Empress

It's been three months since me and Darien been hanging out and I've been procrastinating because I don't really want to talk to Esha.

Right now me and Eli are in my room laying across the bed with Lias. I was rubbing my fingers through his little curls while he tried to talk.

"Can't believe my baby about to be one" I said sadly gazing at Eli and he was smirking.

"Shii I'm happy he bout to be my lil partner in crime" he said and I rolled my eyes

"You is not finna have my baby out here doing crazy shit" I said and he just smiled.

"Anyway back to what I was saying before you gonna reach out to the girl or not?" He asked and I groaned out loud

" I don't know how to get in contact with her" I said and Eli smacked his teeth

"At this point I feel like you being childish" he said and I sat up

"How the fuck am I being childish Eli please let me know" I said waving my hand around

"Lose you fucking tone or I'm out I don't got time for no fucking attitude" he said

"Ok but let me know" I repeated

" look you know that girl got the same social media and you even said your self she tried to reach out but you didn't respond so tell me how you don't know how to get in contact with her?" He asked and I looked down at Lias playing

"Oh my goodness ok" I said and he shook his head

"You gotta do better let the past be the past " he said and I nodded

I pulled out my phone and looked up her name on Facebook. I called her from messenger but she didn't answer the first time so I tried again.

"Hello" she answered

"Umm hey this Empress" I said

"Hey at first I was like is this a fake account" she said laughing a little bit I didn't

"I was wondering if you wanted to grab some lunch and talk things over" I asked

"That would be great you available today?" She asked eagerly

"Yea meet me at the diner over on 8th street at 4" I said and she responded with an ok

"Done" I said and Eli smiled and laid on top of me

"Good girlllllllll" he said and I laughed and pushed him up

"What I can't lay on you now" he asked and I shook my head

"Go lay on yo fiancé " I said and he smacked his teeth

"I don't know why you feel some type of way about it you the one who got engaged to her" I said mugging him

" you don't think I know that shit ma..I want you but I fucked up and I get that" he said

I just looked at him. Sometimes I just wish we could up and leave and just be a lil family in a small town but that won't help anything.

"I love you soo much Eli but we been doing good as friends let's just chill" I said and he put his hand over his eyes

"Ight ma whatever you say" he said

"NO" Lias yelled making my giggle

"What you taking bout lil boy" I said pushing him back on the bed

"STWOP" he yelled hitting my leg

"Nigga I'm finna beat you up" I said putting up my fist and he feel back laughing

I looked up and Eli was just looking and smiling

"You and Darien together now" he asked and I shook my head

"No we just friends cause he got a lil to much going on right now" I said

"Like what?" He asked and I shook my head

"After we had our fifth little date or whatever he admitted that he fucked this girl and now she pregnant after I found that out I completely friend zoned him we just besties now" I said and he nodded

"All these niggas you got as you bestie" he said and I laughed

"I only have two Darien and Josh I'm single as a Pringle and I'm just viben " I said and he nodded

His phone rung and it was his fiancé. "You not gonna answer our fiancé" I asked and he laughed."Yoooo you a trip, but ima head out " he's said and I nodded

He kissed my forehead and picked up Lias and played with him for a quick second and kissed him then left

I got up and went in the bathroom and started running a lil water to wash Lias up

"Go to" he asked reaching out for me

"Come on baby" I said carrying him to the tub. I washed him up and rubbed him down in some lotion then I put him on a diaper and rocked him to sleep so I could get ready.

Once I was finished I went in the

bathroom and took a lil pic

When I finished I went and got Lias up. "Get up man let's get you dressed" I said picking him up

"Down" he said trying to get out of my arms

"Lias wait boy " I said putting on his black polo shirt.

"NOOOO" he yelled falling out

"Make me pop your ass" i said raising my hand a little. He stopped and let me put on his yellow shorts and black and yellow J's.

"Eat Eat " he said walking to the kitchen. "Come here boy" I yelled behind him and he turned around and start mugging me.

"TALWKING TO" he yelled moving his little head around

"I'm talking to your long legged ass COME HERE" I said and he walked over to me.

I rubbed some moose through his curls and grabbed my keys

"Come on baby " I said reaching for his hand and walking out side .

When I pulled up to the diner and sent Esha a text asking where she was. She responded with inside in the back.

I got Lias out and walked in the building. I seen her wave at me and I walked towards her. I sat down and asked the waitress for a high chair.

Tory was sitting beside here mom coloring on a sheet of paper.

"Hey TT Em" she smiled and I smiled back

"Hey baby girl how you been?"I asked her

"Good your baby cute" she said and I smiled

"Thank you, say thank you Li" i said looking at him

"NO" he yelled and I rolled my eyes

"I hate that he learned that word" I said and Esha laughed

"How old is he" she asked

"He finna be one next month" I said and she nodded

"He gonna be tall as hell" she said and I agreed

"Ok so I asked to meet up because

we need to put the past behind us, I'm not gonna lie I didn't want to do this at first but I have some questions" I said and she signaled for me to continue

"Why did you act that way back then on social media?" I asked as the waitress came and took our orders

" I was going through some shit at the time and I didn't have nobody I felt like I could talk to, then it was like every time I got on social media I would see pictures of you and Eli and how happy y'all looked and me and Shawn we're going through some things and I just took it out on you because I was jealous" she said

" jealous of what though I don't understand that" I said

" I was jealous of the fact that Eli was always there with you you didn't have to sit up late nights wondering when he was going to come home or when your kids going to see him again I was jealous because you actually look happy and me I was just stuck in the funk and I wasn't happy at all" she said

"OK but that's the problem instead of being jealous and envious you could've reached out cause I needed someone I could talk to also, I wasn't happy the whole entire time I was in a relationship with Eli either especially when I found out he cheated on me whether it was him only get his dick sucked or not it was the the principle of it and how I was on the phone listening to them the entire time and then he had the nerve to come home and get in the bed with me without even showering and on top of that he was always so rude to me,we got problems just like everybody else and guess what we still having problems but we're handling it better than we did before" I explained

"I understand that now and I also want to apologize because I did handle that the wrong way I had no business taking it to social media I had no business saying what I said not even knowing what was really going on and I really do truly from the bottom of my heart apologize and I really miss you" she said smiling at me a little

" i'm not gonna lie I was caught all the way off guard about that whole situation but I can find it in my heart to forgive you because I'm trying to mature as a person and I got other stuff going on in my life and I don't need this on top of it so I accept your apology I also apologize if I came off any type away towards you and we can just put this behind us and move on we grown ass women and we need to just work on our friendship again" I said

" agreed" she said

"Ma Dada" Lias said

"Want daddy?" I asked him and he nodded eating a fry.

" how are you and Eli now" she asked

"We good he's engaged and I'm just Vibin I've been single for a while now" I said

" I feel that me and Shawn we're done there's nothing else to us I tried to repair it but he didn't wanna be with me no more" she said shrugging

"Girl I was heartbroken when me and Eli split up I knew I just had to focus on me and my child, now I did fall for him again but when I found out that he was engaged that blew my mind I was like damn but now we just best friends I guess we're really close and we always express our feelings towards each other but I think that's just because now that we're separated we have better communication because girl honestly he just brutally honest with everything he tells me he's always been like that but now it's just I understand him better I just feel like we needed this time apart" I said and she nodded

"DADA NOW" Lias yelled

" and him he just like his damn daddy get on my nerves" I said Pulling out my phone to call him but he didn't answer

We sat and talked a little longer just catching up until it was time to go.

When we got in the car I tried calling him again but no answer. When I pulled out of the parking lot my phone ring and it was Eli but when I answered it was wa his fiancé

"Hello where is Eli " I asked and she sniffled

"Can you meet me at the hospital he's been shot and it's not looking good" she said and my heart stopped.