“As long as they get to drain the blood afterwards, they don’t care who they have sex with.”
“But clearly his type can only be found in the water…not the spawn of Satan himself. I’m going to tell him you like him.”
“Tell him all you want my wife… I’ve already had him when I had you.”
Souxie went completely still as Harvey looked at her, eyes still black. I sat in the back seat, jaw to the floor.
“I’ve never–––”
“You think I believe that?” Harvey questioned.
“One thing I don’t play about Harvey is that. My friend is with him and that’s an automatic off limit–––”
“One thing I don’t play about,”he mimicked in her pitched southern accent before muttering through his teeth. “I hate when you talk to me like I’m stupid with that fake ass voice. It’s me. You can turn it off when you talk to me, Souxie Lafayette.”
“A cat of all things has you insecure,” she suddenly laughed. “Quan sleeps with me but I would never let him touch me. The fact that you even accused me of cheating on you when–––”
“So you agree,” Harvey suddenly cut in. “We are in a serious relationship, soon to be married, and you’ve never cheated on me because I prefer my wife to be pure and clean of sin and ill intent.”
Souxie went stone cold before sitting back in the seat and looking out the window without another word.
“That’s what the fuck I thought,” Harvey muttered as he snatched the volume up on the radio. “Better stop playing with me Ms. Lafayette…”
The rest of the ride was silent back to the Underground as mixed media outlets reported on different things from Ayirato Marvin Holmes. No one outside of Clementine mentioned anything about vampires but there were talks. When I made it back to my dorm, tossing my room key on the desk, I took a much-needed shower and eventually flopped down on the bed with my phone in hand to scroll in the dark. I laid on my stomach with my face smushed in the pillow, inhaling my man’s scent as I watched comments pour in about Ayira. I knew she was going to turn out to be something like an it girl. I was about to call my man when I heard the door open and close. Popping my head up, I waited wondering if it was my roommate but grinned when Silas quietly stepped in with his duffle bag. He smelled like he just stepped out of the shower when he got himself settled in my room.
“Babe?” I called out. Rolling over on my back, I waited for him to join me. “You remember that night I fell into the water and thought I heard Maggie?”
“Mmm hmm.”
I stared at the ceiling, replaying the entire scene in my head over and over.
“I asked her about it, and she said she had no idea… It wasn’t her.”
The sound of a zipper being pulled down and the light jingle of keys was music to my ears when he stepped out of his clothes.
“I told you that water is meant to play tricks on you.” Silas stood in the center of my room and checked his phone with one hand while squeezing himself below with the other. He was completely nude, glasses free and end of his locs barely teasing his nipples. “You think it something more? Something dealing with you and what you are?” Normally I would have alreadyjumped his bones, but I couldn’t shake the weird feeling. When I caught his gaze studying me, he licked his lips while I smiled.
“I mean maybe…” I said, pulling the sheets back as I slipped my t-shirt off. “Or whatever…”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Maggie Grey
Namir’s light snores beside me filled the room as I silently scrolled on my phone. He’d been asleep for almost two days straight. Only getting up to eat, shower, piss and crawl right back into bed. Namir and I, to our credit, tried to go somewhere more private. Somewhere safe and away from anyone trying to come after me, but the moment we came back to our house in Atlanta to pack, we never left. I barely made it out of the shower, and we just ended up staying. Let him tell it, if someone was stupid enough to come for me in our own home while he was there, they deserved what would come next. The bright screen illuminated against my face as I sat up against the pillow, only moving just enough to not wake him, but from the light growls and twitch of his muscles in his arms, Namir was probably running around like a fool in somebody’s backyard digging holes or chasing a helpless victim.
Whatever it is wolves dream about.
I continued to scroll, seeing three missed calls from my mom and a string of messages from her. Mostly asking where I am, when am I coming home, and can we talk… I gently bit at my thumb nail while the glaring screen stared back at me. All I can think about is the bits of blood coming from her eyes and how normal it was for her. I was happy she’s safe and I’m glad mygrandma is okay from what I hear. My dad was texting asking how I was feeling and if I had any questions but for once, I had none. After all this time, I had none and I can’t understand why. Sighing, I exited out of the messages, unsure how to process my new feelings.
Okay… She lied; I get it. My mother lied to me. For a really long time, most of my life if not all of it. She and Marvin Holmes pretty much are like father like daughter in a sense. I don’t want to see her as a woman I could no longer trust so I’m trying to forgive and forget, and maybe talking to her would only make it worse. Scratching at my hair, I could feel the satin scarf slip back just as Namir groaned with a slow turn of his head. His face scrunched up against the screen light before laying back down against the pillow with a hard exhale through his nostrils.
“You can’t sleep?” He asked, voice groggy and scratchy.
“Not tired,” I told him. I clicked on a video Bellamy sent earlier of him and cousin Lovely sitting beach side at night with the fanciest of foods they were never going to eat. They probably ordered it just to prove that they can. She was in a bikini with large shades, and colorful strands of locs, braids, and hair all blowing sideways with the wind. Bellamy had a dark red cigar cocked in his mouth, his usual shades and a shirt unbuttoned, showing off the tiny curls and tattoos over his chest. They looked like they were somewhere exotic. Overlooking the crashing waves of the ocean, string lights drooping along the beach and live music playing in the background. Namir grunted at the sight before turning his head in the opposite direction.
“Waste of food,” I heard Namir mutter to himself. “If you wanna go out with them, just make sure you have your location on.” I looked at him, well his back, and sat up against the pillow. I couldn’t help the smile that came through because although itwasn’t a thought to hang out with Bellamy, now it was all I could think about.
“What do you mean go out? Like…with them? Hang out?”
