22. Mercy #2
“Yes,” Faylin answered as she stood. “I just need to grab some shoes.”
“Y'all don’t have to go,” I said, shaking my head. Faylin and Givens shared a look before she left the room. “I don’t know how long I will be, and it’s already getting late.”
“Faylin, grab some clothes; we’ll stay at Mercy’s tonight,” he said, ignoring me. Faylin nodded then took off up the steps.
“Givens, I’m serious,” I sighed.
He came to stand in front of me and pulled me to him. “You going to check on your people because you know something isn’t right. What the fuck do I look like letting you go out alone?”
I looked at him to see his seriousness and knew not to argue.
Truthfully, I loved that he was stopping everything he had planned to make sure I was okay.
Small gestures like that meant the world to me, and I didn’t realize how much until now.
Having people besides my family and friends who thought enough of me to have my back without asking questions was rare.
“Alright, I’m ready,” Faylin said, returning downstairs.
She had her bag on her back and had switched from her pajamas to a pair of black ball shorts, a blue wife beater, and a pair of slides.
Her hair was thrown into a sloppy bun on the top of her head, and her headphones rested around her neck. “Can I eat in the car?”
“We got time for me to take a quick shower?” Givens asked me. I nodded, and he turned back to Faylin. “Nah, go eat now while I shower.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, grabbing her food from the bag.
Givens quickly kissed me, then went upstairs to shower.
I paced the floor while Faylin ate, and we waited for Givens.
He returned thirty minutes later with his bag, dressed in black ball shorts, a green shirt, tall black socks, and slides.
He’d covered his hair with his durag and smelled good as hell.
“Let’s go,” he said, grabbing Faylin’s bag, the rest of the food, and his keys from the counter.
We left his house and made the twenty-minute drive to mine so I could change and they could drop their bags off. I grabbed a pair of black ball shorts, a white tank top, tall white socks, and slides, threw them on, and we were back out the door in less than ten minutes.
“It looks like everybody is here,” I said when we pulled up to Corinthians’ house.
Givens parked at the end of her circle driveway; we exited the car and walked to the front door.
I entered the code to the door and waited for the locks to disengage before turning the handle and walking in.
“Kick off your shoes over there; Corinthians doesn’t allow shoes in her house. ”
“Okay,” they said in unison and did what I asked.
Givens closed the door behind us and looked around.
Corinthians’ house was clean and inviting.
Out of all of us, she was the only one with pictures on the walls from our childhood.
She had an open floor plan that allowed you to see from the front door to the back, with large bay windows on almost every wall.
“These fools dressed alike,” Krude said from the couch. “Shit is sickening.”
“Shut up, Krude,” Judge said, then looked at us and twisted his face. “Damn, I hate to admit that nigga right, but he is.”
“It’s cute,” Sasha said, walking into the living room. She was about seven months pregnant and radiant. Her stomach looked to have gotten bigger since I last saw her, but she carried it well.
“Nah, the shit corny,” Krude said, shaking his head. “I taught you better than that.”
“You literally have on a pair of pajama pants with your wife’s picture on them,” Faylin pointed out, and I giggled. “We are dressed comfortably.”
“Hell Raiser Jr, I didn’t ask you,” he said, shaking his head. “And you keep talking shit, I’ll get Judah a pair with your face on them.”
“You wouldn’t,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. Faylin was a good sport about Judah having a crush on her, and she was never mean to him, even though she had her limits.
“My name is Genesis DeCorte; there is never a time when I’ll be the bigger person,” he said with a smirk. “This time last year, I was talking to the police because I’d gotten into a dildo fight with a stud in my wife’s front yard.”
Faylin stared at Krude before turning to her father.
“You fell in love with my favorite player and introduced me to the best family in the world.” She threw her arms around him, hugged him, let him go, and turned to Krude.
“Tell me more.” She ran over to Krude and stood at his side with a big smile.
“No!” I said, shaking my head. “Krude, don’t tell her shit else.”
“Look at you trying to be mama bear,” he laughed and shook his head. “The shit is cute, but it doesn’t have anything on cousin Krude.” He threw his arm around her shoulder and smiled. “We're about to go shoot around while the adults talk.”
“You are an adult, Krude!” I yelled at their retreating backs as they approached the back door.