She turned and held his gaze. “You’ve done more than enough.” Harlem glanced down at her belly. She hadn’t even begun to show. Harlem didn’t have any fight left. “I will call you as soon as I get settled.”
Carter knew she was already stressed out, and as much as he wanted to push, he decided not to. It wasn’t good for the baby. “If you don’t call in fifteen minutes, I’m coming inside. Understood?”
She could only muster two words. “I’ll call.” Harlem turned, opened the door, and walked through it.
She rested her back against the door and closed her eyes. Finally, she could breathe. Harlem stood motionless for a while. She wasn’t sure for how long but knowing Carter, if she didn’t call, he would come busting into her place. The mere sight of him was too much. It pierced the bubble of her fantasy and allowed the truth to seep in.
Her soul couldn’t handle it.
Harlem pushed off the door. She fished for her phone inside her back pocket and dialed Carter’s number. He answered before it finished the first ring. “I’m fine and safe.”
Carter hadn’t left. He had been standing outside waiting. “Good. Harlem?”
She whispered. “What?”
“I may not be who you want to call for anything, but I promise, I’ll always be here for you and the baby. We’ll figure this out.”
Tired, Harlem sighed. “Goodnight, Carter.” She ended the call. The phone slipped from her hands and fell to the floor. Harlem didn’t bother to pick it up. Instead, she dragged her weary body into her bedroom.
Their bedroom.
Fully clothed, Harlem crawled into the bed and rolled over onto his side. She had left his sweatshirt there. She pulled it close and inhaled deeply.
It still smelled of him.
Her heart cried out. We were finally on the verge of having the family you always wanted! Her tears fell like an endless storm of torrential rains. At some point, Harlem started to fall asleep. Every time her eyes closed, he would appear in her dreams.
Harlem wished she could sleep forever. Maybe in her dreams, he would forgive her.
Chapter 4
Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. The sound of someone at Harlem’s door woke her up. She cracked open one eye and looked at the clock on her nightstand. Does that say 10:23am? Harlem never slept so late.
She moaned. Her body felt as if it had been run over by a truck. The unceasing noise of the doorbell kept Harlem from pulling the covers over her head and ignoring it. She got out of bed, then reached for her robe and put it on.
“I’m coming!” Harlem dragged her feet as she loosely tied the bathrobe closed and walked over to the door. She looked through the peephole and groaned inwardly as she opened the door. “Why are you here?”
Carter ignored her and strode inside carrying two large paper bags, one in each hand. He kept walking clear through to the kitchen.
Harlem’s steps were heavy as she plodded barefoot on the hardwood floors behind him. “I didn’t say you could come in.”
Carter placed the bags on the table and started taking out the contents. He hadn’t spared her even a glance. “I won’t be long. I remember where everything goes.”
Harlem watched as he removed pint after pint of black-walnut ice-cream. “How many of those things did you buy?”
Carter opened the sub-zero freezer. “Enough so that you won’t be traipsing around the city late at night.”
His words stung and pissed her off. “Why do I have to keep repeating myself? You’re not responsible for me.”
“For the same reason I have to keep repeating myself. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.”
Harlem’s craving hadn’t subsided. She bit her lower lip, hoping to beat it back. Finally, she gave in and like a petulant child, stomped over to the utensil drawer and grabbed a spoon. She spoke softly but mostly to herself. “What’s another broken promise?”
Carter stilled for a moment but didn’t respond.
Defeated, Harlem asked, “Can I have one of those?”
He handed her a container. It was also the first time he took a really good look at her in recent weeks. Even though Harlem was wearing a robe, it had come open, and he noticed that she still had her clothes on from the night before. Bone strait, sandy brown hair that was usually never out of place was all over her head. Her bronze-colored skin that typically had a natural sun-kissed glow, had a jaundiced look to it. Carter couldn’t help but see the dark circles underneath her eyes, and she had lost weight. He thought pregnant women were supposed to gain weight, but Harlem was doing the opposite.
Regardless of her words, she was not okay. As a matter of fact, Harlem was struggling, and he had to do something about it. Carter watched as she sat down at the table with her ice-cream. He ran a tired hand across his face. “You’ve got to start taking better care of yourself. You have a baby to think about.”
Harlem had just stuck a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Suddenly, it didn’t taste as good as she thought it would. Her head lowered as she stared into the container. Her vision blurred as a teardrop fell into it. She whispered. “I’m doing the best that I
