Cario “Crow” Domingo
Loyalty meant everything to me, so when Rebel called saying she needed some fresh air, I didn’t hesitate to take her to the mall.
The second she got in the truck, I could tell something was bothering her, but she didn’t want to tell me what it was.
I knew Rebel, though. When she was ready, she’d tell me.
Until then, all I could do was be there for her.
I quickly parked my truck, and together we headed inside the mall.
The second, we walked inside, I noticed people staring.
Truth be told, it wasn’t anything new. Rebel dressed like a tomboy most days, baggy jeans, oversized hoodies, Timbs, and fitted caps, but that didn’t stop heads from turning.
If anything, it made people look twice. She had one of those faces people noticed immediately.
I couldn’t even front, Rebel was beautiful.
I’ve known that for years. The difference was, lately I wasn’t looking at her like my best friend anymore.
My eyes lingered a little longer than they used to, and I was starting to catch myself wondering what the hell had changed.
And when she showed up to the wedding in that dress, I was blown away.
I’d seen her a hundred times before, but never like that.
“This is exactly why I order everything online,” she grumbled, taking another bite of her pretzel. “Too many damn people.”
“You say that every time you come here.”
“Because every time I come here, there be too many damn people.”
I shook my head and watched her ramble with a half-eaten pretzel in one hand while her free hand moved a mile a minute as she talked. I found myself smiling.
Being around Rebel had become dangerous.
Somewhere along the way she’d become the only person who could shut my mind off, and I was starting to realize that might be a problem.
Watching her laugh, hearing her talk shit, seeing that smile...
it all hit different lately, and I was running out of excuses for why.
We’d just stepped out of one of the stores when a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Crow?”
I turned around and immediately spotted Jade making her way toward us. Out of all the people in Magnolia, this was the last person I wanted to see.
“There you are.” She smiled. “I’ve been calling you.”
“Yeah,” I said carefully.
Her smile faded. “You been ignoring me?”
Before I could answer, Rebel glanced between us. The smirk creeping across her face told me she was about to say something that’d probably make this situation ten times worse.
“Oh, this one of your little friends?” Rebel asked.
I shot her a look. “Don’t start.”
That only made Rebel grin.
Jade finally acknowledged her. “And who is she?”
The question should’ve had an easy answer. Instead, the first thing that came out of my mouth was something crazy as hell.
“My girlfriend.”
The words surprised all three of us. Especially me.
The lie rolled off my tongue so naturally it scared the hell out of me.
“My what?” Rebel blurted.
Before she could expose me, I slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against my side.
She fit there so naturally it almost didn’t feel like we were pretending.
Her perfume mixed with the sweetness of her pretzel drifted into my nose, and for a second, I forgot this whole thing had started as a lie.
“My girlfriend,” I repeated.
At first, Rebel looked like she wanted to punch me square in the chest. Then that mischievous grin spread across her face.
She was about to enjoy this entirely too much.
She slipped an arm around my waist. “Damn, baby,” she said sweetly. “You could’ve warned me.”
She looked up at me with that innocent smile, and I’d be lying if I said hearing her call me that didn’t do something to me.
The crazy part? I wanted to hear her say it again when we weren’t putting on a show.
Jade’s expression tightened immediately. Oh.”
‘Oh?” Rebel repeated. “Who are you?”
“I’m Jade.”
“The Jade?” Rebel asked, like I’d spent months talking shit about her.
I closed my eyes.
Here we go.
“What exactly is that supposed to mean?” Jade asked.
Rebel shrugged. “I don’t know. It just sounded like there was supposed to be a story attached.”
“There isn’t,” I answered.
Rebel smiled. There was entirely too much satisfaction in her voice.
“You never mentioned having a girlfriend,” Jade said.
“Probably because it ain’t your business,” Rebel answered before I could.
I damn near choked. Somehow, I’d ended up standing between the two most stubborn women in Magnolia.
“Come on, baby,” Rebel said, sliding her arm tighter around my waist. “We still gotta go get those matching boxers.”
“The hell we do.”
“Yes, we do.” She nodded seriously. “You said couples gotta coordinate.”
At that point, I wasn’t sure if Rebel was helping me or trying to get me killed.
She grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the next store, but I noticed that she didn’t let me go.
I decided to keep her close too. Pretending she was my girlfriend had felt a little too natural. And that scared the hell out of me.
Shopping with Rebel wasn’t anywhere near as painful as I thought it’d be.
Matter of fact, I was having a damn good time.
She’d dragged me through half the damn mall already, claiming she only needed “a few things.” A few things had somehow turned into me carrying six shopping bags while she continued stopping every five feet to look at something else.
“One more store,” she said, pointing ahead.
I laughed. “You said that three stores ago.”
“This time I mean it.”
“That’s what addicts say.”
She shoved my shoulder with a grin before walking into a streetwear store. The second she stepped inside, I noticed something change. She looked... comfortable. Like she’d finally walked into a place that actually matched who she was.
“There she go,” I muttered.
Without hesitation, she started flipping through racks of oversized hoodies, loose cargo pants, graphic tees, and fitted caps. She wasn’t overthinking anything anymore. She was just grabbing what caught her eye.
“This feels more like me,” she said, holding up a black hoodie.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“I was wondering when the real Rain was gonna show up.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You been looking at all them little dresses like somebody was forcing you.”
“I can wear dresses.”
“I ain’t say you couldn’t.”
She rolled her eyes before disappearing into the fitting room. A couple minutes later, the curtain slid open. She stepped out wearing a black dress. Her locs fell over her shoulders, framing her face. She was so damn beautiful.
“Damn.”
She immediately looked down at herself.
“What?”
“You trying to make my job hard?”
“Yeah.”
She laughed and shook her head before turning toward the mirror.
“Do it look too big?”
“Nah.”
I walked over until I was standing beside her.
“It fit you perfectly.”
She studied herself in the mirror, tugging at the dress.
“You really think so?”
“I know so. You look really good.”
She turned and looked at me like she didn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth.
“You just saying that.”
I chuckled. “Rain, if it looked ugly, I’d tell you.”
She laughed because she knew I wasn’t lying.
“Yeah... you definitely would.”
“Damn right.”
I folded my arms across my chest, letting my eyes drift over her one more time. She froze for the briefest second before pretending to look through another rack. Then she went back into the dressing room to change. After she was done, we paid for everything and left the mall.
While I was getting ready to pull off from the mall parking lot, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen sitting on my desk and frowned. Seeing my ghetto-ass baby mama’s name flash across it had me annoyed, and I hadn’t even answered yet.
“Yeah.”
“Damn, nigga. You don’t gotta answer the phone like somebody died.”
I rubbed a hand over my face. “What you want, Shameka?”
“See, that’s your problem right there. You always got an attitude.”
“And yet you keep calling.”
She sucked her teeth. “Anyway, I need the deposit for Sebastian’s birthday party.”
“Alright.”
“That’s it?”
“What else you want me to say?” I was annoyed
“I don’t know. Maybe act like you care.”
My jaw tightened. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Act like I don’t take care of my son.”
“Whatever.”
“Look, I’m busy. I don’t have time to go back and forth with you. Do you need anything else?”
“Your son wants to speak to you.”
Shameka put him on the phone.
“Daddy, can you pick me up? I know this isn’t your weekend, but I miss you.”
I bet Shameka put him up to asking me, but it didn’t matter. I’d do anything my son asked of me.
“Yeah, I can scoop you now, little man.”
“Really?” The excitement in his voice made me smile.
“Yeah. Get your stuff together. I’m on my way.”
Rebel rode with me to pick up Sebastian.
Within a few minutes, I was pulling up to their apartment and killing the engine.
Before I could even pull out my phone to call, Sebastian came rushing out of the building with his book bag bouncing against his back.
The moment I got a good look at him, rage hit me square in the chest. His face was dirty.
His clothes looked like they’d been pulled straight out of the hamper, wrinkled and stained.
Even his sneakers looked like they hadn’t seen a cleaning rag in weeks.
I spent way too much money every month for my son to be walking around looking like nobody gave a damn about him.
Shameka always made sure her hair, nails, and outfits were together, but somehow Sebastian was standing in front of me looking like he’d gotten himself dressed in the dark.
Sebastian slowed to a stop beside the truck and grinned.
“Hi, Dad. Hi, Raindrop.”
“Hey, man. What’s good?’ I said.
“Hey lil man,” Rain smiled.
Sebastian flashed a grin as he climbed into the back passenger seat.
“What’s all this on your face?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You eat lunch?”
Sebastian shook his head. “Nah.”
“You hungry?”