Page 61 of Don Caselli

“Where did this Pooh come from, Landon?” I stood with my hand on my hip and then looked at the bed.

“Saw some nigga making a video on how he think you dope and wanting to shoot his shot… called you Bleu.”

“A lot of people call me Bleu on the internet.”

“Exactly. I’m not fucking everybody, and when it comes to me… you not everybody. Not everybody calls me Landon.”

“Kennedy did.”

“And I corrected her ass.”

I looked at the bed. “Who bed is this?”

“Menace let the house sit for a while before he had Jeffie put it up for sale. When it went up for sale, I bought the house.”

“Why?”

“Only place that feels like home to me. This was my room because it was the smallest and I was the youngest. Menace had the basement while we all had rooms up here. Basement wasn’t even done, and he slept down there.”

My heart ached hearing him explain that this was what felt like home to him. He had a full-on penthouse with the most lavish of furnishing, and this small single-family home in a decent neighborhood was what felt like home for him.

His safe space.

“I can get it. Whenever everything is overwhelming for me, I always end up in my mom’s bed. That’s my safe space, and she makes everything feel like it’s gonna be alright.”

“Laying in this bed does that for me. I got a new bed and other shit, but I haven’t upgraded nothing. House doesn’t have central air or nothing like that.”

I sat on the edge of the bed. “Are we gonna stay here tonight?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind.”

I smiled. “I don’t mind, Landon.”

He smirked and went into the closet and came out with two bath towels. “Shower and then I’ll order food.”

“K.”

“Then you can tell me how you feeling about homie.”

I stood on my toes and pushed my lips to his cheek. “Can we just enjoy our time? Spent enough time on him.”

“I hear you.”

After our showers and trying to find something we both agreed on, we ate downstairs while watching a movie. When my eyes became too heavy and Don noticed, he carried me upstairs to the room.

He let me sleep near the window, and the feeling of the air conditioner in this small room, especially after a shower, felt like heaven.

I watched as he secured the house, turned the lights off and then the TV, and climbed into bed. There was space between us both, and he looked over at me. “Why you way over there?”

I smiled. “Creating some space. Not even supposed to be in bed with you, anyway.”

He lifted his arm. “I know you cold over there.”

“You love to sleep in the cold… why?”

I watched as he continued to look at me until I scooted over into his arms, and his arm came around me, pulling me even closer into him. “I have to go out the country soon… some big event my brother has. I want you to come with me.”

“An important event? I’m not the black tie and cocktail dress girl, Landon.”

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