Shaforostart It - THE SEQUEL (2016)

Chapter Fifteen.

"I'm really sorry." Ben said into the phone. He dropped out of the movie we were supposed to be flying out for today. I wasn't supposed to be flying so far along in my pregnancy anyways. And they called Ben to tell him they would no longer be needing my assistance in the production. Without Ben they didn't want me, and surprisingly, I wasn't hurt by that. I didn't really want to be working at all. I wondered when I would find the creativity again to get back to it.

"Please, don't be. I don't really think I could have gone anymore now. Too pregnant, you know?"

"Yeah. How are you?" I thought about after Ciara's funeral when I came home and found Denis. And we lied in bed with each other for hours on end, just talking. And I told him I wanted him to come home. And he promised he would when he got better. That was a week ago. I prayed he would be back soon.

"I'm okay I guess." I didn't tell anyone I had seen Denis. I didn't even tell Cameron. "I miss her a lot." Ben was silent for a moment.

"Me too, love. Me too." I thought back to the first time I properly spoke to Ben after we met. When I was at the drug store, buying Plan B, and he confronted me. I thought about how through everything, he was still the person in the group I felt closest to. He kept my secret, and he didn't even know me. When I told Denis everything, as more of a funny story than a confessional, he explained that Ben had never told him about it. Ben had kept my secret.

"How are you? I know things aren't good, but you're eating? Sleeping? Going outside?" Ben chuckled slightly. A good sign.

"Yeah, I am. Normal mourning things I guess. I still kind of wanna die, but like, you know, I don't. I don't really know."

"I kind of also wanna die but don't. I feel ya." I felt myself smile. "I feel like I should make you like a casserole or some shit. Isn't that what white women do when someone dies?"

"Not gonna lie you make some fucking good spaghetti." Ben burst out laughing and I smiled wide.

"You got it Bruce. Expect in on your doorstep with some lame note about how I didn't have time to stop and talk and had to take the kids to soccer practise."

"I'll gratefully accept the Crockpot of pasta, throw your note in the garbage, and never actually return the Crockpot after I've eaten all the pasta straight out of it in one meal." We both laughed loudly.

"When did we become lame old white people?"

"The fact that you said that, makes us lame old white people. But if you ever get a minivan you can block me on everything."

"I'll have you know I've been saving up." Ben made gagging noises. "Just kidding ha ha I can't pay rent."

"Seduce the building manager?" Ben suggested.

"That's a weird fetish. Having sex with six month pregnant women. Don't think that would work out. If you're already pregnant, can you get like, double pregnant?"

"What the fuck?" Ben said loudly, laughing hysterically. "You would know better than I would."

"I always thought that when I was little and never actually looked it up or asked anyone. But I also thought you gave birth through your belly button, so."

"If that was try why would boys have belly buttons?"

"I never got to that part, dude. I was like eight." We both laughed a little again and sighed. "Have you seen anyone else lately? I haven't really heard from anyone."

"Yeah, one of the guys comes over every day to check on me. It's usually James. I think he just got really good at handling reclusive people."

"Yeah, maybe." I said. I thought of Denis again.

"Have you heard from him?"

"Um, we spoke really briefly after the funeral, but that was it. Just pretty much asking how the other is, I hope you're well, that kind of thing. Nothing major. He's doing good I think." I lied. I knew how good he was doing. Leading me to wonder how much gooder he wanted to be before he would come back.

"That's good. And have you spoken to Danny?" I decided to change the topic.

"Hey I gotta go, Cameron just got here and I gotta start on your Crockpot of spaghetti. Actually I have to go out and buy a Crockpot. I'll call you later okay?"

"Okay." I knew he knew I purposely diverted the conversation, but he let it slide. "I'll see you later, Leda."

"Love ya, bye." I hung up and sighed. I called Cameron to come over and help me make a bathtub full of pasta and a thick ass sink of pasta.

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Danny's POV - a week ago

Leda didn't call. She didn't come over. We didn't speak for two weeks after we had fought. Admittedly, I was hurt. I loved Leda. I wanted to be with her, I wanted her to love me back, and I wanted for us to be a proper family. I knew, even when she said it, that she didn't love me back, at least not like I loved her. Maybe she loved me as a friend, or as the father of her child, but she did not love me like she loved him. She didn't love me like she loved Denis. And once I had come to terms with that, I could finally call her. "Can I see you? We really need to talk."

"I- yeah, we really do need to talk." She sounded like she had been laughing only a minute ago.

"Who is it?" Oh. I heard his voice in the background.

"It's Danny." I heard her say to him. "We need to work things out."

"I'm coming over."

"Wait no-" I hung up and got in my car. Why is she with him? Are they at their house? Is he out of the hospital now? Is he okay to even be around her? Does she want him there? Is she okay? When I got there I went straight upstairs - I had a card to get into the building - I opened the always unlocked front door to see them sitting on the couch.

"Denis what the fuck are you doing here?" I looked at him, now furious.

"Danny wait." Leda said. They both stood up

"What, the fuck, are you doing here?" I was inches from Denis. And I was seconds away from breaking his nose. How dare he.

"In my house? What am I doing in my house?" He raised his eyebrow.

"You left. You should be in the hospital right now. So yeah, what are you doing here."

"I came to make sure Leda was okay after the funeral. Which you neglected to do?"

"She told me to leave and I respected that."

"So why are you here now?" Denis spat. I clenched my jaw. "Look I don't wanna fight with you. I have no reason to fight with you. I want to thank you actually. You took care of Leda, you kept her safe when I couldn't. I left and you were there for her. So thank you."

"I don't want your thanks." I yelled. "I don't want anything from you."

"Danny don't do this." Leda said. I looked to her, her eyes already shrink wrapped in tears.

"You don't do this, Leda. I stepped away from Denis to look at her fully. "He wasn't there for you he left. I knew it. I knew you would go back to him."

"I'm always gonna go back to him, Danny. Always."

"I don't get it." I screamed. "I don't fucking get it!" Denis stood in front of her protectively. I watched a tear fall down Leda's cheek, dripping from the tip of her round nose to her perfect lips.

"You should go." I looked to Denis, sighing.

"I think you forget one key thing. She's carrying my child."

"Yeah. I haven't forgotten. And I don't mean forever. But right now, you should leave." No matter how hard I tried to fight him, he wouldn't have it. He wouldn't fight me like he wanted to before. He wouldn't yell at me, or scream. It made me angrier. So I walked out.

heh three people already know how im ending this and honestly its gonna blow all your fucking minds so stay tuned