A Familiar Ring

CHAPTER 20: PLAYER'S BALL

It was the night before Player's Ball and Nola was a complete wreck as she laid in bed next to Prosper. She hadn't mentioned to him that Axe knew she was pregnant but the fact that he knew was bothering her. She had gathered that Axe didn't have the best relationship with his daughter but that was still his daughter. In Nola's mind, as long as Cadence didn't know about her baby she felt that she could retain the upper hand on Prosper. Pregnancy revealed her jealousy in ways that she didn't expect.

She wanted Prosper's baby because she wanted Prosper. She wanted him to claim her. She wanted him to want her in the way that she knew he wanted Cadence. And she couldn't lie to herself about it anymore. It's what she wanted from the very moment she laid eyes on him. She was determined to make him fall in love with her. The only problem is that a few short years had passed and though she had him, she wasn't entirely sure he loved her. She could gather that he had love for her in an endearing kind of way. Because his mother raised him to be a gentleman. But it wasn't love love, it wasn't a love that was written in the stars to last an eternity. It wasn't the love she had for him.

Prosper was kind of a mess too. He was okay with becoming a father and was excited to potentially enter the new chapter in his life. He was grateful that he liked the mother of his child. But, see, that was the issue. He just liked her. If he were to start a family with someone, he always expected to feel something more. He could hear his daddy now 'Son, they say money is the root of all evil but that's a lie. It's attraction, and it goes both ways. The most beautiful things to attract your eye could just be the devil in disguise and you could have the purest heart but attract the most evil intentions. Be careful.' He was always mindful of this life lesson, and he thought he had been careful. But was he? Outside of being a little reckless by nutting in Nola in the first place, he felt that he was at least being careful in welcoming her into his life to begin with. Prosper wasn't a natural skeptic, he liked to consider all potential outcomes as positive.

But at the same time he was feeling conflicted because his heart was with Cadence, who was not the mother of his unborn child. Truthfully, he felt like an asshole despite that not being his demeanor or his true intentions. Shit, he thought to himself. He didn't need to get ahead of himself. He didn't even know if Nola planned on keeping the baby yet. They hadn't really spoke on anything since finding out they were expecting. He didn't feel he really had a say—he always believed what a woman did with her body was her choice. But here he was wide awake in the middle of the night wondering about what she was planning to do with her body. He exhaled deeply and turned to lay flat on his back.

"Babe?" the two spoke in unison.

"Oh, my bad. I didn't know you were already up," Prosper spoke first.

"Can't sleep. A lot on my mind," Nola responded.

"Talk to me."

Nola hesitated before replying, "I-I'm scared. I'm not sure if...," she paused thinking of the right words for what she truly wanted to say, "If we should be having this baby. Because I'm not sure if we really want this baby or... if this baby will be born into love. I just don't really know where we at right now and it got my head fucked up."

She wanted him to provide her some sort of assurance and comfort in that moment. She wanted him to get her out of her head, like he always did. It was one of many reasons why she'd come to realize she was in love with him. But instead he just sighed deeply and let the silence around them carry the conversation.

"Prosper?" Nola called out, hoping he'd finally provide some sort of answer.

"I'm here and I understand," Prosper replied while bringing her close to him. This only confused Nola even more.