I didn’t care what the hell she was talking about; I just needed to see Dio. I shot Paige and Alyse another text telling them to stand down as I hopped in the car with Apple.
The ride was quiet until my curiosity decided to speak. “Are you and Jesaiah together?”
I watched her mannerisms. “No.”
“Then why are you so pressed?”
She cut her eyes at me. “I’m not pressed. I’m just trying to figure it all out.” She paused as he turned down a dark, dirty road. “Like you are. You’re a freshman?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re just getting started in all of this. You come into your first year thinking everything is peaches and cream, only to find out shit isn’t what it seems. Classes are harder than expected, money is not coming in as you need it to, and sleepless nights happen because you're trying to pass. On-campus activities suck you in to get distracted, and relationships fail because one of you can’t figure out how to navigate college life.”
I sat back, taking in what she said. “And the pills?”
She swerved the car to the side of the road and turned off the lights and the engine. “It’s the one thing that’ll fuck up everything you know. Get out.”
I got out of the car and followed her. “What is this place called?”
She turned to look at me. “I told you not to ask questions. Be quiet. While you think you are, you’re not whispering.”
We snuck through the woods like animals looking for prey. The sounds of shuffling feet had my nerves bad.
“That’s right, Slimes! Carry your fucking brother!” I heard someone shout.
I peeked beyond the tree and couldn’t believe my eyes.
PERCY
“Do you ever get tired?” I asked Royce.
She moved through the house where Ms. Cecily allowed me to stay with my daughter. She had been helping me find some sort of peace here, yet there still wasn’t any peace.
“I do get tired a lot, but I have things I’m trying to get accomplished, and sleeping and complaining isn’t going to get me there.”
I sat back on the old-fashioned couch as I watched Breann play with the few toys Royce had gotten her to keep her occupied.
“I think now she will be able to sleep comfortably,” she said after she finished fixing up the playpen with a bunch of cute little girl shit.
I rubbed her leg. “Thank you for everything,” I told her sincerely.
She placed her hand on mine. “I see the potential.”
I was trying to understand how she was still around. Most of the time, when a woman with no attachment found out a nigga had kids, it was an immediate red flag, but here she was still around. I felt like I owed her, and I wanted to make good on it.
“Can I take you out?”
She smiled. “You don’t have to take me out because I’m choosing to help. There are good people in the world who truly care.”
“I know, but before all this shit happened, I was going to ask. I mean, my daughter will be there, but I want to. Besides, I want to get your opinion about something.”
She eyed me curiously. “I’ll tell you what. If you promise to go back to school, I will let you take me out. Whatever it is you're going to ask me, I will give you my opinion, but I’m sure you already know the answer.”
She went to stand up, and I pulled her back down. Royce was so relatable. She was laid back, didn’t require much, and was genuine as hell. She was everything I thought Phoebe was.
My hand stroked her cheek. “Pretty ass.”
I leaned forward to kiss her, but she backed away. I couldn’t act like a nigga didn’t feel dumb because I thought she was as into me as I was into her, or that she at least wanted to kiss me.
