The Boiling Point

*CHRIS*

I’d spent three weeks in this hospital. Three weeks in the same bed. The same windows. The same four walls. It was driving me insane. The food sucked, the nurses barely had any bedside manners, and I hadn’t physically been outdoors the entire time.

The only good thing is I was able to get a break from the shop. I loved the shop. I just had taken on so much since things went sour between me and Mira. I just wanted things to go back, no matter how difficult it would be to get there.

I didn’t expect to see her first thing when I got here, so you can just imagine my surprise when she just kept showing up to spend time and have conversations like we used to back in school. We could talk for hours, decades if time permitted. So to see her was always the pick-me-up I needed.

She wasn’t the only one that came to see me, but she was my favorite.

When she came unexpectedly, I thought she’d come to make me smile and help with the misery I felt being here for so long.

That wasn’t the case. Not only did she break things off with me, but she told me she was pregnant. That made my body so hot I just knew my skin would start peeling away at any moment. My face must’ve given it away because the way she ran out of here was as if she wanted no parts.

A baby though. It’s one thing to fuck the man, but to get pregnant by the motherfucker was more than I could handle. That was supposed to be my baby. We were supposed to have a family. It infuriated me because I did try a while back around our second anniversary. She’d gotten us a hotel room and decorated it with all these rose petals. Some white, red , and a few were pink. There were balloons and champagne and candles.

She had the music soft in the background and she’d ordered the juiciest steak I’d ever had. She gave me a massage and we ended the night in the hot tub. That night I’d relieved myself inside of her and a few more times throughout each month. Nothing ever happened.

As soon as I slip up with Keema, she ends up pregnant. I guess this was how Mira felt when she found out about Keema being pregnant. Keema was just a wet ass, but this guy, Mira actually likes him. She had to in order to consider walking around with his seed.

I wasn’t sure what gutted me more, the news or the fact that she decided to tell me while I’m in the hospital. That felt wrong. No, disrespectful as hell.

I swung my legs to the side of the bed to go to the bathroom when my day was ruined. Throw the day in the trash. This one is done for.

“Oh my goodness, you’re okay!”

“Keema, what are you doing here?”

“What, can’t I visit you?”

“No, who told you I was here?”

“Never mind that, just know I’m here.”

“I wish you weren’t.”

“Still cold, I see. So… where’s your little girlfriend, shouldn’t she be here with you?”

“Fuck you and her pregnant ass.”

The mere mention of her made me angry all over again, and I let that piece of information slip. I swear it wasn’t on purpose. I immediately regretted saying that because honestly, I wasn’t mad. I was hurt and a tad bit jealous it wasn’t mine.

I looked up just in time to see Keema’s face change. She had a rancid look on her face that was clearly envy. It didn’t suit her. She quickly tried to conceal it, but by then it was already too late. I’d seen her true colors.

The room fell silent. The kind that was uncomfortable because it held too many secrets no one wanted to address. I stared at Keema, quietly analyzing her every move. She looked at her hands as they were fidgeting. She was nervous.

She finally rose from her seat and left with a quiet, “I have to go now.”

I exhaled in relief knowing she was gone. That girl sucked the life out of every room she stepped in.

….

*KEEMA*

Lately all Chris does is blow me off and ignores me. So when i saw my opportunity I took it. He’d been sending my calls to voicemail and leaving messages on seen. I went by the shop a few times but he wasn’t there. I didn’t want to go in there and ask since the last time he made it clear he didn’t want me there.

I mean yeah it does hurt when he’s cold, but he’ll warm up eventually, right?

Well one Sunday I just so happen to go to church. His mom and I just so happen to attend the same one. And she had asked for prayers for a speedy recovery for Chris. The pastor prayed over her and sent prayers for him.

In the midst of this, the deacon asked which hospital he’d been in just in case any of the members decided to visit or send him some flowers or something.

Saint Simon’s Regional Hospital. That was my opportunity. Thank God I went to church. Otherwise I’d still be trying to figure out what to do.

I waited a few days before going up there because I didn’t want to go too soon after the fact. So the day I went up there I thought I’d surprise him.

Unfortunately Mira’s name still hung from his lips like it was clinging for dear life. She’d once again ruined his mood, now he’s sour to me. That I could handle it was our dynamic now and I knew he’d come around I just had to figure out what to do.

But when he said she was pregnant that did something to me. It’s like it clicked… he was acting like this because he had a baby on the way. With her. I knew I had to do something. I’m not sure what but she just keeps getting in the way. Ugh.