Chapter 8
M y t h i g h s w e r e still sticky when the plane landed. I don’t know how I walked off that jet without stumbling or sliding, but I kept it together. Chin up, purse on my shoulder, I walked through that terminal like I hadn’t been bent over a sink two hours ago.
Quamaine… Woods.
I hadn’t stopped thinking about him since he left, calm as hell, like he hadn’t just rearranged my insides and peace of mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his hand on my neck. I heard that deep voice telling me not to run. I felt him dragging through me, slow and thick.
And the worst part is, I was low-key hoping that maybe, just maybe, we’d bump into each other again at baggage claim or something.
I scanned faces while walking, pretending like I wasn’t.
There was no sign of him. Of course. Instead, the next moment yanked me out of my hopes and straight into trouble.
Two dudes started arguing near the escalator.
The TSA came rushing over, and people started recording on their phones, so I tried to dip off to the side.
Then, one of the dudes swung at the other, stumbled into me, and everything turned chaotic.
My bag hit the floor, but I caught myself before I hit the tiles.
The next thing I knew, an agent was asking if I was okay and if I had seen anything.
“I didn’t see shit,” I muttered, trying to fix my hoodie and step back.
“Ma’am, we just need a quick statement.”
I looked at the time. It was damn near eleven-thirty, I was annoyed, horny, and hungry.
And now I was being questioned at an airport, just like I was on the First 48.
I gave them something quick and told them I didn’t know either of them.
I was just trying to get to baggage claim and keep it pushing.
While they were taking down my name, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I laughed under my breath. Leave it to Taj to pull me out of an airport funk with pure chaos.
I texted back:
It was always something. Taj was the reason I flew back home at all. We met in hair school years ago and stayed cool ever since, even after I moved away.
I spotted her hanging out the passenger window of a shiny black rental, yelling my name like we weren’t in public.
“Autumn! Ayyyyeeee!”
I cracked a smile. It’d been two years since I’d seen Taj in person, but the energy was still the same. Loud. Familiar. Chaotic in the besShe popped the trunk as I approached, then slid out of the passenger seat, fur-lined slides and all.
She grabbed me in a tight hug and crowed, “Bitch, let me look at you. Damn. Okay thennn!!! Waist snatched!”
I laughed into her shoulder. “You’re stupid.”
She pulled back and held me by the shoulders for a second. “Two years is crazy. Never again.”
“I know,” I said. “Life been life-ing.”
“Same.” She circled to the passenger seat while I tossed my bag in the back. “Come on, hop in. I gotta pick up some wings and a bottle of Casamigos is calling our names.”
That was love.
After all that, finally settled in Taj's car, I got in, buckled up, and let the music ride while she merged into traffic. Tavern City still felt like home. Busy streets, flashing lights, and bass shaking somebody’s trunk two lanes over.
Taj glanced over and smirked. “So what’s new? You finally let go of that weirdo or nah?” I didn’t answer right away. She looked at me again. “Girl, don’t play.”
“He let go of me,” I said, calmly. “In his own weird, selfish, coward-ass way.”
“Mmm,” she nodded. “Theo still a hot mess.”
“Still.”
It’d been a little over a year since the breakup. He was one of those men who looked good on paper, said all the right things, but couldn’t hold a mirror to his own bullshit. Too busy blaming the world for his failures to do anything about them.
I tried. I held him down through layoffs, family issues, and his dream-chasing seasons. And when I needed him the most, when depression took me under, he folded. Theo fell back quietly and without apology. But it never failed, he’d always call on holidays. All of them. Hence, the airport call.
“You heard from him?” Taj asked.
“Here and there,” I muttered, looking out the window. “Mostly dumb shit. Passive stuff on socials. Random calls. Never says what he really wants, just enough to remind me he still exists.”
She sucked her teeth. “Whew. The nerve.”
“I don’t respond every time. It’s exhausting, and I don’t need that kind of distraction.”
“Good.” There was a beat of silence. Then she perked up again. “Well, fuck him. I gotchu.” I side-eyed her. She grinned, waving a hand. “I’m serious! My cousin’s in town. First time back for Thanksgivin’ in years.” years.”
I groaned. “Don’t start.”
Taj held up a finger. “Nah, listen, he’s fine. Like fine fine. Grown as fuck. Got his own business. He stays out West in Cali. Probably your speed now that you’ve elevated from your charity datin’ era.”
I snorted. “Charity dating is insane.”
“But accurate,” she said, hitting her turn signal. “Anyway, he’s slidin’ through tomorrow. I’m puttin’ you in his presence. Don’t block your blessin’.”
I laughed and shook my head, but I was barely listening now.
My mind had drifted again back to the bathroom stall.
Back to Woods’ hand on my throat and his voice in my ear.
I knew Taj meant well, but whatever she was talking about?
Her “fine ass cousin from Cali”? I didn’t care because Woods still circled my mind, and nothing in me was ready to let that go just yet.