Sage

Chapter Forty Six

"Mother!" Sage gasped as she watched her mother walk in with a protruding belly. She tried sitting up straight, but pain shot through her body.

"You're pregnant?" Nicole asked again.

Sage looked down at her fidgeting fingers and nodded.

Nicole stood by the chair Letoya sat in and looked at her.

Letoya returned the stare, "Hi," she greeted.

Nicole sneered, "That's how you greet elders?" She scoffed and focused on Sage, "What is wrong with you?"

Sage swallowed a lump and opened her mouth, "I-"

Nicole went closer to Sage and picked at her hair as if it were dirty, "And what happened to your hair?"

Trisha cleared her throat, "Sage, let me leave, I'll see you tomorrow," she informed her then waved bye to Letoya before jolting out.

Nicole stared at Letoya.

"I ain't leaving my sister til dad comes," Letoya shrugged.

Nicole tsked and went to the other side of the bed to sit on a vacant chair, "What will your father say about this?"

Sage kept her head low, shock was evident and now disappointment.

"Nicky," Morris breathed as he stood by the door. Priscilla shoved past him and went to Sage.

"You're awake, we were so worried," she said embracing Sage.

"I'm okay," Sage whispered.

"Y'all were not supposed to be at a club," she eyed Letoya who cowered.

"I know mom, it was my idea, we're sorry," Letoya begged.

"As long as you're both alive and well," Priscilla said then turned to look at Mrs Woods, "Oh, hello there, I'm Priscilla, Morris' wife."

Morris was now near Priscilla.

"I see," Nicole simply stated then glared at Morris, "You take my daughter for a few months and she ends up pregnant?"

Both Morris and Priscilla froze, "Pregnant?" Priscilla looked at Sage.

Sage nodded her head.

"How far along?" Priscilla questioned, removing her handbag from under her armpit and placing it on the side table.

"Nurse said three weeks," Sage spoke in a small voice.

"Do you even know who the father is?" Nicole asked.

Sage nodded her head.

"Does he know?" Priscilla asked.

"Yes, he left earlier," Sage informed Priscilla.

"Well since you wanna be a grown woman, you're going to have to be treated like one," Nicole started.

"Oh shut it, Nicky, leave the child be, she just woke up from a coma, she doesn't need your snide remarks," Morris spoke up.

Everybody was shocked as they looked at Morris.

"Excuse me, this is my child, I can talk to her however I want," Nicole shouted.

"She's mine too, under my care after you threw her away like trash," Morris countered, "You have no right to come waltzing back as if you give a shit," he spat and walked out.

Priscilla followed her husband, leaving a very angry Nicole. She stood up and fixed her polka dot flair dress, "Wait until Brian hears about this," she told Sage and left.

"That's your mom?" Letoya whisper yelled.

Sage nodded and sank into the pillow.

"Damn sis, how'd you survive? They would've shipped me off long ago," Letoya chuckled causing Sage to join her.

...

Junior was driving back to the hospital when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and didn't recognize the number.

After a few more rings, he pressed a button on his steering wheel and kept quiet.

"Son," he heard a voice he almost forgot.

He smacked his lips, "What do you want?"

"Is that how you greet your father?" The voice boomed throughout the car.

"You still consider yourself that?" Junior sneered.

"Look, can we meet up, I'm in town so I can explain," his father pleaded.

Junior laid back in his seat as he cruised down a street, he didn't want to meet up with this man. He was still angry.

"Why?" Was all he uttered.

"I'll explain, how about tomorrow?" He suggested.

"Yeah whatever," Junior answered with disinterest.

"I'll text details," then he hung up.

Junior swerved into the hospital and switched the engine off after parking in the first empty space he spotted.

He sat there for a while, thinking of all that had happened in the past few weeks. Things seemed to get better, even though he was still aching from Trae's death.

He also knew there was a price over his head after he learnt the bullets in the club were meant for him but he was focused on Sage.

An opportunity availed itself to fix things and he decided to grab it with both hands. He refused to let her go again, especially with his baby on the way.

With a sigh, he unbuckled and got out of his car. He grabbed the goods he purchased for Sage and locked his car as he walked up to the entrance.

He then spotted a familiar face, one he saw once but would never forget. Further proving that his father was in town.

Disregarding the thought, he walked up to an elevator, eager to see his girl again.

...

"I can't believe she's gone," Ashley whispered from the passenger's seat in Aiden's car.

What initially started off as a one night stand turned into a relationship of some sort, not that Aiden loved Ashley, he was here to support her.

"I'm sorry, she's in a better place," he spoke as he drove towards the hospital. Ashley had an appointment, a topic she refused to detail to him.

That served as a red flag, along with many others. The night he took her home, he knew from the get-go that this was not a girl to make his own, she was too easy.

When they got to his place, she rushed to the sex part and didn't want to use protection. He slid a condom on as they were kissing, she was too drunk to notice in the end.

He didn't want to string her along but he knew what it was like to lose a close family member, and especially when no one is around to comfort you so he didn't want to drop her immediately.

Ashley faced Aiden, "Thank you so much, for being here for me," she said and placed her hand on top of his.

"No problem," he answered. He then turned into the hospital and drove around the parking lot in search of a spot. Finally, after finding space, he parked and cut the engine, "Do you want me to come along?" He asked.

His downfall was being raised to treat a woman right, no matter what. He blamed that for not finding a good woman to stay with him, girls are more interested in bad boys and he was far from that.

Ashley smiled then shook her head, "I'll be down shortly, I'm just collecting something," she rushed out.

Aiden gave a short nod, "I'll be waiting," he then unbuckled his belt and reclined his seat.

He watched Ashley get out and close the door. Then he laid back and wondered where the girl for him was.