I chuckled at the way she said it because it was the cutest thing. “What color is the puppy you’re coloring?” I asked, seeing the rainbow of colors all over the page.
Again, she made her little thinking face, then hollered out a color. “Gween.”
The longer I watched her, the harder I racked my brain. To me, it seemed like she was just throwing out the words she knew for the colors, not like she was actually seeing the color and registering it. Not to mention she never once looked down at her coloring sheet when I asked her about the colors. Leaning back in my seat, I thought on it a little more, and the answer came to me.
“Poor baby can’t even see,” I mumbled.
4
VALLEIGH
Arandom wave of warmth crawled over my skin. I gasped when I glanced up from my phone to see Symphony and Iylah leaning against the wall outside my classroom. School didn’t start for another hour, and the doors technically didn’t open for another half hour, yet there he was. I didn’t understand how he could look so put together this early in the morning. The jeans and t-shirt he wore gave rockstar vibes, but they fit him well enough to likely be custom-tailored.
“Good morning, you two. Did you keep her all weekend? You know school doesn’t start until 8 a.m., right?”
Symphony stood to his full height. I gulped, feeling a little intimidated by his proximity. He nodded with a quick glance down at her. The outfit I picked out for her came together well. “Yeah, and I noticed something. I wanted to get your opinion on it.”
I was intrigued by his words, so I quickly got out my keys to unlock my classroom. After I used the switch on the wall to illuminate the room in fluorescent light, they followed me inside. I set my bag on my desk, then folded my arms over my chest so we could get this conversation started.
Symphony stood confidently in front of me with a gapped stance that made me feel things I shouldn’t. I cleared my throat, deciding to focus on his face instead, but that was a grave mistake. He looked like perfection, and I damn near wanted to gobble him up. Glancing down at my desk, I distracted myself with the first object my eyes landed on, which happened to be some papers.
“Okay, so we were coloring, and I was asking Doodle Bop about the colors we were using.”
My head snapped up like a whip. “Doodle Bop?” I repeated, completely forgetting whatever else he said. What kind of name was that?
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I call my niecey pooh. Anyways, I don’t think she can see, Leigh. I don’t mean like she’s completely blind, but I think she might need some little baby glasses or sumn.”
My body froze as I digested his words. After a minute, I chuckled. “You know what? That actually makes a lot of sense. Like, how sometimes she bumps into objects or walls sometimes.”
He nodded, getting excited that he was on to something. You couldn’t tell him he hadn’t solved the greatest mystery of our generation. It was cute though, to see his heart on display. He might’ve only recently met his niece, but he clearly cared about her. I tried to suffocate the warmth seeping from my heartstrings, but it was damn near impossible. He impressed me.
“Right, and with the colors, it’s like she was just guessing the words she already knows, but not actually seeing the color on the page. I wanted to get your opinion before I figure out how to get her what she needs.” He glanced down at her. “Ain’t nothing stupid or dumb about my baby, and everybody is about to see it.”
I needed him to shut up because seeing him so involved in Iylah’s development made me feel things I hadn’t experienced since the breakup with my ex-boyfriend, Tobias. The last thing I needed before starting my day was to feel the heat of desire rising in me. I glanced at my watch. “Okay, the nurse is probably in for the day. Let’s walk down there and see if we can get Iylah the help she needs.”
He nodded and reached for her hand. “Aight, that’s cool with me. Thank you, Leigh.”
I smiled briefly. “No, thank you for even noticing that. I feel like I failed her a little because it never crossed my mind that she might need glasses.”
“It’s okay. I don’t blame you or nothing like that. I know you care about her too.”
I tucked my lips and motioned to the door. My focus needed to be on Iylah and getting her the help she needed, not her fine ass uncle, who was watching me like he wanted to lock me in the janitor’s closet and have his way with me. I jerked forward with feet as heavy as cement because I had half the mind to let him.
A week later . . .
I hummed along to the song blasting in my headphones. I was on my hot-girl walk, hoping to lose a few pounds before summer arrived. I truly believed summer bodies were made in the winter, so even though I wasn’t a gym girly, I was the girl who loved a good, scenic walk. I would get out almost every day and walk for at least an hour. That day, I was enjoying the beautiful views at Lake Whisper since the sun felt like it was on its warm setting. There weren’t many people out, so I was planning to sit by the water once I was finished.
Before my brain could register what happened, I began falling toward the ground. I braced myself in preparation for the cement when arms cradled me close to keep me from breaking any bones. I heaved a breath as I was placed back on my feet. I spun around, only to become instantly irritated.
Symphony stood there with a charming smile. “I didn’t know you were going to be literally running into me,” I mumbled while folding my arms over my chest.
My eyes trickled down the grooves of his chiseled midsection, with one of the rivers of sweat leading into the waistband of his sweatpants. Sym shifted his weight, and I couldn’t help but notice the bulge in his pants. It had been rumored he had a horse dick for years, and if the outline I saw was any proof, the girls were not lying. I wasn’t even sure I would know what to do with all of that.
“You see something you like, Leigh?”
“No,” I responded quickly.
He stepped closer to me. “I think you do.”
