A Trillion to One

by Chenell Parker

  “Are you gonna tell her mother that you had the test done?” Amore asked him as he drove.

  “Nope. I’m not telling her shit, no matter what the results say. She’s shady as fuck and her mama must know that. What other reason would she be telling me to take a paternity test?” Trillion questioned out loud.

  “I don’t know but they’re both weird if you ask me,” Amore replied.

  “I agree. But, I need to ask you something,” Trillion said as he looked over at her.

  “What’s up?” Amore asked.

  “Where did all that shit that you gave Stacy come from?” Trillion asked.

  “How do you know about that?” Amore asked.

  “I got my ways. Most of your clothes are at my house because you’re never home. I know damn well you didn’t have all that shit in your closet,” Trillion noted.

  “Don’t get mad,” Amore said as she grabbed his free hand.

  “Come on Amore, damn. You always say that when you’re about to piss me off,” Trillion pointed out, making her laugh. That was true and that’s why it was so funny to her.

  “It was my shit. I just had to get it back,” Amore said, right before she ran everything down to him. He already knew about most of it, but that was his first time learning of Ciara’s involvement.

  “Seriously Amore? Why would y’all go to that girl’s house? That was dangerous,” Trillion argued.

  “I know it was but I wasn’t even thinking straight. It just pissed me off to know that she was that bold. Bitch was wearing my shit in my face like she was really bout that life. Then she had the nerve to open an online boutique to sell it. I didn’t even want the shit and neither did my cousins. We dropped everything off to Stacy’s house the very next day,” Amore replied.

  “Yeah, Jordon told me that he had to bring it to the halfway house for her. I guess she told him that it came from you. That’s enough with the rowdy shit Love. Don’t give these social media clout chasers nothing else to report. Your book is coming out in two days and that’s all that you need to focus on,” Trillion said.

  “I’m so nervous. I still think ten dollars is too much. Maybe we should start out selling it for five,” Amore suggested.

  “Why, when it’s worth twenty? We’re already selling it for less than you deserve. Don’t ever sell yourself short Love. Either they buy it or they don’t.” Trillion shrugged.

  He’d been building up anticipation for Amore’s books and they were going crazy already. He dropped the first chapter a paragraph at a time and they were begging for more. Amore was up to over a hundred thousand followers and she had been interacting with them more. They had a lot of people that really rocked with her and were ready to support.

  “You’re always so confident,” Amore said as she smiled at him.

  “I haven’t always been this way but I had to learn. Muthafuckers always want to make you think that you can only eat what they bring to the table. I learned the recipe and started cooking for myself. That way, I’ll never go hungry again,” Trillion replied.

  “That was deep,” Amore said.

  “We gotta get us something nice to wear Love,” Trillion suggested.

  “For what?” Amore questioned.

  “So we can go out and celebrate the success of your book,” Trillion answered.

  “It hasn’t succeeded yet,” Amore said.

  “But it will. Trust me, Love,” Trillion replied.

  “I do trust you,” Amore said, meaning every word.

  She trusted him more than she trusted her own mother. He believed in her more than she believed in herself and that only made her love him more. Trillion was a man of his word and he showed Amore more than he told her. Amore had her doubts at times but she tried not to let it show. She quit her job to blindly follow his lead and, sometimes, she was scared. The only thing that gave her comfort was knowing that she had her cousins to fall back on if things ever went left.

  “Congratulations Love. I’m proud as fuck of you,” Trillion said as he grabbed Amore’s face and kissed her.

  “Thanks baby. I appreciate you more than you know. I owe you everything.” Amore smiled.

  Just like he’d predicted, Amore’s book did amazing. It shot up to the top of the charts and the positive reviews were already rolling in. She was dropping the second one in two weeks and the finale two weeks after that. She’d already got the ball rolling on her next series and she had her covers too. Trillion loved that series even more than the first and Amore appreciated his honest feedback. They had gone to see a movie and they just pulled up to one of his favorite restaurants. Tristyn was with Jackie and his father, so they had the entire weekend to themselves.

  “What’s wrong baby?” Trillion asked her once they were seated.

  Something had been off with her all night and he was concerned. Although she kept a smile on her face the entire time, Trillion could see that it was forced. She was the same way a few days before and he didn’t know what was up with her.

  “Nothing, I’m good,” Amore replied with another phony smile.

  “Talk to me, Love. I can tell that something is bothering you,” Trillion said as he grabbed her hand.

  “I just feel weird for some reason and I don’t know why,” Amore replied.

  “Not again Amore. Why are you so paranoid all of a sudden? Twice last week you thought that somebody was following us,” Trillion reminded her.

  “Never mind. Just forget that I said anything,” Amore said.

  “We can leave if you want to. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable,” Trillion replied.

  “No, I’m okay. I’m sorry boo. I’m not trying to ruin our night with my paranoia,” Amore said.

  “No need to apologize Love. I’m good as long as you are,” Trillion assured her.

  “I’m good. Let’s order,” Amore said while waving their server over.

  She still had an eerie feeling but she tried her best to ignore it. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it and it was probably nothing. Amore put a smile on her face and enjoyed her meal and her man. She was all smiles when one of the chefs came from the kitchen area with a beautiful gold and white cake with sparklers on it. ‘Congratulations Amore’ was spelled out in big gold letters with dipped strawberries surrounding it. Amore was almost in tears when everybody in the restaurant clapped and cheered. They probably didn’t know what they were congratulating her for but it was still appreciated. The chef cut the cake and Trillion told him to pass it out to the other patrons. It was huge and it would go to waste if they took it home. Chanell came through and dropped the cake off to the restaurant just like he asked her to.

  “Thank you so much baby. I really appreciate all of this. I swear I fall in love with you a little more every day,” Amore said as she leaned over to his side of the table to kiss him.

  “All you had to do was give me a chance Love. I told you that you wouldn’t regret it,” Trillion replied.

  “You’re about to have the best night of your life.” Amore smiled while winking at him.

  “Shit, let me call for the check,” Trillion said as he licked his lips in anticipation.

  “Congrats cousin. I’m so happy for you,” someone said, interrupting the couple’s intimate conversation. Amore looked up and frowned when she saw Meadow standing there smiling at her.

  “Thanks,” Amore said, void of any emotion.

  “I got a copy of your book. I can’t wait to read it,” Meadow said.

  “Thanks again Meadow,” Amore replied with a little more attitude.

  “Can we talk for a minute Amore?” Meadow asked.

  “I’m going to the bathroom Love. I’ll be right back,” Trillion said, trying to give them a little privacy. He’d heard about Meadow but that was his first time seeing her. Amore was hurt by her last encounter with her cousin and so was Chanell.

  “What do you want Meadow?” Amore asked once they were alone.

  “First, I want to apologize. You were right. We were too
close for me to have behaved the way I did. You and my sisters didn’t deserve that and I’m sorry,” Meadow replied.

  “It’s all good Meadow. No love lost,” Amore assured her.

  “I’m just so happy for everybody. You’re an author and Chanell opened a bakery. Even Dallas is staying out of trouble,” Meadow noted.

  “Yep, we’re all blessed,” Amore said.

  “You and Trillion make a cute couple,” Meadow complimented.

  “Thanks.” Amore smiled.

  “He’s a hard man to get in contact with. I follow him on Instagram and I was so shocked when he started posting your pictures. I’ve been trying to get him to promote my business for months but his PR person never got back with me,” Meadow said.

  “Oh yeah?” Amore asked, now knowing exactly why her cousin had a shift in attitude. Trillion warned her about the vultures and she was staring at one right now.

  “Yeah. How much does he charge for that?” Meadow questioned.

  “For me, nothing. All I have to do is ask,” Amore answered.

  “Really?” Meadow questioned excitedly. She’d seen him promoting Chanell’s bakery for weeks and her sister’s name was ringing bells now. Trillion didn’t just advertise for anyone, so she knew that it was Amore who got him to do it. Her boutique wasn’t doing too well and she needed all the help that she could get. She’d reached out to his PR person several times but she never got a reply. She even took a chance and reached out to Trillion via Instagram, but that was a waste too. Meadow had to get a part time job just to stay afloat. If Amore could help her in any way, she would be more than grateful.

  “What do you need from me to get started?” Meadow asked.

  “The first thing I need is for you to get the fuck out of my face,” Amore said calmly, wiping the smile from Meadow’s face.

  “What?” Meadow questioned in confusion.

  “You didn’t want to be associated with convicts and crackheads, remember? Keep that same energy that you had when you saw me waiting tables a few months ago,” Amore replied.

  “I don’t want you to get shit twisted. I’m not asking you for any favors. I’m willing to pay for whatever I want,” Meadow said, even though that wasn’t entirely true. She did need a favor but she could see that it wasn’t going to happen.

  “You can’t afford his prices boo. And even if you could, he doesn’t do the promo scheduling. Continue trying to contact his PR person to get on the list. It was nice seeing you again cousin. Have a great day,” Amore replied, dismissing her and the entire conversation.

  Meadow wanted to say more but she just walked away. She regretted the way she handled things with Amore all those months ago because it came back and bit her on the ass. Amore was all about family and had they been tight like they were when they were younger, she would have been happy to help her out. She had burned a bridge that was impossible to cross now and that was her own fault.

  “You good Love?” Trillion asked when he walked back over to her.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Just another one of your warnings that I had to take heed to,” Amore replied.

  “Huh?” Trillion asked in confusion.

  “She’s looking for free press, just like everybody else.” Amore shrugged.

  “Everybody wants the honey but nobody wants to get stung,” Trillion said while shaking his head. He called their server over and asked for the bill.

  Once the bill was paid, he and Amore boxed up their leftovers and got ready to leave. Trillion thanked their server and the chef that assisted him with the cake. He gave them both a nice tip and he and Amore were on their way. Trillion grabbed her hand and headed out of the restaurant. As soon as they got close to his car in the parking lot, all hell broke loose. Men holding cameras came running up to them from all directions. The bright lights had him and Amore shielding their eyes to get a better look. When another man came running in their direction, Trillion was pissed to see that Leah was running right with him.

  “The fuck! This bitch called cheaters on us,” he fumed once he put it all together.

  “You dirty bastard! I knew that you were fucking with somebody else!” Leah yelled while charging at him and Amore like he’d seen so many other women do on that bogus ass show. One of the security guards grabbed her and held her back.

  “Trillion, what do you have to say for yourself?” a man asked as he walked up and stood in front of him. He, as well as all the other men, had on all black. Some of them had on the show’s logo t-shirts as they stood around and recorded.

  “Are y’all serious right now?” Trillion chuckled.

  Leah used to have him watching that bullshit ass show every night but he didn’t think that it was real. It still looked bogus and they all looked like they were putting on a show for the cameras. Trillion hated that people were out there laughing and recording their every move. He knew that his social media page was about to be lit and he didn’t have time for it.

  “Did you know that he had a fiancée and daughter at home?” the same man asked as he looked at Amore.

  “Don’t ask her no muthafucking questions! I don’t have a fiancée; this is my girl. If this shit was so real, y’all dumb asses would know that,” Trillion barked angrily.

  Amore was enraged and embarrassed. Her intuition never led her wrong, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. Leah was really certified. That crazy bitch was crying and screaming about how Trillion had ruined their family. She was going crazy but she should have been happy that they were holding her back. If she came anywhere near Amore, she was getting knocked the fuck out. Their perfect day was ruined and Amore was ready to go home.

  “Do you have anything to say to your fiancée and mother of your child?” the man who was obviously the host of that fraud ass show asked Trillion.

  “Yeah, that bitch can choke on a syphilis dick and die!” Trillion yelled angrily. As upset as Amore was, she couldn’t help but laugh at his comment.

  “Get off of me! Let me go! I can’t believe you’re leaving with her!” Leah yelled like a crazy person. She was really putting on for the cameras and making a fool of herself.

  “Get the fuck away from my car before I sue y’all asses!” Trillion hissed as he opened the door for Amore to get into his newly purchased silver BMW sports car. The cameramen ran up to the window, trying to record every little detail. Trillion started up his car and revved his engine for them to move. They got the hint and backed away right before he sped out of the parking lot and away from the madness.

  “I might as well deactivate my page,” Amore sighed as she looked out of the window.

  “I’m so sorry about that Love. That bitch is really looney,” Trillion said.

  “It’s not your fault Trillion but something is seriously wrong with her. We’ve been together for months now and she seems to be getting worse,” Amore noted.

  “And that’s exactly why my baby is never going back to her bipolar ass,” Trillion swore.

  “You know she’s really gonna go crazy if you do that,” Amore warned.

  “Fuck that bitch. Let her take me to court,” Trillion raged.

  “See, I told you that my intuition is always right,” Amore said.

  “And I’ll never doubt that shit again,” Trillion promised.

  “Well, I guess we’re gonna be on tv,” Amore laughed.

  “That shit is bogus and they can’t air nothing without our permission. I’m calling my lawyer as soon as we get home,” Trillion replied.

  “You need to relax,” Amore said as she unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over to his side of the car.

  “What you doing girl?” Trillion asked with a smirk when she started undoing his pants.

  “I’m helping you relax,” Amore answered.

  “Don’t make me wreck my new car girl,” Trillion said when she pulled his erection out of his boxers.

  “Do what Rhianna said. Shut up and drive,” Amore replied as she wrapped her lips around his dick, making him hiss.

&n
bsp; Trillion was worried that she would be upset because their night was ruined. Amore surprised him once again and got the afterparty started right in the car as he drove. He planned to enjoy his night with her for as long as he could. He knew that he would have a bunch of bullshit to deal with later.

  “Y ou know I got love for you cuz but it’s fucked up the way you’re handling this shit,” AJ argued as he sat in his living room talking to Chanell, Dallas and Amore.

  Amore had been holed up at their apartment since Monday morning and it was now Thursday afternoon. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Trillion since she left his house that Monday morning and he was going crazy. Amore told them all about what happened that Saturday night when they went out to dinner but she wasn’t even upset about that. They all had a good laugh about it and moved on. Trillion had his lawyers on it and it went away just as quickly as it came. That still didn’t stop someone who was out there from recording and posting it on social media though.

  “I know AJ but I’m trying to figure this shit out,” Amore said as she continued to pace the floor.

  “It ain’t shit for you to figure out Amore. You’re having that man’s baby and he needs to know. How long do you think you can hide out over here? Shit, you got me and my girl on lockdown with your ass,” AJ laughed.

  Trillion had called and come to their house more times than he could count and Amore had them living like prisoners. They couldn’t answer their door or their phones for him, and AJ felt bad. Chanell felt even worse because she had lied to Trillion’s face when he came to her bakery. It was because of him that her business was booming the way it was and she hated to do him dirty. Still, Amore was her family and she would do anything that her cousin asked her to. Since he had a key to her house, Amore didn’t even waste her time staying there. She was sure that was the first place that he’d gone to look for her.

  “We used protection though. And I always took the Plan B pill whenever we didn’t,” Amore said as she walked the floor like a crazy person.

  She’d finally gotten an appointment at the free clinic to get a checkup but she wasn’t ready for the news they gave her. Amore only wanted to get a pap test and some birth control pills but she got much more than that. She was given a prescription to get prenatal pills for a baby that she didn’t even know she was carrying.