Chapter 42 Nyree
I called Asia, but she didn't answer. I called a few more times back to back and she declined every time. But we needed to talk. I was her husband and she was my wife, regardless of what we were going through.
This was crazy. Barely a week ago, we were saying our vows at the courthouse, promising to spend our lives together. Now she wouldn't even pick up my calls. All because of Isis and her child I didn't even know existed.
I drove to Asia's apartment, relieved to see her car in the parking lot. At least I knew where she was. I knocked on her door, waited, then knocked again. No answer, even though I knew she was inside.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my key. I hesitated for a moment, knowing she'd be pissed, but I turned the key and let myself in anyway.
Asia was sitting on the couch, but she jumped up when I walked in, her face a mixture of surprise and anger.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.
"We need to talk, Asia!" I said, closing the door behind me.
"I don't have time for this shit, Nyree. I just lost my job today."
I was taken aback by that news. As much as I wanted to explain about Isis and the baby, I could see Asia was hurting.
"You did?"
She nodded, and I could tell she was wounded. I knew she wasn't fucking with me right now because of what Isis did, but I went over to wrap my arms around her anyway. She was still my wife. Whatever was going on between us, I couldn't just stand there and watch her in pain.
"Baby, don't worry about them," I said, holding her close. "We can find you another job."
She pulled away from me, her eyes hardening again. "We can't do anything! Nyree, you think I'm going to stay married to you after you lied to my face?"
"I didn't lie to you."
"Fuck out of here, nigga, you—"
"Listen to me!" I said in a commanding tone, and Asia jumped from the impact of my words. I didn't mean to yell at her, but I had to get my point across. I had to make her understand.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Shouting at her wouldn't help anything.
"Look, I know how this looks," I said, my voice softer now. "I know it seems like I've been hiding this from you, but I swear on everything I love, this is the first I'm hearing about any of this too."
Asia crossed her arms, her face skeptical, but at least she was listening.
I explained the story the best I could. Isis and I used to fuck around, but it was never serious.
She fucked other niggas, and I was with other women too.
We weren't exclusive, weren't even dating for real.
It was just casual, just sex. We lost touch and never spoke again until yesterday when the blowup happened after she inboxed Asia about the baby.
"I never even knew she was pregnant," I finished, spreading my hands helplessly. "The first time I heard anything about a baby was when you showed me those messages. I was just as shocked as you were."
Asia looked at me like all the fight was gone from her body. Her shoulders slumped, her eyes tired. But the doubt was still there, lingering in her expression.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"It's the truth." I stepped closer to her. "I never lied to you, Asia. I'm gonna get a DNA test. I'm praying that this is just her being messy and the baby is not mine."
She scoffed. "And what are you gonna do if the baby is yours?"
I paused, unprepared for that question even though I should have seen it coming.
The truth was, I had no idea what I would do if that child turned out to be mine.
A child I hadn't known about, hadn't seen born, hadn't watched take their first steps or say their first words.
A child who was already four years old, with a whole personality and life I knew nothing about.
"I don't know," I admitted.
Asia scoffed again, turning away from me.
I stood there, feeling lost in her apartment that had once felt like a second home to me. Now it felt like foreign territory, like I was an intruder in a space where I used to belong.
The weight of the situation hit me all at once.
If the baby was mine, everything would change.
I would have a child, a responsibility I never planned for, never prepared for.
And would Asia even want to be with me if I had a child with another woman?
A child who would be in our lives, a permanent connection to Isis?
And if the baby wasn't mine, what then? The damage was already done. The trust between Asia and me had been shaken, maybe broken beyond repair. All because of something I had no control over, no knowledge of.
Either way, the future I had imagined for us was slipping through my fingers like sand, and I didn't know how to hold onto it.