Kameron

"So.. why you letting me eat lunch in here. I thought you don't allow people in here during 'work hours'" I mocked with a laugh.

"Too hard to believe eating alone gets quite annoying." He stated.

"Come on, I feel bad for leaving Ariya alone. I always give her some of my salad she's probably weeping into her tuna sandwich." I sighed.

"She's fine."

"You've been extra salty these days, what's up?" I asked. He leaned back.

Khyson was the exact abomination of a cake pop. I hard chocolate outer layer, like I mean freezer burnt chocolate outer layer. And a soft inner layer of cake, chocolate cake.

"Nothing."

"Fine, how's your mom doing?" I asked.

His face softened, I knew it was a hard subject for him but what else do we have to talk about.

"Good." I know he'd lie either way.

"Fine."

He sighed in peace.

"Oh! Wait! Actually, what the fuck! Ariya has a son! Mind fucked!" I yelled while waving my arms.

"Ms. Kingston's life is none of our business."

"You're so fucking boring I thought that's why you brought me in here, to gossip." Who the fuck doesn't like to gossip, he's crazy. I question my friendship with him sometimes.

"Okay well you seemed to take a liking to him, and you hate kids. The fucks his name again, Ryan-ry-Ryle-r-"

"Rylan." He corrected me.

"Fucking shit, I still can't get over the fact that that's your middle name. I would understand maybe Ryan, or even fucking Ryle! Shit, Rylan is not a common name."

"Believe me, I know." He stated.

"And that he looks exactly fucking like you, maybe you two are like distantly related or some shit."

"What did you just say?"

"Didn't you see, the dimples, the hair, the eyes. It's... crazy, you know probably just some wonky coincidence." I chuckled.

"Yeah, it's.. weird."

"Are you sure Rylan's father isn't like one of your distant family members? Or even if you share anything with Ariya.. you guys look nothing alike what am I saying." He's knows I've been wanting him to buy one of those dna tests from the television.

"I'm not taking a dna test, Kameron." He shook head head and I squinted my eyes together.

"Khyson! Why not!? You said you never knew your parents, what if they're some big celebs or something!?" I rose my hands up in the air like a mad man.

"Trust me, they're not."

"Can I go back to Ariya now.. this is boring." I groaned.

"Fine, since you like her so much more than me."

"You know I don't."

"Bye!"

"I'll text you later!" I yelled before leaving the room.

I rushed into the break room to see Ariya silently sitting there with her eyes ahead as she held her sandwich.

"Hey?" I asked.

She jumped a bit until shaking her head and dropping the bread.

"Yeah?" She smiled.

"Miss me?" I smiled.

"Yeah." She nodded.. it was fake and I could tell.

"How's Rylan?"

"Rylan? Oh! Rylan, he's um-he's good. How are you?" I watched tentatively as she brought her hand up as her finger itched the spot right between her nose and her lip.

Something was up.

"I'm good, are you sure you're alright." I asked, a warm comforting smile spreading onto my face.

"Yeah.. just tired." She shrugged with a curve at her lips.

"Okay, Khyson and Amara and I are all coming over on Friday to watch the basketball game, you know.. if you would like to grace us with your presence?" I asked.

"I would love to but I have no one to watch Rylan." She smiled sadly before nodding.

"Can't you drop him off at your rich boyfriends house, you know.. unless you wanna bring him too?"

I could tell, beneath her eyes that she didn't want him joining us.

"That I can do." She nodded while packing away her untouched sand which.

"You didn't eat?"

"Not particularly hungry at the moment."

"I saved you some of my salad."

"Oh! Yes please." She smiled.

-

Ariya

My bedroom was rather small, but what did I really expect for a shitty apartment in the middle of New York City.

Rylan was rather chipper to find out that I was taking him to get fast food today, which made my heart melt.

But as of currently my heart was stone cold.

Khyson knew about my child that was also his that he didn't know about which resulted in me having copious amounts of mental breakdowns today.

On the other hand I found myself immensely brushing William off these days.

And Rylan is.. well he's Rylan.

I pulled the charger out of my phone as the black screen lit up to the giant white letters.

3:37am

Friday, November 30th

I stared forward at the picture of Rylan as my Lock Screen. He stood on a stool attempting to crack an egg.

I remember how long he'd been begging me to let him help.

He got the shell in.

I let my Face ID let me in before clicking the green icon with the white phone.

Recent calls (all)

William - 4:35pm yesterday

Amara 💕 - 10:03pm - yesterday

Until the name in red lettering caught my eye.

Missed - Zion - 7:45am - yesterday

Would he be up? He's always up, like a bat.

I clicked the contact and pressed the cold phone to my ear.

"Ariya? What's up with calling me at four in the morning?"

"It's actually three." I challenged.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something?"

It occurred to me that I had always went to Zion for advice, yes, he was two years younger than me but it always Seemed as if he'd had more knowledge than me.

"What is it?" His voice soft and worried, my tone had been cracked.

"He knows, Zion. He's knows about Rylan and I don't know what to do." I pulled my nail from

Between my teeth and sat up on the headboard.

"He's knows, or he knows he's his?"

"No, he's knows about him, he's doesn't know.. he doesn't know it's his."

"I don't know what to tell you, Ariya. He's getting close.. Rylan is-is a spitting image of him.. it's not long before he finds out Rylan is his. Tell me I'm wrong."

The line was quiet, the odd crackle of the device between my fingers.

He was right, and I couldn't deny that.

"I just, I just don't know if I'm ready for him to know." I shrugged my shoulders as if he could see.

"You've had four years to be ready."

I bit my lip as the television in front of me began to blur.

"I know."

"I know you'll be fine, you're Ariya. You managed to be fine with us." He chuckled. I returned and I could basically hear his smile.

"That's true.. that's reminds me I'm cooking Christmas dinner this year, can you come?"

"Always."

"Okay, I'll let Mikah and Jordan know."

"Good.. well don't cry too much, alright?"

"Okay, Goodnight."

"Night' Ariya, love you."

"I love you too, Zion."