Page 339 of Kentrell

Kentrell winked at me making my stomach flutter.

“He got mine last night when we talked,” Darius said.

“Kentrell…” I shook my head, laughing. “I should’ve known.”

“You know now,” he said, grinning at me like he’d been waiting for this moment all along.

“So… what now?” I heard my father ask, pulling my eyes away from my fiancé. “I’m a little hungry… and you probably need to eat.” His gaze dipped to my stomach just as Kentrell’s hand stretched across my lap, settling protectively on my still-flat belly.

Judging by how he was acting now… God help me when I finally started to show.

“We can all order our own thing,” I said, leaning back with a small grin. “But I want greens.”

Both my parents chuckled.

The craving I’d confessed to Kentrell’s mama during my visit with her yesterday hadn’t let up yet. And something told me it wouldn’t… not until I had some of my mama’s.

“Well, Thanksgiving is tomorrow,” Mama said, locking eyes with me like she already knew where this conversation was headed. “If you wanna head to the store with me…”

“Yes!” I jumped up like a happy child, clapping my hands. “We can host it at our home.”

“Oh… okay, we’ll come back here—” she started.

“No… we don’t live here,” I giggled, cutting her off. “Our home is in Hinsdale.” I smiled up at Kentrell as he stood to join me.

“Okay then… guess we’re gonna have to get going,” she said, her tone light but still laced with that motherly surprise like she hadn’t realized how far I’d already stepped into this new chapter.

“You can stay in the guest quarters if you want privacy… but there’s more than enough space in the main house,” I said, latching onto her arm, feeling giddy and talkative just because… she was my mama. I hadn’t had many moments like this with her lately, and I was soaking it in.

“Oh wait…” I paused, counting on my fingers. “Kentrell’s brothers are coming too. And I think his friends… and mine…” My mental calculator kicked in as I tried to tally the guest list.

“Your brothers are going?” Mama asked, glancing at Kentrell.

“Yup. Kenwan and Kensei.” Kentrell smirked at her, and there was something devilish in his eyes… like he was saying something without saying it. Like there was some inside joke between them I wasn’t privy to.

“Don’t even worry about it,” he said to me, like he’d caught the confusion written all over my face.

“Oh…kay,” Mama sighed. “Last I remember of the other two… one was quiet as a church mouse and the other one… loud, fast, and mannish.”

Nice to know not much has changed.

“The loud one is just like your loud friend… Marniece,” she added, making me burst out laughing.

Mama had to grow to love Mars. She’d been eight when we first met—walked right into our house loud, raspy, mischievous… big fun from day one. That’s what I loved most about her. Mars could turn anything into a good time. That’s how she eventually won my mama over.

“‘Loud’ is putting it mildly,” I finally said, smirking at Kentrell, catching the half-pained, half-amused look on his face before we both laughed.

“That girl is crazy,” he groaned.

“Very,” Mama agreed, shaking her head like the memories of Mars were flooding back. “And all about sex… which… seems like most of y’all’s generation is.” She gave me a pointed look.

I diverted my gaze real quick.

Had I not been pregnant… I probably?—

Kentrell’s narrowed eyes caught mine like he could read the entire train of thought playing out in my head. I smirked. Yeah… he definitely knew.

There wasn’t a soul alive who could see us together and think we weren’t doing it. Baby or no baby.

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