Chapter PAIGE
PAIGE
The sounds of The Temptations crooning their version of Silent Night lingered beneath my bedroom door.
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, as I thought about everything I had gone through over the past couple of weeks.
The girls had been calling to check on me, but everyone, including them, had gone on DND.
I was over it all. I faced reality, and even the game couldn’t put me back in La La Land.
I was all cried out over Braylen and just wanted to move on.
My heart yearned for him, but my mind was still mad.
After leaving his place that night, I finally checked Tyrek’s email, and he fucking knew Braylen was behind the game.
I hadn’t heard from Tyrek since then, and to think he was still alive was delusional.
That day, I saw it in Braylen’s eyes. He killed Tyrek.
Just as I, Morgan, Alyse, and Samara kept our secret about Keith, Braylen and his friends kept theirs.
Even then, I still chose Braylen with all my heart.
My door slowly opened, and I knew it was my mom on her Mama Claus shit that she did every year. When the tall stature entered my room, you would have thought I saw a ghost. I leaped from the bed and ran into his arms. “Leek!” I screamed as I hugged him tightly. “I missed you so much,” I whispered.
“Don’t start that crying shit. I missed you, too, sis. Big Bro home now!”
I moved back to take my brother in, and although I missed Braylen, having my brother here filled that emptiness.
My brothers were my protectors, and having him home for Christmas was one of the best gifts.
I left the room with him and went into the living room, where Tuesday, Pierre, my mom, and Tuesday’s mother were watching us.
The room was full of love, and everything I once took for granted was present with me. “How did you get out?” I asked.
“Shit, the homie looked out. He talked to his pops, and here I am. A free man with a clean record, well, somewhat,” he shrugged as he pulled out a chair for me to sit at the table.
Pierre pulled out Tuesday’s chair, and we all sat. “Tell him, little ugly. Tell Leek how you fucking with Beans.”
“Pierre!” My mother shouted.
Leek turned to me. “Oh yeah? Now shit makes sense. I was wondering why the nigga always asked about you when he would pick me up. He’s a cool dude.”
I picked over my food. “Can we talk about something else. He and I are not talking,” I paused. “Anymore,” I mumbled.
My mother rubbed my hand, “It’s ok, sweetie. If it’s meant to be, it will work out.”
Pierre chomped on the bacon as he turned to my mother. “Well, Naheem ass is dead. Guess it wasn’t meant to be,” he said to my mother.
Her head snapped his way as she cleared her throat. “Who said?” she asked.
“I said. No more buns on the platter. His ass is burnt and sent to the devil’s den.” He smiled.
Tuesday cleared her throat. “Well, I have a gift I want to give to you, Pierre,” she smiled.
Leek rubbed his hands together. “Am I about to be an uncle?”
Pierre looked sick. We all knew how he felt about losing his child, so things like this were sensitive to him.
Tuesday came to the table and handed him a box.
She was pregnant. Pierre slowly opened the box, and when that tear fell from his eyes, we all knew Tuesday was having a baby.
“A nigga about be a daddy, again,” he choked up.
Tuesday smiled as she leaned over and kissed him. “Congratulations, pappy!” I snickered.
Everyone at the table laughed. It had been a while since we’d had a moment like this, and what better way to spend Christmas than with my family?
The only piece missing was my dad. No matter how much we begged him to come, he let his broken heart lead.
I started to wonder if I, too, would be like that after what Braylen and I experienced.
I didn’t know if I could pick up the pieces and continue the game because, that cave, which I was so desperately eager to enter, seemed forbidden.