Page 115 of Heart Of A Goon II

“Why did you?” Kobe questioned, with a pair of thin glasses on, and his arms put behind his head.

Alaia turned to face him. “I wore my hijab for a man who wasn’t worthy of me. A man who didn’t honor or care for me. He demanded that I wore it, and I obeyed because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. Then I met Roy, and he never forced any of this onto me. He taught me about a religion I thought I already knew everything about. He helped me understand that my hijab was never supposed to be about pleasing a man.” She touched the fabric that framed her face. “I wear this for Allah. I honor my husband because he helped me understand what all of this means.”

“That’s beautiful, Alaia.” Kobe smiled.

“This isn’t supposed to be weaponized. Too many people look at Muslim women and assume we’re being controlled or held hostage by our faith or the men we love. There are Muslim men like my ex-husband who use religion as a way to control women. I lived through that. But there are also men like Cappadonna and Goon, men who respect their women, protect them, care for them, and understand that faith was never meant to be used as a weapon against us. This journey is for you to explore for you, not because of Goon, me, or anyone else.”

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“It’s been on my mind lately because I’m about to have a baby. Goo has been stern about raising his children Muslim, and he deserves to do that.”

Capri spit her entire drink out onto Kobe and then jumped off her cabana and lunged at me. “You lying, Zoy! Tell me you’re lying right now,” she had tears in her eyes.

All this emotional shit was giving me a headache, but there I found myself crying again. “I’m pregnant.”

She swung her arms around my neck, squeezing me. Blair had jumped up and climbed over Kobe’s chair to get over to us. She joined into the hug, squeezing all of us. “I’m so happy for you, Zoya. You’re going to be somebody’s bad ass mama.”

“She is. You’re joining the mommy club, Zoy. Feel my heart,” she placed my hand onto her heart.

Capri deserved every good thing that came her way. She was one of those friends that was always there for you, and genuinely happy for your wins. She never did the jealousy shit, or shady mess when it came to her friendships. Capri Inferno wanted everyone to be happy and to win, even if she wasn’t.

Erin reached over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Congratulations, Mama… if you need diapers, let me know.”

“You peddling diapers?” Kobe laughed.

“I have coupons, bitch.”

He laughed. “Well, swing some for some bodywash… when did bodywash become so expensi⁠—”

Blair looked from Kobe and then to Alaia. “Why the hell aren’t you two surprised?”

“Cause I heard the little bean’s heartbeat,” Alaia bragged.

Capri and Blair both gasped and looked offended. “We are your best friends, and you didn’t even let us know and kept our child’s heartbeat from us?” Capri playfully mushed me.

“I need you to stop hanging with your husband.” I laughed.

They both hugged me again. “I’m so excited for this journey. Have you told Goon?”

I cut my eyes at her. “He’s the reason that we know. Forced me to take a test on my birthday.”

“A hell of a birthday gift.” Syn smiled.

The love that they were showing me felt good. I knew I had to tell my family, but I was scared. I felt like a teen about to tell her father the high school’s quarterback had knocked me up in the back of a red pickup truck.

“Did you tell your sister?”

“Stevie knows.”

“Kora?”

“I haven’t told any of them about it. I’m scared to tell Menace and don’t know why. I’m grown and can take care of myself.”

“You care what he thinks. Even if you don’t want to admit it, you care about his opinion on your life.”

I shrugged. “Not really.”

“Tell that lie to yourself, Zoy. Menace is your big brother, and he had a hand in raising you. As much as you give him push back, I know deep down there’s a piece of you that wants him to be proud of you.”