Page 62 of Juke
Heading out for lunch with my cousins. Be ready shortly—I’ll let you know when I’m coming down.
I sent another quick message off to Rashad before setting the phone down. He was probably still in the middle of training, but it felt right to keep him in the loop, anyway.
After a quick shower, I stood in front of the closet, settling on a simple two-piece set I got from SHEIN and paired it with my Nike 270s. A touch of gloss and a spritz of perfume later, I grabbed my bag and phone before heading downstairs.
The moment I stepped out of the condo lobby, my car was already pulled up front, one of the guys leaning against it while another sat in the trailing SUV. They straightened when they saw me, opening the door with a respectful nod.
“Afternoon, Ms. Sophi.”
I returned the nod as I slid inside. The door shut behind me with a quiet thud, and as we pulled off, I caught sight of the SUV easing in behind us. A small measure of calm settled over me as we pulled into traffic. It felt good to have someone genuinely care about you and their actions match.
On the way to the restaurant, my phone lit up again. This time it was my mama’s name flashing across the screen. I answered quick, smiling at the sound of her voice.
“Hey, baby girl. I just wanted to check in. How you feeling today?”
“I’m good, Mama. I’m headed to lunch with the girls,” I responded as I leaned back in the seat as the car cruised through traffic.
“That’s good. You need that time with them.” Her voice softened. “And how’s Rashad? Is he treating you right?”
“He’s good, and yes, Mama, he’s treating me better than I could’ve asked for.” I simpered.
“Mhm, I can hear it in your voice,” she teased. “Your daddy asked about you too. He said make sure you’re eating and not stressing yourself.”
“I’m eating, I promise. Tell him I said I love him.”
“I will. And Soph…” she paused. “I know things ain’t easy right now, but you call us if you need anything. Don’t ever feel like you can’t come to us.”
“I know, Mama. I’ll be okay.”
We talked a little longer; her filling me in on things back home. By the time the car pulled up to the restaurant, I had to cut it short. “Mama, I just got here. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“You better,” she threatened. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I slipped the phone inside my bag and climbed out of the car. My security followed, staying a few paces back to give me space, but I still felt the comfort of their presence as I headed inside. The girls were already at a table near the window, waving me over the second I walked in. I hugged each of them before sliding into the empty seat. Conversation flowed easy, like it always did when we were together. Somewhere mid-conversation, the thought just tumbled out of me.
“I want to do something for Rashad for his birthday,” I blurted, fiddling with the straw in my glass. “But I don’t even know where to start.”
“When is it?” Nic asked, leaning in with curiosity.
“September twelfth,” I answered.
Kasha’s face lit up. “Why don’t we have it at Jackson’s club? It has plenty of space, and we can actually make it nice.”
“Oooh, I like that,” Mel chimed in. “We can get it decorated, invite the right people. Make it something he won’t forget.”
“Exactly,” Nic agreed. “A big thirty deserves something big.”
I felt the warmth of their excitement as they tossed around ideas. I laughed with them, but mid-laugh, that chill slid down my spine. My eyes drifted across the restaurant, and that’s when I saw him tucked away in a corner booth, hidden in the shadows. To anyone else, he would’ve been another face, but I knew better… my body knew better. For a second, my chest locked up, and my breath caught between my ribs. He wasn’t looking away either. He just stared, like he was intentionally taunting me. I blinked as I forced myself to look back at the girls before they noticed the shift in me. My security was close, so I knew I had nothing to worry about. Rio might’ve been dangerous, but he wasn’t stupid enough to risk making a move here in broad daylight with witnesses everywhere.
Shaking off the feeling, I forced the knot in my stomach to loosen before putting my focus back on my cousins as they planned and joked, adding my own ideas in when I could. I smiled and laughed, pretending that everything was fine, but deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling of Rio being this close to me, and even if I had Rashad and all this protection… the truth was, his shadow still found a way to taunt me.
17
Rio
I’d been lying low in an Air BnB with Nessa while Boom bounced between the streets and his girl’s spot. I didn’t mind the distance. It gave me time to think… to plan, but every time I thought about Sophi sitting next to that boxer nigga like he owned her, my blood ran hotter that a hoe at a confessional. Nessa was on the other end of the couch with her legs crossed, scrolling her phone like she didn’t have any care in the world.
