Page 137 of Buy Back My Love

Her eyes narrowed. “Learn what?”

I pointed toward her stomach. “That this shit ain’t gon’ be easy. You walking around now talking about what you don’t need and what you gon’ do by yourself. Wait till this baby get here.”

Lee rolled her eyes. “Here we go.”

“Nah, I’m serious. Baby screaming at three in the morning, you tired, you ain’t slept, you gotta work. Diapers, bottles, doctor appointments. All that shit. You gon’ be singing a whole different tune.”

“Okay.”

“You gon’ be calling me.”

She looked at me like I had just proved her point. “That’s your child. Why wouldn’t I call you?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“No, it ain’t.” She shifted in her seat so she was facing me more. “You saying it like I’m supposed to need you as my man because I’ll need you as this baby’s daddy.”

“Same shit.”

“It is not the same.”

I shook my head. “You stubborn as hell.”

“And you don’t listen.”

“I’m trying to make sure you straight.”

“I am straight.”

“You think you are.”

“I know I am.”

I looked at her. “You got everything figured out?”

“No.”

That shut me up for a second.

Lee leaned a little closer. “I don’t have everything figured out. But I’ll figure it out.”

“By yourself?”

“If I have to.”

That irritated the fuck out of me. She kept talking like I was somebody she could take or leave whenever it suited her, like me being the father of her child didn’t change anything between us.

“You better hope I answer when you call.”

Lee went still. “What?”

The second I heard myself say it, I knew I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I looked away toward the windshield.

“You heard me.”

“No. Say it again.”

“You gon’ need help. I’m just saying.”