Costly Decisions (Book 2 of The Costly Decisions series}

Chapter Ten

After months of calling and trying to reach Vincent with no success, Victoria made a drastic decision. Finding his address in the white pages, she booked a round trip and was now on her way to his home.

"This is Union Station, the last and final stop on this bus. Please remained seated until the bus has come to a full stop inside the terminal." The driver's husky voice blared over the bus's loud speaker.

Retrieving her bag from the overhead, she stepped down off the Greyhound bus at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Now that she was in his hometown, she felt more optimistic about her trip and her breaking news. At the very thought of sharing the news with him, a sharp pain under her ribcage followed.

"Calm down little mama. I can't blame you though, I am just as excited to see your father." she spoke to her bulging belly. For her to be twenty-nine and a half weeks along, she was carrying small. She always wore her pregnancies well and this one was no exception.

Victoria pulled a slip of paper from her pocket with Vincent's address on it. Once outside of the station, she hailed a cab and gave him the address. During the entire thirty-five-minute ride to his house, her stomach was in knots and their baby girl wouldn't stay still. She was kicking up a storm like every three minutes. As she stared out the window, Victoria tried to imagine what his reaction would be like but it was hard to picture. She only hoped that whatever his reaction would be, acceptance would be one of his many emotions.

The driver slowed down in front of a red brick townhouse and announced their arrival. With the driver's assistance, she stepped out of the car on weakened legs. Nervously, she exhaled as she rang the doorbell. The sounds of someone shuffling down the stairs could be heard from the other side of the door. Without asking who it was, the door swung open and a tall, handsome man appeared holding a twenty-dollar bill.

"Oh! You aren't the delivery guy. I am sorry Hun. How can I help you, sugar?"

"Hi. My name is Victoria Howertown, I am a friend of Vincent's. Is he around?" She replied, placing a hand on her aching belly. The baby was unusually active for some strange reason; she hadn't stopped moving since they arrived in DC.

The handsome stranger didn't respond right away, he appeared to be stunned at the sight of her protruding baby bump. "This motherfucker!" he yelled causing Victoria to jump back.

"I am sorry, love. I didn't mean to frighten you. Before I jump to any conclusions, may I ask if the reason you are here has anything to do with your pregnancy?"

"Um. I don't want to seem rude sir, but this is kind of a personal matter. Is Vincent home?"

"Oh my god! I can't believe this shit here! Honey, my name is Kenneth. Vincent isn't home at the moment but something tells me that you should come in. I believe you and I need to have a little chat before he gets home." Kenneth said stepping aside so that she could enter.

As she strolled into the house, the baby started kicking harder. She ignored the movements and walked up the stairs into the living room area of the apartment. As she took a glance around the room, she thought she'd be sick. There were pictures of Vincent and Kenneth all over the place; some regular, some intimate.

"I see that this must be new to you. Here, please have a seat." he pointed to the sofa.

Victoria plopped down in the sofa quickly, afraid that if she hadn't, she would've fallen were she was standing.

"Please tell me what is going on? What is all of this?" Victoria's voice shook with emotion.

"There is no easy way that I can tell you this, given your current condition. But Vincent and I are lovers. In fact, we've been together for ten years."