Page 49 of Only for the Week
“You don’t have to leave,” I say, panic seizing my bones.
“Yeah, I do. We’re back to being friends, right? I wouldn’t be in your room at three in the morning as just your friend so it’s best I go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gives me one final forehead kiss and stops in the doorway on his way out. “Thank you for the turtles.”
Chapter Eight
Rome
“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY RING?!”
My eyes creep open at the sound of thunderous yelling outside of my room.
Sleep was just starting to come to me after evading me the entire morning after I left Janelle’s room, and now this shit.
Pulling on some sweats I walk over to the door and peer out to see Amerie pacing back and forth, her hands waving animatedly.
“Babe, calm down. We’re gonna find it.”
“Calm down!? The fuck? My ring is missing and you telling me to calm down? You’re not upset it’s gone!?”
“It’s not gone. It’s around here somewhere.”
“It better be and everybody needs to help look for it.” She lifts her hand up to knock on my door, but I pull it open before she gets a chance.
“Morning.”
Arnold scratches the back of his neck and Amerie offers a tight smile. “Morning, Rome. My ring is missing so I’m asking for all hands on deck to find it.”
“What the hell is going on?” We turn toward Janelle who is rounding the corner with Dani beside her.
Janelle looks beautiful as always, but looking closely at her eyes, I see how tired they look. They’re red around the rim, slightly puffy underneath. Her shoulders seem heavy with weight and like the fool I am my first and only thought is how to take it from her.
“We heard you yelling from our rooms. What is happening?” Dani asks.
“My fucking ring is missing!” Amerie exclaims, her hands flying to her hips. I’m amazed at her sheer audacity to look like she’s tired of telling everyone about her ring, as if she’s not asking for our help to find it.
“How is that possible?”
“You think I know?!”
“Well, wasn’t it on your finger last?” Janelle asks.
Amerie sneers at Janelle. A deep crease forms in the middle of her forehead as her eyes sink to impossibly low slits. “I must have taken it off after y’all got me high as a kite and now it’s gone.”
“I think I remember Janelle telling you not to eat that second portion,” I chime in. Amerie grimaces at my words but doesn’t address me. Interesting.
A smirk graces Janelle’s face but it’s gone as soon as it appears.
She and Dani exchange a look and turn to Amerie like she’s a wounded animal they’re trying to coax into their arms.
“Okay, it’s fine. We’ll help you find it. You don’t have any memory of taking it off?”
Steam practically shoots through her nostrils before she exhales through her mouth and speaks. “I don’t. I just realized it wasn’t on my finger when I woke up this morning. I just need…” Her voice cracks as she pinches the bridge of her nose and heaves out a sob.
Arnold, Janelle, and Dani all freeze at the sight of Amerie’s tears but they don’t move me.
She’s the one who lost her ring, but she came to us demanding we help her find it, and when she was called out for being rude she resorted to tears instead of just correcting the behavior. It doesn’t sit right with me. I haven’t taken the time I probably should have as Arnold’s friend getting to know Amerie, but I’m unimpressed with what I’ve seen during this trip and what I saw during the engagement party.
Arnold wraps Amerie up in his arms, kissing the top of her head. “Babe, why don’t you go lay down. We’ll look for it.”
