Angelica felt immense guilt for what happened last night. She felt awful that her husband had planned this special Valentine’s Day evening for her, and she was out spending it with another man. She hated the fact that Corey was upset with her. So, she decided to make things right with her husband. And the first thing she had to do was cut Justin out of her life. It wasn’t going to be easy, but this is what she thought what was best for her sake and for the sake of her marriage.

She figured that it had been awhile since she had visited Corey at work, and she wanted to do something special for him. She made all of his favorite foods, and packed a nice lunch for him.

As she was leaving the house, her cell, began to ring. She lifted the device up to her face, to read the incoming call. Justin. She had saved his number into her phone last night. Well, he saved it into her phone. Sighing, she had hit the ignore button and continued to walk out of her house.

**

Upon arriving at Corey’s job, Angie had begin to feel excited. She really wanted to tell Corey that she was sorry for everything. She really wanted to fix things, and get them right. As she walked into the building, she walked straight to the elevator. The elevator had taken her to the thirteenth floor, where she knew her husband’s office resided.

“Hey, Mrs. Brown.” Angie was greeted by Sierra Reynolds, Corey’s assistant, once she stepped off of the elevator.

“Hey, Sierra.” Angie smiled at the young girl.

“How you doing? How’s the bun in the oven?”

“I’m fine. We’re fine.” Angie responded, placing a hand on her growing belly, rubbing it softly. “How are you?”

“I’m ok. You bring Mr. Brown lunch?”

“Yep.” Angie held up the basket. “So, is my husband in his office?”

Sierra nodded. “Yeah, go right in.”

“Thanks, girl.” Angie said walking past Sierra’s desk, and walked right into Corey’s office.

Once Angie opened the door, her eyes caught the sight of her husband and a co-worker of his, Carmen Torres, who was sitting atop his desk. The two were laughing and giggling. Angie cleared her throat, and the laughing pair stopped to look at her. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Angie?!” Corey jumped up in from his seat in shock, seeing his pregnant wife standing at the door to his office. “Wh…what are you doing here?” He said slowly walking over to her.

“Well,” Angie began flitting her light eyes toward her husband and Carmen, “I decided to bring you lunch to make up for what happened last night, but it seems like you’ve already gotten take out.” She turned waved to Carmen. “How you doing Carmen? How’s your husband?”

Carmen ignored Angie’s question and hopped off of Corey’s desk. She fixed her cream colored, high waist, skirt, that had risen from sitting on the desk. She walked over to Angie and Corey. “Corey, I’ll meet you in ten minutes.” She said rudely brushing past Angie. If Angie wasn’t pregnant right now…

“Ten minutes? What’s in ten minutes?” Angie questioned her husband once Carmen was out of their view.

“Uh, baby,” Corey stuttered, “Mrs. Torres and I have already made plans to go out for lunch.” He said scratching the back of his head.

Angie glared at her husband for a moment, before slapping the basket of food across his chest. “Fuck you, Corey.” She stormed out of his office.

“Angie, baby, wait,” Corey placed the basket down on his office couch, and began to follow in pursuit of his wife. “Angelica! Angie, wait!” He chased back to the elevator. “Baby, let me explain.” He grabbed her elbow. “Would you please wait?” He spun her toward him. “Angie, it’s just lunch. Why are you being this way?”

“Liar. Do you actually think that I’m stupid? Or that I’m just that naïve?” Angie peered at Corey, anger dancing in her bright eyes. “Please! Carmen Torres!” She shrieked, not caring that she was currently giving a show to some of Corey’s other co-workers, and they began to appear from their offices. “Come on, now. She makes fucking Paris Hilton look like the Virgin Mary.”

“Will you lower your voice and calm down? You’re embarrassing me!” Still holding onto her elbow, pulling her body close to him.

“Oh, I’m embarrassing you? I’m embarrassing you?! You’re the one fucking around on me, and I’m embarrassing you. What about all the times you embarrassed me in front of my family, huh?! What about then?!” She snatched her elbow from his grip. “What about last night? In your card, you said you wanted to start things over. Start fresh. So, I guess this means nothing to you.” She grabbed onto the locket that Corey had given her for Valentine’s Day. “I mean nothing to you? And just to think I was coming here to apologize, because I felt bad about what happened. But you know what,” she pointed her freshly manicured index finger in his face, “I’m glad that I didn’t spend Valentine’s Day with you. I had a better time with him anyways.” She tried to walk away again, but Corey reached for her elbow, grabbing her roughly toward him.

“Him? Who the fuck is he?” He said his dark eyes, now completely black with rage.

Angie hadn’t realize her little slip, but just played it off, “It was nobody, Corey. It was just a figure of speech.”

Again, he yanked her harder toward him, his large fingers bruising her light brown skin. “How the fuck was that a figure of speech? Are you fucking somebody else?”

She scoffed at that. “If I was, which I am not, what’s it to you? You can put your dick in anything with a tight skirt. But the fact that I could be sleeping with someone else, you want to play the caring husband role now. It doesn’t work like that, Corey. Now, let me go.” She tried to pull away from his grasp, but he was too strong for her. “Look, if you don’t want to go to jail for assault, I suggest you let me go. There are plenty of witnesses.”

Corey looked around to see people, who were obviously trying to look in on the entertainment for the day, but were quickly trying to scatter back to work. And he reluctantly let her arm go. “Look, Angie,” he sighed, “I’m sorry, ok. I overreacted. But you’re overreacting yourself. I am not sleeping with Carmen. She married, baby.”

“That doesn’t mean shit. You’re married and yet you still cheat.” She pressed the down button the elevator, and the door quickly opened. “Enjoy your lunch! I hope it was worth it.” She stepped in and pressed the lobby button, and doors closed.

**

If things couldn’t get any worse for Angie, once she reached her vehicle, her cell began to ring. She sighed when she, again, saw Justin’s name appear across the screen. She reluctantly pressed the send button. “Hello?” She answered.

“Hey,” his voice rang through her ears.

“Hey, Justin.”

“What’s wrong?” He could tell by the sound in her voice that she was really upset.

She shook her head. “Nothing, I’m fine.” She began rummaging through her purse, looking for her keys. Once retrieving them, she unlocked the car and hopped in.

Justin sighed knowing she was lying to him. “Angie, I know something is wrong. You don’t sound good. Now, please talk to me.”

“Nothing is wrong, Justin.” Her voice cracked as the tears began to spill from her hazel eyes.

“Ok. Where are you?” He asked.

“Justin, I’m fine.”

“Why are you lying to me?” There was silence. “Look, Angie, just come to the hotel. Talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.” She still didn’t say anything. “Angie?” He called her name afraid that she had hung up on him.

She sniffled, wiping her wet stained cheeks. “I’m still here.”

“Just come to the hotel. We can talk.”

“Ok.” She whispered.

**

“What happened?” Was the first thing Justin asked when he opened the door to his hotel room.

“He’s cheating on me again.” Angie choked out as she walked into his suite.

He closed the door. “Oh.” Was all he could see. He knew she’d been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy. “Hey, c’mere.” He held his arms open as Angie gladly accept his embrace. “Hey, it’s ok.” He began to gently rub her back.

“I am such a fool, Justin.” She sobbed into his bare chest.

“Hey, look,” she looked up at him, his blue orbs bore into her hazels, “you are not a fool, ok. He’s the fool, Angie.” He removed a curly tendril that had fallen from her ponytail, and placed it behind her ear.

“I am, Justin. I am a fool.” She broke his grip. ‘I’m stupid to be with this man. I take him back over and over and he does the same shit. Karma is really biting me in the ass.” She started to ramble. “Maybe, if I wouldn’t have slept with you, then maybe I probably wouldn’t have fallen in love with you, then maybe my life wouldn’t be as confusing right now.”

She was too busy rambling to realize that she had just confessed her love for Justin to Justin. But he had caught it. “Wait a minute. What did you say? Did you say that you were in love with me?” He smirked a little.

She was caught. This was the second slip-up she’s had today. She easily got out of the one with Corey, but how was she going to get out of this one. “I…I…” She was stuck.

“Hey, J, who was…oh hey Angie.” Trace walked towards the door.

“Hey, Trace.” Thank God for Trace. She then turned to look at Justin. “Where’s the bathroom?” She said fixing the strap of her purse on her shoulder.

“It’s the third door on your left.” Justin pointed.

“Thanks.” Angie started walking towards the bathroom. She had successfully dodged that bullet.

As soon as she closed the door and turned the light on to the bathroom, her cell phone starts to ring again. She looked down at her phone that was in her hand. Hubby flashed across the screen. She sighed, and pressed ignore on the phone, ending it immediately. Angie then just decided to turn her phone off completely, and settled it down on the sink. She wasn’t in the mood to hear what Corey has to say or to hear whatever her family has to say. Because she knew that he call all over town looking for her.

Angie turned her face towards the mirror. Her eyes were puffy and red from all of the crying she had done on the way over here. Placing her purse down on the toilet, she then turned back to faucet, turning the water on. She ran her hands through the lukewarm liquid, bringing the water to her face and splashed her face with the it. She reached over to the towels the hung on the towel rack to dry her face. Something sparkling in the mirror had caught her eye. She looked down at her neck. Reaching up, she grabbed a hold of the locket, before closing her eyes, and taking in a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she reached behind her neck, unlocking the locket. She pulled it around to her face, studying it. Sighing, she opened her purse, tossing the locket inside.

Her life was so fucked up right now. The man that she married and she’s supposed to love is sleeping around with other women. She was pregnant with another’s man’s child, to which she just confessed her true feelings. She was in love with Justin. Angelica loves Justin. She was finally able to admit that to herself. She was able to admit that she was in love with someone that was not her husband. It felt good to her. She knew in her heart that she could never get rid of Justin. She had been trying to for six months, but she couldn’t. She was in love with him.

After she finished drying her face, again, she placed the towel neatly back on the rack. She turned the faucet off, grabbed her phone, readjusted the strap on her purse on her shoulder, and headed out of the bathroom. As soon as she opened the door, she had ran into a broad bare chest. She looked up to see Justin glaring down at her with his arms folded across his chest.

“You think you’re slick don’t you?” He asked, and she looked at him oddly. “Using Trace, as a device to get out of this situation.” He reached his hand out to her. “Come on.” She hesitantly placed her small hand into his large one, and walked out of the bathroom.

He took her to where she thought was his room in the large suite. As soon as they were both in the room, he shut the door. He lead her over to the bed, and they took a seat.

Things were quiet for awhile. He was just looking into her eyes, and she was looking into his.

“Justin…I,” She began.

“Shhhh.” He hushed her. “Don’t say anything.”

She ignored his command. “I can’t go home. Can I…”

“Going home wasn’t an option for you.” He still held on to her hand.

“Thank you.”

“For?”

She didn’t say anything. She just leaned over and placed a sweet, gentle kiss upon his lips. “For being such a great person. And a good friend.”

He looked at her and smiled. “Anytime.” It was his turn to place a kiss on her lips.

His lips lingered on her for awhile. And to both of their surprise the kiss deepens. Justin then cups her face in his hands, and slowly slips his velvety tongue into the crevice her mouth. And she gladly returns the favor. Angie gently grabbed at the curls that were forming at the base of his skull. They sat there just exploring each other’s mouths with their tongues. His hands left her face and started to travel down the curve of her breast. His hand gently brushed against her protruding belly. She jerked back immediately, which broke the kiss.

“What’s wrong?” He asked running his hands over her messy ponytail.

“Um…nothing. Nothing. I’m fine.” She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. “Justin, there’s something I need to tell you…”

**

Corey paced back and forth in his office. Where the hell is she?, he thought. The first time he tried to call her cell phone, it rung twice, before it straight to her voicemail. Then he tried again, but it didn’t ring. It just went straight to her voicemail. He even tried to call the house, but no one picked up. He even tried calling her sister, but she just hung up in his ear. Why was she doing this to him? He stopped and opened up his phone. He pressed send twice, to try to get through his wife again.

“Hey what’s up you’ve reached Angie? I’m not answering…” He slammed his phone closed, and tossed the phone on his the couch.

**

Justin looked at her in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that she had let him go without knowing for six months. He was going to be a father? Angie had finally gotten the courage to tell him that the child she was carrying, who he thought was by her husband, turned out to actually be his. Why didn’t she tell him this six months ago? Why didn’t she tell him when he first spoke to him on the phone? Why didn’t she tell him when she first saw him?

“Justin, are you going to say something?” Angie had broke him out of his train of thought. She was getting scared when he sat there quiet.

He just kept looking at her. “Why?” He whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

She sighed. “I…I was scared, Justin. I’m so sorry for keeping this from you. I had found out that I was pregnant two months after the night we…the night of the concert. Corey and I had only been back together for a month.”

“Does he know?”

“No.” She said shamefully. “I slept with him the week before I met you. So, he thinks that’s when this baby was conceived. But that night Corey and I had used a condom, and now they can tell you the actual day that babies are conceived.”

“So, he thinks this baby is his?”

She nodded her head. Justin had gotten up from the bed. He began to pace the room. He stopped in front of her, ran his hand over his face, and knelt down in front of her. He swallowed hard, looking into her eyes. “I want to be there, Angie. But you got to tell him.”

She looked into his crystal blue eyes and nodded. “Ok.”

**

Later that evening, Angie stood in front of the mirror in Justin’s room. She just stared at her reflection for what seemed like the longest. She stood there in nothing but the t-shirt that Justin had lent her for the night. She reached up to pull the rubber band that held her hair in the ponytail. She slowly unwrapped the tie from her hair and let her brown curls with golden highlights hang to her shoulders. Her hands then traveled down to her growing belly. She began to slowly rub it. Then her hands traveled to the hem of the shirt, and lifted over her belly. She turned to the side, and watched herself in the mirror, as she rubbed it softly. She then felt a tiny kick, and she smiled. Pregnancy was such a beautiful thing a woman could possibly go through. She had a tiny little life inside of her body. Growing. Even though you go through periods in which pregnancy can be unflattering. But after that nine months when you hold that tiny life in your arms, it all seems worth it.

As she continued to gently soothed the kicking child in her womb, the door to the room opened. “Oh, I’m sorry.” The person said shocked to see what he just saw.

She looked at him standing at the door. “It’s ok, Justin.” She went back to what she was doing, and he just stood there amazed by what he was witnessing. That was his child that was growing inside of her. Someone that he helped create. She then looked back at him and smiled. “C’mere.” She motioned him over to her. He cautiously walked over to her. “Here feel this.” She grabbed his hand and placed it on the side of her stomach to where the child was kicking. As soon as his warm hand touched her bare skin, he felt a tiny movement underneath his touch. He smiled. “Neat huh?” She asked.

“Amazing should be the word. Doesn’t it hurt?”

She shook her head, looking back up into his eyes. “No. It tickles a little. But it does get annoying, when I’m trying to get sleep, and the kicking starts.”

He continued to hold his hand on her stomach. “Do you know what you’re having?”

“No. Cor…I wanted it to be a surprise. But if you want to know, I can take you to my doctor‘s, and he can tell you.”

He shook his head. “No, I want it to be a surprise too.” He smiled at her, and she smiled back at him. His hand left her belly and placed it on her cheek.

She then raised her hand and placed it over his. He then leaned down and kissed her gently. Angie liked this feeling. She hadn’t felt this way in years. It just felt so right. Her, Justin, and their child. They seemed like the perfect family.