This was no game. I was fully invested. Whether I secured the seat as mayor or not, I’d been gifted a permanent residence in Royce’s world. For me, that was paramount.
Her breathing was steady. She was deep in her sleep.
Comfortable.
Comforted.
Content.
Safe.
Still.
Providing a secure environment for my baby wasn’t an option for me. It was a priority.
I slid the covers back. Insomnia wouldn’t allow me to sleep. I gave up the silent battle. It wasn’t worth my sanity.
I stalked the bottom drawer in the kitchen. Pulling it open, I retrieved the pre-rolled spliffs that Indigo had left behind. In my past, I could face three and hardly feel a thing. It had beeneight years since I’d placed a blunt to my lips, but tonight would change that.
I wasn’t on a mission to get high. I needed coaxing. Everything was becoming a lot. Royce had been my source of relief, but I didn’t want to wake her with my troubles. She needed her rest. And, I needed to clear my head.
I searched drawer after drawer, trying to locate a lighter. It wasn’t until I pulled out the last drawer that I found one. With it, I made my way through my home, stopping in front of the glass doors that led to the backyard.
The views from up top were immaculate. Berkeley’s lights twinkled in the background. The pool glistened in the dark. I turned on the heater, warming the water. It was October and the weather was nice when the sun was up. At night was when the chill settled in.
I landed in the dining room where there was a full-sized bar at the furthest end. The bottom of my chilled glass rested on the treated wood. Cognac melted the frost. I filled it halfway and gripped the sides. My glass, my blunts, and I exited my home shortly after.
The difference in my marble floors and the concrete was striking. I conquered the distance from the sliding doors to the steps of the pool. The water had warmed swiftly. I lowered into the water, sitting on the edge of the third step. Only half my body was in the water.
Flick.
Flick.
I placed the fire at the end of the blunt. It fired up with ease. I pulled in, inviting the smoke into my lungs. Slowly, I exhaled, releasing what was left of it.
I pulled the blunt away from my face, staring at its construction. Indigo was a perfectionist in more departmentsthan he cared to name. I appreciated his skillset, especially at the moment.
A sip from my glass put me closer to where I wanted to be.Mentally.
The city of Berkeley needed someone who was truly in their corner. Daniels’ greed would be the death of the good in the city. I couldn’t watch Berkeley crumble and fall before my very eyes. There was too much good in the city. Daniels was destroying it and erasing our history in the process.
Gentrification was on the rise. Our communities were being torn down and replaced with modern, over-priced housing that forced residents out of their environments because they couldn’t afford to live there anymore. Schools were closing every year. The attendance rate was declining. And, children were hungry.
Meanwhile, Daniels’ main concern was the New Berkeley. One that didn’t include everyone. It included the fittest who survived the changes being made at a rapid rate. It didn’t include the elderly, veterans, disabled, or the lower-class.
My mind drifted so far away I could hardly catch my thoughts. It was the end of the blunt and the empty cup that brought me back to reality. Still, I was in no shape to return to bed. Sleep wouldn’t greet me at the door. More troubles would. Berkeley’s troubles would.
I submerged my body in the water. I didn’t plan on coming up for air until something felt better.
“He does it too.”
Her voice was the calm I’d been longing for. I heard it through the water in my ears and around my head. I ended my ninth lap to find her near.
Royce bent down, her toes stopping where my hands gripped the end of the pool.
“Who?”
“My brother. When he has too much on his mind and his troubles won’t let him get a good night’s rest.”
