His Baby Her Gift: The Slow Burn Duology 2 by LaShawn Vasser (the dot read aloud .TXT) 📕

9-1-1. After calling in the emergency, he began performing CPR.

Carter tilted her head back slightly and lifted her chin. He placed his hands, one on top of the other, in the middle of the chest and started compressions.  Carter pinched Harlem’s nose shut and put his mouth over hers, and blew. He watched to see the rise in her chest.

Harlem was unresponsive. Dammit. I can’t lose you too. Carter performed the same motion all over again.

Cough. Cough.

The sound of Harlem’s coughing was music to his ears. “Thank God.”

Her voice was weak–like a barely-there whisper. “Carter? What’s . . . I feel . . .”

Harlem lost consciousness again just as the EMTs were arriving. They took over performing CPR as they asked Carter a million questions. He answered as best he could.

Harlem’s eyes fluttered open again. Once they made sure that Harlem was stable, an oxygen mask was placed over her face. They picked her up, put Harlem on a gurney, and wheeled her into the elevator.

Carter followed closely behind.

As soon as the hallway was cleared, the emergency exit doorway crept open, and Elaina stepped out of it into the hallway. “What was he doing here? Why did he come back?” Elaina wondered as she quickly went inside to remove anything that could be traced back to her.

Elaina finished up just in the nick of time. She could hear the voices of security and the maintenance crew getting off the elevator. She pulled the hood up over her head as she stepped out of Harlem’s condo.

Like a thief in the night, she opened the door to the stairway and slip away, making a hasty exit.

*****

Elaina was in a panic when she arrived home. She hoped no one saw her. Think. Think. Think. Elaina tapped her forehead with the palm of her hand as she retraced her steps. She hoped that she hadn’t left anything behind.

“Elaina?” Charlotte flipped on the light switch.

“What in the world?” She took in Elaina’s disheveled appearance. Her face was flushed, and her hair looked as if she had put a finger in an electric socket. But more alarming than anything were her eyes. They were not only wide but crazed. Charlotte frowned with a combination of fear and concern. “Are you okay?”

“I-I am fine,” Elaina said. “Nothing a pot of tea, can’t help. Let me put some on. I could really use some lavender and Chamomile.”

Elaina brushed past Charlotte. The blonde wig she wore for the return to Harlem’s place fell out from underneath the arm of her black trench coat and onto the floor.

They both glanced down at it.

“What is that?” Charlotte’s eyes questioned. “It’s almost three in the morning. Where are you coming from? Are you sure everything is alright?” It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Elaina had been acting very strange lately.

“I said I’m fine!” She snapped. “You’re living in my house. I don’t have to explain myself to you.” Elaina stomped away.

In her huff, Charlotte couldn’t help but smell something that resembled gas or lighter fluid. She thought it best to keep her mouth shut.

Charlotte called out after her. “How about I go put on the water for tea.”

*****

The tea kettle was whistling. “Perfect timing.” Elaina had changed clothes and breezed into the kitchen as if nothing about this night was strange. She went over to the cabinets and pulled down both the tea and cups. She then dropped dried tea-leaves into them and brought the cups over to the table.

Charlotte took the kettle off the stove and carried it over to the table, and they both took a seat. Charlotte poured the steaming hot water into the cups. “Are you going to tell me what’s really going on?”

Elaina thought about it. “Do you really want to know?”

Charlotte placed her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together. “I’ve been on this earth long enough to have seen and done it all. I’m certain I can handle almost anything.”

“It’s the almost that worries me,” Elaina responded as she took a sip of her tea. She closed her eyes as if in ecstasy. “God, this is so good. I really needed this.”

Charlotte took a small sip. “It is good.” She tapped her thumb along the rim of the cup. “Elaina, I am not a dumb woman. I know something is going on and that it has absolutely nothing to do with a client. I’ve known since that first night you rushed out of here almost two months ago.”

Elaina’s eyes popped open. Her brows furrowed together. “What do you think you know, Charlotte?”

“What do I know? Or what do I think?” Charlotte had her suspicions but hadn’t been able to confirm them.

Elaina blinked rapidly before answering. “I have to do something about Harlem. She is the only thing standing between Carter and me.”

Charlotte took another sip of her tea before placing the cup on the table. “Elaina, I’ve observed this situation for the past two months. Carter is smitten. You can’t just snap your fingers and make her disappear.”

Elaina leaned back in her chair. “Carter will feel differently once the baby is here.” The confidence in her words oozed out.

Charlotte needed to tread carefully. Still, she asked, “Is there a baby . . . anymore?”

Elaina’s eyes hardened, and her face began to twitch. Initially, she seemed to struggle and could not gain control of her emotions before pulling it together.

Charlotte didn’t know what to make of Elaina’s seemingly unhinged reaction.

Then, like a flip of a switch, Elaina’s facial features smoothed out. As if she had popped back into reality.