"I win," Edward says excitedly and Chev scoffs as she drops the cards in her hands on the coffee table.

I groan before sitting up on the couch. "I'm beat," I say throwing the cards on the floor.

We've been at home hanging out for hours now. Edward had come over a little after one today and to say he was shit-faced when he saw my round stomach is an understatement.

His exact words were and I quote "There's no way I can compete with that. I give up, this dude already stuck his key in your box and soon it'll be pop goes the weasel", he had then proceeded to chat up Chev who was chilling on the couch. I thought that Chev may have given him a chance seeing as though she always talked about dating a rich dude but boy was I wrong.

I'm not too sure what he'd said to her but I do know he got one hell of a bitch slap.

"I'm not your damn back up plan Eddie," she'd said before walking out the room.

I was stunned. When was she and Eddie so chummy?

I'd left that weird moment alone for the day not questioning it seeing as though I'd get it out of one of them later. We'd decided to spend a day just hanging out. Shan was out of town with Dimitri so it was just me, Chev, Lexi and Edward.

Chev had tried to avoid Edward all day after she'd slapped him. Keyword, tried. He'd been a her little pest all day and finally after hours of annoying the hell out of Chev she'd agreed to play a "stupid game of cards" with him and I'd agreed to play to ease the tension.

"Well, I'm done," she says getting up.

"So quick?" Edward teases. "Thought you had more stamina than that Black."

She rolls her eyes before flipping him off. "Screw you Mcknight."

"I know. If I were you I'd want to screw me too," he sings mimicking Megan Trainor and I burst out laughing.

"Hey language!" Lexi scowls caressing her stomach. "There are babies here."

I am full on barking with laughter now and Chev scoffs her eyes glaring at us before walking away. I guess she is being the bigger person here by not replying.

"What y'all have to eat? I had taken an extra shift at the bar last night so I'm starving." She instead asks.

"Chicken pasta's in a container on the top shelf," Lexi yells after Chev as she makes her way towards my kitchen.

Lexi is poised in the single-seater across from us staring attentively at the TV at an interesting episode of The New House Wives of Atlanta.

"She's just bailing out because I won," Edward jokes as he stacks up the cards in his hands before shuffling them.

"I highly doubt that," I say as I watch him shuffle the cards entranced as a kid at a carnival.

"Pick a card," he muses holding the hand of cards to me. "Any card."

After deliberating whether or not to take part in his childish games I shrug and figured it won't be bad to play along. I grab a card from the middle of the stack and look at it.

Two hearts.

I put it back in the stack and look at Edward with a rise of my brow. "Fetch my card Magician boy."

He chuckles before shuffling the deck. "As the lady demands."

"So Izzy, when are you going to be through with that portfolio for the dinner's upgrades?" Chev asks as she crashes down beside me on the couch.

"I'm almost through with it," I say as a smile breaks across my face. "I've scanned through the upgrades that Chris suggested, they're good but I've added a few more. I mean the land he owns is huge and I've even thought about adding another floor to it and branching out there's just do many opportunities-"

"Hey, I just asked when you're going to be through not how it's going," Chev says as she chows down the pasta. "I wasn't interested in the details. Business is just getting slow. I had to take up a job at a bar downtown and their night shifts are awful."

"Your card ma'am," Edward says interrupting our conversation and I take it from his hand.

After multiple plucks my card had finally emerged from the pack and I smile at him before looking at it.

Two hearts.

"Correct," I clap and he chuckles. "Not bad Eddie."

"I know right. I'd make one sexy Magician," he gloats as he makes himself comfortable on the floor.

Chev scoffs before stuffing her face.

"That may be true but I wouldn't quit my day job if I were you bud," I tease and he fakes a 'ha, ha, ha'.

"She's right McKnight," Chev pipes in. "Wouldn't want to upset your dear old dad. Would you?"

Edward shares a brief look with Chev who is full on glaring at him. The look might have been short but the emotions that floods his eyes tell-tale that the situation is nothing short of intense.

What is going on here? All this tension is building up and suffocating me. Is there something going on here that I don't know about?

"Boo you whore!" Lexi yells and our eyes move to her so fast I swear I heard our necks crack.

She looks at us like a deer caught in headlights before clearing her throat and pointing at the TV. "Kenya was being a bitch again."

The embarrassed expression she has on her face is priceless. She resembles a two year old who's caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"You're such an awful mother figure," I scold playfully at a pouting Lexi. "Your baby just heard that!"

"He or she's not even out yet and you're teaching them swear words," Chev adds faking a surprised look with a shake of her head.

"Shame on you," Edward finishes with his arms crossed. "And here you were scolding us about your language. You need to your mouth out with soap young lady."

Lexi gives us a once over before flipping us off. "Fu-dge you guys!"

And just like that we all fall into fits of laughter.

****

"So," I say as Edward and I sit on my bed.

"So?" He repeats looking at me like he had no idea what I wanted to talk about.

It's a little late in the night now and Edward and I are conversing. Well trying to. It was a few minutes ago that we all decided to relax, I didn't argue because I was beat and wanted to go to my room to rest. Chev had offered to accompany me but I declined saying I needed to talk to Edward. She was a little taken back at my request but followed through.

So we left the girls watching TV to go to my room but I hadn't missed the look that Chev gave us looking over her shoulder. A look of regret, longing and guilt. One I knew too well.

"Come on you know what I want to hear," I say playfully shoving him. "Spill it."

"On your chest? I didn't know you were into that stuff, Isabelle."

I look at him mouth agape before swatting him upside his head.

"You sure that's the head you want to hit Izzy?" Edward asks with a smirk and I lost it.

The audacity of this man.

I slap him repeatedly all over - and no I did not hit the other head. To onlookers it looks like a cat fight and believe me this kitty is out for the win. He tries to fight away my hands but he's too scared of hurting me and my baby so he refrains from using much force. Perks of being pregnant.

"Tell me?" I chant as I continue my assaults.

"Tell me!" I whine and he groans.

"Tell me!" I demand shoving him annoyingly.

"Fine, fine, fine!" He explodes and I cease my attacks. "I'll tell you, bloody hell!"

Instantly a grin broke across my face. "Yeah me," I say clapping my hands together and Edward rolls his eyes.

"Sometimes I think you're becoming a kid rather than creating one," he mutters and I whack him upside the head.

"I heard that," I say with a glare.

He scoffs sitting up and I look at him attentively as I hug my JBear.

He opens his mouth ready to spout some playful insult and I give him a look that causes him to shut his mouth. He straightens up himself and looks over at me before huffing.

"Okay, so she and I kinda... Dated a few months ago," he rushes out and my mouth falls.

"She?" I ask smugly. "She who?"

He glares at me before grunting out a response. "You know who."

"No I don't," I say faking confusion. "Come be a big boy and tell me."

"Cheverlie!" He says sharply. "I used to date Cheverlie."

"Well I'm not surprise," I state as I lean back on my pillow. "It was kinda obvious. Her pain filled looks, your lustful looks and the sexual tension was thicker than chicken tenders."

"Chicken tenders?" He asks with a raised brow.

"Do not question my simile," I state. "So what happened to you guys?"

He releases a breath and rises from the bed. "Life."

"Okay now you sound like sappy guy in a Chic flick. Stop being so vague and spill your guts or would you rather I use a knife and spill them for you."

"You're a gory person you know that," he states and I shrug.

"I was merely saying if you won't spill willingly I'll just dig deeper and deeper until you finally spill it all."

"Now that just sound sexual and wrong as fuck."

"Edward just tell me what happened," I say finally annoyed. He's dodging the question.

"Fine, my father," he breathes. "My dad didn't take it well finding out my lover was a waitress. Someone of no importance, a slave to the demand of public as he calls it."

"Let me guess, rich ass dad that wants you to marry a rich ass girl who'll give you socially acceptable children who are perfect in his mind. Or in other words he wants purebred grandchildren?"

"Yes... But purebred? You make it sound like my kids are going to be dogs."

"Well if the woof fits..."

He glares icily at me and I hold up my hands surrendering. "I'm joking McKnight. Don't get your iron undies in a twist."

"You're something else Isabelle Hinds," he says shaking him head and what I'd initially requested his presence to talk about came back to me.

"Yeah, about that my name's not Isabelle Hinds," his dark eyes stare at me confused and I sigh. "My name is Christina Hase."

After that revelation go to through a long explanation that he listens attentively to and at some parts asks questions to clarify some misunderstandings. By the end of it all he forgives me and I'm happy. Happy to not have him as a guy who wanted to get in my pants nor an enemy but rather a friend.

"So something just crossed my mind," I pipe up. "If you and Chev dated why was she basically pushing me to be with you?"

He shrugs. "Maybe she's trying to make it look like she's over me by giving her friend the chance with me. I was doing something similar when I started to pursue you. I thought I could get over her through you. I guess I was fooling myself... She'll always be my Care Bear."

I chuckle at the name. "How can Chev be a Care Bear? She must be a new updated and violent version."

"I don't mind that. The sassier the better. She'll put up more of a fight," he grins as he stares out in space probably remembering something.

I whack him with the pillow and he glares at me. "What the hell?"

"Stop remembering you and my friend having sex while you're on my bed!" I yell whacking him again.

"It's not my fault your corner's been dry for months Christina."

I smirk at him knowingly. "Oh my corners been anything but dry. Especially the corner you're sitting on right now."

He looks at me confused before realization kicks in and he jumps off my bed shouting bloody murder. I almost drop off the bed with the amount of laughing I'm doing.

"You should see your face!" I laugh at a red faced Edward.

"Not funny. You should've given me a warning beforehand!"

"Oh calm down, the sheets were changed."

"But the mattress wasn't, his liquids could still be on it!" He says looking horrified.

"Oh, man up!" I tease. "Wouldn't that work for women too? Semen takes 5 days before they die out so when you fuck a girl that's had sex in less than five days you're practically swimming in other men's semen."

"That's it!" He shouts. "I'm leaving."

He storms to my door but I call out to him before he leaves.

"What?" He asks with a glare.

"Don't give... Up on... Chev," I say through laughter. "I can see she still cares. Don't make your family determine who you love and marry. Get her ass back and show her who she belongs to."

He raises a brow with a smirk. "That'd be more motivating if you weren't laughing like a dimwit."

"Hey! Rude! And here I am helping you."

"I wasn't trying to be nice," he says matter-of-factly before continuing through my bedroom door.

Ungrateful.

I sigh as my laughter fades and reach over for my phone on the nightstand. I need to hear my JBear's voice. It's been weeks since he's left and I am being to show. The therapy classes are going well, I'm able to look at pictures of men with blue eyes without getting a panic attack but I've yet to try a picture of Johnattan. Honestly I'm too scared to.

Dr Monroe believes that starting small with pictures can help me get over this fear. He advises me to control my mind and not fall a victim to it. Easier said than done but so far I'm doing well.

"Hey Christina?" A voice calls surprising me. I release my phone just to catch it before it falls to the floor. That was close. I look over at the door at Edward who looks at me many emotions flickering in his dark eyes. "Yes?"

"I won't give up and thanks," he says genuinely.

"No problem. Now go get her Magician boy," I grin.

"As the lady demands."

****

So this is just a filler chapter.

So much more things are to happen in this book just enjoy the rode because it's going to get bumpy real soon.

Buhahahaha

Love,

Mama Perv😍😻😝