Moving Forward

Nine

2 Months Later

Prodigy

 I stood looking in the kitchen mirror buttoning my shirt. Ray walked in with an amused expression on his face.

 "What are you all dressed up for?" he asked. He stood beside me, running his fingers over his braids. "You got a date or something."

 "Yeah, I got a date with my girl," I replied.

 Ray snorted. "Fool, you ain't got a girl. You don't do anything but watch Lifetime anyways."

 "I don't watch Lifetime," I lied, wondering how he found out about my recent addiction to the dramatic shows. "Besides, it's with my girl, Aaliyah."

 I held up my phone, showing him the lock screen which was a photo we took before our second date. We were standing under a streetlight, laughing about some joke Prince had told us.

 When Ray saw the photo, he froze. "That's Aaliyah," he shook his head. "You got her knocked up?"

 "Nah nigga," I punched his arm. "It ain't mine."

 "Whose baby is it?" he asked, his eyes widening. "How far along is she?"

 Curiously, I looked at him. "She's six months, and I don't know who the father is. Why do you even care?"

 "I don't."

 But his facial expression said otherwise. His eyes were wide, and he looked ready to throw up. I could tell that something was eating him alive, but before I could even question him he ran out of the room.

___

 "You have a doorman," Aaliyah gasped in awe, as I lead her to the elevator. "That's amazing!"

 "Yeah, I guess," I shrugged, hitting the button for the penthouse. I had never really thought about having a doorman or living in a penthouse, but ever since we stepped inside my building Aaliyah had this look of amazement on her face.

"Ray! I'm back," I called, tossing my keys on the counter. I spotted him watching some movie in the living room. "Come meet my girlfriend."

 "You didn't tell me you had a brother," Aaliyah whispered.

 "You didn't ask," I laughed, guiding her over to meet him. "Aaliyah this is my brother, Rayan."

___

 Aaliyah

 I breathed in sharply, choking a bit. Ray of all people. "Are you okay?" Prodigy asked, eyeing me strangely. I nodded, shaking it off.

 "Nice to meet you," I croaked, forcing a smile.

 "Nice to meet you too," He said, shaking my hand. His hand lingered a little too long, but luckily Prodigy didn't notice. He just kept blathering on about something, but I wasn't listening. I kept trying to make eye contact with Ray, just something to let me know he felt bad, but he wouldn't look at me.

 "I want to show you something," Prod said, pulling me towards the stairs. I smiled following him, but I couldn't help think about Ray. Just being around him was so overwhelming. I needed to clear my head.

 "Wait, where is the bathroom?" I asked, stopping Prodigy. "You know tiny bladder."

 He laughed, making me feel slightly better. "It's the third door on the left," He grinned, kissing me on the forehead. "Hurry back."

 I stepped into the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind me. What are the odds of them being related? I ran my fingers under some warm water. What have I gotten myself into? I took a deep breath, then shut the water off. I can do this.

 I was heading back to Prodigy when I bumped into Ray. But before I could protest, he pulled me into his room. "I need to talk to you," He whispered.

 I shook out of his grasp. "I don't want to talk to you Ray," I spat, crossing my arms across my chest.

 "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? I'm the father. I have the right to know," He continued, making me even angrier.

 "You gave up that right, when you left me back in the ice room," I hissed. I turned to leave, but he blocked my way. "Move, Ray."

 "Please, Aaliyah," he pleaded. "I want to be a part of the baby's life."

 For a moment, I almost believed him. I almost believed, that somewhere he had changed, and he truly wanted to raise this baby with me. But my better judgment got the best of me.

 "No," I replied, shaking the thought of us together out of my head. "Because of you, I got arrested."

"I'm sorry, Aaliyah," He cried, but I was done. I pushed past him, leaving him to feel sorry for himself.