Page 33 of Juke
The moment settled there for a beat. Her back against my chest. The scent of vanilla and butter drifted through the air. Ihadn’t planned on this… on her being here this long, but I didn’t want her to leave, either. Having her here was beginning to feel natural. She plated the food and handed me one like she’d done it a hundred times before… with no hesitation. We sat at the counter, eating in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. It was that kind of quiet that made you feel grounded. Like shit didn’t need words to be understood.
“I’m taking you to Buck and Nic’s before I head out. I got some shit to handle today.” My fingers drummed lightly against the side of my cup.
“That’s fine. I could use the female energy.” She nodded, chewing her food slowly.
I studied her for a second. She looked calm, maybe even peaceful, but I could still see the tension buried behind her eyes. She was holding it together, but I knew the weight she carried hadn’t disappeared just because she woke up in my bed.
“You aight?” I asked, as I studied her face.
“Yeah. I’m okay.” She confirmed.
I wasn’t convinced, but I didn’t press her. When breakfast was done, she started cleaning up. I leaned back against the wall, watching her rinse the plates and wipe down the counters like she did this every morning. Like she wasn’t just visiting… like this was her shit, too. That shit did something to me. I pushed off the wall and walked over. “You didn’t have to do all that,” I said, taking the towel from her hand.
“I know, but I wanted to,” she replied, looking up at me.
I held her gaze for a moment, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Let’s get ready so we can get outta here.” She nodded before following me into my bedroom to get dressed.
Once we were both dressed, she grabbed her bag, and we walked out together. As we headed down to my truck, I couldn’t shake the feeling that was settling in my chest. I wasn’t justlooking out for her anymore… I was keeping her. Whether she realized it or not…she was mine.
***
Leaving Sophi at Buck and Nic’s hit harder than it should’ve. It wasn’t her being gone—it was the way she stayed posted at the door, like she didn’t want to let go but didn’t know how to say it. I pulled her in before kissing her slow… dragging it out longer than I meant. Nic swung the door open mid-kiss, with a smirk stamped across her face.
“Mhm,” she said. “Y’all just gone give my neighbors a show this morning?”
Sophi laughed and tried to play it off, but I could tell she was feeling the same thing I was.
“I mean… if they wanna see some shit?”
“Rashad,” Sophi called my name, and I awarded her with another kiss.
“Aight, I’m gone. Call me if you need me.”
“Okay.”
I kissed her again, quicker this time. As bad as I wanted to stay in her presence, I had business to handle.
When I pulled up at DeLuca Enterprises, it was quiet when I walked in. Rachel waved me through like she was expecting me, with a small smile. “They’re in Lincoln’s office.” I nodded and headed in that direction.
Buck’s office door was open halfway, smoke floating through the air like a blanket. Stacks sat on the couch with his legs stretched out, while Buck was behind his desk scrolling on his phone.
“Speak of the devil,” Buck said, glancing up. “Where my cousin at, nigga?”
I stepped in and closed the door behind me. “I’m pretty sure you on the phone with yo’ wife, so why the fuck you asking questions that you already know the answer to?” I smirked.
Before he could say something ignorant, Stacks cut in. “So, what y’all doing?”
“We’re just chilling… that’s all. L’s been through a lot, and I’m just tryna get her to open up to me.” I revealed.
“Who the fuck is L and open up, how, muthafucka?” Buck glared at me.
“However the fuck you think,” I shot back before I ran a hand over my beard. “Her mama called the other day. Apparently, Rio showed up at her parents’ house and asked about her. Her mama ain’t know what he did to her, so she told him where she moved.”
Stacks shook his head. “Fuck.”
“Dude put his hands on her. Shit fucked her up mentally. She came here because she felt like this was the safest place for her to be.”
Buck’s face shifted. “So she was running from that nigga?”
