A/N

The missing chapter

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"Markeyvius." Dr. Allen called out, Key was lost in the sauce at the current moment. It had been three days since Lay had been off the grid, no phone or anyway to contact her. The last text he had from her was her telling him she was safe and after that messages stopped being delivered and they turned green.

"Huh?" He asked focusing his attention back to Dr. Allen.

"Where are you at right now?" The doctor asked him, Key trained his focus on the therapist.

"I'm here witchu." Key knew what Dr. Allen was asking but he didn't want to bring it up.

"Nah, you're elsewhere. Last session you told me you were going to let me in a little bit more.. what happened to that?" Dr. Allen clicked the top of her pen.

"I'm just thinking about the mother of my child .. she just recently went to Belize for a break from me and our daughter. Mind you she's pregnant. I just feel like it was a little selfish." He sighed and that's how he really felt.

"Based on what you've told me about her Markeyvius, it wasn't selfish it just seems selfish to you because you're used to having unlimited access to her. Her taking care of herself to better herself for her, you and the kids is not a bad thing Key. Why do you associate women leaving as a bad or selfish thing?" Dr. Allen did her research on him and she knew why she just wanted him to say it.

"You tell me." He huffed, he felt like she was playing with him and this is exactly why he didn't like going to therapy. Nobody wanna talk about their feelings all the time.

"Mm. I don't need therapy. You do." She gave him the same attitude he provided her with. He wasn't used to women strategically getting right back with him. Key was getting ready to walk out but he possibly had a son on the way and he wanted his son to be a better man than him. He wanted to be a better man for his son.

"My mama went to prison for 15 years when I was real young." He sighed sitting back on the couch.

"Okay, how'd that make you feel?" She asked getting her notepad and pen ready.

"Alone like fuck. I mean my granny raised me so I looked to her as if she was my mama you know? Started playing with sticks when I was six. I didn't know anything else, when I was about 16, I started hitting the streets selling drugs. I had to make a way for us and when I tell you my granny chased me around our house with a belt trying to whoop me when she found out. We both ended up out of breath just laughing and then those laughs turned into tears when she told me how sick she was and she just wanted what was best for me. Right when my mama got out for good behavior, my granny passed and I held that promise to her that I would stay out the streets and stay to my music." Dr. Allen handed him a box of tissues.

"Wow. I'm sorry for your loss. How did that make you feel losing what was like your mother and then gaining your maternal one back?" She was intrigued.

"Thanks. My world crumbled and came back together, I feel like I didn't have any time to grieve either loss. I felt like my mama was selfish for what she did to go away my whole life and selfish of my granny to die on me." He shook his head, Key knew what he was saying was wrong and he knew that his granny dying wasn't his choice.

"What you're feeling is very real Key, it's called abandonment. Childhood abandonment causes so many issues and one of them being emotional dependency on a spouse or romantic partner. Is that something you would like to work on?" She asked, Key nodded his head. He was tired of being overbearing to Lay and he wanted to start living his own life. Especially because he really was going to try and date outside of Lay. He wanted to be welcoming of whomever Lay decided to date.

"Mm. Sounds bout right. So what do you suggest?" He asked her since she knew all the answers.

"I suggest you learn how to listen to respond and not to react. Like you were telling me earlier about your mom and how you haven't really talked to her because of what you said. Why don't you invite her to a session next week so she can really get a feel of how you feel?" Dr. Allen suggested and Key thought that was a great idea.

"Okay. I can do that." He nodded his head, Dr. Allen wanted to address more but being a doctor you had to realize that sometimes less is more. She finally got him to open up and for the time being that was good enough for her.

*

Marlee had the whole house to herself since Golden and Lay went to Belize and she was loving every bit of it. Elianna was with her ... dad? For the three weeks that Lay and them were gone so she was going to live her best life.

Although she wanted Faith, she refused to run after her. She was about to meet her though but only because Faith initiated it.

"Marlee! Over here." Faith waved as she saw Marlee enter the small coffee shop.

Marlee walked over to the pretty girl who's smile was so infectious she made her want to smile back. She kissed Faiths forehead before taking a chair next to her.

"Hey girl. How you doing?" Marlee asked as the girl just stared in adoration.

"I'm doing good boo. I missed you." Faith smiled sadly, she feared that she had ruined things with Marlee with her moving so fast.

"I missed you I'm glad you reached out." The waiter came over and took Marlee's order. She ordered a strawberry banana smoothie as well as a cheese danish, toasted of course.

"I missed you too, I want to apologize for how things went down. I didn't mean to rush you into sex or leave when you told me know. I'm used to girls and boys just wanting me for my body. So I'm used to being rejected when sex wasn't involved but I really like you Marlee." Faith fidgeted in her seat and tried to cover her wrists.

"It's okay Faith. I want to get to know that brain of yours. How you got into Spelman, what you want to do after you graduate. I want to know your mind before I know your body. One thing about Marlee, she ain't like these other bitches or niggas." Marlee chuckled popping her own collar.

Faith giggled before tucking her curly weave behind her ear.

"You cocky huh?" Faith smirked taking a sip of her hazelnut flavored iced coffee.

"It's in my blood." Marlee shrugged, Faith extended her arm to Marlee and softly caressed her chin. When she did Marlee saw the cuts on her arm. She didn't know whether or not her heart should sink or warm up. Marlee took her arm into her hand and rubbed her thumb over the scars. Faith snatched her arm away causing her drink to spill over Marlee's clothes.

Marlee jumped up at the sudden rush of coldness in her lap.

"I'm so sorry Marlee." Faith grabbed napkins to try and pat Marlee but it simply wasn't working.

"It's coo. Just come by later."

"I-I can't." Faith shied away.

"Why not?" Marlee asked annoyed.

"I'll try. Okay?" Faith kissed Marlee quickly and left out of the coffee shop.

*

"Wassup Nell?" Key asked as she got into the car, she was supposed to be taking him to this nail shop that was very high end.

"Hey! Thanks for coming to get me, I know you be busy." She cheesed buckling her seat belt,

"I do but you know you my home girl. Plus I need a lil manicure or whatever y'all call em." Key said looking down at his nails.

"You might be the only hood nigga that I know that gets manicures." Arnell laughed turning to look at him. He had gotten finer with age and ever since he took out his his grills and got his teeth done he had been top notch.

"What you staring at a nigga for?" Key asked turning the music down.

"You just fine." She giggled looking at him.

"Been fine girl what you mean." He chuckled keeping his eyes forward.

"Nah, you like grown man fine now." Arnell simmered down. Even though she was married, in her eyes she could still look.

"No slight shit. You got yo lil grown woman fine too. Yo son must've gave you yo curves cause you used to be a stick." Key said keeping it a hundred.

"Mm, maybe." Arnell looked away from Key and stared outside the window.

When they finally made it to nail shop it was completely empty besides two nail techs.

"We're going to start with our pedicures." Arnell sat in her favorite chair and began to relax. Key sat down next to her and rolled up his pants sleeves.

"Lemme ask you sum?" Key placed his feet into the water.

"Yeah?"

"Where you come from? Like why you decide to pop back up in my life now?" Key asked honestly, he didn't know how he felt about her making sudden appearances.

"Key, ima keep it real with you. I think my son is yours. He's four now and right after I popped yo tires for fucking with Toni, I found out I was pregnant. I tried to stay with you but you left for Brittany and I dipped." That hit Key in the chest like a ton of bricks.

"Y-you think?" He asked in complete and utter shock.

"Yes, only cause I fucked with somebody else the same time you were." She admitted. A silence fell between the two of them.

"Before I meet him. I need a DNA test." Key sighed, he didn't want anymore damn kids. He was completely over it.

"I-I understand." She agreed.

"Look .. Nell. Ima tell you this but I need you to keep it between us." He stated, Arnell looked over at him.

"I just found out my daughter ain't even my daughter. So I'm definitely not taking yo word that you think you have my son. I trusted a bitch before and ain't never had a reason too." He scoffed, he knew she was gone be on some skep shit.

"Wow .. I'm sorry Key." She really was at a lost for words.

"Nah it's coo." Markeyvius didn't know how she got him to get his guard down but she was lowkey regretting it.

"What you gone do?" She asked him sipping the champagne the nail techs brought out there.

"Ion know man." He shrugged, his mood was definitely blown.

"Well have you thought about putting her up for adoption? Are you going to have time for three kids?" Key looked over at her like she had three heads.

"Mm, I only for sure got one kid."

"Well how do you know you can even trust her?" Arnell asked quietly, she didn't want to come off hating or anything but she seriously wondered. What did his new baby mom do to gain so much of his trust and love and why couldn't he love anybody else. Key never told her he loved her and they were together for a grip back in the day.

"Mm." Was all he said, which got his wheels to turning. No hate against Lay but he did want a DNA test. Just to be a hundred percent sure the baby she was carrying was his.

Putting Eli up for adoption would hurt his heart. But did he possibly have time for a child that wasn't biologically his?

He needed to find Brittany, and fast.

A/N

Two more chapters before the collab ...

Faaaith