AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She’s pushing me away,” he said softly. “I don’t know what to do.”
Rayelle stood and picked up both mugs on her way to the counter for a refill. She’d never been in that situation, but he hoped she would have some advice. Never having been in a serious relationship before, he was at a total loss.
“She’s worried about making a decision based on your relationship instead of what she really wants.”
“I haven’t pressured her at all. I literally told her I’d be there no matter what and that no matter what she chose, we could figure it out together,” he said louder than he intended, his frustration mounting with every second that passed.
“Yes. Exactly.”
“Exactly what?” he shouted.
“You’re a good guy. I know it. She knows it. She knew it the night she met you. She knows that you’ll do anything as long as it’s the right thing to do. The last thing she wants is for you to stick around and raise another man’s baby out of obligation.” Rayelle finally spelled it out for him.
“Do you hear yourself?” he asked. “It’s not just some other man’s baby. It’s Brandon’s baby. My dead brother. As fucked up as things were at the end, we were once close. We ran out of time for there to be any hope of turning things around. Yeah, he treated Samantha like shit, and I get pissed every time I think about it, but I’m sure he was good to her at one time too. I may not deserve it, but I would be honored to raise that kid, knowing he’s a part of Brandon.” His voice cracked.
When he looked back up at Rayelle, she was wiping away tears. “Did you tell her that?”
He stared at her for a long moment. Did he tell her that? Not exactly, but she knew he wanted to support her. What difference did it make, and why?
“Yes. I told her that I would be there no matter what.”
“That’s not the same thing,” she said gently. “You need to tell her what you told me.”
“I don’t know,” Bryce hesitated. “I’m not trying to hide my feelings, but I don’t want to keep rubbing Brandon in her face.”
“She hasn’t forgotten him, and she won’t. Even if the baby turns out to be yours. You need to tell her what you just told me.”
There was no point in arguing with her. She was probably right. But even if she was right, he couldn’t tell Samantha how he felt if she wouldn’t talk to him. He’d tried calling and texting the night before, and she’d left him on read. If she wanted time, he needed to respect her.
“Tell her,” Rayelle repeated, as if hearing his thoughts. “What you told me could change everything. Tell her.”
Chapter 28
Samantha dragged herself through last night’s performance. She wanted nothing more than to take another night off, but as the phrase went, the show must go on. Fortunately, she was fine once she got on stage, but it was draining just working up the energy to go. When she reached for her phone to turn off the alarm, she saw the screen lit up with her best friend’s name.
“Hello?”
“Are you ready for today?” Meka asked without preamble.
Ignoring the sinking feeling, she put on a fake smile and forced some pep into her voice. “Yeah. I’m ready for it to be over. It’s the right decision.”
“Okay,” Meka said gently. “I have a few things to do, then I’ll be over. Do you want to drive, and I can drive us back? Or take the subway and then take a taxi home?”
“Let’s just take a taxi home.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit,” Meka said before ending the call.
Doing the right thing didn’t feel as good as she thought it would. So many times she wanted to call Bryce but didn’t. Even after reading his text messages, she couldn’t bring herself to respond. He was a good man and he deserved more than she could offer him. She was broken. Damaged. No good to anyone in the state she was in.
After some alone time with her thoughts, she knew what she needed to do. She wasn’t emotionally prepared to raise Brandon’s child on her own, and she wouldn’t put Bryce in the position he’d so nobly accept. Having a child with Brandon was meant to be done with Brandon. There was no way she could give a child everything he needed while being a single mother who was grieving so many things, and she refused to be the type of mother she’d had. There was just too much pain surrounding everything. It wouldn’t be fair, and it wasn’t the child’s fault. Her heart broke at the thought of not having something she’d wished so long to have. It was finally within her reach, but this was the right thing to do.
Going through the motions of her daily routine, she took a shower and brushed her teeth. She oiled her scalp and styled her braids, even though the last thing she cared about was how she looked. She was doing everything she could to keep moving forward without feeling. Feeling was dangerous.
She had completed her morning routine and was rearranging her purse when she heard the quiet knock on her door. Meka was there. She opened the door to find her friend standing on the other side, nothing but compassion and understanding on her face. Squinting, Samantha tried to spot judgement in her expression, but it wasn’t there.
“Hey girl,” she said before pulling her into a tight hug.
The hug was enough to push her over the edge once again. Tears. Again. They fell freely down her face, and she was aware that she was crying for what felt like the hundredth day in a row. She was tired of crying.
