When I woke up the next morning, Gio had music playing loud. For seven years, that was my telltale sign that he was in a good mood.
I walked over to my doorknob, and it was unlocked. I opened the door to see him dancing in the hallway.
“Good morning, boo,” he said with a blunt in his mouth and clippers in his hand. “Are you ready to hit the beach?”
I smiled and hit a little two-step with him.
“Yeah, let me get myself together.”
I hurried into my room, got dressed, did my hair and makeup, and filled one of the new bags that he bought me with some things that I wanted.
As I walked out of the room, he stopped as he was walking down the steps.
“You look good,” he said.
I smiled. “Why are you trying to hype me up?”
“Baby, you are the hype.”
He grabbed some drinks while I grabbed some snacks, and we walked outta the house. As we did, I looked around, having not been outside for a few days, and a lil’ way away I saw a truck.
The same black truck that Love was in the day before. I smiled to myself. I knew for a fact I wasn’t coming back to that house with Gio. I winked toward the truck and prayed that it was Love like I thought and hoped that he would know what to do next.
As he drove and was singing along to the music, my eyes were looking at the mirror and following the black truck.
Love moved behind us through traffic, not following too close, but not too far behind either.
“You okay?” Gio asked.
I looked over at him quickly.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
He smiled and focused back to driving while I looked back out the window.
After a while, we pulled up to Santa Monica Pier, and it was packed, as expected, but that might just work in my favor.
Gio found a parking spot, and I lost sight of Love. I started to panic a lil’ bit. My heart was beating in my ears. My plan was to run out of the car and run to Love, but that wasn’t going to happen. I quickly calmed myself down; that was just an option that didn’t work, I told myself.
“You ready?” Gio asked.
I made myself smile. “Yup, let’s go.”
We hopped outta the car, and Gio grabbed my hand while walking through the parking lot. I was looking all around, not trying to be noticeable to him, but I needed to find Love’s truck.
As we walked to the beach, I looked at all the stores we were passing and the crowds of people all around. I was a lil’ overwhelmed for what I was going to have to do, but it was time to lock in.
We made it to the beach, and I found a place to sit while Gio went to get an umbrella. I scanned all around me, looking for Love or anybody else that might have been with him, but I wasn’t seeing anyone. I felt a lil’ discouraged.
“It’s okay,” I said to myself. “Think of Plan B, C, and D, Islah.”
As I was trying to think of a new getaway plan, Gio came back with the umbrella in the holder.
“It is packed out here, ain’t it?” Gio asked.
“It is, it’s a pretty day.”
Gio sat beside me and smoked while I stared out at the water then around me.
