Chapter Twelve #3
“Hey,” Solomon greeted. “Come outside. Namir and Bellamy finally have a plan. I was waiting on them to confirm some things before we included you so you can focus on school shit.”
“Do I need to get dressed?” I asked as I walked over to the dresser to dig for my night clothes.
“Naah. Just throw some shit on.”
“Do I need to call the girls?”
“Just you. We’re about to let you in on everything then you can relay it to them.”
The renewed sense of self was beginning to turn as I tried to brush off how stupid I felt just moments before. Harvey crossed his arms over his chest as he watched me get dressed.
“I don’t want you thinking I’m preying on your weakness or insecurities–––”
“You are.” I wiggled into my leggings with a jump of my hips. “If you had the opportunity to make me feel better when I’m feeling low, why would you try and bring out the worst in me just so you could get your dick hard.”
“That’s not what I was doing,” he said through gritted teeth. “I just…I just thought if you stop suppressing what you are–––”
“Have my shit packed. I’m moving back to my dorm,” I said.
With a flip of my hair back from my face, I managed a cute smile.
I’d never tell him he was too close for comfort in reading me.
From the beginning, I knew he was the last type of man I needed to mess with because we’re too much alike and that’s too dangerous for my comfort.
I never feel like I’m in control when it comes to him.
“Solomon is outside,” I said as I pulled my hair back in a ponytail.
“Souxie?”
I grabbed my bag just in case Quan was back in his cat form and wanted to stay off his feet. Harvey sat on the edge of the bed watching me when I leaned in and kissed him one last time on the lips. I could feel the small chills down my spine as I gripped his chin before pulling back.
“Thank you for the incredible sex,” I whispered with a smile.
The moment I saw Solomon turn around with his warm smile, I felt my body just sigh in relief. He was casual in his khakis and white polo shirt with the Drew Collins logo in the corner. His locs were freshly twisted with gel glistening between each part when he held his arm out for me to take.
“I know you’ve been going crazy not knowing what the hell is going on,” he said with a smirk.
“Hardly…I’ve been occupied,” I said softly. I glanced back to see Harvey standing in the balcony window of his room.
“You know he came up to me asking what the nature of you and Namir’s relationship was?”
I laughed as I tightened my grip on Solomon’s arm.
“He’s the jealous type,” I admitted.
“He likes you baaaad, mama. Then again, they always do.”
I rolled my eyes at Solomon’s mocking tone as we continued to drift further into Legacy Park.
“So what do you need to fill me in on?”
Solomon looked around as a few students walked around, lingering on the Grounds but for the most part, it was late. Most were probably already in bed.
“First let me say,” Solomon said as he draped his arm around my shoulder to keep me close.
When he held his other hand out for me to hold, I smiled, grabbing it before realizing he managed to slip a note from between his fingers into my hand.
He was being careful just to show how serious this situation has become.
“I had to talk him down to keep him from killing Asha,” he chuckled.
“All is good now. He’s in a better mood now that he has the games to focus on. ”
“Mmmm,” I hummed as we continued to walk together. “How have your classes been treating you?”
“I’m only taking a few classes, nothing serious,” he said easily.
“I barely stay on the Grounds. I’m usually at home or dealing with business above ground.
That’s where I saw your boy Harvey up there.
I joked that for a second, I could have sworn he was following me,” he chuckled, but there was a distinct hint of seriousness in his tone.
“He’s not my boy,” I told him before asking, “why would he be following you?”
“I’m used to attracting men just as much as I attract women.
Doesn’t bother me in the least and I know he goes where the wind blows as they say.
You just…never know what everyone’s intentions are…
He’s cool though, really interesting…and he’s into you bad.
” Solomon slowly nodded as the rest of his thoughts were kept to himself.
“Harvey is resourceful and useful at the best of times,” I admitted. “The rest is purely sexual and nothing more.”
We came to a stop after looping around Legacy Park, took a seat at one of the benches, and stared at Drew Collins in its night time form.
The decorations for the games were underway as the school prepared for the big event coming up.
I was about to say something when I saw his phone light up.
Smiling, I leaned in, feeling the utmost comfortable with him as I watched him swipe through the screen.
A contact under the name Spice popped up asking if he was coming over tonight.
Just from their messages, I could see they’d been talking, mostly arguing and going back and forth but other times, he was asking to see this Spice.
I was about to tease him about his many women until I saw a familiar emoji and punctuation that I’ve only ever seen used in the same text from Isis.
Suddenly, the rush of messages I was able to read made sense.
The awkwardness of the two when we’re all together and avoidant eye contact from her.
Either they slept with one another over the winter break, or they planned on doing it now, if not already.
Their texts read like they’ve known each other for a while, and that they were familiar and comfortable with one another.
“You see those two students right there?” He asked in a low voice. Solomon nodded his head towards the two walking down the pathway as they buried their faces into the phone. “They are watching other students.”
“What do you mean?”
“Xavier has people watching and listening in on conversations,” he whispered as the two drew closer.
“He calls them the Night Watch. Anybody can sign up after a basic screen test.” When they gave us a single nod, I smiled as they kept walking, feeling dragging against the concrete until they disappeared into Legacy Park.
“I have my people follow and track every single one of them, so I know what’s being said, and what’s being heard.
They report everything back to him and he in return, reports it back to the Dean who he’s sleeping with. ”
I stared at him in awe before remembering exactly who he is. Solomon is what most men think they are when they scream alpha male, but he embodied it and in the most subtle of ways.
“Why are you at Drew Collins?” I asked. He pulled his eyes away from the two for a moment to stare at me.
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you at this school? What are you trying to gain? Most come here so they can earn a residence here or a job…What is your reason for starting Drew Collins last year?”
“I’m just here to see how things operate from day to day…
taking notes here and there. Making sure my people are getting a good education,” he simply said with a growing grin before leaning in.
“Be careful and move smart from now on. Tell Asha to calm the fuck down and wait to turn up until the very end. Alright? Tell her to save it…We’re going to need it...
just as the games begin…it will be the beginning of the end. ”
“What do you think is going to happen?”
Solomon kept his eyes on the two that disappeared into the wooded area of the Grounds. Just from his energy, he radiated a sense of caution but calm waters.
“We just need to be ready for anything.”
…
So Harvey was essentially right. I quietly let myself back into the dark home and heard his brother Cedric’s TV going off behind his bedroom door.
I saw my things gathered downstairs but decided to walk back up the creaky steps and head towards his room.
Did I plan on apologizing? No. Smiling, I quietly opened the door and saw Harvey was sitting up with a small headlamp and a book in his hand.
He only looked up for a moment before reaching to cut the light and the official lamp on his night stand off.
“You waited up for me,” I said, amused.
“You can’t carry the things back to your dorm by yourself.”
He got up completely naked in his muscular and glorious specimen frame while I walked towards the bed and began to undress. When he saw what I was doing he shook his head.
“No, go home. Since you think I’m this fucking monster preying on your little precious feelings. Go back to your cheap ass dorm–––”
“I don’t want to,” I pouted softly. “A part of you was right about me.”
“I know it.” He stood with his hands on his hips and everything else just swinging and hanging in between.
“But you were wrong about me. I’m honest and call it how I see it.
You suppress a lot of shit babe. You even suppress your voice.
That little oh…woe is me, I’m little miss Pretty Country Bumpkin,” he mimicked with a high-pitched tone.
My face broke into an infectious grin before covering my mouth to keep from snorting in laughter.
“It’s all fake. You’re fake as shit. You sit on this high horse that’s really just those cheap mechanical toy ponies you pop a quarter in to ride outside of the store.
As long as others see this majestic looking horse, it doesn’t matter.
No baby, I see through that. I saw it from the first time we met.
You’re broken beyond repair. That’s why none of these relationships are authentic. ”
“Including ours?”