I slipped my shades on and picked up my purse. Even though it was nighttime, shielding my identity had become a habit over the past few months. When you dated someone who had a name, privacy was never guaranteed. And right now, I had every reason to want to have a private existence.
Trill stood and walked over to me. Pulling out my chair, he helped me up from the seat. His security stood from a nearby table, and we all headed toward the exit. I felt him place his hand on the small of my back. The gesture was both possessive and protective in a way.
The doors were pushed open, and all of a sudden, we were rushed with flashing lights and clicks of cameras. It all happened so quickly, I stiffened, and instinctively, my hand went to my most prized possession.
“How’s the baby?” someone asked from the group gathered. “Any names picked out? Baby shower planning?”
My heart dropped into my ass. Before I could react, Trill’s hand slid from my back to rest lovingly on my belly. I could’ve passed out. I started to walk away, but he locked me into place with his grip on my belly.
“Baby’s good. And you know that muhfuckin’ baby shower gon’ go crazy. Y’all know we in dat ho.”
My ears rang as he referenced my pregnancy as awething then proceeded to make plans that he hadn’t cleared with me. I went mute as he continued talking with the paparazzi a few more seconds before telling them he had to get his babies home.
When they disappeared as quick as they came, I knew there was some bullshit going on. Trill had told me once that he sometimes paid paparazzi to photograph him or pop up at random places just to keep the buzz around his name going. He couldn’t convince me that this wasn’t one of those times.
Pushing him back from me, I hurried toward the black truck that had pulled up. Climbing inside, I scooted as close as I could to the door. I needed to calm myself before I reacted.
“We’re going back to her crib,” he announced to his driver, closing the door behind him. “Bae.” He went to reach for my hand, and I snatched it back.
I didn’t try to hide my irritation. “You serious, Tray’Von?” I called him by his government name.
“Whatchutalmbout?”
“Don’t play dumb. What was that back there?”
He leaned back like he hadn’t just put something out into the world without my permission. “What? They asked about the baby.”
“And you answered. Not only did you answer, but you put some false shit out there like you don’t already know what it is.”
“I don’t,” he said with a straight face.
I hated to do it to him, but he was asking for it. “You deadass?”
“Maann.” He swiped his hand down his face. “All a nigga tryna do is step up and help you take care of the lil’ one. What’s wrong with that?”
“No. What you’re trying to do is force something on me that I never asked you for. Nobody knows I’m pregnant except for my best friend and close family. And the only reason you know is because I felt that it would be unfair not to tell you once I found out. But had I known you were gonna be doing the most, I wouldn’t have said anything and cut ties then. That shit is not cool.”
“Why it ain’t cool? You wit’ a nigga. You don’t think people see you going to doctor’s appointments and shit?”
I sucked my teeth because now he was grasping at straws to try and make what he did okay. “Nobody knows me out here like that. All my business is back on the East Coast, both personal and professional.”
“But they know me. And since you my woman, it ain’t hard to put two and two together.”
“I guess so. Especially when you’re the one feeding them the information.”
Shifting in my seat, I rolled my eyes and looked out the window. I wanted to say more, more that included me defending my reason for wanting to keep my pregnancy a secret, but I couldn’t without mentioning Pryce’s name. It was his child that I was six months pregnant with.
The news was just as much a shock to me as it was to the few people that knew about it. I didn’t find out I was pregnant until my second month in Houston. My periods had always been irregular, so it was nothing for me to miss a month. And when I did, I wasn’t alarmed. What was alarming was the soreness I started to feel in my breasts, the random naps throughout my day, and the sudden sensitivity to different smells.
And then there was that call from my mother letting me know that she had a dream about me giving birth to a beautiful baby girl. We laughed it off because it was a dream she seemed to have often, and I teased that it was her way of manifesting the grandchild that I wasn’t quite ready to give her yet. Between my vending business that I was now handling remotely and putting a plan together to expand in Houston, a baby was the last thing on my mind. I also knew that if it ever became a reality, I’d only want to do it with Pryce. As luck, or fate, would have it, my mother jokingly dared me to take a test. Wanting to prove her wrong again, I obliged, only to get a positive result back.
And here I was today, carrying a child that Pryce knew nothing about. So, Trill had to forgive me if I didn’t care about him wanting to step up. My baby had a father, and I wasn’t about to let no other man play daddy to my child in the womb or once born. Despite our current status, I respected Pryce too much.
The rest of the ride to my place was quiet until we pulled up to the building.
“I need a few days to myself. I’ll hit you when I can,” I said, reaching for the door handle.
“Hol’ on. You really dat mad bout that shit?”
