29
ERICA
??------??
I want to move. Brackenridge doesn’t feel welcoming anymore.
Why would King do that?
I know he meant well, but he must have known what would happen.
After settling in at home for a while and eating a little something with Xander, we settle down in the apartment. We hang out watching more of that show. My phone rings for the second time. I look over and see it’s King. Ignoring it, I focus back on the screen.
“You’re not going to answer?” Xander asks.
“Nope,” I reply, still staring at the TV.
Getting fired today was not part of the plan, and since King is directly involved with that, the last thing I want to do right now is talk to him.
Saturday doesn’t feel as free as it used to. I get out of the laundromat with my clean clothes packed in a bag and drive back to the apartment building. Taylor Swift’s “The Great War” blasts on the radio.
When I pull into the apartment building, my heart starts beating faster. The big dark gray Escobedo pickup truck is parked there.
No doubt in my mind that’s King.
That’s definitely his truck.
My car doesn’t even fully stop before he gets out slowly and leans his back against the passenger side door, waiting for me.
My anger toward him has waned since yesterday because deep down I know he didn’t do it to get me fired. The truth is he did save me from whatever would have happened if he hadn’t gotten there. I don’t even remember the conversation I had with him and Zoe over the phone, to be honest.
As I get out and take the bag from the trunk, he walks slowly toward me.
“I’m sorry,” he says.
I don’t respond. I use the key fob to lock my car doors.
“If you need rent money—” he starts.
“I’m fine,” I tell him, walking toward the front of the apartment and heading up the stairs as he follows.
Opening my door, I don’t even think about it. I just let him in, expecting him to close the door behind him when he enters.
“You can’t be totally mad at me. It was your fault because you put yourself in that situation,” he starts to lecture.
I drop my bag and turn around to face him. “Look… I appreciate you, but that should have stayed between all of us,” I say through my teeth.
“No, it couldn’t have,” he replies. “Because if he did do it or was responsible, he would have done it to someone else.”
Maybe he’s right. Jun is not the best character, especially when it comes to friendships. Whenever we’ve gone out, it’s not like Jun was ever looking out for me. He always skipped off and did his own thing. He only cares about himself.
“Maybe you can get a job working for the church,” King says.
When I turn around to see if he’s joking, because he has to be joking, I see he has a straight face.
I scoff a laugh. “Yeah, right. That’s the last thing I want to do.”
“Maybe the camp environment wasn’t good for you anyway,” he states.
I really don’t want to argue with him right now. I pull a glass from the cupboard, fill it with ice-cold water, and hand it to him. He looks at it, then at me.
“It’s water ,” I say, emphasizing it slowly like he’s crazy.
“Anyway, you did enough,” I tell him. “And look, I can’t really be mad at you because you did protect me, and I appreciate that. So… yeah.”
King seems to think for a moment, looking away from me and at the floor. He moves over to my turtle tank and sprinkles some food in there.
What the hell is he thinking?
Sipping the water, he hands it back to me. “I’ll try to do something.”
And after he says that, he just leaves.
When he doesn’t come back up the stairs or to my apartment, I assume he left. It was so abrupt I actually go downstairs to check the parking lot to make sure he didn’t fall and hit his head or something.
His truck is gone.
Whatever.
Giovanni and Troy crawl around for a while and play while I watch shows curled up on the couch for hours. I text Xander to ask if he wants to come over. He replies saying he has company over. Probably some girl.
It’s funny. Xander and I only messed around once. I didn’t want to make it a habit, but I just realized there’s absolutely no jealousy whatsoever.
I feel nothing for Xander past a superficial attraction and acknowledgment that he’s a good-looking guy. He’s a friend for me and nothing more.
By the time I look around, it’s 10:37 p.m. I’m exhausted and start getting ready for bed. My phone begins to ring. Looking at the screen, it’s King’s name.
“Hello?”
“Hey, can you come to church tomorrow?” he asks.
Groaning, I sit back on the couch. “Why?”
“I want you to talk to Pastor Darrian.”
It’s as if he can see me rolling my eyes right now because he softly says, “Please. For me.”
?
The next day is Sunday, and the usual energy fills the church, people happy, smiling, hugging, talking loudly before service starts. When Brother Shawn sees me, his face actually lights up. He comes over and hugs me tight. I hug him back.
“Hey, how have you been?” he asks.
I smirk, eyebrows raised with a tight smile. “Well, I got fired.”
“Oh, wow. I’m sorry,” he replies. “Is this from the youth camp or—”
“Yeah, from the youth camp job,” I confirm.
“Wow,” he states. “Maybe the pastor can work something out.”
“Yeah, probably,” I say. “I’m not gonna feel badly though, cuz today is a beautiful day. Too beautiful to be sad or anything.”
Brother Shawn smiles. “Beautiful like a porcelain painting.”
I smile back. “Yep, just like that.”
As I laugh with Brother Shawn, I look over and see King staring at both of us. The minute my eyes meet his, he looks away fast.
Sister Madysen isn’t here today. I wonder what she would think of this.
King is on the drums, of course.
Something that lights my heart on fire every time I see him perform. Pastor Darrian tells a joke during his preaching, and King hits that signature badap bish drum sound to punctuate it. The congregation laughs, and so does King.
He stays on the drums for a while after the pastor starts preaching. Every now and then I find myself flicking my eyes to the right of the stage to look at him. One of those times, I catch him looking back at me.
When our eyes meet, he smiles—and oh my fucking damn, that smile.
Man, if I didn’t have dark skin, I would be blushing so hard right now.
Damn. Why is he doing that? The way he’s smiling at me.
Holy shit, man. Maybe he didn’t mean it that way, but jeez.
I’m not used to seeing King smile at me like that. It’s subtle.
No teeth, no bright face, no puppy dog eyes.
Just that,... look . If I had to describe it, it reminds me of a guy who knows he’s good-looking and wants to get a woman wet for him. That’s exactly what it feels like. I’ve been around enough guys to know.
I notice eyes on me again. When I look over to my right at the section next to this one of chairs, Aaliyah is staring between the both of us, looking sad.
Damn it. I mean, I told the girl to go after him, but it’s not like she’s dating King.
At the end of the service, King closes out the worship song on the drums as the choir finishes. Pastor Darrian wishes everyone well, tells us to go in peace and with God for the rest of the week. King gets off the stage, sweating a little like he always does when he plays hard.
He walks over. “Wait by the seats or outside the office,” he tells me.
I nod as he heads to the back area where all the elders and ushers go.
After a while of people milling around and the church getting emptier, I decide I don’t want to wait in the stuffy building. It’s beautiful outside. So I go out to his truck and wait by it.
Shortly after, someone taps me on the shoulder. When I turn, it’s an older woman. “Brother King is calling you to go back in the church,” she says.
I check my phone and see King texted me, but I didn’t hear it. I head inside and go toward the back where the offices are. King steps out of Pastor Darrian’s office. He gives me a smirk and a smile as I go in.
Pastor Darrian sits behind his desk. “Brother King is very fond of you, and he’s a really good man,” he states.
Then he leans back. “I want to give you another chance. Our ministry is built on second chances. Forgiveness and restoration are at the forefront of what we do, that’s why we’re here.
I would like you to work directly with the church, helping with services and Bible study.
It’s a way to serve, to grow in your faith, and to support the body here.
Brother King would be willing to relocate back here, that was his condition.
And you would have to attend service and Bible study. ”
I look at him strangely. “What would I be doing?”
“You’d help the ushers hand out booklets during church and Bible study,” he explains. “Clean up after services, fix the chairs, take out garbage. Stuff like that. Keeping God’s house presentable.”
“So… basically a janitor? Also does it have benefits?” I ask.
“Well, it's partly custodial work, like a janitor’s duties, but it’s also ministry support.
Making sure people feel welcomed in the space honors God.
As for your other question, yes, we offer benefits: partial health coverage if you’re over twenty hours, a few paid days off, and you’ll get meals during events.
It isn’t just a job, Sister Erica. It’s a way to serve and grow here. ”
There’s quiet between us for a while. Pastor Darrian just smiles at me, his strawberry hair a little damp from sweat from preaching earlier.
This does not sound very appealing at all. I appreciate what King and the pastor are trying to do, but over my dead body.
“I’ll think about it,” I say, because I don’t like the idea of being strong-armed into it.
After I leave the church and go back out to the truck, King opens the passenger side door for me. When he gets in and starts the truck, I laugh a little bit.
“You should do it,” he says.
“Yeah, well… forgive me for not jumping for joy at the offer.”
Everything gets quiet for a while. Then I say, “Honestly, I want to move back to Scranton.”
King quickly cuts in. “No, don’t do that. Why would you want to move back to Scranton?”
“I mean, can you blame me after everything that happened?”
He shakes his head as he takes a turn. “You moved away from Scranton for a reason. You shouldn’t go back.”
He seems so emphatic about it. Looking over at him, I smile, resting my temple against my finger to brace my head. “Why don’t you want me to move?” I ask curiously.
“You have a chance to foster your spirit here,” he replies. “Just try it and see how it goes.”
After King drops me off, he opens the door for me. I look at him. “Thank you.”
He smiles. “You’re welcome. See you Tuesday.”
?
Tuesday night bible study…
I could kick King right now because he’s smirking at me while I hand out the bulletins at Bible study.
Moving down the rows, I pass one big stack to the first person and tell them to pass it along before heading to the next section. I’m doing the same thing in my area. The look on his face, absolute playful, big-headed smugness, makes me feel like I lost a bet I never agreed to.
As he drives us home after the Tuesday night Bible study, he’s over there grinning in the driver’s seat.
Looking over at him, I narrow my eyes into thin slits. He glances back at me, still wearing that smile. That confident, sexy smile. If I’m not careful, I might melt right into his seat.
“Don’t you dare,” I warn him.
“I’m so proud of my little usher,” King states playfully.
It’s so weird seeing this side of him, like he accomplished something huge. I scoff and try to fight off my laughter. “Stop.”
“I don’t know if I can work there,” I tell him.
Chuckling as well, King replies, “You’ll do fine.”
“I hate it there,” I say. “It pays well, but it feels annoying. I could have done this anywhere.”
King smiles. “Yeah, but it wouldn’t be as fun watching you.”
Rolling my eyes, I hear King give a quiet rumble of a chuckle. It’s sexy in a way that catches me off guard.