Tell Her Part 2

Because a reader asked me to finish this story for her...Part 1...

Sometimes, this is what 22 looks like, from her eyes to yours.

I walked into my own apartment like a stranger.  I hadn't been there for weeks.  Somehow love justified paying rent for living in someone's else head.  Pictures of my former self hung on the walls and I missed that girl that I no longer recognized greatly.  The sweltering heat hugged me tightly and as I squeezed through my boxes of memories in my hallway, a protective hand covered my womb.  I remembered instantly that I was still pregnant.  I groaned wishing that guttural sound would scare the baby enough to disappear.  And then a sudden craving for crab legs hit me and none of my whining was going to help.

My phone vibrated in my purse.  I groaned again.  

Who could this be?  Tears began to well up in my eyes before I could even read the name on my screen.  i just didn't want to be bothered.  I felt alone but I wasn't really alone because I had more company than I needed in my belly.

Uh. Mason, stop calling me.

His phone call had to be denied.  There was nothing he could say to me, nothing that I didn't already know.  I wanted to tell him that he was better off without me but I was afraid that if I spoke to him, I would tell him my secret, well, our secret.  He was my best friend and even though I thought we spoke about everything, he never told me about her and I wasn't planning on telling him about this, this being the little boy I just knew I was carrying.  

As I walked into my room, my bed looked like heaven, still immaculately made from weeks ago.  I tried to decide if it was a better decision than those crab legs.  I looked down at my belly already annoyed.

Just like your father, you are requiring me to leave my comfort zone.  Lucky for you, as your mother, I have unconditional love.  Whatever I have with your father is purely circumstantial.

I shook my head.  This poor baby had no idea what I was talking about.  

Phone vibrates again.

Now he wants to talk.  

"Yes Mason."

"Yo where are you, why would you leave my house this late at night?"

"Mason, while you were banging on my car window as I drove off, I realized that safest place I could be was away from you.  Please go back to bed or go to Kerry's bed, that's her name right?  Yes Kerry and have a good night.  I'm ok."

"Lauren, don't play with me.  Where are you? I'll come to you."

"Good night Mason."  End call.

A little guilt began to rise up in my chest.  

Maybe that was rude.  Nope, sleeping with someone else is rude.  

I began to undress my guilt in my hot house.  Finally down to my bra and panties, I caught a glimpse of my growing abdomen in the mirror.  I was losing my figure and my mind quickly.  

Alright, little one, no crab legs for you.  Let's see if we have some snacks though.  Giving a man everything he wanted got me you so let's work on compromise.  I ravaged through my kitchen humming "Why Does It Hurt So Bad?" by Whitney Houston.

My name bellowed through the dark street like a storm landscaping it's next victim.  I ran to my window to see him standing there with a look on his face I had never seen before.  I contemplated for a total of fifteen seconds before I decided that I would open the door.

It wasn't in my nature to leave him anywhere, even while knowing he had left me for her.  For the first time, I realized the struggle of so many women.  It was hard to leave your boyfriend, but it felt impossible to leave the father of your child.  

I opened the door and wept.