12. Emerald #4
“Now you’re patronizing me,” she declared. “You did that shit all the time when we were kids too, now that I think about it.”
“You really want to go there right now, Jordan?” With my arms tucked across my chest, I squinted.
“What is that supposed to mean?” she demanded just as a nearby exam room door opened and out walked our doctor.
“Well, good morning, everyone! It’s implantation day, are we all ready?” Dr. Steinholt’s bronze eyes bounced around the waiting area to all of us as she clapped her hands together.
“More than ready.” Jordan snatched up her purse like she was the one being fertilized and hopped to her feet.
Slowly, Ivo and I moved out of our chairs and followed her to the room.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a typical exam room with a small side table where there were some tools and a dish that I assumed held the fertilized eggs.
With sweaty palms, I stepped inside as Jordan dropped her purse on a counter and pulled out a stool to sit.
Now she was rigid and seemingly annoyed as the doctor instructed me to change into the gown provided and get on the table.
With my purse draped over my shoulder, I strut over to the bathroom door and let myself inside.
Taking a deep breath, I undressed and slipped into the hospital gown.
The light tap at the door drew me from my nervous thoughts. I took one last look at myself in the mirror and went to prop the door open. Dr. Steinholt waited on the other side with a pregnancy test. Confusion immediately marred my features, and she just chuckled.
“We have to take precautions before we do these things. So while you’re in there, take this so we can be sure.”
I don’t know why, but grabbing that packaging from her hand left mine trembling.
Quietly closing the door behind her, I peered down at the test in my hand and released a nervous breath.
I decided to get it over with and ripped it out of the packaging.
Once I took the test, I set the small stick on the counter and waited with my hands clasped together.
It only took about three minutes for the results to display anyway.
Leaving the test on the counter, I stepped out of the room.
Ivo patiently sat in a chair near the door with his phone in his lap.
His eyes were all over me when I emerged.
Glancing Jordan’s way, I peeped that she was also very aware of the intensity in which her husband was drinking me in.
Bowing my head, I slowly approached the table and climbed on top.
“Okay. So I need you to lie back, Emerald. Try to relax. Think happy thoughts. This won’t take long, but we will want to keep your lower half elevated for about thirty minutes, and I just suggest going home to rest for the remainder of the day.
You can resume normal activities tomorrow. ”
“See, that means we can hang out. I can order food and come over to keep you and Jury company. By the way, you never sent me your new address. I know you said you had moved into a bigger place.” Jordan tapped away at her phone screen and anxiously swung herself back and forth on the stool.
Today she was in a casual Donna Karan pantsuit with a white blouse and black Steve Madden pumps. Flipping some of her silk-pressed hair over her shoulder, she glanced up at me from her phone.
“What are you in the mood for?”
“Give me one second while I go check the test, and I’ll be right back.
” Dr. Steinholt moved toward the bathroom door, and my gaze drifted to the ceiling tile.
With both hands draped over my stomach, I could feel the knots forming as we waited.
When Dr. Steinholt appeared in the doorway, I couldn’t quite read her expression.
With her gloved hand gripping the pregnancy test, she lifted her eyes to skim the rest of us in the room.
“Is something wrong?” Jordan queried, slowly bringing herself to her feet beside me on the table.
“Um, Emerald . . . you’re pregnant,” she announced.
“What!” Jordan and I screamed in unison.
Immediately, her fire-filled orbs landed on me. My chest tightened as I grew short of breath, and panic ensued. Pregnant? How? What the entire fuck? Slowly, I swung my attention to Ivo, and he had turned almost ghost white from the news.
“Oh my God, is it that coach of Sapphire’s that you were seeing? I thought nothing was going on there,” Jordan accused.
“There isn’t. That’s over. Blaine and I are just cool,” I assured her.
“So you’re just out here busting it open for random men, Emerald? How could you be so irresponsible knowing what we were going through here?” Jordan demanded.
“I—” Thoughts were moving in my head, but it was hard to put them into words as I sat up on my elbows and turned to Dr. Steinholt. “Are you sure? I mean, maybe it was a false positive or something.”
“We can take another sample and draw some blood if you want, but these tests are pretty accurate,” she said, waving the stick around.
“This is just . . . it’s crazy.”
“No, you want to know what it is, too much of a fucking coincidence! I can’t believe I didn’t see that shit before,” Jordan spat.
“What are you talking about?”
“You two must think I’m real stupid!” Anger flitted across her pretty face, but her eyes were lit like two torches that she aimed at us repeatedly. Clearing his throat, Ivo sat up with his arms against his legs.
“Jay, you buggin’!”
“No, don’t sit there trying to be all condescending and shit like I’m paranoid.
You both have been playing in my face this whole fucking time!
” she screamed. “I can’t believe how blind I was!
” She threw her head back as if she were yelling at someone in the ceiling. “Tell me that isn’t your baby, Ivo!”
I couldn’t harbor the gasp that slipped off my lips when she aimed her finger at me. With wide eyes, I looked at him, and neither of us could speak. Our shared gaze was enough to set her off.
“I fucking knew it!” Jordan snapped. “I kept ignoring that intuition that was telling me this shit was happening. You were pushing me away because you were getting closer to her! She left you all those years ago and came back like everything was good, and you bought that shit, didn’t you?
Couldn’t help yourself, had to take a trip or two down memory lane, try to spin the block on something that was never fucking meant to be!
How could you do that to me, Ivo? After everything.
” Tears filled her eyes, and she paused before taking a deep, shaky breath. “I’m your wife.”
“Let’s talk about that, Jordan, while we’re in here spilling truths. I heard you that night at the estate after dinner. You never gave him any of the letters I sent. You purposely kept them to drive a wedge between us so you could have Ivo all to yourself.”
Immediately, her mouth zipped tight. Her frantic, chestnut-tinted eyes canvassed me carefully like she was trying to come up with an answer, but nothing came.
“I thought we were friends?—”
“So you decide to come back and fuck my husband!” Jordan roared.
“What gives you the right! What you had was nothing compared to the time and everything else I’ve poured into this marriage!
You don’t know shit about me or Ivo for that matter.
You’ve been gone a long time, and we are all different people. ”
“Maybe, but not at our core. It still kills you that I know him better than you,” I sneered.
“Bitch!” She lunged for me, but Ivo hopped up swiftly to restrain her by both arms.
“Wh-what are you doing? Ivo, really? What is it about this bitch! How is it she can hurt you in one of the worst possible ways, but the minute she sets foot back in this town, you just can’t help yourself.”
“It’s called love. With you, it’s just obligation,” I conveyed.
Breaking out of his arms, she stepped forward and swung before I had a chance to react.
Smack!
The sting from her palm against my cheek had me seeing red. I didn’t let anybody put hands on me, so Jordan damn sure wasn’t getting a pass. Hopping off the table, I charged that bitch, knocking her and Ivo into the door of the exam room.
“Okay, everyone calm down!” Dr. Steinholt shrieked.
We were about to get real ghetto in here. Gripping a handful of Jordan’s hair, I swung, bopping her twice in the head before Ivo nudged me out of her space and positioned himself between us.
“Y’all need to chill!”
“Then you better get that bitch!” I spat, trying to swing on her ass one more time. Jordan swept her hair from her face and tried coming for me again like some rabid ass animal.
“I thought I would throw your broke ass a bone when you got back. That’s why I let you be the surrogate, that and the fact that I knew it would eat you up inside to have to carry a baby for us,” she taunted.
“Well, the joke is on you, bitch! This is his baby and I’m keeping it, and ain’t shit you can do about it!”
“You want to fucking bet!” Jordan argued, doing her best to get past Ivo so she could attack me again.
“I’m sorry, but you all are going to have to go, or I’m calling the police and security up here to escort you out.
This is a clinic, and we can’t have this kind of disruption going on in here,” Dr. Steinholt chastised.
Jordan snatched up her purse, smoothing some of her hair back and straightening her posture before slinging it over her shoulder.
“That’s fine. This shit is far from over.
Both of you can expect to hear from my lawyer ASAP!
” She yanked the door open and stormed out.
Dr. Steinholt paused, and tension thicker than peanut butter filled the air.
I leaned against the exam table and caught my breath while Ivo swept his hand down his beard and faced me.
“Well, wasn’t expecting that turn of events,” the doctor announced.
“What happens now?” I queried, pressing my hands against the table to hold myself up while I caught my breath.
“Well, it sounds like you’re going to have to deal with all the legalities in this development.
We will keep the embryos stored here until the court figures everything out.
You should follow up with your OBGYN though for prenatal care.
I guess . . . congratulations?” Dr. Steinholt noted, unsure.
“I will give you time to change.” She gathered the embryo container from the table along with her paperwork and ushered herself into the hall.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I muttered, burying my face in my hands.
“You already fucking pregnant, Em.” Ivo inched closer, his cologne invading my nostrils as I took a deep breath. He grabbed my wrists, prying my hands from my face so he could look at me.
“You having my baby?”
“That’s what she said. What are we going to do?”
“Let me worry about that. Come here.” Pulling me toward him, he planted the softest kiss against my lips and draped his arms around me.
The warmth of his embrace relaxed me, and I closed my eyes while resting my head against his chest.
“I didn’t realize how much I needed that,” I whispered, pushing away from him so I could search his warm, sparkling eyes.
“I’ve been distant,” he admitted. “But it’s not because of you.
Just had a lot going on with the family and shit.
I needed a minute to get my head right and figure out what I wanted, plus I had to handle his business shit in LA.
But I’m here now. I’m present. For you and for our seed, aight?
” He pressed a hand into my stomach and assured me with his eyes.
“After all these years, we’re about to bring a new life into this world.”
“I couldn’t pick anybody else to do this shit with. I guess God had bigger plans for us. Get dressed. We can grab something to eat and head back to your spot.”
“Can we keep this between us for now? I will tell Sapphire and Jury when I’m ready. I just need a minute to process everything.”
“Whatever you want, mama.” He leaned forward and pecked my forehead.