“No, I’m serious,” he interrupted while standing from his chair. He stepped closer, and his eyes softened just a little as they rested on me, but the firm edge was still there. “Invite him to dinner… tonight. I want to see who’s got the nerve to tell my daughter to call him Trigga. Fucking Trigga. Not Tigger likeWinnie the Pooh?” he genuinely asked.
I just shook my head no. MJ snorted, trying not to laugh, all while still rubbing his head.
“Man, he better know what he’s getting into,” MJ said with a light chuckle.
I couldn’t help but envy him because in a couple of months, he would be out of this house and wouldn’t have to deal with this bullshit. The first step to really growing up was to tell my dad all about Tahari, which I had just accomplished. Next up was for them to meet, and I was so damn nervous for tonight. I could barely speak. My words were stuck somewhere between excitement and fear. Dad’s protective aura was heavy and slightly intimidating. It was him being a father, my father, and Iknew that he meant well. I knew that he just had my best interest at heart. So, I tried my best not to let his reaction get the best of me. Still, hearing him call Tahari my “little friend” instead of my boyfriend made my heart sink a little.
Dad leaned back against the counter with his arms crossed.
“Maliah, this little friend better treat you right. I’m not playing. If he ever fucks up, and I mean misstep in any shape or form, he’s not just gonna get my words, he’s gonna get a lesson. Understood?”
I nodded so quickly I thought my head might fall off.
“Yes, Daddy.”
MJ chuckled while glancing at me again with his smirk still there.
“Man, this is wild. Pops is about to meet ya little boyfriend. Get ready, sis.”
I couldn’t help but laugh nervously as my hands fidgeted with my apron.
Deep down, my heart was racing. Dad sighed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders before he started to walk away. And just like that, I realized he wasn’t just thinking about Tahari. He was thinking about keeping me safe and about making sure my little heart stayed intact. I appreciated him for it, but I was a big girl, and I had to learn from my own mistakes. If I had to fall and scrape my knee a bit, then so be it. It was my lesson and mine only to learn.
“Daddy, your food,” I said as he started to walk out of the kitchen.
“I’m not hungry, baby girl,” he said casually before climbing the stairs.
I’m sure my news had ruined his appetite, and I felt like shit because of it.
“It’s okay, baby girl, he just has to feel it right now. Let him sit in it for the moment. He will be okay by later. Text Tahariand tell him to be here by eight. I’ll text the chef and have him put something together.” Mom kissed the side of my head before following Dad upstairs.
“Morning, Daddy, morning Mom!” Maylee eagerly said as she rushed past our parents down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“Ooo, breakfast,” she cheered, “why you look like that, sissy?” Maylee asked me as she plopped down onto the chair that Dad had just gotten up from.
“Because she finally told Dad why she had been sneaking out. Looks like your run with conning her out of her clothes is over with,” MJ said before snatching up another piece of bacon.
“Dag,” Maylee sighed out before grabbing a piece herself.
I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my pajama pants. Tahari had more than enough time to get it together and make it to my house tonight. Dropping me off on nights I snuck out was one thing, but being invited behind these gates was something totally different. I patted the phone in my hand before shooting him a text. I didn’t know why, but I was nervous as hell for him to meet my family. More importantly, his expressing that he would love to meet them was one thing, but sitting at a table with them was something totally different. I hope he really meant it when he said that because now his ass is coming to dinner.
Chapter 4
Tahari “Trigga” Reynolds
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It cut through the low hum of the stash spot. I wiped my hands on my jeans, grabbed my phone, and then glanced down. I had been counting money for hours, and honestly, the tips of my fingers were starting to feel raw.
Mali: Be here by eight for dinner to meet my family.
I smiled as my heart skipped a beat. Shit. There’s no way that I was reading this right. Was this a formal invitation? Was she requesting my presence behind those gates? At her house. So many nights I had dropped her off and watched her clear those gates as if she were a professional pole vaulter. I laughed inwardly at how she would dart across that long-ass lawn. My chest tightened a little. For months, I’d been sneaking around with her. We shared numerous late nights and quick drop-offs, but tonight… tonight was different. Tonight, I’d be walking through the door like I belonged there.
And for the night, I did because I was invited. Just thinking about meeting Maliah’s family had me thinking about the first time I had met her. They say when you first meet someone, youwill never know the impact that they will have on your life. I can honestly say that since Mali has been in my life, things have just been easier. I ain’t even going to lie, that day stuck with me and always will.
School was loud as hell, but that was nothing new. Lockers were slamming, niggas were yelling, and girls were laughing too hard at nothing. I knew girls like that all too well. I was never a fan of the ones who simply just wanted to be seen. I was leaning against the wall, half paying attention to my phone, half watching everything like I always did. That’s when she came out of nowhere. Her head was down, and she was moving fast. Too fast. So fast that she had slammed right into me.
“Watch where you…”
I stopped mid-sentence the second I saw her face. It was so pretty. She had natural, full, pouty lips, full cheeks, and long, natural lashes. She had a nice sun-kissed brown skin complexion. Her bone structure looked like it could have been the perfect blueprint for all the surgeons out here. I wanted to admire the beauty on her profile, but she had this look on her that overshadowed her gorgeous ass face. She had this look of panic in her eyes that I couldn’t ignore. Her entire face was etched in it, and it was not regular late-for-class panic either. Nah, something was going on. Her eyes were glossy, like she was fighting back tears, and her full lips were pressed tight like she was trying to keep it together.
