Page 35 of Pretty

“Nothing much, just living life.”

“How little man doing? How you doing?”

“We’ve been missing you.”

I slanted my eyes at her and sucked my teeth. “I don’t even know why you played the game you played.”

“I wasn’t playing a game, Drew. I thought he was yours.”

Noah kept reaching for me and trying to wiggle out of his mother’s arms.

I reached for him and held him close. He threw his little arms around me the way he always did, and he leaned his head against mine.

“You got a birthday coming up soon, doncha, li’l man?”

“Yeah. He’ll be two in a month and a half,” Kendra stated, moving closer to us. She was grinning like hell, but I wasn’t feeling whatever she was on.

“What are you doing here in Georgia?” I asked, bouncing Noah in my arm.

“I-I was visiting my aunt Ke-Ke for a week. I didn’t expect to see you.”

“Yeah, definitely wasn’t expecting to see you again.”

“I tried calling you, Drew. You’ve blocked me.”

“We had nothing else to talk about. You made your decision, it didn’t shake out, and I moved on. I didn’t want to hear the lies and excuses. The paper said it all.”

“Didn’t you get any of my messages?” she asked as her eyes welled with tears.

“I got your message. It didn’t mean anything to me. I knew what I knew, and nothing you said could change it.”

“I thought maybe we could work out something. He loves you, Drew. You can’t just turn that off. He’s an innocent baby. You could’ve kept up your relationship with him.”

“It’s better to break it off now before he gets older and becomes attached. He’s got a daddy. Make that nigga step up. Oh, yeah, that’s right; he was on again and off again in your other kid’s life until you dropped him on his doorstep. I’m guessing you plan to do the same thing with Noah.”

“You’re so cruel.”

I scoffed and shook my head. It was ironic that the people who did the cruelest shit would be the main ones begging you not to return the energy.

“I’m not cruel. I just refuse to be your fool any longer, Kendra.”

“Kendra? So this is the one you told me about?” Pretty asked.

I turned to see her walking up to us. She looped her arm through mine, and I shifted the bags on that arm.

“Yeah.”

“Who’s this, Drew?” Kendra asked anxiously.

“His future wife. Cute kid you’ve got there. He must look just like his daddy.”

Damn she was petty.

I handed Noah back to Kendra who was reaching for him. She rolled her eyes and replied, “Yes, he does. He looks just like Daddy Drew. Call me, Drew. My number’s still the same.”

“Kendra, get yourself a job and take care of your kid. Have some self-respect and some self-esteem, girl. Don’t spend all your life trying to find a man to take care of your responsibility. In fact, get his daddy to do it.”

Kendra had been walking away, but she quickly turned back. She pointed at Pretty and declared, “Don’t speak on shit you don’t know anything about.”