4. Kalm Alexander Savage #2
I turned slightly in my seat to look at her, forgetting all about my food.
My eyes roamed over her soft features, wishing I could get rid of that darkness in her eyes, even though I shouldn’t have had a desire to get involved in her affairs.
“Why were you sleeping in your car?” She stopped fumbling with the utensils after my question landed like an atomic bomb.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Pretty.
It’s no pressure for real, but I am curious. I ain’t gon’ lie.”
When she didn’t respond, I focused on my plate of food instead. After a quick and silent prayer, I began to dig into my scrambled eggs. I’d only just swallowed when she answered in a voice so small I could barely hear her. “I don’t feel safe at home right now.”
The protector in me rose up like a lion ready to go on a hunt. “Why not?”
She turned to me with teary eyes, and I instantly stopped eating when I saw pain etched all over her features. She nibbled on her bottom lip, likely debating on whether she should share anything with me. I held my breath, waiting to see if she would.
“Someone I love betrayed my trust,” she whispered.
She stopped trying to eat her food and sat back with a resounding thud.
When I saw the tears falling down her cheeks, it broke my heart a little bit.
“I don’t have anywhere else to go right now, and since he fucking robbed me dry, I don’t even have a dollar to my name.
” She shook her head, wiping away her tears, but more kept coming.
Her shoulders drooped forward in defeat when her face fell into her hands.
“I don’t know why I’m telling you this. You don’t have to feel sorry for me either. I’m used to people fucking me over.”
Hearing her say that chipped away at my sanity because no one deserved to walk around with that mindset.
Reaching for her chin, I turned her to face me.
She looked so innocent; I wanted to make all her worries disappear from existence—maybe because I knew that hopeless look in her eyes a little too well.
Seeing it made me want to go out of my way to do whatever I could to help her.
“But you shouldn’t be,” I told her. “I don’t feel sorry for you, but I do feel sorry for the nigga who did it. I’m going to cripple that muthafucka when I get my hands on him.” I got angry, just thinking about it, and a little excited about all the bones I was going to crush in his body.
Even though she laughed, she shook her head. “No, you can’t do that. I would never get you involved in my mess.”
“But what if I wanted to get involved in your mess?” She released a shaky breath then tucked her juicy lips.
I watched her chest heave up and down like she was running a marathon.
Pulling her closer to me by her chin, I said, “If you don’t have anyone to protect you, I got your back.
Protecting people is what I’m best at, and I’m a pretty good fighter. I honestly haven’t lost a fight yet.”
“But you can’t use your fists to solve every problem that springs up, Kalm Alexander Savage.” Her voice was light and playful, making me smirk.
“True, but it’s a good solution for most of them.”
Her smile was a gift from God. She shook her head gently. “Now, I think you’re right about what you said. You might just be a little crazy.” She pinched her fingers together to show how much craziness she felt I possessed.
I shrugged. “At least I own my shit. Tell me what you need, Pretty, and I got you, for real. No funny shit where I’m expecting anything in return either. I just want to help you.”
I saw her tears return, and this time, I was the one wiping them away. Even though her body stiffened, she allowed me to do it. “Why?” She sounded like a little girl, and I didn’t miss it. “You don’t know me.”
“But I want to. When I look at you, it makes my heart do some weird shit I ain’t never felt before, and I know what it feels like to be helpless, feeling like there’s nowhere to run or no one to turn to. I wouldn’t wish that feeling on a beautiful woman like you.”
She pulled herself from my grip, and I allowed it. Her eyes fell to the table, and I wished I could jump into her mind to see what was happening in there. After a while, she shook her head. “This meal is enough. Thank you.”
“What about having a place to sleep? Can I at least do that for you too, Pretty?” I never begged someone to let me help them before in my damn life, but I could already tell I would experience a lot of firsts with this girl.
“Just a room. Let me pay for a few days so you can get some good sleep. I know sleeping in that car can’t be comfortable at all. ”
I held my breath while waiting for her to reply. “Okay,” she finally whispered.
“Okay?”
She glanced at me and nodded. “Thank you. I’ll never forget your kindness, and when I start back working, I will—”
I waved her off. “Don’t say you’ll pay me back, ’cause I don’t want to hear it. I just want to make sure you’re good. If it were my little sister in the same situation, I would hope she comes across a genuine person willing to lend her a hand. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
She poked out her bottom lip, trying to keep from falling apart again. “Thank you, Kalm Alexander Savage. You’re a good person.”
“Sometimes.” I smirked and bumped shoulders with her. “That’s your second time calling me by my government name. I’ma need to know yours so things can be fair.”
She twisted her lips to the side, debating on whether she would give me that bit of information. “Charisma Rae Jones,” she replied, studying me. I was so in love with her voice already I was afraid of what this meant for me.
“Pretty, just like you.” After bopping her nose, I said, “Now eat your food before it gets cold.”
“I’m not eating because you told me to but because I’m hungry,” she argued back.
I sat back, folding my arms over my chest because there was this feeling in my gut I couldn’t shake.
It told me that meeting Charisma wasn’t a coincidence, and I would certainly be seeing her pretty face more in the future.