If you don't think Victoria is cute enough for Kareem, or that Victoria looks weird, go write your own damn book.

Thank you.

Vanessa and Kaseem in the mm.

If it says Kareem/Kaseem and you know that it should say the opposite, don't comment about it. I will mute you. 😊
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Vanessa

Standing in front of my bedroom door, I analyzed myself in the large, full body mirror that hung on the back of it.

When I was younger, kids at school would tease me for my darker skin color and also because I was chubbier than most. That caused me to self harm and become anorexic in my middle school years.

My recovery period was in my first two years of high school. My junior and senior years, I was away at a school for the arts.

That was a really rough time for me and I didn't think I would survive because I hated myself so much.

However, I did and I'm glad that I didn't give up.

The small pudge that was forming on my once flat stomach was visible to me. I rubbed it and chewed my lip while thinking about how I would tell my parents that I was pregnant.

It wouldn't be surprising if they already knew, though.

I was experiencing an inner conflict because of my beliefs and the situation that I'd put myself in.

I was never a fan of abortions because I believe that if I was grown enough and able to lay my ass down, I was grown enough and able to make a way to support my child.

Everybody has their own opinions, and that is mine.

I guess I was caught up in the thrill over the while that Kaseem and I spent together, that I slipped up and got way too comfortable.

From the first time that he walked into Victoria's shop, I knew that had to have him.

The way he walked and the way that he talked attracted me to him. As we grew closer, much closer, I really saw myself having a future with him despite the way that we went at it on occasions. I always thought that since we ended up back together, our relationship was healthy and that everything was fine.

At the time, I didn't mind the fact that he did what he did or that we always bumped heads.

But when I got pregnant, it's like I woke up from the unrealistic dream of what I wanted us to be.

No child deserves to be brought into household where the parents can't communicate but can have sex to temporarily make things right.

No child deserves to be brought into a world where they are bound to only see their father behind bars or in a casket.

No child deserves to be brought into a life where they can be killed just because of association.

I don't want that for my child.

However, although I was only barely twenty years old and a college sophomore, it was time for me to grow the hell up.

I slipped my feet into my brown Puma creepers, before putting my charger in my purse, and leaving out of the house to go to the shop.

*

"Kaseem is outside, Vanessa," Victoria spoke looking up from her phone as she walked from out of her office.

Although we had a disagreement not too long ago, Victoria treated me like it never happened. She was so upset with me because of her own experiences and also for going against what we'd been brought up to believe.

Victoria told me that overall, it was my body but I did need to consult with Kaseem. Her ability to agree to disagree was something that I always admired.

I furrowed my eyebrows before putting my mechanical pencil down and getting my phone out of my purse.

Kaseem🙄👅
iMessage (9)

Kaseem🙄👅
Missed Call (4)

Getting up from the chair behind the receptionist desk, I fixed my pants and proceeded to walk out the door.

When I got outside, I saw Kaseem leaning against his truck with his arms folded firmly across his chest and a scowl on his face.

He was dressed in a white tee, distressed jeans, a pair of triple white huaraches that looked to have come straight out of the box, and a Hermes belt. Kaseem's neck was laced with his favorite gold chain and there was a gold Audemars watch on his left wrist.

There was something sitting on the hood of the truck next to his phone and I was hoping that it wasn't what I thought it was.

He stared at me with an emotionless face before licking his lips, "Why you ain't answering the phone?"

"It was in my bag."

Kaseem nodded slowly and then turned around, picking up whatever was on the hood of his truck. When he raised it up, my stomach dropped.

"You wasn't gonna tell me, Vanessa," he questioned with hurt evident in his voice, holding up the abortion pamphlet.

"Even if I did decide to get the abortion, it's my body. I would've talked to you before. And we can barely have decent conversations without arguing. What the hell makes you think we can raise a kid?"

"And it's my baby... Or is it? Since you wanna get abortions and shit," he spoke, disregarding everything that I'd just said to him.

I scrunched up my face at the sound of him basically calling me a hoe. I'd only been with one person on that level before and Kaseem had rubbed me the wrong way with his false accusations.

"Are you serious, Kaseem? You really gonna try to play me like that," I questioned, stepping closer to him subconsciously.

"I mean, it could be another nigga's baby. I'm just look in' out for myself."

His nonchalant ass shrugged and folded his arms back across his chest, glaring at me like I was some shit on the bottom of his shoe.

I caught myself off guard when I swung and hit him in the face, making his neck snap back. I was able to get two more good ass punches in before Kaseem was able to restrain me, getting in my face with a mug on his own.

"Quit puttin' ya fuckin hands on me. When I pop yo ass back you gonna be crying all ugly and shit. I'm warning you," he spoke before aggressively letting me go and fixing his clothes.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about. Our relationship ain't strong enough to bring a child into this world. You are fucking disrespectful!"

I know I was wrong for putting my hands on him, just like he was wrong for saying some out of pocket shit like that.

It was a never ending cycle with the two of us.

"Well I can change!"

"When? Because judging from how reckless you are, your ass might be dead before the baby gets here," I snapped.

He sucked his teeth and went back to his original spot against the truck. I watched as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and stared absentmindedly at nothing in particular.

Kaseem didn't reply because he knew that everybody who was telling him the same shit and I were spitting nothing but the truth.

There is a big difference between having an attitude and then just being reckless. He was both.

"I'm scared, Kaseem," I admitted with tears running down my face, "What if I have to raise this baby on my own?"

"Shh, stop talkin' like that. I promise Ima be right here," Kaseem spoke, wiping my eyes with the pads of his thumbs and then pulling me into his chest.

I hope so.

Victoria

Pulling into the driveway of his house, I saw Kareem's truck and Layla's Mercedes.

"My momma's here," Kai questioned, confusion lack her tone.

Hell, I'm confused too.

"I guess so, love," I replied, turning the car off before getting my purse, getting out, and then helping Kai out as well.

"Why she got my child, Kareem," I heard Layla say as soon as the two of us walked through the front door, making me roll my eyes.

Kai hugged both her parents and went upstairs to her room since Kareem told her to. A few seconds later, I heard the door close and a song by Fifth Harmony blasting so loud that I was sure the people down the street could hear it.

Even though we supposedly talked out our differences, I wasn't the one with the issues and Layla was starting to act more and more like the stereotypical baby mother.

If I was with a woman, and the father of my child had a supportive ass girlfriend who accepted my child without hesitation, while not overstepping boundaries, I wouldn't be complaining at all.

"Well she has a name. Hello, I'm Victoria," I smiled sarcastically before continuing, "I volunteered to take your child to the store to get more supplies for her project that's due tomorrow since Kareem had errands to run. I know you saw those Walgreen's bags in her hands."

"Here she go with this sarcastic shit. I don't know what you see in this bitch, Kareem."

"Please cut that shit out, Layla. Ain't no need for the disrespect," Kareem spoke at the same time that she caught my attention with that bitch word.

I bit my tongue and chuckled slightly, collecting my thought before I spoke since I was not trying to lose my cool over a simple minded female.

"Don't get disrespectful, Layla. It's Sunday, I took communion not even four hours ago, and I don't wanna have to punch you in ya mouth," I spoke honestly, sitting my purse on the class coffee table that sat in the middle of the living room, on top of a black and gold rug.

"You ain't punchin' nobody in nothin'. Gone somewhere," Kareem spoke, grabbing Kai's duffle bag from the couch and putting it out for Layla to grab.

I tilted my head back and scrunched up my face at Kareem who must've felt like a damn fast food worker, since he was calling out orders and shit.

She didn't grab it though, which is what she probably should have done. Layla just kept on running off at the mouth about stuff that had nothing to do with her.

"Bitches wanna think they the shit. Think you gone replace me and y'all gonna have this big, beautiful ass family. Kareem you know this bitch can't even have kids?"

Oh I see, she did her research.

I nodded my head and chuckled, making her look over at me.

"What you laughing at hoe? You can't see me in these streets. I'll beat yo motherfuckin' ass-"

Kareem tried to catch me, but he was a millisecond too late because I had already bitch slapped Layla into the wall, causing a loud smack sound to echo off of the walls. I watched in satisfaction as she slid down to the ground, holding her nose that was dripping blood onto her purple scrubs.

"Next time don't talk shit that you can't back up."

Before Kareem could object, I got out of his hold, grabbed my purse and keys, and then left to go to my loft.

*

I was sleeping good as hell when the covers were ripped off of my body. I knew it was nobody but Kareem because immediately after he started to yell about why I wasn't answering my phone.

I rolled over onto my back, wiping my eyes. When I was done, I looked up at Kareem whose eyes were glancing over my body. Since I had on only a t-shirt and underwear, my thighs were exposed as well as my hardened nipples since it was cold in my room.

"I need you to cut that yelling shit out. Speak to me like I'm your equal, or you can leave."

Kareem quieted down and then threw the thick comforter to the other side of my bed, all while mugging me.

The first thing to come out of his mouth was, "You were wrong for putting ya hands on her," making me smack my lips and run my hand down my face.

"You came all the way over here to tell me that shit? You could've kept that to yourself because I know I was wrong."

I really did know that I was wrong. She didn't touch me first, so I had to right to put my hands on her, especially while Kai was right upstairs.

I did warn her though, and she provoked me.

That still doesn't excuse my actions.

"You need to apologize."

"She can apologize first, and then I'll be more than happy to," I spoke, although I was most likely gonna be the bigger person and apologize first.

Kareem stared at me for a little big longer, most likely reading me like he usually did, before putting his phone on the dresser and beginning to undress.

"Bye, Kareem," I spoke as soon as his basketball shorts hit the floor.

"I'm stayin' here. Fuck you mean? It's three in the morning."

I rolled my eyes and rolled over to lay back on my stomach, hiking my right leg up like I always did.

Kareem laid down on the other side of the bed before  getting the comforter and spreading it over the both of us.

My being me, a petty ass person, I pulled all of the cover over to my side so he wouldn't have any. Kareem pulled the cover back on his side.

We went back and forth for a few minutes, playing tug-a-war with the comforter before Kareem let it go and started rubbing my thigh, knowing what that does to me.

"Stop being so childish," he spoke as he continued.

"Goodnight, Kareem. I love you," I said, honestly.

"I love you too, Victoria. We gonna talk in the morning," he replied, causing me to sigh.

Thank you for airing out my fucking business, Layla.
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