Page 10 of The Prodigy 2: Rise of a Queen

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Malika

“It’sbeautiful.”

Dionne’s eyes swept the apartment from wall to wall. “You could fit our place in here five damn times.”

“Right?” I laughed and looked around, still in awe myself. “I never imagined I’d be living like this.”

“Girl, me neither. I’m happy for you.”

It was true. She was. I heard it in her voice.

Me and Dionne never had any sibling rivalry. Too busy trying to keep ourselves alive, I guess. And she didn’t know anything about all the ways I sacrificed to make sure she got to go to college. Because I did it out of love, not obligation. We were only two years apart, but I had to become her mother after ours left. I loved her and she loved me. Period.

“Thank you, D. That means a lot to me.”

“So I guess this means things are going good with Jakari?”

I rolled my eyes. “Honestly? They could be better. I mean, I like him and he likes me, but we’re still not a hundred percent married.”

Dionne stared blankly. “That makes absolutely no sense to me.”

“It would if you knew the whole story.”

Oops.

Her eyes lit up at the hint of gossip to be told. "What’s the whole story? You’re really never gonna tell me?”

I stared at her fake pouty face and decided to tell the truth. Because I was in this, now. I was staying married, or at least, that was the plan right now. And she was the closest person to me. She deserved to know.

“Okay. But you can’t tell anybody.”

She tilted her head and made a face at me. “Who I’ma tell, Malika?”

“Daddy.”

“Have I ever told him your secrets?” she asked, her face all twisted up now.

And for good reason. She had always kept my business to herself, and vice versa. When I started having sex with Dario, when I got arrested for shoplifting, when I got pregnant by Dario and got rid of it…she never told a soul.

“Okay,” I said, and then I proceeded to spill it all.

By the time I finished, I felt lighter and calmer. She, on the other hand, looked like she had just seen a ghost.

“You know what? I really wish you hadn’t told me that.”

I laughed. “You asked.”

“Yeah, before I knew you got kidnapped and forced into a marriage to a fucking murderer. And you're laughing. Have you lost your damn mind?”

She fell back onto the couch all dramatic like she was gonna pass out.

“D. I know it sounds crazy—”

“And instead of getting away from him, you doubled down and moved in here with him?” Her voice got shakier and higher with each word. “Voluntarily?!?!”

“I know, it sounds bad, but—”

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