“What did that bitch do to you?”
His voice was calm.
But I heard it.
That anger sitting underneath.
I exhaled. “Ion wanna talk about it, bro.”
Ares shook his head slightly. “Nah, we not doing that tough man shit.”
I frowned. “I shouldn’t have used that as a weapon.”
He turned and looked at me, and firmly said, “Tell me.”
I stared at the road for a long second before I spoke.
“She started giving me liquor young.”
My voice stayed low.
Flat.
“Too young.”
The city lights passed us in streaks.
“She used to let me do whatever I wanted when my pops wasn’t home.”
A small breath left me.
“Had me thinking I was grown at thirteen, long as I watched Yu-Yu.”
I gripped the wheel tighter.
“She used to walk around naked like… it wasn’t nothing.”
A pause.
“It ain’t feel wrong at first. Shit, she a woman and I knew she wasn’t my real mom.”
Silence filled the car.
“She ain’t touch me. Not until I got older, but she made me touch her a few times. Saying she was showing me what a man should love.”
Ares didn’t interrupt.
Didn’t rush me.
“When I was sixteen… she set something up for me. Let an older girl from the Valley come over and take my virginity for my birthday, and she watched.” I whispered the ending because it still haunted me.
I shook my head slightly.
“Like that shit was a gift. Like it was normal.”
The words felt bitter coming out.
“And when I turned seventeen…”
