Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
NAJI
T he house was quiet… too quiet for someone who used to live in runways and flashbulbs, but perfect for someone who spent the last few years hiding from all of that.
I peeked out of my room, tiptoeing like I was in some low-budget spy movie.
No voices. No clanging in the kitchen. No Imanio.
The second I realized the coast was clear, I bolted back to the room and threw everything I could into my duffel—clothes, portfolio, and, of course, Nana Li’s bear.
I was leaving that house—one way or another that day.
I didn’t care if I had to roll down the hill in a trash can or flag down an Amazon truck.
We had been married for almost two weeks by then, and I was done playing house in a place that felt like a velvet-lined prison.
Part of me didn’t believe Imanio was wise enough to leave me alone—the man didn’t even leave his bourbon unattended.
But neither he nor any of the staff were anywhere in sight, which was unusual.
So either it was a trap, or Imanio he was starting to trust me. And if it was the latter… his bad.
I made my way to the kitchen, stomach twisting.
My fingers trembled as I reached for the landline.
I couldn’t use my own phone because he still refused to turn it back on.
The only person who came to mind that I knew would probably cross an ocean to get me was Daphnee.
I dialed the number by memory. My chest clenched when she picked up on the first ring.
“Hello!” she answered, chipperly.
“Dap-Daphnee. It’s me… Naji.”
“Naji?! Sweetheart! My Lord, where have you been?! I’ve been calling, stopping by. I even went to your job! They said you took a vacation—one you never told me about! I saw that Blu Notes is permanently shut down. Just—out the blue!” she rattled off questions.
“Yeah… t-tragic,” I murmured, the memory of that night pressing against the back of my mind like a bruise.
“So where are you staying now?”
“I’m safe,” I replied cautiously. “But… it’s complicated.”
“Complicated how? And why are you whispering? Naji, are you sure you’re okay?”
Her voice cracked with worry, and mine almost cracked with tears.
“Can… can you come and pick me up? Jesus take the wheel and crash it into the bank! ”
“Remind me to call my credit union and freeze my shit before I pick you up.”
Leave it to Daphnee to toss out a joke while I was mid-escape plan.
“Sorry… tic.”
“I know, sweetie. But of course I can come and get you? Where are you? Just send me the location and I’ll be on the way.”
I inhaled deeply. I had memorized the address the day I left to get married—burned it into my brain like escape insurance.
“Okay… I’m at?—”
“I wouldn’t tell that if I were you.”
I froze like somebody pressed pause on my life.
I turned slowly, heartbeat jackhammering in my chest. Chi was leaned against the refrigerator, one hand holding a green apple, the other casually swirling a lit blunt between his fingers.
My throat clenched.
“Ohhh… shhh—shhh—shhh—Satan’s niece! Shady-ass surveillance! Muthafreakin’—lemon-sniffin’—backdoor boogeyman!”
I was unraveling… fully. The words just kept tumbling out like popcorn in a microwave.
Chi bit into his apple and chewed slowly, raising a brow. “Now see… this right here is why you need a helmet… and maybe a support group.”
He strolled over like we were about to bake cookies, snatched the phone from my hand mid-shiver, and lifted it to his ear.
“Hey, Cousin Daphnee,” he said smoothly. “Wrong number. This Naji don’t exist no more. She dead.”
My mouth dropped open.
He winked at me, then added. “She rebirthed into a responsible housewife with a nasty lil’ attitude and some amazing tea preferences. You understand?”
And then— click.
He hung up.
My tic fired off hard. "Shit-Christmas-mac-and-cheese!"
Chi snorted. "Glitchy, you gotta stop announcing holiday menus every time you get scared.”
“You… you don’t understand.”
“Trust me, I do. I’ve been friends with that nigga since Kindergarten. I’ve seen him eat glue, beat a teacher with a pencil box, and charm his way out of it. You think you’re traumatized? I got more flashbacks than a veteran watching fireworks.”
Chi sobered a little, then crossed his arms.
“Look, I get that you feel like a guest in yo’ own life. You had your chance to run before you put that ring on. But now?” He leaned in, voice low but not unkind. “Now you married to the devil, and his assistant just caught you trying to break the lease.”
I had a full-blown tic right then—my words spat out like a broken speaker.
“Lease this d-demonic dick contract, Lord, cancel the payment plan!”
Chi burst out laughing.
“See? That’s exactly why I ain’t letting you go nowhere. You’re too entertaining.”
Nana Li’s bear stuck out of my bag, like it too was disappointed that I couldn’t get away.
I shut my eyes, fists trembling. My whole body was hot with shame and cracked down the middle—part humiliated, part defeated, part wondering what the hell kind of contract I really signed.
I opened my eyes. “Are… are you going to tell Imanio?”
“Nah, I’m not gonna tell him… not unless you try some real wild shit again. A little word of advice, though. The next time you call for backup, maybe don’t do it on the landline that’s literally plugged into his server. That man sees and hears everything.”
“Cameras, mics, and nosey-ass walls! F–f–feds with fancy furniture!” I blurted out in a frantic tic, my voice pitching high like I was being interrogated on a game show.
Chi chuckled, then nodded like he understood more than I expected.
“Look, come over to the couch and chill. Sit down, drink some water, maybe scream into a pillow… or punch one,” he said, gently guiding me toward it like I hadn’t just accused the house of being a full-blown CIA branch.
After we both were seated, he resumed talking.
“You got heart, Naji; I’ll give you that. But you better hope nobody shows up here like the police or FBI… ‘cause that cake you call a plan? It’s half-baked.”
“W-Why are you here? And wh-where were you?” I asked, stuttering mid-sentence as my shoulder twitched and my eyes fluttered.
“One question at a time, Glitchy… I got anxiety too! Anyway, to answer your first question, Imanio’s at work, and since nobody would’ve been here to watch you, he appointed me as your babysitter.”
“B-Babysitter?” I stammered in an incredulous tone.
“Yup… and I take my job serious. So sit yo’ ass down and eat yo’ snacks. I will cut the Wi-Fi if you act up. I’ll even write a fake report card if you act up. A+ for not running, F- for attitude.”
I looked at Chi like he couldn’t possibly be serious.
Chi burst out laughing, waving his hand.
“I’m just fuckin’ with you. I am your babysitter, but I don’t give a damn what you do…
just don’t tic and accidentally stab me with a fork, don’t run away—I will catch you—and last, but most importantly, don’t go in Imanio’s room.
That’s like breaking into the Batcave. The last dude that tried it got lost in there—swear to God, he never came back out. ”
Chi lived for a good laugh, but the way he said that one… I wasn’t entirely sure he was joking. Still, I wanted to know why the hell Imanio thought I needed a damn babysitter.
“I d-don’t need a babysitter,” I muttered, crossing my arms.
Right on cue, my hand jerked up and smacked the candle clean off the coffee table, sending it clattering across the floor.
“Penguins don’t pay rent!” I shouted.
Chi shook his head, grinning as he pushed up out of his chair. “Yeah, you definitely ain’t built for solo missions.”
“S-Sorry,” I muttered, heat creeping into my face. “I only get like that when I’m frustrated.”
“It’s cool,” he said with a shrug, grabbing a rag. “I’ll just tell Imanio I provoke you… a little.”
He crouched down to scoop the pieces. “A whole babysitter and janitor package deal. I should start charging by the hour.”
I chuckled under my breath.
The next few minutes, Chi moved around tidying up the mess, whistling like it was nothing, before settling back into his seat across from me.
“I h-h-haven’t needed a babysitter all these other days he’s been working. Why n-now?” I questioned.
“Oh, you’ve had one; you just didn’t know it. Somebody is always watching you, girl.”
My stomach dipped. Always watching?
Suddenly, my brain went left. What if somebody had been watching me shower? Had I been putting on an accidental OnlyFans show without knowing it? Hell, what if there was a dude somewhere with a notebook titled Naji’s Hygiene Habits: Volume I ?
I shuddered. The thought made me want to cover every inch of the bathroom with towels like I was building a fort.
The ridiculous images spiraling faster in my head until they spilled out of my mouth.
“Sweet baby back ribs of surveillance!” I yelped, jerking so hard my knee hit the table.
Chi chuckled, shaking his head. “Look, don’t trip.
He told me he needed me, so I’m here. If you got questions, you’ll have to ask him.
I’m just the substitute teacher in this equation.
” He leaned back, smirking. “But you don’t gotta deal with me too much longer—my shift is about to end.
When I clock out you’ll get passed to the next poor soul on babysitter duty… my fiancée.”
“Fiancéeeee—F–F–fancy babysitter!” I exclaimed with a sharp sniff and squinted glare. My tics had no chill.
“Yeah,” Chi said with a grin, clearly amused.
“Dess… short for Desdemona—but don’t say that around her unless you wanna get cussed out in three languages.
She’s fine, fiery, and got enough opinions to make a debate team cry.
My baby loves fashion like it’s a sport, wears makeup like she’s in a music video every day and rolls up in a wheelchair with more confidence than half the people standing.
And don’t let the wheels fool you—she’ll run you over like she’s in Grand Theft Auto.
I think y’all will get along fine, though. ”