“That’s a lie,” Lowe said immediately.
Prodigy scowled. “I didn’t do nothing to her.”
Wise dragged on his cigar, then let the smoke out slow. “That’s the problem. You didn’t do anything. That woman wanted commitment. You kept giving speeches about timing andspace and all that fake deep shit. Then she got a job offer, took it, left town, and blocked your ass.”
I looked at Prodigy and asked, “That really what happened?”
He looked irritated with all of us now, which told me yes. “She got an offer and took it.”
“Because you wouldn’t commit,” Vega added.
Prodigy muttered, “I told her I just needed time.”
Lowe almost folded over laughing. “Women hate that shit, bro.”
“They do,” Saint agreed.
“Especially when another city and a new salary is on the table,” Big A added.
Prodigy looked like he wanted to shoot all of us, but he took his irritations out on his drink by gulping it down. That told me he was genuinely bothered.
Wise shook his head. “You should’ve claimed her.”
That made me glance at Wise because the way he said it sounded less like teasing and more like fact.
Prodigy looked off toward the parking lot for a second before saying, “I know that now.”
That quieted the jokes just a little.
I took a slow drink and thought about Ava for half a second. Thought about how close I came to being that nigga forever. The one who kept a woman in limbo so long she finally had to choose peace over him.
Saint must’ve noticed where my mind went, because he smirked and said, “Look at Reek over there minding his business because he knows this conversation was almost about him.”
That made everybody laugh.
I didn’t even argue. “Keywordalmost.”
Prodigy took a sip of his drink and stared out into the distance like he was in deep thought.
Vega looked at him and said, “You might as well let it go. Shorty gone. You lost that one.”
Prodigy’s nostrils flared. “I’m not letting shit go.”
Wise laughed and tapped ash off his cigar. “There go the commitment she wanted. Too late now nigga.”
That got us all again.
No matter how much money or bodies a man had, we were all made better or worse by a woman. No matter how dangerous, rich, or disciplined a man was, a woman could still humble the hell out of him if she got tired enough.
The reception was just as dope. The ballroom was glowing with candlelight everywhere. The music played low during dinner so we could talk over the food without yelling. And now that the dinner part of the night was winding down, the room was starting to loosen up. People were taking advantage of the multiple open bars. Laughter was carrying farther. Chairs were pushing back. Men were getting louder, and women were kicking their heels off to dance.
Me and Ava were sitting at the wedding party table, and every time I looked over at her, I had to stop myself from staring too long. Every time I looked at her, I was in awe of her beauty and that she was mine. All the kids were with nannies for the night because the whole family was in the wedding party. So, I was missing RoRo. But, for once, nobody had a baby on their hip or a toddler under their chair. It felt strange and nice at the same time. Legend and Aria was gettinglit.
Ava had just taken a sip of her drink when I leaned closer and told her, “I started a trust fund for Cairo.”
She turned toward me, brows knitted together in interest.
“In case something happens to one of us or both of us, I want him straight no matter what. He’ll always be taken care of.”
