Chord
I fucking fainted.
That’s right, I dropped like a rock in front of the woman who just told me she was pregnant with my baby. I was going to be a daddy. Holy Fuck! Blackness threatened to take me back when I saw Rhapsody’s face in front of me. How long had she known about this? If we hadn’t seen each other at the induction ceremony would she have ever told me?
My head began to pound from landing on it when I fainted.
“Chord? Are you ok?” Her soft voice helped to ease the pain a bit.
Rhapsody’s face was fuzzy around the edges. I blinked my eyes trying of focus. “My head hurts.”
“Miss do you need help?” A voice asked.
“We’re fine.” Rhapsody said then looked at me. “We are fine right?”
I managed a nod but closed my eyes to the sharp pain. I needed to man the fuck up and get off the damn sidewalk. With a groan, I heaved myself into a seated position. The world wavered and darkened at the edges. I was a man dammit. I was not going to pass out again.
“Chord?” Rhapsody’s voice sounded funny.
Forcing my eyes open I looked at her. She was looking a little green around the edges. Was she really or was that my possible concussion?
“Fuck.” She jumped up and ran over to the side of the building.
People walked around my still seated form. I watched as she vomited in the sketchy alley. I tried to stand but my head felt like it was going to explode. Dammit! Stand up, Chord. You will not be a pussy while your baby’s mama is puking her guts out next to a dumpster. Closing my eyes, I stood on wobbly legs. People moved away from me as I walked over to Rhapsody who was now dry heaving.
“Are you ok, babe?” I gagged on the last babe. Vomit made me vomit. I had to look at a bag of rotting garbage to keep from puking right next to her.
“What does it look like Chord?” If she had laser eyes I would have been toast.
“I’m sorry.” I rubbed her back.
She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and stood straight. “For what? For not using a condom? For passing out when you found out you were going to be a daddy? For asking me stupid questions?”
Each venomous question made me blanche. Pregnancy really made Rhapsody a bitch. I hoped it was just the hormones but the glare she shot me made me think it could just be her.
“Uhm…all of it?”
She rolled her eyes and walked away from the alley and back toward the building’s entrance. I followed behind like I was a baby deer following its mama. Frustration and anger spiked through me. She had no right to be pissed right now. She just dropped this bomb on me and expected no reaction. Did she think that I’d just be happy about it? This chick was crazy.
“Hey!” Rhapsody stopped and turned toward me. “You aren’t allowed to be angry right now. You just dropped this news on me like it was nothing. Did you expect me to be jumping up and down about this? I assume you’ve known about this for a while. Were you just going to hold onto this until the kid needed something then finally come to me? Did you even think to try to contact me?” I pointed my finger at her. “You don’t have a right to be angry.”
Rhapsody stared at me. Her face revealed nothing. It was a little scary. But, in the next breath her hand whipped out and slapped me so hard my head snapped to the side. I literally spun in a circle then fell on my ass again.
“Fuck you, Chord!” Rhapsody walked away as I watched from the sidewalk.
What the fuck did I just do?
***
“What the fuck happened to you?” Alec’s voice came from my bedroom door.
“Go away.” My head was still spinning thanks to my possible concussion.
I heard my door close. I relaxed into my bed but felt the mattress dip. Dammit. Now, was not the time for Alec to become a caring cousin.
“Seriously, Chord, what’s up? You look like hell. Ben said you came in like a zombie. Apparently, he tried to talk to you but you just came in here. That isn’t like you.”
“Can you just go away, Alec? I probably have a concussion so now is not the time.”
“A concussion? What the hell happened on your date?”
I lifted my head out of my pillow and looked at him.
“Yes, I knew you were going out with Emmerson Lee’s daughter. Do you really think I’m an idiot?”
“Did you tell my dad?” I sat up piling my pillows behind my back.
“Do I look like I have a death wish? I am definitely not going to be the person who tells him you are “betraying the family”.” He put the last bit in air quotes.
“Alright.” I bit my lip contemplating whether or not to tell him. I needed to talk to someone. I guess Alec was a someone. That was debatable. “If I tell you this, it can’t leave this room. I’m deadly serious, Alec.”
“Oh shit! Is she really a man? Did she give you the clap? Are you two really brother and sister?”
I hated my cousin sometimes. With a weak punch I said, “I’m serious, dickface. Promise me.”
He grimaced. “That was a weak ass punch.” I swung again but he easily dodged it. “Fine. Fine. Just stop with the bitch punching. It’s getting embarrassing.”
I shut my eyes. Rhapsody floated in front of them. She was still the sexiest woman I’d ever met. The vision of her round with my child crossed my mind making me feel warm all over. I looked at Alec and told him everything. From the wedding to two hours ago when she changed my life forever. When I’d finally gotten to my temper tantrum he winced.
“Oh fuck, dude.” He shook his head.
“I know. I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad either.” I stared down at my hands.
“Did you hit your head harder than you told me?” He asked.
“No, why?”
“Because you just told me that you had a big ass tantrum accusing your baby’s mama of purposely hiding the baby from you then went onto being an even worse lunatic by saying she was using you. I’m surprised she didn’t push you in front of a bus. I would have totally done that.”
I blinked at him.
“Please tell me you understand that.”
“She lied to me, Alec. I would have thought you’d be on my side.”
He shook his head again. “I’m not on a side with this, Chord. Everything I know about Emmerson Lee tells me she was never the most caring or attentive mother. I’m guessing that Rhapsody hasn’t told a soul about this. She probably just found out herself. So, you accusing her and lashing out was a dick move.” Alec stood.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to get out of this room. If I don’t I may beat the crap out of you myself. It’s disappointing knowing my best friend just did that to the woman carrying his baby. Fix this Chord or you are going to end up making the same mistakes Jimmy made. Do you really want your child to have the same kind of childhood you had?” He shrugged stopping at the door. With his hand on the knob he said, “Something to think about, Chord.”
Alec left quietly shutting the door behind him. Human-like Alec was not the Alec I was used to dealing with. Callous and obnoxious I knew how to handle. Borderline emotional and caring felt like an alien had taken over his body.
I leaned back on the pillows and stared out the window. That was how I sat the rest of the night. Watching the path of the full moon as it crossed through my room. By the time the sun was rising I was still no closer to a solution to my problem. However, I knew one thing. My child would have a better fucking father than I did no matter what.