𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨
﹥━━━━━━━━━━﹤

"It just doesn't make sense." Morgan rants to me on the phone.

I pat myself down to make sure I have my keys and wallet on me before leaving the parking lot and I do.

Some guy I've never seen before daps me up in passing and I let him but I have no idea who that is.
I look back at him to make sure he didn't pickpocket me or anything, and distracted, I run into just the man I came here to see.

Tate slaps my back strong and does this toothy, airy laugh he always does while holding his chest. It's weird, but it's Tate, everything he does just screams wealthy. He's a character, that's for sure - like a stereotypical trust fund frat boy. Except, that's exactly who he is. The only difference is, Tate's father actually makes him work. Tate Slaughter is the son of Raymond Slaughter-- millionaire, investment banker, and co-owner of an oil company.

"Yeah, babe, I don't know either. It's weird." I reply to her as I stand outside, smoking a jay with Tate while waiting for our reservation.

"I just don't get why I can't get pregnant." She vents.

I feel terrible, she's so devastated. I'm frustrated too but I know it'll happen when it's time. My thing is, why are all these other people getting pregnant left and right when they're unfit mothers, and Morgan— who literally would be the world's best mother— can't seem to get pregnant.

"It's not you, baby." I assure her.

"Then it must be you." She says, making me choke.

Tate pats my back and laughs at me.

I push the sunglasses over my hairline after passing Tate the joint he rolled.

"Trust me, this factory is running."

"What if it's not? Would you check?"

"Check how?" I raise an eyebrow, pacing along the sidewalk.

"Like, go to the doctor."

"I don't think that's necessary. Look, it's probably just not the right time."

"Well it needs to be!" She whines.

Tate whistles to get my attention and tells me it's time to be seated. I only don't want to make him wait because he's been a while since we did lunch.

"Babe, listen, I'm walking into the restaurant I gotta go. I'll bring you something back."

"You can't talk to me in the restaurant?" She makes me laugh.

"I can, but I'm with Tate, so."

"Oh," she monotones. "Hi, Tate. Ask him if he heard from Jasmine?"

"He can hear you." I say, putting it on speaker.

Tate invades my personal space as we follow the hostess to the booth.

"Hey, Morgan. Yeah, I heard from her; she's at my house right now." Tate says, making me curl my face in confusion.

They're moving awfully fast, I think in my head. And by "they", I mean Jasmine. What's her deal?

"Oh, uh, well can you tell her to call me? It's been two weeks." Morgan's voice changes to a more sad one.

"Sure thing. Make sure you text Chrissy what you want, it's on me!" Tate says before I snatch my phone back.

"I'll see you later," I tell Morgan. "Text me."

"Bye, I love you." She sighs.

"I love you, too." I say before letting her hang up first.

"Thanks, doll." Tate winks at the hostess and slips her a cash tip before she leaves us with a couple of menus.

I put my phone face down on the table and scratch my chin, thinking.

"Uh-oh, I can see smoke coming from your ears, what are you thinking about?" Tate jokes, slapping my knee under the table.

I shake my head and slide further away from him.

"Morgan's upset she can't get pregnant." I vent.

"Have you been trying?"

I look at him slow for that dumb question.

He laughs out loud. "Well, I mean, raw? What about the position, I hear that matters?"

"Raw, and in every position imaginable."

"Still nothing? Does her shit work?"

"Of course it does, man."

"Like, she checked?"

My cold glare makes Tate throw up his arms. "Just making sure, dude. What about you?"

"She asked me that, too. I don't know why it wouldn't."

"Wouldn't hurt to check, you have had a lot of experience."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, I fucked over two hundred girls when I went to Brown, and I got a lot of diseases— chlamydia mostly, crabs— and now my sperm are dead. It's not a bad thing, though, I get to shoot blanks, the freaks love that."

I curl my face at all of that involuntarily information.

"I've never had a fucking STD, dude."

"How do you know? When was the last time you got tested?" He asks me, snapping for a waitresses attention finally.

I return home from a morning jog with Duke and let him run around in the backyard while Stevie's inside with her pups. They're almost three weeks old now, but doing great.

Duke cries when he sees Stevie's favorite toy, and brings it to me.

I pat his head. "Sorry, buddy, one more week." I tell him, throwing the rope across the yard.

I step inside and see Morgan cleaning the kitchen.

"Hey, baby." I speak, walking towards her.

When she doesn't say anything, I figure she just didn't hear me because I was further away.

So, I grab her by the waist and she hits me with rubber gloves.

"Don't touch me!" She grits her teeth, stomping away.

"What I do— oh, babe, is this about the other night?"

"And last night, and the night before, and the night before that!" She scolds me, stomping upstairs.

"I'm sorry, I've been tired!" I shout after her, trying to apologize until I hear our bedroom door slam.

I hang my head and groan, mentally kicking myself.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, I think as I facepalm myself.

I scratch my balls, looking at the calendar, and decide to call Tate.

"Go for Tate." He answers the phone.

"Tate, it's me." I tell him.

"Oh, Chris, what's up, brother?"

I pause. "You still don't have my number saved?"

"The only numbers I have saved are my father's and whatever lady I'm talking to at the time which is Jasmine. By the way, we finally fucked last night, talk about the blacker the berry, sweeter the juice-"

I full body cringe and try hard to push that image out of my head.

"Very disgusting, Tate."

"Sorry not sorry, brother. Now what's up? Talk fast, I'm on the course."

"You're golfing without me?"

"You sound like a jealous girlfriend right now, Chrissy, it's turning me on." He jokes.

I suck my teeth, ignoring his games. "When the fuck are these results gonna be back?"

"Sheesh, they still haven't called you? You're definitely burning, man."

I stop and think I'm about to have a heart attack but Tate starts laughing.

"Kidding, dude. Sometimes it takes a bit longer, it's been what, five days? Give it one more or at least until the end of the day."

My phone lights up and I pull it away from my ear to see the screen. It's an incoming call from an unsaved number.

"Shit, this might be them." I whisper.

"Call me back with good news." Tate says before hanging up.

I pick up the other call. "Hello?"

"Hi, can I speak with Chris Vaughn?"

"You are."

"Hi, this is Nora, we met the other day-"

"Yeah, yeah, do you have the results?"

She laughs slightly. "Sorry to make you wait so long, but you're clean. All your tests came back negative."

I have a slow moment and ask, "Negative is good, right?"

"Yes, very. Have a good day, Mr.Vaughn."

"You too." I rush her off the phone to hurry and call Tate back.

"That was quick," Tate picks up. "Do we get to celebrate or is Morgan gonna kill you?"

"Ha ha," I sarcastically laugh. "it's good, I'm negative."

"Not even chlamydia?"

"No, Tate."

"Well, shit. Good for you."

"Yeah, but I haven't even hugged Morgan in five days now and I couldn't tell her why, now she's pissed at me."

"You didn't fuck her because you were waiting for your results? When was the last time you slept with someone else?"

"Like, last year." I think back to the night Sabrina had her way with me without me knowing. My body shudders.

"So, if you had something, Morgan would've been had it, dude, you didn't have to cold turkey her." He makes some sense. I was just paranoid I guess, thinking I was being safe.

"Hey, Jasmine told me to tell you and Morgan she asked for you."

"The fuck she asking for me for?" I grumble, looking through the freezer for vanilla ice cream. Once I find it, I look in the fridge for chocolate syrup.

I kick the refrigerator door shut with my foot and take the ingredients upstairs.

Tate chuckles. "She doesn't hate you as much as you think, dude."

"Eh, well, that's nice. I gotta go."

"Gotta go get your dick wet?"

"Yup." I boast, letting Tate hang up before I can.

"Oh, Morgannnnn!" I sing, running up the rest of the stairs.

✕

"You got syrup in my hair!" Morgan complains, washing her long blonde locs.

"It's probably somewhere else, too, let me check." I joke.

She swats me away, giggling.

I step out of the shower before Morgan and wrap a towel around my waist.

"That's my towel, Chris." Morgan raises her voice over the running water.

I look down at the pink towel I accidentally grabbed with her initials on it. Oops.

"It looks cuter on me!" I shout as I stand in the mirror.

My hair's wet and now that I'm looking at it, I think it's time for another haircut. Morgan likes it this length, though, but it's not my look anymore. I am liking the facial hair, though, so I skip shaving today.

After brushing my teeth, I slap on lotion and leave the bathroom to go put on some clothes.

Since I'm working from home today, I go with a casual outfit - navy blue oversized tee, my chain, rings, and watch, white crew socks, and a pair of black gym shorts. Best part about working from home is the comfort.

I mix my signature scents and dance in them.

Morgan walks into our bedroom to see me shimmying through the scent cloud.

"You good?" She asks me, carefully walking to her closet.

"I'm great!" I exclaim.

After what we just did, I feel like I could conquer the world.

Morgan, shaking her head, laughs at me.

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door that makes Duke bark wildly.

I jump onto the bed and wrap Morgan's sweater around my neck like a cape.

"What do you think my superhero name would be?" I ask her, posing nobly.

"Superdouche." She makes fun, getting dressed.

I jump off of the bed and land like a Marvel character before racing downstairs to answer the door.

My feet slow down, though, when I see my mother peeking in the window.

"The fuck?" I say to myself.

I hesitate to open the door and let them in but eventually do.

"Hey?" I greet them awkwardly.

"Hi, baby!" Mom jumps into my arms.

"What's up, son?" Asks Dad, patting my back.

"What are you guys doing here?" I genuinely wonder.

"Staying for the weekend, silly. Didn't Morgan tell you?" Mom keeps a grin on her face.

I shake my head no and they just laugh.

Mom says, "We'll go put our stuff in the in-law suite and meet you in the kitchen for lunch. Hungry?"

I run back upstairs and bump into Morgan.

"Jesus, slow down." She looks dizzy.

"What are my parents doing here?"

She blinks at me. "Visiting?"

I suck my teeth. "Why? They. Were. Just. Here." I emphasize every word.

Morgan laughs at me. "You literally told me they could stay."

"When?"

"Two weeks ago."

"When?" I repeat, still clueless.

"Right after Stevie gave birth, you and I were laying on the couch, watching Bluey, and I asked you if they could come over."

"What? I was literally half-sleep."

"That's typically the best time to ask you for things." Morgan shrugs.

I dramatically drop my jaw. "Deceitful!"

Morgan laughs. "It's not that serious, Chris. Plus I need Mom's help."

"Then call your mom!"

"No!" Morgan whisper-yells at me. "I invited them because Mary told me how you treated her on the phone!"

I can't even lie or act like I don't know what she's talking about.

Okay. Karma- 1,564,789. Me-0.

As Morgan walks down the steps casually, calling for her future in-laws, I stare off in the distance like a character in a sitcom breaking the fourth wall.

✕

Laughter fills the living room as it's been for the last three hours.

Morgan's doing what she does best and entertaining my parents.

Dinner was kind of awkward. I didn't talk much but only because my parents don't give me enough time to miss them and have anything new to say.
Morgan, however, can talk for hours and she always has something interesting to say.

My phone rings so I have an excuse to go outside and smoke a much needed blunt.

"Yo." I say to Jabari upon answering.

"What's up?" He talks.

"Nothing, really. What's going on?"

"Shit. You never hit me back about Jas, what she up to?"

"Oh," I blow smoke. "I'm not worried about her anymore."

"What you mean?"

I scratch the back of my neck, trying to think of what to say. "Haven't seen her, so, I wasn't really checking."

"Well, I'm worried about her. What she been doing, bro?"

I laugh. "I'm telling you, I don't know."

"You don't?" He sounds almost like he's testing me, like he knows something I don't.

"Look, that's her business. When you were seeing other girls, I didn't go back and tell her."

"That's different, we boys."

"But I'm not a spy, man. And she's single, right? I think you should just stop caring."

"Do you hear yourself? Would you just stop caring if you and Morgan broke up?"

"We wouldn't, though, that's the difference."

"But if." He repeats, putting emphasis on the hypothetical.

I sigh deeply, pacing along the perimeter of the pool. "I would do my own dirt."

Jabari scoffs. "Yeah, alright. I see where your loyalty lies."

"Don't question me because your— hello? Shit." I get frustrated when I realize Jabari's hung up.

I didn't want this. This isn't even my business. I don't give a fuck about Jasmine, let alone their divorce. Jabari is my friend, I've tried being there for him. He's so torn up over this divorce that he's not thinking straight. Now I'm getting blamed for his ex having an affair? I don't even approve of Tate and Jasmine together, but I'm not going to break them up or intervene? They're grown. Besides, I know it's just a fling - Jasmine's only trying to "get her groove back."
I've done all I could. Hell, was a good friend when I told him Jasmine found someone else. That's enough. That's more than enough. And he has the nerve to talk about me being loyal, get the fuck out of here.

I light the blunt again and sit in a lawn chair under the stars.