Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
NYROBI
Avoiding somebody was a lot easier when you didn't live in one of their houses, work inside one of their hotels, carry paperwork with their last name all over it, and have their wife calling your phone every damn day.
After what happened in the kitchen with Billion, I made a decision.
Whatever the fuck that was?
It wasn't happening again.
And technically, nothing had happened in the first place.
He didn't kiss me. I didn't touch him. Nobody took off no clothes. Nobody said anything we couldn't take back.
We stood too close. I looked at his mouth. He caught me looking. That was it. So why the fuck had I replayed it about fifty times since he left? That was the part pissing me off. I knew better.
And even worse than knowing better, I liked Kaizleigh. If she had been some stuck-up bitch who treated me like a walking uterus, maybe I could've understood my mind wandering somewhere it had no business going.
But she wasn't.
This girl had damn near forced me into a house because she didn't want Mama in a motel. She bought groceries. Checked on Mama. Checked on me. Cried at the first transfer like I was giving birth right there on the damn table.
And the first time that transfer didn't work, Kaizleigh spent more time making sure I didn't blame myself than worrying about her own feelings.
Yet there I was thinking about her fucking husband.
I rolled over and snatched my phone off the nightstand.
7:12 a.m.
The clinic appointment was at nine.
I had another monitoring appointment before they gave us the final word on Transfer Number Two, and I was ready to get this shit moving.
The first one failing had done something to all of us.
Kaizleigh got more anxious. Billion got quieter.
And me? I got determined. I wanted it to work this time.
Not just because I wanted my money. Although let's not get shit twisted.
I absolutely wanted my money. But now I wanted to see Kaizleigh get her baby too.
I got up, showered and pulled on leggings with an oversized T-shirt. By the time I made it downstairs, Mama was already at the kitchen table.
“You eating?”
“I'll grab something.”
“That means no.”
“It means I'll grab something.”
“You got food in this house.”
“Food that rich lady keep buying.”
I opened the refrigerator.
Mama laughed.
“You like her.”
“Everybody keep saying that like I said I didn't.”
“You just complain about everything she do.”
“Because she do too much.”
“So do you.”
I looked over my shoulder.
“We're not talking about me.”
Mama smiled into her coffee.
My phone buzzed.
I looked.
Kaizleigh.
Of course.
KAIZLEIGH: Good morninggggg! Today's appointment at 9 right?
I typed back.
No it's at 4 in the morning. I missed it.
Three dots appeared instantly.
Then disappeared.
Then my phone rang.
I started laughing.
Mama shook her head.
“You need to stop messing with that girl.”
I answered.
“Hello?”
“Nyrobi, I swear to God?—”
“Good morning.”
“Why would you play like that?”
“Because you know damn well my appointment at nine.”
“I was making sure!”
“You got the same calendar I got.”
“I hate you.”
“No you don't.”
She got quiet.
I smiled.
“Don't say it.”
“I wasn't!”
“Yes you was.”
“Whatever. Are you nervous?”
“A little.”
“Me too.”
“I figured.”
“The doctor said if everything looks good today, we'll know when we're cleared for the next transfer.”
“I know.”
“And you remember the restrictions?”
I closed my eyes.
“Kaizleigh.”
“What?”
“I read the instructions.”
“I'm just making sure.”
“I know what I'm supposed to do.”
“No alcohol.”
“I know.”
“Keep taking your medication exactly?—”
“I know.”
“And no sex around the transfer window.”
Mama's head snapped up.
I walked out of the kitchen.
“Why the fuck you got me on speaker?”
“I don't!”
“You loud as hell then.”
Kaizleigh laughed.
“I just don't want anything messing this one up.”
“It won't.”
“You promise?”
That irritated me. Not exactly her nut because I knew what that promise meant. She needed somebody to tell her this time would work. Nobody could.
“I promise I'm gonna do everything they tell me to do.”
She went quiet.
That was the best I could give her.
“Okay.”
“I'll see you there.”
“Billion might not make this appointment.”
I stopped walking.
Why did my stomach do that?
I immediately got irritated with myself.
“Okay.”
“He has a meeting.”
“Kaizleigh, it's my uterus they're checking. We don't need an audience.”
“I know.”
“You coming is enough.”
“Okay.”
“I'll see you at nine.”
“Drive safe.”
“I always do.”
“With that car?”
“Goodbye.”
I hung up.
Then stood in the hallway staring at my phone.
No sex around the transfer window.
That wasn't a difficult instruction. I wasn't seeing anybody. Definitely wasn't sleeping with anybody. And damn sure hadn't planned on sleeping with anybody. So why the fuck had my mind immediately gone to Billion?
I shoved my phone into my purse.
“Girl, get your shit together.”
The appointment went good. Everything looked the way the doctor wanted it to look. My body was responding to the medication, my lining was where they wanted it, and if nothing changed, transfer Number Two was happening soon.
Kaizleigh damn near cried when the doctor said it. I didn't even make fun of her this time.
By the time I got to work later that afternoon, I felt better.
The hotel was busy enough to keep my mind occupied, and that was exactly what I needed.
I hadn't seen Billion. Hadn't spoken to him and didn't need to.
The easiest way to keep something from happening was to stop putting yourself in a position where it could.
Simple.
At least it was supposed to be.
By the end of my shift, I was exhausted.
I clocked out, said bye to Tiffany and headed toward the employee exit with my purse over my shoulder.
“Nyrobi.”
I stopped.
Fuck.
I knew that voice.
I turned around.
Billion was coming down the hallway toward me with his suit on. That same calm ass walk like nobody in the building could tell him shit. Which, technically, they couldn't. It was his building. I looked away before my eyes could start doing stupid shit again.
“What's up?”
“Kaizleigh said your appointment went good.”
“It did.”
“Everything on schedule?”
“Yep.”
“Good.”
“Yep.”
Why the fuck was I saying yep?
He looked at me.
“You good?”
“I'm fine.”
“You acting weird.”
“No, I'm not.”
“You are.”
“You always think somebody acting weird.”
“Because you are.”
I adjusted my purse.
“Well, I got somewhere to be.”
“Where?”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“I'm asking.”
“That's none of your business.”
He smiled.
There it was. That fucking smile.
“Alright.”
I hated that too.
Because why was he smiling? And why did I notice?
“Goodnight, Billion.”
I started walking.
“My wife left her bag.”
I stopped and turned to him.
“What?”
“She was here earlier.”
I knew that.
Kaizleigh had come by after my appointment because apparently seeing me at the clinic wasn't enough for one day.
“She left her bag in the office.”
“Okay.”
“She said you had something in there too.”
I frowned.
Then remembered.
“My clinic folder.”
“Yeah.”
Shit. I needed it.
“I'll get it tomorrow.”
“Your instructions for the next few days are in there.”
I stared at him.
“You and your wife really made it your mission to know all my damn business.”
“You're carrying our child.”
“Not yet.”
“Trying to.”
“Still.”
He held my eyes. And that same weird ass silence from the kitchen came again. I broke it first.
“Where the bag?”
“Upstairs.”
I should've said tomorrow.
I knew that.
Instead, I followed him. The office was empty. That should've been my second sign to get my shit and leave. Billion unlocked the door and stepped aside and I walked in.
Kaizleigh's bag was sitting on one of the chairs with my clinic folder sticking halfway out.
“There.”
“Thank you.”
I grabbed it.
Okay that was easy and done now leave.
I turned.
Billion was standing near the door. He wasn’t blocking it or anything he was just standing there.
I hated how aware of him I had become. Before that day at the house, he could stand beside me and I didn't think twice about it.
Now I noticed everything. How he smelled.
How tall he was. His hands. His mouth. Literally everything.
And because God apparently wanted to punish me personally, my mind picked that exact moment to bring back the shit I'd heard through one of these hotel doors.
Kaizleigh and Billion in that room fucking.
The sounds I'd had no business standing there listening to.
I felt heat crawl up my neck.
Nope.
I tightened my grip on the folder.
“I gotta go.”
“You keep saying that every time I'm around now.”
My eyes went to his.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I got shit to do.”
“You had shit to do at the house too?”
My stomach dropped.
So we were talking about it. I laughed, but nothing was funny.
“What you want me to say?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why bring it up?”
“Because you're avoiding me.”
“I'm not avoiding you.”
“Bullshit.”
I stared at him.
“You want me to be?”
His jaw shifted.
That was the first time I realized he wasn't as unaffected by what happened in that kitchen as he'd acted.
“Probably.”
“Then there you go.”
I moved toward the door. He stepped out of the way and I should've kept walking. Instead, I stopped beside him. I don't know why. Maybe because I was tired of pretending. Maybe because I wanted to know I wasn't the only one whose mind had gone somewhere fucked up.
“This can't be no thing,” I said.
“It ain't.”
I looked at him.
“Okay.”
“Nothing happened.”
“I know.”
“So why we talking about it?”
“Because something almost did.”
His eyes stayed on mine.
Neither one of us denied it.
I swallowed.
“Exactly.”
“Nyrobi.”
“What?”
He didn't say anything.
“See. That's the shit I'm talking about.”
“What shit?”
“That.”
“What?”
“You looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Billion, don't fucking play with me.”
“I ain't playing.”
“Yes, you are.”
I took a step back. He didn't follow me. That should've helped but it didn't.
“You married.”
“I know.”
“To somebody I actually fucking like.”
“I know that too.”
“She trusts me.”
“I know.”
“She trusts you.”
His face tightened.