"Girl, he thought that tired ass line was going to work." It had been about a month since I met Landon's parents, and since I had got to sit down and talk with Kennedy. She had been going hard in the books, I had just finished running down the night I met his parents to her as we were window shopping.

Kennedy laughed, "well apparently it did cause I heard the two of you re-hashed some things." She side eyed me. I rolled my eyes, hating myself for actually ending up giving in to Landon. Hear me out though — being pregnant has made me a lot hornier; I told myself just that one time and never again. I was using him to satisfy my needs.

"Don't remind me." I let out as she laughed again, "I knew that was going to happen." She said with a shrug of her shoulders, "not at all surprised."

"Whatever." I didn't like how sure she sounded about it. I knew Chris was going to mention it to her if Landon told him. I'm just surprised she didn't hit my line before today about it.

"How did it happen? And don't sugarcoat it, give me details." she demanded. I let out a deep sigh as I began replaying everything that happened in my head. "Uhh, he stopped by late one night, I was horny as hell, and I blame the fact that my hormones are all out of whack." I made clearly known as she rolled her eyes. "But he was looking good to me for some reason. I think he had just got a fresh shape up, he was headed out to the club and shit so he was looking clean, smelling good and yeah."

"Who initiated it? You?" Kennedy asked with slight surprise.

"No." I let out matter-of-factly. "He said another one of his weak ass lines, I encouraged it like a dummy."
She laughed, "you sound like you mad it happened, shit was the sex bad?" She questioned as we stopped at one of the stores. It wasn't, at all. But it was Landon, and with the history we had he didn't deserve me. I shook my head no, "no, it was good. Really good honestly."

I zoned out for a minute thinking back on that night. That night he swore we were together after it and I easily went with it due to the sexual high I was on.

He smiled against my lips, as my body had already succumbed to his touch. "You down to try the mommy and daddy shit?" he asked lowly, all seriousness in his voice as his hands moved to my waist, pulling my body into him even more, as if we weren't close as it is. I nodded not really caring about what he was saying, but just wanting him to continue touching me. "Don't play with me." He said in a whisper, as his hand started pushing my shirt up, allowing his hands to touch my stomach and sides bare. "I'm already lowkey crazy about your ass" he said as he moved his lips to my ear. "I- I'm not," I said barely able to get it out. He smiled as he brought his lips to my neck. "so this," he started as he kissed my neck "is mine" as he moved one of his hands to my ass, "and this," he moved his hands completely up my shirt, touching my sides, my stomach, and my breast "is mine." He moved his hands back down to my panties, "and this," he started as he moved my panties to the side, causing my breathing to labor, not even realizing I was holding my breath until he stuck two fingers in me, "is definitely mine." He smiled at my reaction as I closed my eye as he started pushing his fingers in and out of me.

"Then why you saying it like that?" Kennedy asked as she looked through some clothes, pulling me out of my daydream.

"Let's not forget what he did." I reminded her and myself as I began rummaging through some racks of clothing too shaking the thought from that night away completely.

"Girl let that shit go." Kennedy started with judgement all in her voice. I quickly looked over at her, knowing I couldn't be hearing her correctly. "You are having his baby, you chose to have his baby. Don't hold that shit over his head forever."

I rolled my eyes as I sucked my teeth. "I'm not going to hold it over his head forever, but I think it's a fine justification for me not wanting to go down the road with him that I stupidly did a few weeks ago."

Kennedy stopped and looked at me, "you two could really be cute, think about a family for the baby." Kennedy did and said some stupid shit sometimes, and to me it was one of those times. "Listen, all I'm saying is give the man a chance to right his wrongs. And I know he's trying to." She finished, I didn't respond as my mind went to how much he had been on my line, stopping by to check on me and how he swore he was done with every girl and just wanted me to give him a chance to make the past up to me. All of this had been taking place after we had sex, pussy is power.

Kennedy gave me one last look after I didn't respond and then she changed the subject as she caught me up on what was going on with her.

After raiding some stores we got a quick lunch and then parted ways. I made my way back home and decided to call Landon on the way, what Kennedy said was weighing on my mind.

"Hello?" a female answered. I looked down at the phone, making sure I dialed the right person.

"Um, can I speak to Landon?" I asked, confusion written all over my face.

The girl laughed, sounding very much like the girl he told me he was done with. "Yeah, one second. He's in the bathroom, cleaning himself up." She taunted, making it clear what type of time they had been on. I heard her put the phone down as she called his name, then I heard him going off on her asking why the fuck she was answering his phone. It made me chuckle a little.

"Aria," he said with a sigh once he picked up the phone. "I call explain this shit." He automatically started pleading as I could tell he had changed environments just that quick as I heard a door close.

I rolled my eyes as if he could see me, thankful for this moment as it reminded me why it would always be a no when it came to us.

"No need." I let out, "I was just calling you to remind you that there's a doctor's appointment Wednesday." I lied, that's not why I called. But what the fuck did I call for? Just to talk? To this man out of all men? Kennedy was in my head too much.

He sucked his teeth, "you didn't call me in the middle of the day to tell me that when you usually text me shit like that."

"Felt like calling instead today." I stated and quickly hung up before to tried to call out anymore of my bluff. I quickly put my phone on silent knowing he would call back and quite frankly, I didn't feel like talking anymore.

I got home and was unwinding when a loud bang came through on my door. I quickly scrunched my face up trying to figure out why the police were banging on my door, or why someone was banging like they were the police.

I looked through the peephole seeing Landon on the other side of the door. "Don't knock on my door like that." I demanded as I opened the door looking at him.

He paid me no attention as he walked in and made his way further into the apartment. He stopped as he crossed his arms and looked at me. His eyes scanning my body before settling back on my face as I crossed my arms as well. "Why are you here?" I questioned.

"You hung up and ignoring my calls. You left me no option but to show up."

"You pop up on your girl when she doing that shit, not me." I let out matter-of-factly. He smiled, "you are her."

I rolled my eyes as I laughed, "Landon get the fuck on."

"Listen, I understand you mad a girl answered my phone I get it —" I quickly cut in, "I'm not mad a girl answered your phone. But it just further shows you full of shit. 'I cut off all my girls" I mocked.

He nodded with a slight smirk on his face, "I did though. Like I legit was ending it when you called." I looked at him like he couldn't be serious before laughing.

He sucked his teeth as he dropped his arms. "I'm deadass."

"Landon I don't care what you do! You are the father of my child, nothing more, nothing less. And ending what a sex session? That's the only thing you were ending."

"I meannnn, honestly yeah we fucked. But that's all shawty asked for, it was the least I could do." He was pathetic, pathetic and dumb as hell. "Besides," he continued, "I'm literally deadass cutting people off and you ain't even taking me serious. You got me thinking we moving forward yet telling your friends completely different shit."

"What is there to take serious when you still fucking people you technically cut off?" I questioned, not even registering the statement about my friends. There was no way Kennedy spoke to Chris that quick.

"Like I said it was the least I could do when I'm deadass cutting her off cause I want to try to make shit work with my baby mama, even though I been dealing with Casey way longer and she don't be on no bullshit like you."

I brought my hand to my chest like I was offended. "Sir, don't try to flip this on me. I don't be on bullshit. Haven't bullshitted you yet."

"Man fuck outta here, you ain't got no problem fucking me," I rolled my eyes, it was one time. "No problem with me bringing you food, me coming over here and kicking it with you. But get in front of your friend and act like it's something completely different. That's bullshit and you full of shit."

To be honest, I did enjoy the time we had been spending together lately. But a big part of me felt like a fool if I actually truly entertained him. Made me feel like I would be a weak ass woman to deal with him after how he did me. And I was far from weak so I felt like I couldn't succumb to how I felt.

I rolled my eyes, "what the fuck are you talking about?" I shot back, "like what friends are you talking about?" I questioned.

He looked at me like I just asked him the dumbest shit. "You know exactly what the fuck I'm talking bout Aria." I quickly shook my head, "and hold up you not about to try and flip this to being about me when you're the one who was just fucking a girl. You don't get to come in here and try to come at me with some bullshit like you aren't doing you!"

"Do you not listen?" He questioned, "I just told you what it was."

"And that's a bunch of bullshit. And regardless I don't even give a fuck!"

He took steps moving closer to me as chuckled lowly as he licked his lips, "you don't care?" I shook my head no as we held eye contact.

"I'm trying to show you I'm a better man than what you've seen and you don't care? You got me wasting my time for what?" I opened my mouth to remind him that what took place earlier was the opposite of showing me he's better than what I've seen but he continued, "and yeah me fucking her don't make me seem better but I was honest about the shit. It was literally goodbye sex and me being truthful about it shows I'm trying to take some honest steps."

In my mind there was no way he could have denied it if he wanted to, but it was no point in going back and forth with this conversation anymore. I was about to respond but his phone went off, I watched as he pulled it out of his pocket to check who it was. I was close enough to where I was able to read the name on the screen and was surprised when I saw Kennedy's name flash.

I tilted my head to the side, with confusion written on my face. He looked over at me as we caught eyes, he silenced the call and put his phone back in his pocket. "Why don't you answer it?" I questioned.

"I'll call her back." He easily answered.

"Why can't you answer now?"

He scrunched his eyebrows together, squinting his eyes a little. "I could, what you tryna get at?" I didn't say anything, just looked at him.

He shook his head like he was catching on to what I was thinking. "Wow." He said with an annoyed chuckled. "Your best friend Aria, really? The same girl who was fucking my boy?"

"I'm sure you all have fucked some of the same girls so don't even!"

"I ain't fucking with Kennedy, I might've done some shady ass shit, but I ain't that foul you the mother of my child for goodness sakes. Cut me some fucking slack. And shit you think that lowly of your friend?"

I rolled my eyes at his comment, I didn't think that was the case at all however I couldn't put shit pass Landon; and sadly enough I had been burned by female friends before. But I reminded myself that Kennedy wasn't like that, at least I truly believed she wasn't.

"When did y'all get so cool?" I questioned as my mind was working a mile a minute with thoughts of all the times she mentioned him and pleaded for him.

He shrugged his shoulders, "she was over a lot when her and Chris were really kicking it."

"That's cute." I spoke with a fake smile. "Yeah alright Aria." He let out.

"You two be pillow talking?" I questioned with a smile, I didn't know Kennedy was so cool with him that she was calling him. Had me questioning who even told her we fucked, was it him or was it Chris? "You two like best friends now? Calling, texting, hanging out?" I continued.

"Aria, I'm not doing this shit with you." He sounded exasperated. "No, I'm truly curious." I pushed.

"Yeah, we do all that shit." He responded sarcastically.

"And I'm sure you serious about that shit too."

He shook his head, "ain't no pleasing you. Believe what you want to believe. I kept it a buck with you. It's no point in even trying to go down this road with you. You don't trust me. No matter what the fuck happens you gon' try and find some shit I'm doing wrong."

"I won't have to find shit Landon, you hand it to me on a silver platter." I responded honestly.

"Whatever Aria." He started walking towards the door as I followed so I could lock it.  He turned around to look at me once he got to the door "I'm honestly trying to be a better person for you and this child. But you make this shit hard as fuck. I'm trying Aria, at least give me that."

With that he walked out the door as I was left with my own thoughts. Was I too hard on him? He had been trying, but what he did today was just stupid as hell and it was fucking Landon I was dealing with. He already fucked me over once and I wasn't going for that shit again. I had a guard up with him, with valid reasoning. And each time I let my guard down just a little, he fucked me — in both terms of the word.

He has a lot of growing up to do; as do I but we clash and maybe this shit really wasn't meant to work, all we really needed to focus on was this child. And that's where my focus would be.