“What are you looking for?” Gio asked.
I snapped my neck toward him.
“Nothing, just looking around. I haven’t been out here in a minute.”
“Oh yeah, we haven’t. I think it’s some new stores over there.”
I nodded. “Me too.”
After a while of talking about nothing, we went and stuck our feet in the water. He splashed me a lil’ and was taking pictures of me.
I let him; that gave me a chance to move around and give him my angles while looking for my man, and in the distance I saw not only him, but my girl and his niggas.
I tried my hardest to contain my smile while I nodded at them and looked back at Gio.
“Can we go check out the stores?” I asked him in a playful voice.
He smacked his teeth at me. “You like to spend my money, don’t you? But it’s okay, let’s get it.”
I smiled, and we walked up to our spot and picked up our things then headed toward the store. Gio was holding my hand tightly while talking about our future. I didn’t really respond, just nodded along while looking around.
When we got closer to the stores, a group of people stepped in front of us, cutting us off. Gio was ready to cuss them out, and I used that time to snatch my arm away from him and run through the middle of the crowd.
“ISLAH!” he yelled out as he tried to move through the people.
I didn’t look back. I just kept running up the steps, hoping the people wouldn’t let him through.
Once I reached the top of the steps, I had seconds to think of my next move while he was still calling my name. I ran down, passing a bunch of stores, not trying to make it easy for him to find me before Love did, then around the corner and found Pandora.
I ran into the store, and everybody in there looked at me like I was crazy.
“Please, my ex is chasing me! I need a phone.”
The customers looked at me like they didn’t want to get involved. Of course, the ladies that worked there came from behind the counter; one grabbed my hand while the other locked the door.
“Come on,” she said. “Come to the back, and you can use my phone.”
I nodded and went along with her.
“He’s dark-skinned with locs, and my name is Islah. He is yelling my name. Do not let him in!”
She nodded and handed me her phone. As I held it, my hands were shaking. My heart was racing. I was in a state of shock because I actually got away. I took a deep breath and called Love.
That nigga instantly picked up.
“HELLO! HELLO!” he yelled into the phone.
Hearing his voice made me calm down a lot.
“Baby,” I said softly.
“Islah, mamas, where are you at? We are here.”
“I am in Pandora on the second floor. They have the doors locked, and I am in the back.”
“I am coming around. Do not walk outta there until I tell you.”
“Okay, baby.”
