Chapter 7
A while later
“Aye, are you coming to my game tomorrow night?” Dinero asked as he drove me home. This had become our normal routine, although I protested it.
“I don’t know. Football games really aren’t my thing. It’s not like I have anyone to go with.” I hadn’t seen Ciera since she left, and that was who always wanted to go to those things.
“Well, Tootie and her daughters will be there. They’ll keep you company if you want to go. They were at our homecoming game too. Speaking of homecoming, how come you didn’t go?”
“Nobody asked me.” I shrugged, turning my body to face the window.
“Well, what about prom?”
“I probably won’t go. You know I don’t have any friends, and I don’t want to be in a room surrounded by all of the bitches who don’t like me. The only event I care about is my graduation next year.” Dinero nodded his head but didn’t say much else.
Once we made it to the house, my stomach dropped to my feet because I really didn’t want to go inside. Mr. Dennis warned me about locking my door last week, and he’d been coming and going as he pleased ever since. Vera still had her usual bullshit on the weekends, so I usually took my time coming home most days. My hand gripped the door handle before Dinero called out to me.
“Hey, I got something for you.” I turned back to face him. My eyes fell on a bag in his lap.
“What’s this?” I opened the package he set in front of me. When I pulled out the jersey, I looked up at him curiously.
“Just in case you decide to come. A lot of the players got these for their girlfriends and stuff.”
“So why did you get one for me?” Dinero and I had gotten closer, but not enough for him to want me to rock his jersey.
“I’m gonna be honest, Rae. I’m feeling you. I know you have a lot of shit on your plate, but I have to be honest with you. I want you to be my girl.” I gulped, feeling the air become thin. I’d never had a boyfriend, and being with one of the most popular boys in my school hadn’t exactly been on my agenda.
“Why me? I mean, you’re Dinero Sutton. You can have any girl you want. Why would you want to be with me when I don’t have shit to offer you?” I wasn’t insecure about my looks because I knew I was pretty, even with my hand-me-down clothes. However, we were from two different walks of life. Dinero came from money while I barely had a roof over my head or a family who cared.
“What does that mean? You’re Charae Royster, one of the smartest and finest girls in our whole district, if we’re keeping it honest. Don’t you ever forget that shit either.” My face hurt from smiling so hard.
“I don’t believe in hiding my feelings, but that doesn’t mean you’re obligated to reciprocate them. I’m here whenever you’re ready, and even if you want to stay friends, I’m here for you.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.” Clutching the jersey in my hands, I pondered on whether I was ready to be someone’s girlfriend, especially when we were going to be graduating next year. I opened my mouth to say something when I noticed our front door opening. When Vera emerged carrying two trash bags, I wondered what was going on. As long as I’d been living here, she’d never taken the trash out a day in her life. When she tossed the bags in the yard, I knew something was wrong.
“Umm, is everything okay?” Dinero looked on in concern as well.
“I don’t know yet. I guess I should get out and find out.” When Vera came back out with two more trash bags, my stomach fell to my feet. Opening the door, I braced myself for whatever was about to come my way.
“Umm, Vera, what’s going on?”
“It’s time for you to get the fuck out of my house! And take that other whore’s things too.” My heart beat rapidly in my chest.
“I-I don’t understand. I thought I didn’t age out of the system until I turned eighteen.”
“Fuck you and that system. You must think I don’t know what has been going on between you and my husband. I told you that you weren’t going to come in between my family, and I meant it.” My eyes widened in surprise.
“I don’t know what you think you know, but it’s nothing like that. I?—”
“Shut your lying ass up! I see the way you look at my husband whenever he’s in the room. You’re trying to take him from me, and I won’t have it. Ciera tried the same thing, and I’m glad she’s gone. You think you can just seduce my husband with sex, but he doesn’t want you. He wants me!” A shoe went flying in my direction, but I dodged it. I heard the sound of a car door opening, and I assumed it must have been Dinero.
“I-I never had sex with Mr. Dennis.” It wasn’t a lie, because I never consented to him touching me, and I begged him to stop most nights.
“Liar! I waited up one night to see what was taking him so long to come to bed, and I saw him go into your room. I even stood there to confirm my suspicions. I’ve watched him go into your room several times, so don’t you sit up here and try to tell me I’m lying. You preyed on my husband’s weaknesses, but I won’t let you destroy the family we’ve built.” Her revelation floored me because I couldn’t believe she would admit to something like this.
“W-wait. Why would you stand there and do nothing? What kind of woman are you!” My yelling quickly turned to sobbing as I realized she’d been a witness to what had been happening to me for the last few months.
“I don’t feel bad for you one bit. As many times as you pranced around in those little shorts, you got exactly what you were looking for. Now it’s time for you to go.”
“Where am I supposed to go?” I didn’t want to go back to a group home, but I wasn’t eighteen yet, so technically, I couldn’t make those decisions on my own.
“I don’t give a damn where you go. As far as I’m concerned, you can die in the streets like the piece of shit you are.”
My emotions were getting the best of me as I stood there sobbing. Granted, nothing about this place felt like home; this was all I had for the moment. I hadn’t started working on a plan because I still had time before I turned eighteen. Everything seemed to be going downhill fast, and I couldn’t seem to find my way out.
Dinero began to pick up my bags as I stood frozen in the yard. I had no family or friends I could stay with for the time being. I’d saved my checks from work, but I wasn’t of legal age to get my own place.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Drake walked out with Chloe trailing behind him.
“This piece of trash is getting out of my house. That’s what.” Vera glared at me as if she hated me. Honestly, I didn’t care about how she felt about me because she’d been terrible to me from the very beginning.
“Mom, maybe you should come lay down before you do something you’ll regret.” Chloe reasoned with her, placing her hand on Vera’s shoulder.
“The only thing I regret is letting your father talk me into letting these orphaned bastards into my home. I never wanted kids in the first place, and I damn sure never wanted to raise anyone else’s.” Vera huffed. Both of her children stared at her in disbelief.
“I’m calling Daddy,” Chloe warned.
“Don’t you dare. I want this home-wrecking bitch as far away from my house as possible! Stay the hell away from my man and my children. Do you hear me? If you see them, act like you didn’t, or so help me, I’m going to make you pay.” Vera lunged at me, but Drake stepped between us.
“Ma, you gotta chill. You’re drunk and not thinking clearly.”
“Get the fuck off me! I’m thinking very clearly, and that’s why she has to go. I’ve put up with way too much and sacrificed years of my life for this family, and nobody is going to destroy what I’ve built.”
“Mommy, I called Daddy, and he’s on his way. You need to come drink some water and come lay down.” Chloe attempted to move her mother closer to the door, but she broke out of her hold.
“Good. I’m sure he’ll want to send his whore off with a proper goodbye,” Mrs. Vera spat. Sadly, I was so used to her talking down to me that I wasn’t fazed at all. I walked over to help Dinero with my things, but he stopped me.
“I’ve got it. Why don’t you head to my car?” As much as I wanted to protest, I needed to be as far away from this place as possible. My mind couldn’t even process everything I’d been through in the last few months. Drained. That was all I felt at the moment. Climbing in the back seat, I rested on the headrest. Children were supposed to be carefree, yet life only seemed to get harder and harder.
What hurt the most was the fact that I couldn’t even blame my parents because they weren’t here. Sometimes, I wondered how different my life would have been if they were here. Certainly, my upbringing wouldn’t have been nearly as tumultuous as it had been. Maybe I would have gotten the chance to experience real love. The only person who had ever loved me was Ciera. Well, I thought she did. For some reason, I’d been dreaming of her coming back to get me. I missed her more than anything. It sucked having to go through life with no one to talk to.
Dinero placed my things in the trunk before he got into the car as well. He turned on some music, which I appreciated. My thoughts were loud, and I needed something else to place my focus on.
Drake decided to spend the night with Dinero tonight. I guessed he wanted to get away from all the drama at his house as well.
“Hey, do you want to stop and get some food?” My appetite left the moment we pulled up to the house, so I declined. However, Dinero insisted that I would get hungry later, so he suggested we go to Roosters. All I wanted to do was crawl into the bed, then it dawned on me that I no longer had one. The money I saved up to move was barely enough to cover two full weeks at a motel, which meant I would have to work overtime to keep a temporary roof over my head. The only issue now was finding someone to book the room for me.
“Did you hear what I said, Rae?” Dinero called out to me.
“Umm, no, I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I asked what flavor of wings you wanted.”
“I told you I don’t want anything.”
“I’m not tryna hear that. You’re eventually going to get hungry, and even if you don’t, it’s better to have it than not.” I rolled my eyes before telling him the flavor I liked.
“Thank you.” He smirked before pulling up to the window. I stared out into the distance, imagining what life would be like five years from now. My plan to go to school to become a physical therapist was still on my agenda. All I needed to do was focus and keep my grades up. While I was uncertain about my immediate future, I refused to give up on my dreams. I needed something to hold on to and believe in.
I remembered I stayed in an emergency placement home with this older lady named Ms. Gail, and she told me that trouble didn’t last always. She said, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy is coming in the morning.”
It seemed as if my days of weeping were lasting longer than I expected; however, I believed her words. There was no way I’d gone through all this heartache without a blessing waiting for me at the end.
“Put these in the back with you.” Dinero passed me the bags of food. I’d admit the aroma caused my stomach to growl. Doing as he asked, I set the bags next to me.
Dinero and Drake talked about superficial stuff like football and the best teams in the NFL. I tuned them out, for the most part.
“Naw, I think he’s done for the season. Even if he gets the best physical therapist around, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to play at full capacity.” Drake’s words sparked my interest, but I wasn’t sure why. I’d watched so many videos of people relearning how to walk again after they’d been injured, and it fascinated me. The idea of helping someone rebuild intrigued me. Plus, sports medicine was a very lucrative business.
“I think if he takes this time off to rest, he might have a shot. Most people with injuries like his make a full recovery within four to six months. However, being an athlete has to give him some sort of advantage.” They continued to talk as I pondered what a career in sports medicine would look like. I loved sports and also wanted to help people, so putting those two things together seemed perfect.
“Rae, wake up, ma.” Dinero shook me, and I realized I must have fallen asleep. I barely got any rest while I was home because of Dennis and Vera. Peace became hard to find when you were surrounded by chaos every day.
“Where are we?” It was clear we weren’t at a motel, and I’d never been in this neighborhood.
“Welcome to Royal Oaks.” He held his hand out for me to hold, and I followed his lead. Of course, I wanted to question why he’d brought me to his home, but I figured it was probably the easiest option for this time of night.
“Umm, I don’t have anything to sleep in. Would you mind popping the trunk? I’m sure I should have something in one of those bags.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure you have what you need.”
Walking into his house, I wrapped my arms around my body. While I knew Dinero came from money, I never expected all of this. His house reminded me of one of those houses the celebrities used to show on TV . In the foyer sat two giant, gold statues of what appeared to be a lion and a lioness.
Dinero and Drake continued to talk as they walked into the house. The walls were covered with all kinds of sculptures and trinkets. I could tell whoever decorated this place had to be big on historical artifacts. Tracing my fingers along this beautiful black sculpture, I was mesmerized by the intricate details.
“It’s beautiful, right?” Dinero’s voice caused me to jump.
“Did your mom buy these?”
“Something like that. Your food’s in the kitchen whenever you’re ready to eat.”
“Oh, okay, thanks. Umm, are your parents going to be okay with me staying here? I can go to a motel or something.”
“Don’t worry about it. I let my uncle know already, but he’s rarely here anyway.”
“Wait, so you live here with your uncle?” For some reason, I assumed he lived with his mother and father. I remember him mentioning them one day when he came over to hang out with Drake, but I knew they were in his life.
“Yeah, you could say that.” His response was dry and left me with more questions than answers. Before I could press him, he turned to walk into the kitchen. Obviously, there were things about him I still needed to know. I wanted to lie down, but I figured I would have to wait for further instructions from Dinero. He promised I’d have something to wear, so I decided to ask him about it. If nothing else, I needed to wash this smell of sandwiches off me. I enjoyed my job overall, but I smelled horrible after a long day of work.
“What’s up with you and Brielle? Nadia told me you dumped her with no explanation. I thought you were feeling her. You said the pussy was good, right?” My eyes rolled at the mention of Brielle.
“I don’t care for her personality. I can’t stand that mean girl shit. Plus, her ass always begging for something. As much as she brags on her corrupt ass father, you would think she’d have more money.”
“Now you’re sounding like me. Nadia called me to ask me to buy her a Coach bag. I told her she might want to buy a plain purse and write Coach all over it. Those are the types of gifts you give to your future wife, not a broad you’re smashing.” They continued to talk among each other, so I tuned out most of their conversation until I started to doze off on the living room couch.
When I woke up, I was in an unfamiliar room. My clothes were still intact as I checked myself over. As much as I liked Dinero, you could never be too trusting. I’d learned that lesson more times than I cared to admit. My legs hung over the bed while I observed the space. The lack of light outside made it difficult to see too much, so I reached over to turn on the lamp. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the light in the room.
The first thing I noticed was the football posters all over the room. Drake’s room held some of these same posters. When I glanced over at the nightstand, I picked up one of the photos sitting on it. In the photo, Dinero appeared to be very young. A woman who looked like his twin held him closely as the two of them donned big smiles on their faces.
“Don’t you know you aren’t supposed to go through people’s things when they invite you into their house?”
My body jerked from the sound of his voice. When our eyes locked, I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away from him. Drake was more of a pretty boy, whereas Dinero possessed this rugged sex appeal. His umber colored skin was smooth and alluring. The waves in his hair could make you seasick, and he always smelled like a mixture of Heaven and Hell. The girls in school went crazy over him, although he seemed unfazed for the most part. A few tattoos littered his body, but they were mainly on his arms and chest. I found myself staring at his frame as he stood in front of me.
“It’s rude to stare, you know?” My head shot up toward his handsome face.
“Sorry. I woke up and wasn’t sure where I was, so I started checking things out.” He nodded in response, removing the picture from my hands.
“Who is she?” I pointed to the photo as he set it back on the nightstand. He used the back of his shirt to wipe it off, which told me it meant a lot to him.
“You sure ask a lot of questions. How are you feeling?” He changed the subject, so I decided not to press him about it.
“I don’t know. Tonight went nothing like I expected, and I won’t lie and say I’m not conflicted. Living with them has been one of the worst experiences of my life, but now I’m all alone. I’ve been saving my checks from Steak Shack. However, it’s nowhere near enough for me to survive on my own. I’m afraid to call my caseworker because she may try to send me back there. I’ll be aging out of the system in a few months, so there’s no point in trying to place me in another home.” So many thoughts swirled in my head as I processed the reality of my life.
I’d been on my own my whole life, but this was different. I’d be the only person financially supporting myself. With graduation being a year away, I considered getting two jobs. The extra income would help me tremendously when I had to pay for things like my cap and gown.
“Don’t stress about it too much. Right now, the most important thing is for you to focus on school. Everything else can be figured out later.”
“It’s easy for you to say when you have the perfect life. Your whole life has been mapped out for you, and all you have to do is throw a ball around to get where you want to go.”
“You don’t know shit about me! Ain’t shit easy about my life, and I’ve worked for everything I have!” he roared. I flinched when he raised his voice at me. My intentions weren’t to offend him, but that was exactly what I did.
“I-I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt your feelings.” I reached out to touch him, but he pulled back. My feelings were crushed, and I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.
“I’ve been through a lot, and I guess everyone’s life seems easier than mine. I don’t want you to think I’m invalidating your experience because I’d never do that to someone else.” Dinero stared at me without speaking a single word. My hands were sweating as I wiped them across my work pants. It reminded me that I needed to take a shower.
“I’m sorry for snapping on you the way I did. I know you’ve been through hell, but I know all about being alone. People assume that my life must be easy because of the house I live in or the car I drive. They have no idea what I’ve lost in the process. I’m far from a spoiled rich kid.” There was a glimmer of sadness behind his eyes that I wanted to know more about. Stepping closer to him, I placed my hand on his shoulder. This time, he didn’t push me away.
“We all have a story to tell. It’s what makes us so unique because no story is the same. Thank you for helping me tonight. I hate you had to see all of that, but I’m glad you were there.” If he had left, I would have been sleeping on someone’s street tonight.
“It’s no problem. Can I ask you a question though?” I gulped, feeling like his question would be a heavy one from the expression on his face.
“Sure. Ask me anything.” I prayed he kept it simple. My life wasn’t something I liked to talk about with anyone.
“What did Mrs. V mean when she said you were trying to take her man?”
“W-what?”
“She called you a homewrecker outside. I may not be the smartest jock on the field, but I know enough to be able to read between the lines.” Tears welled in my eyes from the weight of his question. Dinero must have noticed the panicked expression on my face because his arms were wrapped around me within seconds.
“I-I didn’t want to.” My voice cracked while I held myself.
Normally, I kept my emotions to myself but I broke down in his arms. His hold tightened as we rocked back and forth. I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve such a terrible life, but I’d apologize in a heartbeat if it meant I could get a redo. My wails grew louder, but I didn’t care. My spirit had been broken more times than I could count, and I was tired of putting on the facade that I was okay.
“It’s okay. I promise I’ve got you.” My grip on him tightened as we stood there in the middle of the room. I’d learned not to trust in the words of people. They often broke their promises. As much as I wanted to believe Dinero, I needed to see his actions. That was how I would know whether he meant what he said.
Dinero gave me some clothes and then ran my bath water. That night, he vowed to have my back and help me get on my feet. I’d been disappointed by everyone in my life, so I wasn’t sure if I could trust anyone. However, my options were limited. I needed to believe in him, even if it turned out to be the wrong decision.
I’d been feeling off for the last few weeks, but I didn’t know who to tell. I thought it might be time for my period, but when it never showed up, I began to think the worst. I sat in the bathroom of my job with the positive pregnancy test in my hand, wanting to die. I hadn’t had sex with anyone, so there was no doubt who the father was. My head shook with disbelief, and I had no one to talk to about this.
“Hey, Charae. Are you in here?” my co-worker Michelle inquired while walking into the bathroom.
“Umm, yeah. My stomach was a little upset, but I should be out in a few minutes.” Hurriedly, I wiped myself so I could get back to work. The job was all I had, so I couldn’t mess this up. Once I made sure my face and hands were clean, I stepped out of the bathroom. Pregnant I’d never even kissed a boy before, and now this was happening.
The rest of the night was a blur, and before I knew it, it was closing time. Dinero sat in the employee parking lot with his music blasting loudly. He didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings either. I snickered as I watched his head bob to the music. At least for the time being, I had a reason to smile. I attempted to fix my face so he wouldn’t see how emotional I was.
“Hey,”
“What’s up, Sunny.” I snickered at the nickname he randomly gave me a few weeks ago. He still had yet to tell me what it meant, so I went with it.
“I’m glad to be going home. I think I hate slow days worse than busy ones because you’re stuck there with nothing to do.”
“I don’t know about that. Knowing me, I would probably be in the back watching ESPN.”
“How was your day? Did you get a chance to actually relax?” For a teenage boy, Dinero behaved like a grown man in every sense of the word. After school and practice, he would change his clothes and head right back out the door. There were so many questions lingering in my mind because he had all this money, yet he didn’t work a regular job. I wasn’t familiar with street life, but I wondered how lucrative it was to be able to afford the kind of life he lived.
“I don’t even know what that word means, to be honest. It wasn’t too bad though. I posted up at Tootie’s house for a while, then I kicked it with Dreis and Drake. It was straight. So, are you gonna tell me what’s going on with you?”
“What do you mean?” I hated the way he read me like a book.
“Your smile is off. I can tell when it’s real because your dimples poke through. Whenever you’re sad or forcing a smile, the lines right here are uneven.” Nero traced his finger along my cheek, making me blush.
“Are you trying to say my face is uneven?” I pretended to be offended.
“Naw, not like that. However, when you have a genuine smile, it has more symmetry. My uncle taught me how to read people’s body language and facial expressions. You need to be able to tell the difference when someone is being dishonest towards you or when something is off about them. For instance, you tuck your hair when you’re nervous. When you’re scared, you place your hands between your thighs. When you’re aroused, you bite your bottom lip, and whenever you’re angry, you bounce your leg.” The two of us glanced down at my hands tucked between my legs before we laughed.
“You think you know me.”
“I do, for the most part. There are some things I’m still learning, but give me a few more weeks, and I’ll have you down to a science.” Dinero grinned sheepishly, causing me to bite my lip. I heard him chuckle, letting me know he noticed too.
“So, what’s wrong? I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”
“I’m not sure if you can help.” I wasn’t sure if anyone could help me with this situation. I really needed to talk to Ciera because she would know what I should do.
“Don’t count me out just yet. Give me a chance to see if I can help before you count me out.” I tucked my hair behind my ear, trying to think of the right words.
“I need to get an abortion.” I cringed at the words, but only because I was ashamed to even be in this position, again.
Money Sutton
“Money, you have to relax.”
“I’m gonna kill him,” I hissed, pacing in the middle of my living room.
“I understand you’re upset, but I need you to calm down. The only thing that matters right now is that it was early enough for us to take care of it.”
“Naw, fuck all that. Tootie, he has to pay for what he did to her.” Dennis’s punk ass was sick in the head for touching a young girl in the first place, but you could expect me to believe he hadn’t gotten Charae pregnant on purpose. He deserved to die a slow death, and I wanted to be the one who handed it to him.
“You have every right to feel the way you do, but what will it solve, Money? You are all she has right now, so if you were to go do something reckless, where would it leave her?” My head snapped in Tootie’s direction, hating that her explanation made sense. Still, he was gonna have to see me behind this fuck shit. I didn’t care what anyone had to say.
“I’ve got to make a run. Can you make sure she’s straight?”
“Money.” Tootie huffed, with her arms across her chest.
“I promise I’m cool. Matter of fact, I’ll leave my tool here so you know I’m not on that type of time.” I put on the best smile I could so she wouldn’t suspect anything. Little did she know, this was only one of my many guns. I wasn’t quite sure what I would do, but I also didn’t want to bring her in the middle of my shit.
“I’ve got her. Nikki said she’ll probably be in pain for a few more hours, but she’ll be fine. I plan on taking her to the clinic to make sure everything passes the way it needs to. We’re gonna register her as a Jane Doe so no one will be able to report it. I’m putting a lot on the line to help your friend, and I hope you understand how serious this is. She needs to report what happened to her so those people can be held accountable. Regardless of what she says, she deserves to have justice.”
I agreed with her 100 percent, but I couldn’t make Sunny do anything, she wasn’t ready for. My plan was to wait until she healed from this and revisit the conversation. Right now, everything was fresh and scary for her. The last thing I wanted to do was pressure her when she wasn’t ready. She had enough people making decisions on her behalf.
“I’ll talk to her. Look, I’m not sure how long I’m gonna be, but if I’m not here in the next few hours, you can leave. She’ll probably be asleep for the rest of the night anyway.”
“I’ll be here. The girls are with their father for the week, so I don’t have a reason to rush home. All I’m gonna tell you is to be safe, Money. I don’t want you to get into anything that could jeopardize your future. Always put yourself first, no matter how much you care about someone. Nothing is worth the cost of your life.”
“I’m already knowing. I’mma go holler at her, then I’m heading out.” I kissed Tootie on the cheek, then headed upstairs. The light sounds of Rae snoring filled the room. She looked so peaceful, even through all she had endured. Tootie called in a favor from one of her nurse friends, and they were able to confirm her pregnancy and provide her with abortion pills.
When we first got home, it only took a few hours for them to start kicking in, and the sound of her screaming crushed my soul. I held her in my arms as she bled into the adult diaper Tootie bought for her. I’d never been so angry and afraid in my life. Being helpless wasn’t something I resonated with, but tonight really showed me a lot about myself. My feelings for Sunny ran deeper than I had been able to admit until tonight. I wanted to take her pain away and eliminate every person on the planet who caused her any harm.
After it was all over, I helped her get cleaned up and changed before we climbed into bed together. I’d never shared a bed with any girl, and it wasn’t sexual. However, this was something special. She opened up parts of my heart I never knew existed. I’d never wanted to protect someone the way I did her. She never had anyone in this world she could truly count on, and it made me want to work harder to be everything she never had.
“Hey,” I whispered, kissing her temple. Her body stirred for a moment until she finally opened her eyes.
“Hey.” Her soft voice sounded exhausted, and I understood why.
“I’m about to step out for a bit. I don’t know when I’ll be home, so I wanted to let you know.”
“Where are you going?” She attempted to sit up in the bed, but I stopped her.
“No, you need to be resting. I have some things I need to take care of, but I’ll be back before you know it.” Her eyes were filled with worry, making me feel guilty for leaving her.
“Don’t do that. I promise I’ll be back before you know it. It’s really no biggie.”
“The same way you know me, I know you. You can tell me whatever you want out of your mouth, but I know your heart.”
“If you knew my heart, then you would understand exactly why I have to leave.”
“No, I don’t. I want you here with me.” Her lips poked out, and I stopped myself from pressing mine against them. Lil’ mama had no idea how much her presence affected me. Every day I woke up to her beautiful face, it was a blessing and slow torture, all at once. In my mind, Sunny belonged to me, even if she wasn’t ready to accept the love I wanted to give her.
“You’ll have me. You never have to worry about that. I’m yours for as long as you need me.”
“I’ll always need you.”
“Then I guess you’ll have me forever.” Kissing the top of her forehead, I closed my eyes to savor the moment. If she wanted me around forever, then that’s what she would get. I just hoped she was ready for what came with me.
“Go back to sleep.”
“Okay. Make sure you come straight home.”
“I got you. Good night, Sunny.”
“Why do you call me Sunny? You still haven’t told me.” I halted my steps and then glanced back at her.
“Because Rae reminds me of a ray of sun. The sun is the Earth’s source of energy, light, and heat. Without the sun, flowers can’t grow, and the world can no longer function at its full capacity. The sun brings hope for a new day and light to all of the darkness. It has the power to brighten the dreariest of days. That’s what you are to me. You’re my sun. Your smile turns a nigga’s whole day around, so that’s why I call you Sunny.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears as she tried to hide her smile.
“Get some rest.” I chuckled in response to her nervousness. There was no reason for her to be afraid when it came to me, because I would never do anything to hurt her. Stepping out of the room, I prepared my mind for what I was about to do.