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“Like having a baby with a stranger?”
“And getting married.” Gianni’s gaze deepened as I groaned at his response.
“I don’t understand why we can’t co-parent. I’d never keep your child from you,” I knew all too well how it felt to want a father and not have one responsible enough to show up. I didn’t want that for my child and promised myself that regardless of how my relationship played out, I would never be the reason my child didn’t have its father.
“I don’t make the rules, Lo.”
“It’s Hailo, and the man I met at the party didn’t strike me as the type to follow any.”
“Damn, we’re not friends anymore?” He asked, wearing the smirk that made my knees weak when we met. Today I didn’t find it amusing. “Tradition and rules are two different things.”
“Doesn’t sound like it to me.”
“The love and beliefs I was rooted in made me the man I am. The man you wanted to give your pussy to.” His lustful glare lingered before he licked his lips and continued.
Gianni closed the space between us, causing me to swallow the lump in my throat. He was standing so close I couldn’t even bend my neck back.
“If loving my family and wanting to do right by you makes me a sucka, I’ll be that.” His face was marked with a loathing that forced me to gulp. “To you, but it ain’t a motherfucka walking willing to test that, including Marcel, but I think you know that already.”
“I don’t even know you, and I’m supposed to get married because I made a bad judgment call and got pregnant off a one-night stand?”
“Yes, you are. It’s the price you pay for seeking out the scariest man you saw all night,” Gianni mocked, causing me to wonder why this was so important to him. Why was he fighting so hard for whatever this was with a stranger?
My family wasn’t as tight-knit as his appeared to be. I had a part-time father at best. Then I became close with Niyomi and Denim, who became my family. I couldn’t wrap my mind around Gianni’s decision to stand by this tradition, so I summarized my feelings.
“What do I tell my family and friends?” I asked nervously.
“Now, who’s letting other people’s opinions dictate their moves?”
I pursed my lips together before I allowed my emotions to make me share something I wasn’t ready to. “It sounds crazy to me, so it’ll sound even worse to other people.”
“Tell them the truth. That you met a real nigga and fell in love.”
“I was drunk and emotional and had sex with a stranger. That’s what happened.”
“Tell them that if you want. I’m team Hailo, Pretty Lady. Do whatever makes you happy.”
“Not getting married would make me happy.”
“Choose anything but that,” Gianni insisted as I got up to rinse the cup my smoothie was in. I was standing next to him and noticed the cut underneath his eye.
“What happened to your face?”
“That ain’t nothin’ just a lil battle wound looking for y’all.”
“I’ve never had a man fight over me before,” I giggled, unsure why I found humor in that situation.
“Never?”
“Nope.” I halfway expected something clever to come out of his mouth, but he didn’t say anything. He smirked, tucking a wayward curl behind my ear. He moved in an inch, and thankfully, the sound of my phone vibrating pulled me away. “I-I-It’s my mom. I need to take this,” I stuttered.
“Handle it.” Gianni smiled before leaving the room to give me some privacy.
“Hey, mom.”
“Hailo! I’ve been worried sick. You haven’t been answering. I even called the hotel looking for you. Denim and Niyomi didn’t know where you were!” Sadie rattled off, and my heart ached at the tremble in her voice.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
