An hour later, we are walking through the mall downtown. Zara’s bought a couple of lingerie pieces and a teddy bear for the baby. She’s also purchased a couple of gender-neutral baby clothes that look too cute to pass up. A little exhausted and hungry, we stop at an ice cream stand to get two cones.
"So, do you think Jaden will be happy if I showed up in a trench coat and lingerie?” she’s not yet done with her ‘Jaden questions.’ I sigh.
“What if you show up and he has someone over?” I ask.
She shrugs, “I would just leave.”
“Wouldn’t it break your heart?”
“No, I’m not in love with him... I’m just trying to see what that mouth does,” she replies.
I groan. “That is my brother, so I don’t want to know that.” She laughs.
“All of y’all are nasty, mom and dad, Brin, you, every single one of y’all.” She is still laughing as something, or someone catches my eyes. I tilt my head to the side, staring at the person who looks a lot like Xoi. He’s walking with someone, and his hands are around a woman’s waist. My heart sinks; it’s not him; please don’t let it be him. Xoi loves me; he would never cheat on me...he turns around; it’s him. Every emotion known to man passes through my body.
“What’s the matter?” Zara. I look again and think maybe I see things. Perhaps I’m losing my eyesight.
“Am I going blind?”
“Huh?” Zara asks, still confused because she has yet to see what I'm looking at.
“Zara put up two fingers." She furrows her brows but slowly does what I ask her to do.
“One, two, so I’m not going fucking blind.”
“Ami, what?” I storm past her towards the lovely couple as he holds her face and kisses her.
“Xoi!”He jumps.
“Amaija.”
“So it’s Amaija now; it’s no longer your fucking heart,” I sarcastically tell him. My heart rips into a million pieces, but my anger is the single thread holding it together.
“Xoi?!” Zara finally realizes everything. She looks at the girl and then me.
“ これらの女性は誰ですか (who are these women)?” the girl asks.
I scoff. “彼の妊娠中の女の子、はじめまして。(His pregnant girlfriend, nice to meet you).”
“ 妊娠中(pregnant)” the girl slowly says.
I nod, “ 妊娠中(pregnant).” Then, I turn to the side to show my belly.
The girl turns to Xoi, “私の人生の5年間、あなたの嫌いな人はあなたに無駄になりました(you asshole, five years of my life wasted on you)”. She says before slapping him across the face and storming off as her words finally connect. Five years? I’m the other woman.
“Wei, please wait,” Xoi calls the girl. He tries to follow her, but Zara grabs him.
“Where the f**k do you think you’re you going?” she angrily asks him.
Still stunned, I repeat, “Five years." I look at the man that I have loved for the last two years. All of it was a lie.
He turns to me, “Amaija, I’m sorry."
“Five years,” I repeat.
“I never meant to hurt you, you were just...so beautiful, but I love her,” he tells me.
“Five years!” I snap. I jump on him, grab him by the neck, and start choking him.
“Ami, come on,” Zara tries to pull me off, but I keep squeezing. Finally, she manages to pry me off him.
“You love her?!” I shout, tears running down my cheeks. “I’m pregnant, you piece of shit. You lived in my house, spent my money for two fucking years, but you love her?”My anger rises, and I try to get free from Zara, who’s holding me, but she pulls me back.
“I never wanted you to find out like this,” he tells me.
“F**k you!”
"Let’s go, Ami,” Zara tells me. She pulls me away as people start pulling out their phones. She grabs the bags we drop and usher me out of the building. I walk lifelessly back to the car. Two years of my life have been a lie. How could I not see it? Why did everyone else think he was a phony, but I couldn’t see it? He doesn’t love me.
“I’m so sorry, Ami, I’m so sorry,” She wraps her arms around me, and I break down sobbing.
Zara
******
We arrive at Jaden’s apartment thirty minutes later. Amaija has been sobbing nonstop and holding her stomach. My heart breaks for her; what do I say to her? Nothing will comfort her. I know from my own experience that words of solace more often comfort the ones who express them and not those receiving them.
I park the car, then walk to her side and help her out of the vehicle. She looks so fragile, and now I regret not letting her kill him. We make the short walk to the elevator then ride in silence to Jaden's floor.
“I was the other woman.” She whispers.
“No, Ami, you weren’t,” I tell her.
She looks at me; her eyes are lifeless. “She was with him for five years; I was with him for two. Five is longer than two; he loves her.” She starts crying again; I hurry to her side and hug her.
“You were too good for him,” I say, trying to give comfort.
“He doesn’t think that,” she responds.
“That’s because he’s an idiot,” I answer, which is true anyway.
The elevator opens to Jaden's floor, and we walk to his door and knock. I called him earlier and let him know what happened. Of course, I had to talk him down from murdering Xoi. “Imoto,” Jaden says.
“Oni chan” She runs in his arms and hugs him, sobbing.
“You were right,” she says between sobs. My breaks as I watch her.
“I didn’t want to be, not about this,” Jaden tells her. She sobs, gripping him, and I realize how much she was holding back with me because she’s now wailing.
“It’ll be ok, Imoto, you’ll be ok. I'll always be here for you."
Thirty minutes later, I’m sitting on the couch. Jaden walks in and sighs.
“How is she?” I ask.
“As expected, she’s fallen asleep. I can’t believe that asshole; I’m going to f**k him up.” He clenches his fist.
“You can’t be fighting all the boys who break your sisters’ hearts,” I say.
“Oh? Watch me.”He walks to the liquor cabinet and pours a drink.
“Want anything?” he asks me. Liquor would not be suitable in any situation while dealing with Jaden since I get drunk quickly. I would have a sip and then start [professing my crush.
Let's have a safe choice. “Orange juice.”He nods, walks to the kitchen, and comes back.
“Anything else?” His gaze fixed on me, and any other time I would have made a suggestive comment, but it doesn’t feel right at this moment.
“I have to go; I have dinner plans with my parents,” I tell him.
“Ohh” is his only response. He pulls away. “Please don’t tell Aunty Kenya about Xoi...”
“I know she would kill him,” I reply. We laugh; she has threatened many of Amaija, Brin, and Katrina’s boyfriends over the years. Because of her, our fathers and brothers rarely had to do anything because she was ready to go. That is why I didn’t introduce Marcus until after we eloped. I stand; he walks up to me and wraps his arms around me. Do I have to go? I ask myself as I inhale his cologne. I feel a little intoxicated as he pulls away. He walks me to the door.
“Call me if she needs me,” I say.
“How long will you be in town?” he surprisingly asks.
"I’m moving back...permanently.”
Jaden grins, “Great; I’m looking forward to your house calls, Doc.”
Heat flushes through my body as he closes the door. I want to scream; oh my god, he just flirted with me. I do a mini samba in the hallway, shaking my hips when I hear someone laughing behind me. I freeze.
“I didn’t mean to spy on you; you forgot your purse.”I turn around, slowly mortified; I’m so embarrassed, ground, please swallow me whole. I groan as I walk over to him.
“I got a text message, my residency transfer to NYU was successful,” I lie; my transfer has been approved for weeks, but he's finally showing interest. I can't look like a loser now.
“Oh, congratulations.”
"Thank you.”
“See you later,” he bids goodbye.“Yeah, see you.”I walk over to him, take my purse then flee the scene.
Amaija “Oni chan!” I whine. It’s been a week since I found out Xoi is a two-timing piece of shit. Since then, Jaden has discovered that the apartment he films in he, well I own it, he bought it with my money, signed my name on the mortgage, and lives there with his girlfriend of 5 years. I was the queen of idiots in this relationship, but the worse part of it is that I miss him. How do I miss someone who lied to me and used me? I feel the tears coming again, but I push them away. He’s not worth my tears. “Oni chan,” I call Jaden again. “Imoto?! Are you okay?” “Yeah, can you pass me the remote?” He frowns but grabs it. “Imoto, I have a lot of work to do,” he tells me. “Oni Chan, l need a hug,”He sighs and sits beside me on the couch, and pulls me into his comforting arms. He pulls away slowly. “We changed the locks on your apartment,”
Amaija I’m lying on the couch in my apartment. It’s been a month since I moved back in, and all I do is go to work, come back and watch movies. My family has been bugging me to go out, but why would I need to? Everything can be delivered nowadays. Well, everything except a man, but I’m off those for the next few years. It’s Saturday, and I’m in my mid-Saturday routine of ice cream and N*****x. I chuckle at a joke on the tv when my doorbell starts ringing. Ugh. I know it’s someone from my annoying family. I know they mean well but trying to drag me out of the house every weekend is not helping. Ding Dong! Ding Dong! I turn up the tv; they will leave eventually. Ding Dong, Ding Dong! My phone starts ringing. I ignore it. It vibrates. It’s a text message from Brin, ugh, not her. Anyone but her, she and Federico just got engaged, and while I am happy for her. I can’t sho
Eriq I sit naked, my balls freezing as this man pays me to pose for him. How are we in the same profession, but he can pay someone while I can barely afford rent? “Higher, lift your leg higher,” Pavlo instructs me. “This is the highest it can go, Pavlo,” I tell him. He scowls, gets up and walks over to me then leans in. “Hey, hey, no touching,” I remind him. He smirks. “Having fantasies about me, Enrique.” “It’s Eriq, asshole; you’re the one paying me to look at my ass,” I glare at him. “True, your body is a work of art. Now spread it wider,” “This doesn’t feel right; I already feel a cold draft on my balls,” I tell him. “And what Magnifique balls they are,” Pavlo says. I want to punch him in his face, but I’m two months behind on rent, my paintings aren’t selling, and I don’t want to ask my parents for money again. So I clench my fist but follow his instructions. He nods, then re
Amaija “Are you sure about this?” Brin asks. I nod as we scan through pages of information about sperm donation. Krystel emailed me a couple of days ago. It’s been two weeks since I’ve decided I wanted to have a baby. So far, I’ve only told Brin. “I’m positive, Brin; stop asking.” She sighs. “And what if you meet Mr. Right, but you’re pregnant by some stranger?” she prompts. “If he’s Mr. Right, he won’t care,” I respond. “What man wouldn’t... Frederico!” Brin calls her fiance, who pops his head out of the kitchen. “Si Belleza (yes beauty)” He comes in and kisses her long, passionate kiss. Why did I even come here? I should have told Zara we could wallow with ice cream and N*****x in our singleness. “Miele (honey), would you care if I was pregnant by another man when you met me?” “Of course not, Belleza. You are my soulmate. Even if you were pregnant, you were mine.” “ahh,” Brin says before they ki
Eriq I grab the painting and head for the door. I have to meet the buyer in ten minutes. I should have already been on my way, but I was up all night completing it, and I overslept. “F**k!” I grab it and dash out of the house as Glen walks up the stairs. “I don’t have time for the shit today, Glen; I told you no.” I walk past him down the stair to my car. I open the door of my beat-up old 98 Charger. It was my dad’s car until he gave it to me when I was sixteen. I was so proud of my car; I drove it everywhere until I got my bike. I still love it to this day, but I miss the rush that comes with riding my bike. I place the painting in the backseat as he walks up to me. “Come on; it’s easy money.” “For you, but I don’t want a bunch of kids running around with my DNA that I don’t know.” Having a kid is something special to me. I can't do it carelessly because I'm low on cash. “The likelihood of someone selecting you is low.
AmaijaOne month ago“We’ve been looking for a month. I don’t know why you’re so picky with picking a donor when you aren’t that picky with who you sleep with.” Brin says. I roll my eyes as we pull into the parking lot of the latest bank.“I am making a human, not just getting myself off. I have to pick the perfect man,” I say.“There is no such thing as the perfect man,” Zara says as we all exit the car.“Trouble in booty call paradise?” I ask, amused since she’s been singing a different tune for the last couple of weeks.“Your brother is an asshole. Can you believe he wants to sleep with other women?”Zar says.“He’s my brother, so yeah, I can believe it. He’s a great son and an even better brother, but a good boyfriend he is not. You knew this when you went in, though.”I say.“I know, but I tho
Eriq I catch the woman as she falls, and we tumble to the floor. She’s on top of me but quickly gets up. Amaija What damages? Are you trying to extort me, you piece of shit? Did you plan this after you found out who my family was? I clench my fist as my anger builds the never of this woman. "Last night, you tried to sexually harass me." "Sexually harass?" She says, furrowing her brows. "Yes, first you called me your baby daddy, then you tried to kiss me. Then you fainted; I could not find anyone who knows you, which means I had to leave work early and let me tell you, something woman, I need all the money I can get." "I…" "I’m not done talking. So after
Amaija In the three weeks since my insemination and subsequent run-in with my donor, I have been unable to forget him. I can’t forget his chiseled jawline, his deep hazel eyes, or his chestnut hair. He’s gorgeous and is the father of my child if I am indeed pregnant. For the third time today, I stare at the pregnancy test on the countertop. I have been putting it off because I am too scared to know for certain if I am pregnant or not. Assuming I am pregnant, then I’ll be a single parent, which is scary, but if I am not pregnant, I’ll be disappointed. The day has finally come to find out either way because I finally worked up the courage to take a pregnancy test. The only thing left to do is take it. I reach for the box slowly as my heart beats fast. Ding, Dong. I catch myself at the sound of the doorbell. Who could it be? I wasn’t expecting anyone. My eyes glance back and forth