Page 29 of Just Like Summer

“Don’t hear me. Know that I got you, aight?”

She nodded, slightly biting her lip. “Okay.”

“Have a good day, K. I’ll be back by three forty-five.”

For the first time since them meeting, Kamilla looked at him in his eyes. Comfort and pure intent rested there. “You have a good day too, Cairo.”

She didn’t move; he still had her hand in his possession as though it was his. “I need my hand, Cairo. Unless you want me to leave it and I walk around with a nub.”

His laugh was soft, shy almost. He released her and watched as she get out of the car, bag in tow and started toward the building. Every step further from Cairo, Kamilla attempted to hold on to the confidence he’d given to her in the last five minutes.

“Surprised your saddity ass showed up after leaving me here to close by myself,” QaMeesha quipped once Cairo pulled off.

“I was scheduled from eleven to four and that’s what I worked. Just like I am today. You not scheduling reliable people isn’t my problem,” Kamilla spoke, stepping into the building past her funk.

“You really feeling yourself, ain’t you? Fuckin’ on that nigga is going to your head,” QaMeesha fussed, following her into the building. “You ain’t nobody fuckin’ special.”

“Which means I must be if you think so highly of me. Just leave me alone so I can get through my shift unbothered,” Kamilla quipped. “I don’t feel like going through this every day with you.”

“Oh, bitch, you’re going to feel me. Coming in here looking down your nose at me like some uppity Emerald City bitch.”

Kamilla scoffed, rolled her eyes, and went to put her things away. Only for QaMeesha to grab a fist full of hair and yank her backward.

“I wanna see how good he treats you when that face is all scarred up,” she gnashed.

Kamilla flailed her arms, attempting to get out of QaMeesha’s grasp. She’d never been in any situation like this, but she knew her face on a hot grill wasn’t going to happen. So she fought to get free. But it was the bellow of the Azul Kush-tainted baritone that instantly bought her relief.

“Ay, bitch!” Cairo bellowed, making QaMeesha stop, release Kamilla, and smile.

“C4,” she breathlessly spoke. “I was just playing with her. Trying to toughen her up, you know? Like you like them.”

“Get in the car, K,” Cairo gritted, holding her phone. That was the only reason he’d turned around.

Kamilla, on the brink of unraveling, grabbed her things and hurried to the car. Cairo peered at QaMeesha with darkness obstructing his view. He wouldn’t touch her, but he wanted her to know it was coming.

“You know you fucked up right? That jealousy is going to be the reason your burning ass stays right where you are. I’d be looking over my shoulder every fucking second,” he snarled. “The fuck did you think this was?”

“C4, I-”

“When it comes to her, don’t so much as blink in her direction. Matter of fact,” he paused to let a chilling laugh fall from his lips. “Don’t worry about blinkin’ again, bitch.”

Cairo walked to the car and quickly got in. What he found was Kamilla in the first part of her breakdown. She was trying to hold it together, trying not to return to the mess she’d been. But right now, it was all too much. Upon instinct, Cairo sped out of the parking lot and grabbed her hand. He didn’t take her back to the house, he took her to a spot where for the last ten years, his tears and screams and breakdowns had been safe from the world.

“Come on, walk with me,” he urged, opening her door and holding his hand out for her to take.

“Cairo, I just want-”

“You’ll feel better if you walk,” he encouraged.

With blind trust that she was safe in his care, she placed her hand in his and let her feet follow. Before her sneaker-covered feet could touch the sand, he bent down and removed her shoes then his. Hand-in-hand, she walked in step with him, her eyes focused on the sand covering her toes. Anything to steady her suppressed emotions.

By the time they stopped walking, they were at least half a mile away from where he parked. Kamilla climbed on top of a boulder, with Cairo’s assistance because he couldn’t help himself. With her knees pulled to her chest she looked over at him and asked, “How’d you find this place?”

“My mom used to take me here. I didn’t process my emotions well, so this is where she took me to scream. She said she’d rather me roll in the damn sand than causing havoc on the streets. As you could imagine, I was bad as fuck.”

“Would’ve never guessed that,” Kamilla muttered, turning from him to look at the water. “How long has she been gone?”

“Ten years. What about you?”