Chapter 15 Ride
Ride
The weekend disappears in a blink and now it’s Monday. I’m up early like, beat-the-sun early. I take my vitamins, eat something light, then head to the shower. Steam wraps around me like a hug, but my mind’s already a few steps ahead, today’s the day I meet Mommy in town. Graduation dress mission.
By the time I get dressed, edge control set and lip gloss on, I’m headed downstairs, one hand gliding across the rail. My stomach flutters, nervous excitement maybe but it still feels good.
Nickoi looks up from his phone, dark eyes locking with mine. “Ready now, mami?” His voice is low, gravelly. Sexy even when he’s just asking a question. He’s taking me, he refused to let me drive.
“Yeah,” I nod, lips tugging into a smile when I catch Lizzie in the kitchen, wiping the counters.
“Morning again, Zara,” she calls out, her face bright.
I walk over and bump her shoulder gently. “Good morning, Liz. Mi a cut now, enuh.”
She nods. “Gwaan. A hope yuh find something fi wear, Miss Indecisive,” she laughs.
I grin, thinking about Friday. She was here all morning and still had to suffer through my scrolling and constant ‘no, not this one.’ “Mi affi choose something today though. Graduation a literally Friday,” I groan, and she lifts a brow.
“Yuh betta. Town have some good options. Jus tek yuh time.”
“I will.” I wave, and step out.
Nickoi’s by the front door now, already dousing the weed he was hitting. He doesn’t even let me comment, just reaches out and pulls me in by the waist, his touch instinctive. We slide into the X6, and I smile when the soft glow of purple neon lights hums to life under the dashboard.
“This gets me every time,” I say.
He just chuckles, easing into the driver’s seat beside me. “Your madda still a drive the rental?” he asks, eyes on the road.
I nod, but a sudden sting in my leg pulls my focus. “Ow.”
He clocks it instantly. “Wah happen?” His palm lands firm on my thigh.
“Pain in my legs,” I wince, he’s rubbing at the spot, but he leans in and does it for me warm, slow pressure in just the right place.
His thumb presses into the muscle until the ache fades. I exhale. “Thanks.”
He watches me for another beat before starting the engine. Before we move, his hand brushes my seatbelt to make sure it’s locked in. “Weh we a meet har?” he asks.
I give him the location, and he nods, pulling into traffic, left hand relaxed on the wheel, the other resting close enough to me that our arms brush now and then. A silence settles, comfortably, until he glances at me again. “Just dress yuh buying?”
“Mi have shoes already,” I say, thinking about the heels in the gift bag from yesterday.
Without a word, he reaches beside him and hands me a sleek little black bag.
“Money in deh,” he says casually, not even looking at me.
My heart does a soft somersault. I glance inside, then look over at him jaw clenched, focus on the road, just doing what he always does. Taking care of me. I don’t even say thank you out loud. I just reach for his hand and squeeze.
“Mi did have money enuh,” I murmur, peeking into the bag. “Yuh forget the whole heap a cash weh yuh give me inna the Birkins?”
Nickoi barely glances at me, eyes on the windshield. “Save yuh money.” Just like that no discussion, no back and forth. It’s the kind of soft dominance he carries naturally.
“Okay then…” I smile, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.”And this man? Always giving me too much.
I look back in the bag and blink. “This probably too much fi one dress though.”
He shrugs. “Yuh never know wah yuh might see and like. Yuh say dress now but suppose yuh see jewelry? Or something else?” His voice is calm, matter-of-factly. Like spoiling me is just a regular Tuesday. He has a point.
“Maybe like jewelry,” I hum, already thinking about what would match the neckline I don’t even know I’m choosing yet.
He nods. “Yah. A so shopping go,” he says, like a man who’s done this before. Not for just anybody. But for me.
Fifteen minutes later, we pull into the plaza and Nickoi parks neatly behind Mommy’s rental.
She’s already out the car, bright smile on her face, arms folded like she’s been watching us pull up.
She walks over to Nickoi’s side first, of course she does and he starts smiling before she even says a word.
“What a way unuh late!” she laughs, then tilts her head toward me. “Mi bet a Zara tek long fi get ready.”
I start cracking up right away, especially when Nickoi nods, not missing a beat.
“She take one full year, Ms. Michelle. Mi swear,” he says, cool as ever.
“Oh please.” I nudge him playfully, laughter still bubbling from my chest. “Mi never take that long, stop exaggerate.”
He chuckles, and Mommy shakes her head smiling. “Yuh nah come out, miss? Member we probably affi do whole heap a walking, worse yuh indecisive.”
“Alright, alright!” I lean over and press a quick kiss to Nickoi’s lips. His hand lingers on my thigh, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Tek care, enuh Mami.” My stomach flips. That soft nickname on his tongue never gets old.
I smile, stepping out. “I love you.”
He meets my gaze. “I love you too.” I close the door just as Mommy looks at me with that little smirk only moms can pull off. Then she glances at Nickoi through the window.
“Alright Nickoi we going to see if we can find a dress. Drive safe,” she says.
“Yeah man. Respect,” he replies, chin tilted and I swear he can make the simplest words feel like affection.
He holds my gaze for another second longer like he doesn’t really want to leave before rolling the window up and honking once. Then just like that, he’s gone.
NICKOI
“Wah yuh just say?!” I snap, my voice rising without warning. My heart’s already thumping from the call, Janel crying on the line, barely able to speak. “Lorie brother… box me,” she sobs.
Box who?
My foot eases off the gas for a second. Box who?
“And why him woulda box yuh?” Mi not even a wait fi the answer, mi brain a move too fast, connecting dots mi d’even want connect.
“H-him box me and say him nuh fraid a mi bredda,” she cries, voice cracking, “And say Nickoi put him hand pan fi him sister, so him put back fi him hand pan me. A-and him say him a go hurt me if me tell you. But mommy say mi fi talk, cause him a bad man.” My jaw clenches.
I yank the gearshift, reverse hard, and speed off.
“Weh him deh?” I ask, trying to sound calm. But mi head already chip. My chest tight. Mi want blood.
“I don’t know… mi did deh pan the road and him stop inna him car and do it. Den him drive off with him friends,” she sniffles. I overtake everything in my lane.
“Aight, Janel. Just gwaan home. Mi soon reach.” I hang up.
Usually the drive tek fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. I reach in ten. Hoodie up. I jump out of my car. As mi reach mommy house, she’s already at the door. “Nickoi, the dutty bwoy box up Janel enuh! Mussy true yuh run out him sister, or cause yuh and him sister did fight,” she says, brows knitted.
My brain short-circuits. “A him one?” Marsha, Mommy’s best friend, ask from behind her. Janel’s face red.
She’s still sobbing. “A neva him one,” she sniffles.
My eyes move to the corner where Jordane is. His whole face tight, eyes locked on his phone. Normally Jordane loud. Real protective. But now? Silence. “Wah do yuh?” I ask.
He’s still quiet. Just glaring at his phone, then cut his eye at Janel like she disgust him. I stare at him. Sup’m nah right. “Bad man mi a talk to yuh,” I repeat, louder. He finally looks up. His face says enough, he’s heated, but not just about what happen.
“Yuh know him personally? Cause this nuh make no sense,” Marsha says, stepping in.
“Yuh say you and him never have nothing and him just box yuh so?” Marsha asis and Janel shakes her head slowly.
Jordane scoffs. “Nuh know why yuh never just stay a foreign, enuh.”
“N-no… a cause him see me with Lorie before him even know say Nickoi a mi bredda but mi nuh real—” she stammers.
“Stop lie!” Jordane barks. “You and him deh. A Lorie give yuh the man. And true Lorie tell dem say you and eh’ dawg used to have suh’m, the man come box yuh up wid him fren dem.” My head spins. Eeeh?
“A nuh that!” Janel cries. The whole house quiet. Eyes wide. Even mi. But mi not even a process that part right now. That’s not the priority. Right now, mi want the bwoy and mi want Lorie.
“You nuh know weh the bwoy deh?” I ask her, voice low. Dangerous. Janel looks at me, tears streaming.
“No.” She sobs. I hiss, my whole body tight, and I storm out the house.
“Yuh call Nick fi come get the man inna trouble, when a you gone follow bad company and deh wid big man! Tek yuh lick dem, man! Weh yuh a call the man fa?!”
Jordane shouts from inside. I stop halfway down the steps.
Him concern bout yuh Nick.
“Shut up! Nuh big woman yuh deh with!” Janel snaps back. I freeze. So… she nuh deny it?
“Lef har now, Jordane,” Mommy defends, making me hiss.
Mek mi see if she a go say that when mi come back. Chubble.
“A-and a him alone box mi. Him fren dem just accompany him,” Janel says, and I shake my head.
Mi know the one Lorie did a try bruck har out from long time. “Mommy, a you cause this too enuh. Cause yuh love sorry fi people and tek in the batta ears gyal, and now look, she a’ introduce the pickney to man and yuh deh yah a chat ‘bout lef har?” Jordane snaps.
“Ah… easy now,” I cut in, stepping outside.
My car parked right beside Mommy’s. I quickly remove the license plate. “Mi a fawud,” Jordane says when I open my door.
I stop him. “No.” Mi cya afford fi him get hurt.
“A wah gang a dem enuh,” Jordane says, eyes full of worry.
“Mi a go Gov man,” I reply, calm but firm.
He stares at me, tight-lipped. “Yuh nuh know wah a go happen, bredda,” he sighs.
Mommy steps outside. “Be careful enuh, mi son.” She places her hand on my shoulder.
I nod and glance back. Jordane already sliding into the passenger seat. “Weh yuh deh go?” Mommy gasps.