Chapter 3 – Slater
Chapter Three
SLATER
T his is the last thing I need right now. Why is he even here? I’m starting to get a bit freaked out. I blocked my ex and my best friend on social media, my phone, and everything and anything else I could think of. I wanted a clean break from it all and the drama that surrounded it.
I even changed the entry code to my building.
Not because I ever gave it to Felipe, but I had given it to my friend.
Based on the extent of her betrayal, it seems Felipe can get her to do anything, so her giving him my building code wouldn't shock me. That somehow hasn’t stopped him, though, from now being outside my door.
“Slater, baby, I know you’re in there.”
Baby? When the hell did that man ever call me baby?
I check the time on my phone. If I don’t leave soon, I’ll be late.
Normally I wouldn’t give a shit if I was late to see Brooks, but things have now majorly changed, and I don’t want him to think I’m going to be petty about all of this.
Not when we’re about to be stuck in each other’s lives forever—unless he decides he wants no part of it.
It stings thinking that it should make me happy, but this isn’t about me anymore. My hand comes to my stomach. How cliché am I? To get pregnant the first time I had sex?
“Slater!” Felipe is now shouting and banging on the door, making me jump away from it.
Oh, there you are, Felipe, that mask you enjoy wearing slipping so easily.
He is quiet for a long moment. I'm sure he's fixing his mask. I'm proved right when he speaks again. "I need to talk to you. I miss you. Please, baby, hear me out." I can’t even begin to tell you how sick of men I am.
Now I want to vomit. I take a deep breath. I already threw up twice this morning and a few times last night. Morning sickness, my ass. It kicks in whenever it likes. I never imagined it could be this bad. The direction of the wind could change and I’m ready to hurl because of it.
I check the time again. Shit. He's not going to leave. I'm an adult. I can totally face my ex; the thing is, I don't want to. It's pointless and stupid, and the man will try to talk me in circles. I already have to deal with Brooks today.
Fuck it. I take a deep breath and ready myself for whatever it is this jerkface wants.
There’s no avoiding him. I flick the locks and jerk the door open.
Felipe stands up straighter. He’s in his normal suit that always ranges from grays to blues, but his tie is normally a loud color and annoying, with its matching stupid handkerchief thingy in his pocket.
Which you’re not allowed to use even if your nose is bleeding. A thing that happens to me when I become stressed, something my doctor told me I need to be very careful about.
High blood pressure runs in my family. Mine is typically well controlled, but it’s hereditary. There is only so much I can do, but I was made aware that it will be closely monitored with my pregnancy.
“Babe.” He pastes a smile on his face. “I’ve missed you.” I roll my eyes so hard I think I might have sprained them.
“What do you want, Felipe?” There’s no time for his bullcrap. I make a big show of checking the time on my phone. Felipe's eyes roam up and down me.
“Are you headed somewhere?”
“Yes.” Felipe lets the silence grow, thinking I’m going to get uncomfortable and fill in more information. I am not.
“A date?” The audacity of this idiot to think he is owed some sort of explanation by me. I shouldn’t be shocked; it’s par for the course when it comes to him and the way he treated me throughout our relationship.
“That’s not really any of your business.”
“Well, I think it’s really clear what you’re up to. You’re all dressed up.”
“What do you want?”
“I want to talk.”
“I don’t have time right now.” I grab my purse sitting on the table next to the front door.
“Then we can meet up later.”
“There is no reason to meet up.” I close the door behind me, then lock it. "We're not a thing anymore."
"We were barely a thing, only dating. I didn't know we were exclusive." Felipe follows me as I make my way to the elevator.
"That's not the point." I push the elevator button over and over, knowing it doesn't help speed up its availability, but it feels nice to jam it hard repeatedly.
"What's the point?" Felipe's expression turns to one of bewilderment.
"You fucked my best friend. That should be off the table even if we weren't exclusive.
" Is my perspective unreasonable? I know I'm not big into the dating scene, and I stumbled into whatever it is you want to label what Felipe and I had going on, but I think anyone would call that crossing the line.
"It didn't mean anything. I have needs, and you're, well, ah—" I hurry into the elevator when the doors open. Sadly, Felipe does the same.
"What am I?" I cock my head, waiting to hear this.
"Cold."
That might be true. It was awkward with Felipe when he'd try to hold my hand or do anything affectionate. I chalked it up to me not being okay with PDA, but Brooks tossed that theory out the window with our elevator makeout session, which I'm sure cameras caught.
"You're right," I agree. I see a spark of surprise and maybe hope that I'm about to cave and give us another chance. That will never happen. "We don't connect. There is no spark. We should both walk away."
"I want to talk about this first. I've been thinking a lot about us." I haven't been. I only thought about it when people on TikTok asked about Felipe and where he was.
I never showed him in my videos, but he'd always tag me on TikTok and Instagram when he'd go try a restaurant with me. Since he wouldn't answer them, they are now asking me what's going on.
"Felipe, there is nothing to talk about." This conversation is getting old real quick.
"I'm serious, Slater; I've come to a conclusion on what is wrong with you." The elevator doors slide open, but I turn to fully face Felipe.
"What's wrong with me?" I can't wait to hear this.
"You're asexual. That has to be it."
"Because I didn't fall into your bed?" It takes everything I have in me not to burst into laughter. I keep myself in check because it will only piss him off, and this conversation will stretch on.
"It's fine that you are, and that's why you're still a virgin, but we can come up with a plan. I can go do my thing discreetly, and we can still be together." He's lost his mind. "We're good together. We work. I miss us working together."
There it really is.
"We don't work together." Felipe enjoyed the places I could get into, and he wanted to go with me so he could do his own postings, trying to build up his own following. He loves the attention. I'm in it for the food. What can I say? A girl's got to eat.
"Slater—" I can see he's getting pissed off now.
"I have to go." I pause before I step out of the elevator. "Let your followers know we're not together."
"You don't want me to do that." There is a clear threat in his tone.
"I promise you, I do." With that, I turn to leave, and thankfully, he doesn't follow me.
One man down, and now a baby daddy to go.