Page 36 of Giving Him Something He Can Feel

I watched Jovie sip from her water awaiting my response to the news she’d just dropped on me. I’d admit the last thing I expected was for her to drop the news of her being pregnant on me, but I was happy for her. I just wanted to make sure shewas happy.

“Look, I know it’s crazy and borderline nu?—”

“Mumm. Can I have fries?” Adorie asked interrupting Jovie’s spill.

I nodded and handed her the little cup from my plate. “It’s not crazy. It happens, I just wanna make sure you’re happy.”

She nodded. “I am. He actually makes me happy. Plus I believe this baby is a blessing, and God’s way of trying to mend the hole left from losing my pop pop.” Her lips curled into a weak grief filled grin.

“Good, good. And you know I will always have your back for whatever, regardless of circumstance.”

She smiled, before gazing at Adorie. “I just can’t believe I’ma be somebody’s mama.”

“Yeah you are, and the funny thing about that is that for the first few months it’s gonna shock you.”

“I don’t know if this shock is ever gonna wear off.” She had one of those toothy smiles overtaking her features. “But on another note, what’s up with Cartrek?”

My face soured. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t talked to him.”

“Um why not?” she leaned in with a knowing smirk.

“Because he and I are on two different pages. Cartrek is guarded, and I get that bu?—”

“He has a reason though, Vee.” Jovie’s face housed a sympathy that wasn’t there before. “His wife betrayed him.”

“Huh?”

“Wait, you didn’t know he was married?”

“Yes, I knew he was married, he told me that much but as far as I know is that she’s dead. Lord please don’t tell me I done got involved with another married man, and he was lying.” I shook my head about to lose my shit. Only a psychopath lied about people being dead.

Jovie sat up and looked around before she looked directly at me. “His wife was a federal agent whose job was to turn him in.” When she spoke, she barely spoke above a whisper.

“What?”

“He’s guarded, because that’s all he knows, Vee. Nigga gotsome trauma.”

“So she is dead? How did she die?”

Jovie shook her head. “Hell if I know. Too many stories to know for sure. All I do know is that part is for real.”

I nodded, sitting back in my seat. “Well it’s good he and I aren’t messing around anymore. Plus he had a baby on the way with one of the females he messes with.”

She nodded her head. “For real?”

“Yeah, so I don’t have a horse in that race or any race for that matter.” I crossed my arms and rested back into the chair.

“And Aylo?” she asked.

“He’s cool, but I’m not sleeping with him, so you know how that goes?”

“True. These niggas be for everyone.”

I talked and chilled with Jovie for a while longer before we parted ways. I was taking Adorie to the store to get a few items to add to her closet, before we turned in for the night.

“Trek!” Adorie’s voice interrupted my thoughts as she took off running down the street. It took me a moment to see what she was running toward, but when I did my heart dropped into the pit of my chest. She had run straight to Trek who was leaned coolly against my car. As much as I tried to hide my emotions, my conversation with Jovie made me feel a way for Cartrek. I know he was no saint, but betrayal was the worse pain a person could encounter. Trust me I knew from experience.

“What’s good, Peach? You look like you seen a ghost,” he greeted.

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