6. TRUTH
TRUTH
Iwoke up to Mama’s voice cutting through the thin walls like a foghorn.
“Yeah, I tased his muthafuckin’ ass!” Her laugh was loud and unapologetic. “You shoulda seen how his ass seized up. Ass cheeks just locked. Sho did!”
I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head.
Of course she was on the phone telling somebody about tasing Amai.
“Mm-hmm. His high yella disrespectful ass thought he was just gon’ walk up in my house at two in the morning like he pay bills here! His ass lucky it wasn’t my shotgun!”
I sat up slowly, my stomach immediately protesting the movement.
The nausea hit me like a wave.
I pressed my hand to my mouth and breathed through my nose, willing myself not to throw up.
The past two days had been horrible.
The morning sickness had come back with a vengeance—worse than before, like my baby knew I was mad at Amai and decided to punish me for it.
I closed my eyes.
This is not a fucking family, I told myself firmly.
This was a contract.
A business arrangement.
And the way Amai was acting, I’d probably be a single mother when it was all said and done anyway.
The thought made my chest stutter.
I understood the hot and cold. I did. He was complicated. Guarded. A man who didn’t let people in easily.
But accusing me of sleeping with someone else?
That insulted my character.
My morals.
Two things I didn’t play about.
Ever.
Amai had crossed a line.
And part of me—the part I didn’t want to admit existed—was disappointed that he wasn’t beating down the door to make things right.
To get us back on track.
To show me he still cared.
Not just about the baby.
But about me.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand.
I reached for it, hoping—
Appointment Reminder: Dr. Beaumont, 11:00 AM.
Right.
The check-up.
Dr. Beaumont just wanted to make sure everything was okay after the stress of the past few days.
I set the phone down and rubbed my face.
I needed to get up. Shower. Get ready.
But my body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
My phone rang.
I glanced at the screen.
Kaisen.
I hesitated.
Then answered.
“Hey.”
“Morning, beautiful.” His voice was warm. Easy. “You sleep okay?”
“Not really.”
Silence.
Then, “What’s wrong?”
I bit my lip.
Debated lying.
But I was so tired of pretending everything was fine.
“Just… a lot going on,” I said quietly.
“Truth.” His voice shifted. Sharper now. Concerned. “What happened?”
I closed my eyes.
“The guy from the contract,” I said finally. “We… had a fight.”
“A fight about what?”
“He accused me of sleeping with someone else.”
The silence on the other end was deafening.
Then, “He what?”
“He—”
“Nah.” Kaisen’s voice was hard now. Angry. “Nah, fuck that. You don’t deserve that shit, Truth. You been nothing but professional with this whole arrangement, and he gon’ disrespect you like that?”
My throat tightened.
“I don’t know what’s going on with him,” I said. “But I can’t—I can’t do this if he’s going to treat me like I’m just some—”
“You’re not,” Kaisen interrupted. “You’re not just anything. You hear me?”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me.
“Yeah.”
“Truth.” He paused. “Are you sure you still want to do this? Be a surrogate for this man?”
The question hit me like a punch to the chest.
Was I sure?
I didn’t know anymore.
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“Then maybe it’s time to walk away.”
“I can’t just—”
Kaisen wouldn’t understand that it’s not just about the money anymore. Feelings were involved. Amai and I had this unspoken connection from the day we met. I could feel it every time he looked in my eyes.
“Yes, you can.” His voice was firm. “You got options now. You got money. You don’t have to stay in a situation that’s hurting you.”
I pressed my hand to my stomach. A crippling sickness rolled through me, and it wasn’t from the baby. Who would commit such a violation against a person they didn’t even know? Who was so demented they took away my choice? Violated my body?
Felt the slight swell there.
The baby.
His baby.
Maybe this whole thing was a mistake.
“I have an appointment this morning,” I said, changing the subject. “Dr. Beaumont just wants to check on me.”
“What time?”
“Eleven.”
“I’m driving you.”
“Kaisen—”
“I’m not asking, Truth.” His voice softened. “Let me be there for you. Please.”
I closed my eyes.
Part of me wanted to say no.
Wanted to keep the boundaries clear.
But another part of me—the part that was tired and hurt and confused—just wanted someone to show up for me.
Someone who didn’t make me feel like I had to earn their care.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“I’ll be there at 10:30.”
“Okay.”
“And Truth?”
“Yeah?”
“You deserve better than what he’s giving you. Don’t forget that.”
The line went dead.
I sat there holding the phone.
Staring at the wall.
Wondering how the hell I’d gotten here.
Pregnant with a man’s baby who couldn’t decide if he wanted me or not.
Being pursued by another man who seemed to want me without question.
And caught in the middle of it all—
Just trying to survive.
I showered for forty-five minutes, letting the hot water beat against my shoulders until my skin turned red and my mind went quiet.
The pregnancy hormones had my body doing things I didn’t understand—one minute I was fine, the next I was crying at a commercial, the next I was so horny I could barely think straight. Kaisen’s kiss had done something to me that I wasn’t ready to examine too closely.
I dried off and stood in front of my bedroom mirror, studying myself. The bump was non-existent for now. My breasts were fuller. My skin had that pregnancy glow everyone talked about—or maybe that was just the flush from thinking about two different men.
I pulled on a soft maternity dress in sage green, the kind that draped over my belly without making me look like I was wearing a tent. Added a light cardigan. Kept my makeup simple—just enough to look like I’d made an effort, not so much that Mama would know I was trying.
My phone buzzed.
Outside. You ready?
Kaisen.
I grabbed my purse and moved fast, heading for the front door before Mama could materialize with a million questions. But I should have known better. Delphine Renois had a sixth sense for when her children were up to something.
I made it to the porch.
“Truth!”
Mama’s voice cut through the morning air like a blade.
I froze mid-step, my hand on the porch railing. Took a breath. Turned around with what I hoped was a casual smile.
She was standing in the doorway wearing her house robe—the faded purple one with the coffee stain on the pocket—and her eyes were already narrowed with suspicion. She stepped out onto the porch, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Where you going?” she asked, even though she could clearly see Kaisen’s car idling at the curb.
“Just to an appointment,” I said, which was technically true.
“Mm-hmm.” Mama’s gaze shifted to Kaisen, who was getting out of the car. She looked him up and down like she was assessing livestock at a market. “Oh, this one back today? You sho busy, Truth.” She adjusted her robe. “Hmph.”
Kaisen walked up the porch steps, and I could see the exact moment he realized he was about to be interrogated by my mother. His eyes darted in my direction. His shoulders went a little stiff.
“M-ma’am,” he said, and there was that stutter—nervous energy bleeding through his smooth exterior. “I’m just—we’re just—”
“He’s a friend,” I said quickly, moving toward him. “Mama, we’re running late.”
“I didn’t ask you,” Mama said, her eyes never leaving Kaisen’s face. “I asked him. So, who your people, baby? You got family in New Orleans?”
Kaisen’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Y-yes, ma’am. My family’s from here. Been here a long time.”
“That so?” Mama tilted her head, studying him with the intensity of someone who’d spent fifty-three years reading people. “What’s your last name?”
Her eyes narrowed further, and I watched as something clicked behind them. She looked at Kaisen—really looked at him. Then she looked back at me.
“Mama, we really are late.”
“I heard you the first time.” She stepped closer to Kaisen, and I could see him fighting the urge to back up. “You know, you look familiar. Real familiar. You remind me of somebody.”
My heart was hammering in my chest.
“Mama.”
“Nah, wait.” She snapped her fingers. “That other boy. The one that’s been coming around here. Fine as hell, expensive suit, beat up Phillip in the street like it was nothing.” She paused, her eyes going sharp as a knife. “Y’all related or something?”
Kaisen’s face had gone pale.
“We should really get going,” I said, grabbing his arm. “The appointment.”
“Truth.” Mama’s voice was quiet now, but it carried the weight of a woman who’d raised four children and could smell a lie from a mile away. “What the hell is going on?”
“Nothing,” I said, pulling Kaisen toward the car. “Nothing’s going on. We’re just late. Mama, you always confusing people. I keep telling you all light-skinned people don’t look the same.”
I could feel mama’s eyes on us as we moved down the porch steps. Could feel the moment she started putting pieces together—pieces I wasn’t ready for her to see yet.
“That boy better not be playing with you!” she called after us. “And if he’s related to the other one, you better tell me what the fuck is happening!”
I didn’t answer. Just got Kaisen into the car and told him to drive. Mama was getting older. Between the alcohol and age, she’d been forgetful as of late.
As we pulled away from the curb, I glanced in the side mirror and saw Mama standing on the porch, her arms crossed, her face thoughtful in a way that terrified me. I worried about her just as much as she worried about me.
The drive to Dr. Beaumont’s office was quiet. Kaisen kept one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on the console between us. After a few minutes, he reached over and took my hand.
I hesitated.
Just for a second—long enough for him to notice. His thumb brushed across my knuckles, a question without words.