Page 23 of Intercept My Heart

“I got you. Good night, Sunny.”

“Why do you call me Sunny? You still haven’t told me.” I halted my steps and then glanced back at her.

“Because Rae reminds me of a ray of sun. The sun is the Earth’s source of energy, light, and heat. Without the sun, flowers can’t grow, and the world can no longer function at its full capacity. The sun brings hope for a new day and light to all of the darkness. It has the power to brighten the dreariest of days. That’s what you are to me. You’re my sun. Your smile turns a nigga’s whole day around, so that’s why I call you Sunny.”

She tucked her hair behind her ears as she tried to hide her smile.

“Get some rest.” I chuckled in response to her nervousness. There was no reason for her to be afraid when it came to me, because I would never do anything to hurt her. Stepping out of the room, I prepared my mind for what I was about to do.

A coupleof weeks later

Charae had been staying with me for a little while, and things had been going pretty well, considering we were two teens coexisting in the same space. I rolled over and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. I scoffed when I noticed how many missed calls I had from Brielle and Navy. I cut both of them off completely before Sunny moved in, but neither of them seemed to be getting the hint.

Brielle kept trying to apologize, but she had no idea what she was even apologizing for. I hated mean girls, and she was exactly that. I might have understood if it was because she thought I was interested in her, but that wasn’t why she was upset. She picked on Sunny for things that were beyond her control, and I couldn’trespect that. You never know what another person had to deal with on the home front, yet she thought it was okay to pick on her.

I decided to put the bullshit behind me and get ready for the day. Charae needed new clothes, and I finally had some free time to take her to the mall for a new wardrobe. Unc kept my accounts full so I could take care of business, but there was also another account for me to play with. I figured we could tear the mall up and get her everything she needed.

After hopping in the shower, I threw on some shorts to head downstairs. I would get dressed after I had something to eat. I wasn’t a cook by any means, so I mainly ordered out, which was exactly what I planned to do this morning. As I jogged down the stairs, delicious smells invaded my nostrils. Tootie was the only person who cooked in our kitchen, but she worked in the mornings. It caught me off guard, so I headed right to the kitchen to see what was going on.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Sunny greeted me the moment I walked into the room. When she turned to face me, I stood there stuck. In her natural state, Charae was hands down the most beautiful girl I’d ever encountered. Her plump, pouty lips were the first thing that caught my attention. Followed by her radiant brown skin.

“I see you have gotten more comfortable in this kitchen.” I smirked as I watched her brush her hair behind her ears. Her innocence attracted me to her more than anything. Most girls her age were conceited and full of themselves, but she was so different. Everything about her was different and unique.

“I was hungry and didn’t feel like ordering out, so I figured I could whip up breakfast with the groceries you already have in the house—which, by the way, aren’t many. I don’t understand how you live in this big house with no food in it. You’ve got to do better.”

“Are you judging me?” I stepped closer to her, invading her space.

“N-no. I was only telling you because I think you might want to go to the grocery store. It would be a cheaper option than always ordering out all of the time. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy all of the food you’ve brought home, but I think I’m starting to gain weight from eating out so much.” She pinched her invisible belly.

“Get out of here. You look perfect.”

“Yeah, well. If I keep it up, I won’t be able to fit into any of my clothes. I barely have any as it is.”

“If I buy the groceries, are you going to cook them?” I made her nervous, but I wasn’t sure why. However, I thought it was cute.

“I-I can do a little something in the kitchen.”

“Alright, bet. Let’s hit up the store while we’re out.”

“Where are we going?”

“I figured we could do a little shopping today.”

“Oh, okay, sure.”

“You never told me what you were making.” I peeked over her shoulders to see the spread she had created.

“I made some eggs, bacon, toast, and some home fries. There wasn’t a whole lot to work with, but I think I did okay.”

“It smells good as hell. Come on, let’s eat. I want to get to the stores before everyone starts rushing in there.”

“Okay.” We sat down together, although I wasn’t expecting much conversation from her. Charae was naturally quiet, and she came off as shy most times. We ate our food in silence for a moment. Even though I had gotten her a phone, she hardly ever used it. I found it odd, being that most teenage girls were obsessed with being on social media. She never even took pictures of herself, and to me, that was a disservice. Her beauty needed to be captured and shown off.

We finished our food and then headed to our respective rooms. It only took about twenty minutes for the two of us to get dressed and ready to go. We looked like twins as she stood in front of me in a pair of sweats and a graphic tee.

“I see you wanted to copy off my style today,” I teased.

“Well, it’s not like I had much of a choice since I’m wearing your clothes.”

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