“Nah, it’s fuck you! Poodie, dinner on you,” Papi said as he continued to walk off.
In that moment, something in me clicked. I grabbed my gun from behind, cocked it back, and started shooting towards Papi.
Bloaw! Bloaw! Bloaw!
Zu rushed over and snatched the gun out of my hands. “Fuck wrong with you. You’re trying to cause more smoke.”
I shrugged. “Fuck it.”
I moved past Zu as I rushed up behind Papi. I drew my fists back and swung at his ass. His body dropped to the ground. “Talk yo’ shit now nigga. Fuck you say to her, huh?!” I barked.
His crew came rushing over, but not before Chevy pulled me back. “You’re a hardheaded ass nigga! It’s a time and a fucking place,” he gritted.
I yanked away from him. “Get the fuck off me! I’m not some pussy ass nigga, and if he does the shit again, I promise I won’t miss.”
I knew I had probably started something bigger, but in my mind, it was the right thing to do. Shit, honestly, Chevy could figure it out since his job was being the fucking hero. When I got over toward Paige, she just stared at me like I was crazy. Only moments ago, she seemed proud, and now that I had blessedPapi with my fists, she was back on her bullshit. I went to lean in to kiss her, and she turned her head.
Scooter tapped me on the shoulder. “Let me holla at you for a minute,” he said.
As I walked off with him, Chevy came over to me. “Meet me at the fucking Zoo tonight,” he finished as he walked off.
A feeling came over me, saying that Beans would be here a little longer, and Braylen would have to be put on pause.
MORGAN
I didn’t know what to say after the race. I mean, they said things were cool, but something in me felt like it wasn’t especially after what Beans did to Papi. Paige pulled up to the address I had given her. When I got out of the car, I figured Kareem would get out with me, but he stayed behind. “You’re not coming with me?” I asked.
“I want to, but I need to go see Bishop. I will get up with you, I promise,” he said to me.
I nodded as he closed the door. Paige gave me a tight-lipped smile as she drove off. I was standing in my parents’ driveway, and it only made me feel like, although I had escaped Stone Castle for a little bit, I had somehow ended up back here. The princess who had it all, but felt like she was missing out on everything.
As soon as I turned around, my mother was standing there. I had no words to say as I brushed past her and ran toward the guest house. I was beginning to feel trapped. I went on an adventure of a lifetime with a man that I had fallen for, onlyto be back where I started. It wasn’t until I lived on the edge that I realized that I needed to get the hell away from here. The only caveat to that was that I wanted Kareem to escape with me. When I got inside the house, I stood there and glanced around. “What would it take?” I mumbled.
“You really like that boy, don’t you?” I heard my mother’s voice creep up behind me.
I turned to see her standing there. She weakly smiled. “When you ran off and married that boy, what’s his name, Papi? I knew you had lost your mind, but your father and I said nothing. We wanted you to experience what you thought you knew on your own. Morgan, we allow you to move freely because our fear was that you would do exactly what you did, run.”
A tear trickled down my face. “I-I ran because you guys were trying to control something I had control of,” I explained.
Her lips tightened as she nodded and came closer to me. “But did you have control? You didn’t control that boy being snatched up out of here like some animal? You didn’t control those feelings that you didn’t think would appear, but did. We know you’re grown, and I see it in your eyes; it was the same way I looked at your father when I knew he was the one. So, what now?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She embraced me in a hug, “I sense a woman who’s ready to venture out on her own. I tell you what, spend the holidays with your father and me. After that, you pick the place, and we’ll get you set up there to do whatever your heart desires, but you have to promise to always come back to visit Stone Castle.”
I quickly pulled away, “What do you know about Stone Castle?”
“Morgan, I’m your mother. I see when you’re playing those video games. Or when you ramble on about how you’re like that princess Shira. I love you, and the last thing I want is for my child to feel like I’m stopping them from being free,” she said as she kissed me on my cheek. “I saw it in his eyes. He feels the same. If he’s the one, he will rescue you just as you want him to.” She winked and left out.
This was a moment I knew I needed to be grateful for, because I had parents who cared, especially when others didn’t have anyone to call their own.
SCOOTER
Paige had now pulled up to the hospital, which meant it was my time to exit the car. Beans had told her to take the car so Morgan and I could get back safely, because he needed to meet up with Chevy. Since the drive back from Lexington Heights, she hadn’t said a word. I knew it was because of everything that had happened from being in Covana up until now. I felt bad for Shorty because I knew she liked the nigga, and he liked her, but what she didn’t understand was how to be there for someone when they were going through something.
Honestly, Beans needed to allow her the chance to fully enter his world and decide where she wanted to be, but the way that nigga was moving, his world would crumble before anyone knew the truth. The fucked-up part of me wanted to leave shit where it was, but the part of me that was slowly changing wanted to give her some type of heads up.
She glanced at me, waiting for me to get out. I opened the door, then paused.Fuck!I thought. I slowly closed the door and turned toward her. “You don’t have to say anything, just hear me out,” I paused as I ran my hand through my hair. “I’vebeen in your crib, met your mom, and I know a little about your brothers. Yes,” I nodded. “I met Leek when I was locked up. You’ve been sheltered like a muhfucka. The way you see the world isn’t how everyone else sees it, not even that nigga Beans. He’s fighting some crazy ass demons, and while doing that, he doesn’t know how to express it, or at least, not in a language you understand. Shit isn’t pretty, mama, it isn’t. Money is one thing, but when you have fucked up people in your life, it means nothing. He’s,” I paused again. “He’s a good dude, but he needs someone who can understand his plight.”
