Teonny’s eyes grew wide before she turned back toward the refrigerator to collect the items for breakfast. “Mama, please. What you know about Ellway these days?”
Tameka waved her hand. “Please, you know Jerome stays in the hood. What y’all was talkin’ ’bout?”
“Nothing, Mommy.”
Tameka eyed Teonny for a moment longer before she left her with a warning. “Don’t think I don’t know who Prosper is, little girl. I may not live in the projects no more, but I still know shit. I’m cool with you dating him as long as he keeps that shit away from you. It don’t seem like he’s doin’ that, so just know I got eyes on the situation. You don’t need to know nothin’ about no Ghost or nobody else from out that way. You got a good life, and nothin’ should take you away from that, you got it?”
“Yeah,” Teonny stammered, only because she was shocked. Her mother rarely ever raised up on her like that. She fussed over her, sure, but she never really told Teonny what to do or scolded her.
She watched as Tameka grabbed her mug of coffee and left the kitchen. Teonny was left with nothing but confusion from the words her mother just spoke.
Irritation rumbled through Prosper as he opened the door of the master bedroom. He didn’t expect to run right into Teonny, who yelped when she almost dropped the plate in her hand.
On instinct, Prosper reached out and steadied her. “You good?”
“Yeah, you just scared the shit out of me. I was just about to knock.” She held the plate of food up to explain her presence. “It’s been a few hours. I warmed your plate up for you. I figured you should eat since it’s nearing lunchtime.”
He’d been holed up in the room talking to Lamar for hours. Ghost’s location had been compromised, and Prosper’s men moved in, but it was too late by then. There was a shootout, and people on both ends died. The part that pissed Prosper off the most was that Ghost got away.
He wasn’t about to fuck around too long with Ghost’s ass. Prosper had Lamar put a hit on all the men associated withGhost. He didn’t give a fuck if it was the nigga’s granddaddy. If he was caught slackin’, he was a goner. Women and children were out of the question. Not even Prosper could be that cold.
As he looked at Teonny, he prayed none of his enemies could ever be that cold either. Until he met her, he never had a woman in his life he had to worry about. He definitely never had a child he had to worry about. Now, he couldn’t help but say a quick prayer to the man above that, despite his lifestyle, Teonny would always be safe. He had no doubt in his mind that she would be around for a very long time. The way he slept, like he didn’t have a problem in the world with her beside him, the night before . . . that right there was invaluable to him. He knew hell would freeze over before he would ever let her go.
“Come here.” He pulled on Teonny’s purple oversized shirt and tugged her forward.
She giggled sheepishly as she entered his embrace, the plate of food curling behind him as her arms wrapped around him.
They stayed like that for a while before she pulled away to look up at him. “Are you okay?”
Prosper already felt like she knew too much. If he had it his way, he never would have introduced her to this part of his life. That wasn’t how their story would go, unfortunately. That wouldn’t stop him from trying to protect her still. The less she knew, the better.
“How are you? I didn’t really get to check in wit’ you this mornin’.”
He could tell she didn’t particularly like that had he flipped the question on her without answering himself, but he didn’t want to tell her he was stressed and restless. He didn’t want to put that on her.
Teonny slipped out of his arms and walked around him. He watched as she placed the food on the nightstand before she saton the bed. “I’m fine. I feel a bit bad about lying to my mom, but other than that, I feel okay.”
“What you lyin’ to her about exactly?” he asked, though he knew. It was a setup. He wanted to hear her say it so he could correct her. He waited patiently with a smirk on his full lips.
Her eyes found his as her brows pulled in. “That we’re dating?—”
There it was. “Wearedating.” He wasted no time cutting her off as he raised his brows at her.
Her head cocked to the side. “Since the fuck when?”
Prosper chuckled before he kneeled in front of her, his body parting her knees. He thought it was a good sign that she relaxed at the gesture instead of tensing up.
“Since I said so. According to my calculations, we been goin’ together for ’bout three years now.”
Teonny giggled. “Oh yeah? We ain’t even been on a date before.”
Prosper looked her in the eye with mock seriousness. He loved being this way. He never really got to show this side of himself with anyone before, but with her, it felt so natural.
“You act like I ain’t ask you on a date damn near every day for the past three years.”
Her eyes turned to slits. He watched in amusement as she opened and closed her mouth several times like she had a hard time finding her words. Finally, she said, “You got me there.” His laugh came so naturally with her. It wasn’t long before she joined in and said, “I can’t lie to you. I am curious about what dating you would look like. I have been for a while, . . . but now that you know my trauma, I hope you understand why I’ve never acted on it.”
He nodded quickly because he truly did understand. Her sharing her story with him the night before meant more to him than she realized. “I do.”
