He eyed me quickly, “Yeah, that shit. Alright, let’s go.”
I jumped in when I saw a wolf pop up. “You’ve got to kill it!” I shouted.
His fingers started to move quickly as he took control of Princess Shira. He was guiding her through the forest like a pro. “Damn, Black Dance Slayer, you're killing it!” Beastthenerd21 came on the headset. “That’s right, slaying all you niggas!” I shouted back.
Scooter looked at me, and I pointed at the headset. “They’re talking shit.”
“Tell them I said fuck them,” he gritted as he kept playing. “A nigga been locked up, but this shit is still the same. Uh, I mean,” he paused.
I took off the headphones as I shifted my focus to him. He set the controller down on the table, causing me to die again in the game, but I didn’t care because I was now paying attention to him talking about being in jail. I figured he probably didn’t mean to let it slip, but he did. I’ve dealt with my share of guys who had gotten into trouble, hell, even did some shady shit like Papi, but I’d never met someone who had been in jail. I didn’t know Scooter’s story, but to me, he looked rough around the edges but harmless.
He ran his hand through his hair. “Did what I said scare you, Rich girl?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never—”
He stood up, “As I’ve said before, my problems are things your little pretty ass would never understand.”
I slowly stood, moving closer to him. “Oh, so you think I’m pretty?” I teased him to ease the tension.
He shrugged. “You’re straight,” he tapped my chin. “For real, though. A nigga like me shouldn’t be around a girl like you. I’m broke, I live in a halfway house, and I’ve gotten myself into something so deep and dark that the Loch Ness Forest doesn’t have shit on.”
“Like what?”
He leaned down, letting his forehead touch mine. “Like witches and warlocks. Those who use their money like magic. They can strip you of your pride. They will have you out here betraying those who helped you, or even throwing you into the fire of death, all because you're trying to save your family. Rich girl, I’ve seen things, done things, and now I’ve got to pay the piper. Can you handle that?”
I pressed my nose against his. “Like rich people. You have someone with money holding shit over your head, and your only way to pay is to do things for them. So why don’t you fight back? Build an alliance with the ones they want you to go against.”
He didn’t say anything but stared into my eyes. “You definitely live in a fantasy world,” he muttered.
I smiled as my lips grazed his. “I’m the Rich Girl, remember. I know a lot of people, and what I don’t know, my family does. Let me help you.” When he grinned, his lips caressed mine. “Can I kiss you?”
My tongue brushed my lips as I prepared to pucker up when the sound of his phone vibrating interrupted me. Scooter pulled back and pulled out his phone. “Shit!” he blurted when he glanced at it. “I got to go, Rich Girl. Give me your number, and I’ll call you.”
I put my number in his phone, then handed it back to him. “What’s your real name?”
“Kareem,” he replied.
He backed away until he was out the door. The fact that he had mentioned wealthy people were controlling him bothered me. We had quite a few in Lake Hill, but I only heard of a handful that people needed to stay away from, and those were the Merciers and Laureauxs. What were the odds?
PAIGE
I parked in the building lot, dreading getting out because stepping out would bring me back to reality. I was on the verge of rejoining the world of Paige, the smart girl, the co-host, the nerd, the broke college student, and the girl who yearned for an alumnus who only cared about himself. Honestly, I really didn’t want to see Braylen. I felt like I had given him too much of my energy, and the more I allowed him to suck it out of me, the more drained I became.
After another twenty minutes of coaching myself, I finally got out of the car and headed toward my empty apartment. I was grateful because nights of permanently sleeping in my car could have been my only option. I struggled with my bags as I trotted up the walkway.
“Hey, do you need help?” I heard someone say behind me. I turned around to see a girl I recognized from campus and also from the Cove. She held a bag of food in one hand and reached out to help me with one of my bags. “I’ve seen you before,” I said to her.
Her cheerful smile was very inviting. “I’ve seen you too, at the skating rink. It’s my boyfriend’s favorite place to cause havoc.”
I chuckled. “So, that was your boyfriend fighting a few weeks back?”
She smiled narrowly. “Yes. I’m Samara.”
“I’m Paige. Is your boyfriend a biker?” I inquired.
“Yes. He’s in the Zoo. Come on, let me help you. Which building are you in?” she asked, glancing around.
I pointed straight ahead. “There.”
