Just Love Me

Chapter 25 Part 1: Toxic

Chapter 25 Part 1

"You'll probably say that it was juvenile / But I think that I deserve to smile" Jazmine Sullivan - Bust Your Windows.

"When were you going to tell me?" He asked, wiping his face one final time and taking a deep breath.

Oh shit.

"When did you find out? Is this why you wanted me to visit you? What's her name? I can't believe this," he rambled. He sprung from the couch going into the kitchen. "Elaine you're an aunt," I heard him say.

"Duh! I knew that," she teased.

"How did you know?"

"Elle told me a long time ago. That's why I wanted you to come with me today. I'm good right?"

And just when I thought I might be off the hook. Rick came walking out the kitchen with his eyebrows pulled tightly together in confusion. He looked kind of funny being so tall and muscular holding a tiny baby in his arms.

"Wait. How long have you known?" Rick asked coming to sit next to me on the couch. He leaned back, resting Rocky on his chest with a lazy smile on his face. He rubbed her back and kissed her forehead while waiting for me to speak up. It was an adorable sight.

"It's a long story." Rick kicked off his shoes and rested his big feet on my coffee table. "You know better," I warned, eyeing his dingy socks.

"I'm prepping for this long story."

"I've always known you were the father," I confessed. I could tell by Rick's angry expression that what I said wasn't what he wanted to hear. "You're the only man I've ever been with."

"Cut the bullshit Brielle." Carefully, he set Rocky into her bouncer. "I asked you at your party if your were fucking that guy and you said yes."

"Watch your mouth. I didn't say yes but you weren't exactly in the position to ask that question."

"You implied yes."

I rubbed at the sides of my face. The last thing I wanted to do was rehash my mess of a birthday party. "Bottom line, I didn't have sex with Joe."

"Right now, I don't care what you did with him. I want to know why you didn't tell me about my daughter."

"I'm getting there."

"Get there faster."

"Excuse you? Don't talk to me like I'm a child. I hate when you do that."

"I hate when you lie. It's near impossible to get the truth out of you."

"This is why I didn't tell you." I stood up from the couch, placing my hands on my hips to keep them from flying across his face. "We're toxic to each other. It's to the point where we can't even have a conversation. I didn't want to bring a child into this madness."

"The moment you found out you should have called me."

"You weren't even in my top ten."

"Why not," Rick shouted, startling Rocky. Mama hurried into the living room to come get the baby then retreated back to the kitchen.

"Keep your voice down."

"No," he stood up, pointing his finger at me. "You're talking in circles to avoid the truth. You had no intention of telling me about my child. Did you?"

"Sure didn't," I told him confidently. "You bring nothing but chaos to my life. Look at how we're fighting right now. I knew a baby only added to the confusion."