR HAVE YOU GUYS CRY! LAST NIGHTS SISTAS SPARED YOU GUYS
Did proofread blah blah

🌚🌚But it's coming...... Watch out now the next chapter is let's say "DEADLY"