Page 40 of My Brother's Keeper
“Don’t say that shit unless you mean it.”
Her pussy clenched, sending me shooting up. She wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. “I don’t want to let go. I love you, Mison,” she cried in my ear.
I held her waist tightly and fucked her just as my heart told me to. I could feel her tears trickling down my back as her teeth sank into my skin. I loved Symphony, hell, I was in love with her, but I couldn’t say those words until I gave her that fucking necklace back. I had been trying to figure out ways to do it without hurting her, but with every idea I came up with, guilt was attached to it.
She and I exploded together moments later. As we lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my mind went into overdrive. “Symph, baby, I need to tell you something,” I uttered.
Her light yawn told me she was about to fall asleep. “I’m listening,” she mumbled.
I was trying to figure out a way to soften the blow of telling her that I had been there the night her father was beaten. My mouth opened to say something, anything, but my mind was holding me hostage. “I-I want to,” I paused.Shit!“I want to thank you for being there for me.”
As badly as I wanted to tell her, I still didn’t have the heart to do it.
PEANUT
Alyse had been calling, and I was intending to text her, but the shit with my brother had my head fucked up. The way Xavier and I left him, I felt bad. I knew tough love was what he needed, but I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t there for him, because I was. I always have been, but a nigga was tired. Tired of worrying, tired of going into his room late at night, checking his pulse. Tired of picking his drunk ass up off the floor in random places. Tired of the fights and races he got us into, I just wanted some normalcy, and with Alyse, that’s when I got it.
Zaria came around to where I sat in the living room with one of the twins on her hip, “It’s going to be ok. It may seem hard, but I promise you he knows you guys care, and when it sinks in, he will do the right thing.”
Chevy came down the steps holding the other twin. “Where is your pops? You know where he is?”
“D-d-d-downtown. I-sss-ss-saw- him n-na-n-na-not t-tt-tt-too long a-a-ago.”
I could see his wheels turning. Chevy was the type of nigga that’ll dig up your past and make you face it even if you didn’t want to. “Wa-wa-we da-da-da-don’t f-f-fu-fuck with,” I paused. I could hear Alyse in my head.Slow down.“We d-d-don’t fu-fuck with him.”
Chevy nodded. Zaria glanced at him. “June, don’t go stirring up the past. They’re going through enough. Peanut, you’re welcome to stay as long as you—”
“Z, nah, this is our space. Peanut, I will get you a hotel,” Chevy jumped in.
Zaria rolled her eyes. “What did I say? June, can you grab Savior for a second?”
He started to grumble as he walked over to grab Savior from her arms, but glanced at me.What did I say?He mouthed.
I laughed. Chevy was mean as fuck, but as long as Zaria was around, he was a bit calmer. My phone rang with a call from Alyse. This time, I picked up. “Hell-ha-hello?”
Her sniffles made me alert. “Can you meet me on the hill?”
“Yu-yu-yes.”
I got up to leave. I didn’t even bother to say bye because the way Alyse sounded scared me. It took me no time to get to her. When I did, she was sitting inside the car. I hit my kickstand, rushed over to the passenger side, and tapped the window. She unlocked the door, and I got in. Alyse’s eyes were red and puffy.
I had the worst day ever.
What’s wrong?
Her eyes lowered.My father wants me to go to a school out of state. Flex, remember her?
I nodded.
I found out she died. She’s gone. Not only did I lose a mentor, but a friend as well.
Seeing Alyse cry made me feel something I had never felt: helplessness from not being able to control the situation with her parents, and the loss of a friend.
I lifted her chin.I’m sorry about your friend, and I’m sure she wouldn’t want you crying over her. With your parents. You need to use your voice, Alyse. They need to hear how you truly feel.
I could see her anger rise.I can’t! I’m scared.
I shook my head.Alyse, baby, listen to me. You and I being together, I need you to speak up. You’re the voice for both of us. If I could, I would. I would tell your father to kiss my ass, but I can’t. How would you ever know what life is like if you let him control everything? What about your audition?
