Page 195 of The Ninth

My heart thumped the entire way down. I wasn’t nervous to take the pregnancy test; I know I’m not pregnant. It was the thought of having even more shit I did while K3 was arrested surfacing. After we got past Juan, after we got past the strip club. This is the last shit I needed.

Devyn was silent as Tatianna retrieved the test. The house was finally empty besides just us since the workers left out. MacKenzie opened the boxes and dispersed the tests while I stared at Devyn. It was obvious something threw her off, and I doubt it was the coma shit. Maybe she’s just worried she’s pregnant. The way her titties look swollen, she probably is. She looked gorgeous in jewelry I’m sure came from her man.

“Alright,” Kenzie nodded. “Let’s all take one and mix them up!”

“YES!” I responded immediately, laughing. I needed something to lighten the mood.

Tati screwed her face up, “Hecky naw! I need to know for a fact if it’s me.”

“Same!” Devyn agreed desperately.

“How about Kenzie and Tati mix theirs and then you and I mix ours, Devyn. It’ll be funnnnnnnn! We’re having a sleepover! G, C’mon! Plus, I thought you was on birth control?”

“I am! I just feel weird...” Devyn admitted. “My titties hurt which I just shrugged off. But tonight...that fish smell made my mouth water. I was gagging to myself. I have the Skyla IUD and y’all know those are good for like eight to twelve years. I’ve had it for about four years and some months now.”

We all stared at her.

“Devyn...” I shook my head softly.

Kenzie rubbed her shoulder, “Baby, that IUD is only good for three years.”

“That’s not true! My mom said eight to twelve!”

“There are eight to twelve ones, but that one is only three,” Tatianna nodded.

“Why would she tell me that if it was three?”

“You just took her word? Didn’t ask the doctor?” Kenzie screwed her face up. I elbowed her. “Maybe she just heard wrong.”

I shook my head, “Okay, y’all two use the restroom down here. Devyn and I will use the one in my room. Don’t come out until them tests have an answer.”

“Bet...” they agreed.

Devyn and I jogged upstairs as Kenzie and Tati went to the downstairs restroom. I peed on my stick first since Devyn looked green all of a sudden. Once done, I washed my hands as she peed on her stick, closing and laying it beside mine. I looked at her and folded my arms as she got herself together.

“What’s wrong?”

“Duke has nutted in me damn near every time we’ve fucked, that’s what’s wrong!”

I laughed, “No. You were upset before that. Tell me what’s actually going on.”

“Beatrice from the shop said Kilo posted a video from in there. Apparently the small party wasn’t small. There’s all types of bitches and Duke won’t answer.”

She aggressively knocked both tests into the sink, mixing them up.

“Yeah, because he’s tattooing, babe!”

“I called the shop also. Something deep inside of me is nervous because I dealt with this before. What if I’m not enough for him? What if him and I are moving too fast. I’ve fucked him. Told him I loved him. We work together. I may be pregnant. He could get tired of me and want to be around something new.”

“You don’t believe that. Don’t have those thoughts about Duke, he doesn’t deserve them. One of these have to say pregnant because you’re being too emotional, Devyn.”

Without giving her time to brace, I snatched one of the tests out. Negative. I flipped it and showed her. She grabbed the last one, slowly bringing it to her face. I knew that bitch said pregnant by how close she put it to her eyes. It wasn’t the lines, but the word.

I watched her bottom lip tremble as she gripped her stomach. All I could do was open my arms, allowing her to fall into them. My arms gripped her tightly as she fell apart against my chest.

“WE RUSHED INTO EVERYTHING! WE SHOULD’VE TAKEN OUR TIME, ENJOYED EACH OTHER! THIS WILL PUT STRESS ON US EARLY INTO OUR RELATIONSHIP. CASSIE, I FUCKED UP! NOW HE’S PROBABLY IN SOME BITCH FACE!”

Kenzie and Tatianna rushed into the bathroom, wrapping the both of us up. All four of us stood there, holding each other. We didn’t have any words to say to her, but words isn’t what she needed. At least not from us. Devyn already had her mind made up. Although I think what she’s saying is far from the truth, it will take more to get rid of that insecurity. And I’ll do whatever to help.