And my patience.
And my kindness.
And my tolerance.
And my consideration.
I entered the parking garage at full speed. My wheels came to a screeching halt at the door. Once they split open, I pulled forward, slowly. Inside the large circle painted on the floor, I pressed the round button on the remote that was clipped to my visor.
I was instantly enclosed in a glass container that pierced the red line of the circle. I rested my head on the seat, exhaling deeply. The idea of ceilings gripped me by the lungs and squeezed.
No height is too high, baby.
Not even the sky is our limit. We're in that motherfucker every chance we get.
Whatever you think your ceiling is, it’s not. Ceilings don’t exist in our world, baby.
We don’t make goals, baby. We break them. And rules. And boundaries. And, anything that puts a limit on our capabilities.
Teddy’s words echoed in my heart. I could no longer hear Tink. All I heard was Chemistry. My belief that there were no limits to my life had left me with a slight struggle with claustrophobia. I hated enclosures, ceilings, roofs, and walls.
“Thank God.”
I stepped out of my car and allowed the door to close behind me. The door of my family’s loft opened for me without resistance. The full body scan had been in motion since my wheels stopped in the large circle, and my car was placed in park.
The new upgrades to our common space were impressive. Chemistry wasn’t a fan of technology. However, Malachi had been bitten by the tech bug and convinced him to look into some changes he thought would work in our favor. Better security for the sake of his girls was the winning phrase. He was down for it. All of it. Any of it.
“Hello, home.”
It was the closest thing to our family’s home as I’d get since the passing of my dear Richie. I tilted my head rightward at the thought of his corpse decomposing in the grave we’d dug for him. The saliva dried in my mouth. My shoulders tried gathering at the center of my body. I closed my eyes, begging the heaviness to bear with me.
Please.
When I opened my eyes, my spine straightened and my shoulders pulled apart. A deep breath allowed me to let go of what once was and focus on the tasks ahead of me. My eyes narrowed to slits as a smile swept my lips backward.
“I’ve got shit tohandle.”
As the words exited my mouth, my attention departed. Footsteps near the door forced my hand against my thigh, clutching my Glock.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Knuckles against the door reminded me that I didn’t come to sit in solitude. In fact, I hadn’t come to sit at all.
Click.
Clack.
My heels collided with the floor as I unlocked my cell. The notification on my phone alerted me and all the others to the lurking presence. Dressed in black from his head to his toes, awaiting an answer, was Brandon Stemmons.
I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth. Not much had changed about him since the first time he’d asked me out, eight years ago. If there was one thing I’d learned about choosing a man, it was that you never chose the man who had been after you for far longer than you’d like to remember. Because, once they had you in their grasp, they would secretly seek vengeancefor the wait they endured and the men you allowed in your space before them.
Ninety-five percent of them will, at least.Though I hated to give men any type of credit, it was true that a handful used the opportunity to lock in and lock it down.
I wasn’t sure if I was ready for either, but Brandon was still here upon my return.
