Page 7 of The Spirit Of My Savage
“Rome…”
“Just open it,” he said fast, chuckling.
I opened the box slowly and revealed a diamond anklet. The shit was fly. I didn’t know what to say. It was exactly how Rome did shit and I knew it was an apology gift but I smiled anyway. “It’s nice. Thank you.”
He leaned over, kissed my lips softly, then gripped my chin with two fingers. “You mine, right?”
The question came out smooth but heavy. I nodded, barely. “Yeah.”
He kissed me again. “I gotta go handle shit. Be back later tonight.” He grabbed his keys and walked out of the bedroom. The door closed behind him, and silence rushed in. I finished breakfast, showered, and then got dressed to head to the cemetery.
???
Grimwood Memorial was half full when I pulled up. I could feel the heavy energy before I even got out of the car. I grabbed the flowers I picked up from the florist on the way and walked through the gates. King’s plot was near the back, under a twisted old tree with branches that moved even when the air didn’t.
KAMARI “KING” HARRIS
BELOVED SON, HUSBAND, LEADER
FOREVER IN POWER
I stood there, staring, not ready to speak. The wind kicked up out of nowhere, hitting the back of my neck like a breath. And then I heard a whisper so clear it felt like lips brushed my ear.
“You ain’t safe with him.”
I spun around. Nobody was there. My heart started racing as I gripped the flowers tighter. A loud hiss broke the moment. A black cat darted across the path behind me, right between two stones, fast as hell.
I damn near jumped out of my skin, and the flowers slipped from my hand, hitting the ground face down. They landed in the dirt like something pushed them out of my grip. I dropped to my knees, chest heaving, trying to catch my breath. I stared at the petals scattered across the grass, the wind still slicing through the space like a warning.
“I miss you, babe,” I whispered, voice cracking as the tear slid down my cheek. “I really fuckin’ miss you.”
I sat there for a while. It was just me, the stone, and the weight of every choice I’d made since the last time I saw himbreathing. A memory from when we were only about a year in came in suddenly.
King was hustling night and day, trying to come up off drug money. I was taking business classes with dreams of opening my own luxury boutique. It had been weeks since we spent some time together, and it was the eve of Halloween.
He carved the pumpkin while I made cinnamon rolls and pumpkin spiced margaritas, dancing to music. We argued about how wide the eyes should be, whether the mouth should have fangs. He ended up making the ugliest ass pumpkin I’d ever seen, then blamed it on the knife.
“Yo, this shit looks like it needs a facelift,” I laughed, doubled over.
He smiled, but then got serious. “Spendin’ time in the crib with you is really the only peace a nigga get,” he said.
I looked at him. “Then stay with me forever.”
He didn’t say anything. He just reached into a bag of mixed candy and opened a Ring Pop. Sliding it on my finger, he said, “That’s practice for the real one.”
Two weeks later, I had a diamond promise ring. Two months after that, we had our own spot. Everything was up from there.
I wiped my eyes and stood up, brushing off my knees. I placed the flowers on the stone, adjusted them, and backed away slowly. I still felt him there. Not just spiritually, either. Like… really there. Like if I turned around fast enough, I’d see him standing behind me, hoodie up, arms folded, watching me like he used to when I talked too long on the phone with my girls, knowing he was trying to bend me over.
I let out a shaky breath, finally turned to leave, and that’s when my phone rang. The sudden buzz in my hand made me jump. Mama. I answered, voice still unsteady. “Hey.”
“Hey, baby. Your brother just landed last night. Come on by the house.”
I blinked. “Wait. Savior’s back?”
“Yes, girl. They gave him a few weeks at home before he has to deploy again.”
“Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”
