Chapter 13 Mythic Grey
MYTHIC GREY
AFTER DROPPING TAYE off, I was cruising through the city on my way to Enchant as I checked on Lelani.
“Hey, Mythic.”
I cringed when I heard how weak she sounded. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
“My head is still killing me, and I’ve been nauseous all day.”
“Is the edible that I got you helping any?”
“A little. I actually got hungry and ate something.”
A smiled a bit. “Good. I know it’s tough, but I also know that I don’t completely understand since I’m not in your shoes.”
I wanted to say more. It pissed me off that I wasn’t there for her at that moment because her mother wanted to be. I had left my own house to ease the tension and make it easier on Lelani.
But, instead, I simply told her, “I hate that you have to go through this.”
She blew a heavy breath, saying, “The doctor said that my symptoms will get worse until I have surgery.”
“I just wish I could be there with you. It feels wrong to be away while you’re going through this.”
“It’s okay, Mythic,” she reassured me. “Trust me, you and my mother in the same room will only make matters worse.” Then she chuckled a bit.
Despite her laugh, it didn’t feel okay. I felt like less of a man for not being there to support her through the worst of it. No matter my lack of true unconditional love for her, I was obligated to be her rock, to hold her hand and take some of that burden off her shoulders.
“I know you’re strong, but I’m here for you. If you need anything—anything at all—just call me, and I’ll come home. Your mama don’t scare me.”
She giggled weakly. “I know. But I don’t need the stress of you and her bickering over my head. I’m sick enough.”
As I lightly chuckled, my other line rang. I glanced at the screen, and I felt so much relief when I saw Aviana’s name flashing on my dash. We hadn’t spoken since that night I finally felt her again, and the longing to hear her voice had been building inside me like a violent storm.
“I get it,” I told Lelani, trying not to sound like I was rushing her off the phone. “Let me answer this other call though. I’ll call you back in a minute.”
“You don’t have to. Hopefully, I’ll fall asleep soon. I’ll just see you when you get home.”
“Okay. I won’t stay at the club long. I’ll be there in a few hours, so tell your moms she got a time limit.”
She snickered and replied, “Okay. See you later.”
As I clicked over, my chest started to hammer with need and anticipation. Suddenly, I felt like a hypocrite. I was worried about Lelani and her health, yet Aviana and how much I craved her presence superseded both.
“Aviana.” I even grinned as I said her name. “What’s up?”
Instead of the familiar warmth of her voice, I was met with uncontrollable sobbing.
My heart dropped. “Avi? What’s wrong?”
“My–Mythic!” Her voice trembled and was filled with distress.
Hearing the pain and desperation, a knot formed in my stomach. “Avi, take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”
She cried to calm down, but she couldn’t control the tears. The sound of her anguish was gut-wrenching. I wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and pull her into my arms. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew I needed to be there for her.
“I’m here, Avi. Just tell me what’s going on.”
Aviana fought to regain her composure. Each breath came in ragged, shaky gasps. She inhaled deeply, as she desperately fought to steady herself. “Jeremy…” She finally forced out. “He’s–He’s dead. He was murdered.”
Shock flowed through me like ice water as I struggled to process her words.
Shaken, I pulled over to the side of the busy street. “What? No, Aviana…”
Her sobs resonated through the phone, and she could hardly speak. Her words tumbled out in fragments. “I’m outside…on the porch at Stephanie’s house. I just…I needed to tell you…”
“Where is Damar?” I asked as my protective instincts kicked in. “I need to come see you.”
“I’m with Damar,” she replied, “but I had to step outside to call you. I didn’t want you to find out on social media or something.”
As her voice broke again, my heart ached for her.
“Aviana, listen to me. You’re not alone. I’m here for you. I want to be there. Just tell me what you need.”
As she took a shaky breath, I could hear the turmoil in her silence. “I don’t know what to do, Mythic. I don’t know how to comfort Damar and Stephanie. This is crazy.”
“What happened to him?”
“No one knows yet, but we’re sure he was with those damn 111 Boyz.
Damar caught him outside with them earlier, but he made Jeremy get in the car.
Damar said that he dropped him off at home, but Jeremy must have just left again.
He was found in an alley around the corner.
He was shot in the head…twice…” Whimpers took over as she tried to continue.
“He was found in a fucking alley. They just left him in the alley like he was trash. That poor baby. This is unreal. This is un-fucking-real!”
As I sat there listening to her unravel, I felt like my hands were tied. Showing up at Damar’s baby’s mother’s house to comfort his wife would complicate things even more. All I could do was offer my support through the phone.
“Aviana, listen to me. You have to be there for Damar and Stephanie right now. They’re going to need your strength more than ever.
” Her sobs were gut-wrenching as I continued, “I’ve lost a lot of friends to the streets, and I know how devastating this can be.
You have to hold on to the good memories.
It’s okay to grieve, but don’t forget that you’re not alone in this.
” I recalled the pain of losing both my parents at an early age, a feeling that had shaped who I was.
“I’ve been through this too, Avi. It doesn’t get easier, but you can find a way to navigate through it. You have to stay strong for Damar.”
Slowly, I could hear her breathing begin to even out, and her sobs softened as I spoke. I was relieved to know that my words were reaching her. “I’m going to check on you later, okay? Just take a moment for yourself and breathe.”
“Okay.” Her voice was fragile but steadier than before.
I ended the call with Aviana and made a quick U-turn. I headed straight for the 111 Boyz’ hood. The streets were a blur as I sped through the city.
I arrived in minutes. As I pulled up to the corner where the familiar convenience store stood, I spotted a group of the 111 Boyz loitering outside. They looked up as I jumped out of my ride, and I was met with respectful nods.
“Yo, Mythic,” Murdock called out, stepping forward. “What’s good?”
We shook up as I greeted the rest of them with a nod. Then I got straight to the point. “What happened to Jeremy?”
The group exchanged glances, confusion etched on their faces. “We don’t know, man,” Trell told me. “He was a good dude. He never got involved in our shit. He just wanted to hang out.”
“He wasn’t part of our crew or any beefs,” Reggie added, crossing his arms. “We were shocked when we heard he was killed, especially for it to have happened in our hood and we not hear anything about it. Shit don’t add up.”
“There weren’t any drive-bys today?”
“No,” Reggie answered.
“Nobody was out here robbing people?” I pressed.
“Not that we know of,” Murdock replied.
I studied their expressions, noting the sincerity in their eyes. They seemed genuinely hurt and stunned by the news. “You’re sure he wasn’t caught up in any street shit?”
“We’re positive,” Murdock insisted. “On my mama, on gang ’nem, he was just trying to live his life. We wouldn’t have even let him get close to any real shit. None of us have heard anything about him being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
I groaned, frustrated. “This doesn’t make sense.”
“Facts,” Murdock replied as a grimace crossed his face. “It ain’t right that he went out like that. Jeremy didn’t do nothing to nobody.”
I took a deep breath, inhaling the confusion and grief. “If you hear anything, you let me know,” I told them all. “We need to find out what really happened.”
AVIANA SCOTT
The last few days had passed in a haze of grief and disbelief.
I felt like I was trapped in a hellish fog.
Each hour blended into the next, filled with sorrow.
Jeremy wasn’t my biological son, but the bond we had developed since Damar and I got together felt as strong as any blood connection.
He was a bright light in my life, full of potential and dreams, and now that light had been extinguished.
It hurt as if I had lost my own child. I could barely fathom the idea of bringing a child into this dangerous world, knowing that I could one day face the agony of burying that child.
The thought twisted my insides, leaving me feeling hollow and terrified.
My heart ached, and each breath felt like a struggle.
I had spent most of the past few days comforting and supporting Damar. He had been a mess, but each day he was becoming stronger and stronger. Today was the first I had been alone to drown in my thoughts and sorrow because Damar was busy with Stephanie making arrangements for Jeremy’s funeral.
I had tried to distract myself, but nothing seemed to alleviate the crushing sadness.
I spent most of my day in a daze, sitting on the couch with my phone in hand, staring at the screen without truly seeing anything.
It wasn’t until my parents called me on video call that I remembered what day it was.
“Hello?”
“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!” they sang. Their voices were filled with joy that felt so distant from my reality. The ritualistic tune echoed through the phone, but all I could feel was the burden of my sorrow.
“Thanks, guys,” I replied weakly. My words felt so empty, lacking the excitement and celebration I should have felt on my birthday.