I smacked my lips lightly, unfazed. “Everybody ain’t trying to fear you; maybe some of us are just curious.”
That earned me a look… the kind that lingered.
“What you curious about?” he asked, his tongue dragging slow across his bottom lip, almost daring me to probe deeper.
And for a split second, my mind went somewhere it shouldn’t have.
Curious about how that mouth feels when it’s not talking.
I blinked, snapping myself back.
Yeah… absolutely not.
Clearing my throat, I forced my thoughts back into place.
“I'm curious why you’re so invested in what I did, why you wanted to meet me… and why you keep looking at me like you’re trying to solve a puzzle," I stated, trying to regain some control over the conversation.
He leaned back slightly, appraising me with a piercing expression before letting out a quiet breath.
“You thinking on shit too hard. It’s just a conversation. Ain’t no hidden agenda behind every question… or look."
I narrowed my eyes at him, skepticism creeping into my mind. “You sure about that?”
“Positive,” he asserted. “You’re not the only one who knows how to read people; you’re just the only one announcing it out loud. You came into this world, handled business cleaner than people who been doing this shit for years, and now you want todisappear. I understand why. Still, I wanted to know a little more about you… that’s it. Ain’t no mystery to solve.” He shrugged slightly, dismissing any confusion on my end.
I huffed softly, a smirk playing on my lips. “Mm-hmm.”
I leaned back in my chair, tapping my nail lightly against the cup, a tiny frown of contemplation crossing my features.
“Well… since you’re so curious,” I said, a hint of sarcasm creeping in, “let me give you the highlight reel. I’ve been working since I was old enough to lie on an application. Fast food, retail, cleaning up after people who look at you like you’re invisible… the usual.”
I paused, the words heavy with meaning.
“Then I upgraded to two jobs,” I added dryly, letting the irony settle. “Because apparently one struggle doesn’t pay enough bills. I did all that just to stay afloat, not even to get ahead, just… not drown.”
As I spoke, I could feel the memories washing over me, each struggle a wave threatening to pull me under.
“And that’s the part people don’t tell you,” I continued, my voice growing more animated. “You can do everything right and still be one bad situation away from losing it all. My brother has had his condition since birth, but a few years back, he got really sick. And suddenly… surviving wasn’t enough. Because when it’s just you, you figure it out, but when it’s somebody depending on you, you don’t get the luxury of failing.”
My fingers curled slightly against the table.
“So... I became what I needed to be; not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t have the option not to. And before you say it, yeah, I know it was risky, but so is being broke with responsibilities.”
Then I leaned back again, masking it with a small smirk.
“So there you go,” I finished, trying to sound nonchalant. “Nothing special. Just a girl out here doing what she had to do.”
His expression didn’t pity me; if anything, it sharpened.
“That ain’t nothing, that’s everything. Most people talk about doing what they gotta do, and you actually did it. That’s the difference. That also tells me more about you than anything you just said.”
I held his gaze, feeling exposed in a way I didn’t quite know how to process.
“And what does it tell you?” I asked, impatiently awaiting his answer.
“That you’re not soft; you’ve just been forced to move like you are. And that kind of woman?” He sat back, more relaxed but still focused. “Yeah… I was gonna be curious about her.”
A different kind of curiosity bloomed within me. “Well, can you at least tell me what that tattoo on your back represents?” I asked, my tone shifting to one of genuine intrigue.
