Page 18 of Another Constant

Something compelled me to kiss her again and I did just that before watching her get in her car. I watched her until she pulled out of the lot. Then I closed the garage and hopped into my own shit. I was ready to be home, but I had already told Aja I was coming to get her. Had I not, I promise I would’ve been sped home.

By the time I reached the house I was exhausted and seconds from staying over at Sora’s crib, but instead I called him and told him that I was out front. I wanted to lay in my own shit.

About fifteen minutes later I was pulling off and she was in the back seat going on and on about some shit I was paying no mind to. One thing about kids, no matter how old they were, they babbled their asses off about the most unimportant shit.

“Uncle, do you hear me?” Aja asked from the back seat.

“Naw, what did you say?”

“I said I don’t have anything to wear tomorrow or to sleep tonight. We have to stop at a store.”

I sucked my teeth because I damn sure didn’t think about none of that. Then I looked at the time console in the middle of my truck. “It’s late as fuck so yeen going to school tomorrow. I’m sure you got a shirt and some shorts or something from the last time you spent the night at my house. If need be, I'll take you to a store tomorrow before we go to the shop.”

“To the shop? I’m going to the shop with you?”

“Yeah, for a little bit,” I said, hoping that was the case.

“Uncle King, where is my mommy and daddy?”

I was quiet for a minute, not too keen on lying to her. “They had to go take care of something. You ’ont wanna kick it with me for a while?”

“I do bu?—”

“Ain’t no but, shrimp. What did you eat at your aunt and uncle’s house?”

“Vegetables. And nasty pizza.”

I laughed. “What is nasty pizza, Aja?”

“Vegetables on the pizza. That’s nasty.”

I laughed. I ended up taking her by a McDonalds before we took it in for the night. Aja was eight, so I didn’t have to do much for her as she knew her way around my house and didn’t need me for much.

My phone vibrated with a message from Harlem.

Harlem:Made it in.

Me:Good. Hit me in the morning.

She didn’t respond and I wasn’t bothered about it. Well I was but I wasn’t. I had too much going on to be thinking about a woman I didn’t know. The thing was, I was attracted to her, not just physically that much I could tell from the fact that I actually listened to her talk rather than trying to fuck. Maybe not trying to fuck because what I set out to fuck always got fucked regardless of the motion. Harlem was different though. She gave less than a fuck about all that extra and she didn’t try too hard. My lips on hers at the shop was all me, shorty was fully prepared to pull back from my embrace and not try anything, but not me. I craved just a taste of her, even if it was only her lips I had been watching the whole fucking night.

I didn’t know when I finally fell asleep because I spent a good amount of time thinking too damn much last night. I only realized I had been asleep when my phone vibrated on the end table to the side of me. Another early ass call bound to have me cursing somebody the fuck out.

When I saw it was my brother, my irritation eased. I had more worry in me than anything right now.

“Yo,” I answered, rolling onto my back with my phone against my ear.

“Are you at home?” Oden’s voice filled my eardrum.

“Yeah. With ya daughter sleeping in the other room. What’s up?”

“Come outside.” Oden sounded suspicious, making my eyes pop open.

“The hell wrong with you? I know you have your key. What’s the prob?—”

“I can’t come in there, Kinga. You know I can’t. Not right now.”

I got what he was saying, even though I was mad and confused. I was on my feet in seconds, grabbing a pair of shorts from the dresser and moving toward the bathroom. When I had myself together and my slides on, I turned the lights out and moved toward the front of the house. I stopped and looked in on Aja. When I saw she was still asleep, I closed the door and went toward the front door. When I made it outside, Oden was standing in the driveway leaning against his truck.

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