AMIR

3 hours later

Once I put the keys in the door, I feel her presence. I know she's on the other side i'm just surprised she didn't go. I don't know why she did and that's what scares me.

Once I open the door she looks sad, tired but sympathetic. She pulls me in for a long, tight hug and I don't let go. She's so warm. I hold her tighter towards me and tears roll down my face.

She lifts my chin up before kissing me softly, not sexually. I needed this. I needed her.

She wipes my tears with her thumb before allowing me to move inside.  I never thought I would in front of her or in front of any woman but she made me feel so comfortable.

"Kehlani I'm sorry." I tell her, knowing she only wants a explanation.

"I'm not angry but why? Why didn't you tell me?" She asks and I scrunch my face up in confusion. "Rico told me what happened..you promised me." She frowns deeply.

"Rico? When?" I question, looking around for any signs of him.

"He came over looking for you and he told me what happened, he said worst case scenario was that you got picked up by the police." She explains and I nod.

"I'm here, i'm okay. See?" I tell her but she doesn't answer. "Why did you stay here?"

"Because when you would be back, I wanted to be the first person you'd see." She replies. I smile small and kiss her temple.

"Sit down." I tell her, leading into my living room.

"Are you hungry?" She asks and I shake my head. Even when i'm clearly in the wrong she still wants to treat me right and she clearly doesn't have to.

"So he told you about the..." I refer to the shooting and she nods.

"I think I have PTSD, I ain't ever tried to get diagnosed 'cause i'm scared to know if it's true. When they shot at me last night it was like Curtis all over again, Meek all over again...Ajani all over again. Everybody that I lost in front of me." I explain to her.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, I really am. Nobody deserves to witness that." She replies and I nod.

"Ajani's grave is 2 hours away from here, I just got a replacement car and went to see him. That's all ma, I swear to you." I tell her with raised hands.

"I believe you Amir, I do. But god forbid if anything happens again I can't have you panicking or nothing, I need you. You need to get that shit checked out." She tells me and I nod.

I will.

Someday.

"I'm sorry I ain't tell you nothing or text you or shit like shit. I don't even know where my phone at." I pat my pockets before revealing my dead iPhone.

"The sugarhill shootings..." Her smart ass brings up. She definitely watched a lot of crime shows or some shit the way she be connecting all the dots.

"That was us and them shooting at us was them trying to get their getback," I explain to her and she stands up immediately.

"So you lied to me." She scoffs.

"For good reason and now i'm apologising." I retort.

"You killed someone?" She asks, staring at me in fear.

"A man just lost his daughter, you don't think there's gonna be any consequences? The shit in Sugarhill was bound to happen. But I promise you, I ain't ever killed anybody." I tell her truthfully. And I haven't. When I was in the streets I got into a few fights but I usually avoided confrontation and just made my money.

"Doesn't that scare you?" She asks me.

"Of course it does, that's why I had to leave. It's like I just panicked and I drove off. I'm leaving that shit for good and I'm taking Darrel with me, i'm not losing nobody else." I vow to myself, her and Ajani.

"But does Rico know that?" She looks up to me.

"He will, after today." I tell her and she nods.

"Go ahead and shower 'cause you smell like ass and you been wearing the same clothes." She sighs, standing up.

"Do you forgive me?" I ask her, standing up beside her. She pauses for a while before nodding slowly. "Regardless of what happened to me, I should've told you 'cause I know I would've flipped if I ain't seen you for two days if you told me you gon' be home by 6."

"I know and I appreciate that you know that you was wrong for that but I understand your situation. I just want you to not shut me out next time, i'm here for you Amir." She replies causing me to smile.

"Now please go shower." She giggles, breaking our cute little moment. I suck my teeth before walking to my bedroom.

KEHLANI

He always smells so fresh, I don't know how to explain it. Well not this afternoon but now he definitely does and all the times before.

"Stop sniffing me weirdo." He chuckles from beneath me. I rub my nails across his face as he lays on my stomach. I missed him.

"You were my first, you know that?" He tells me. It takes me for a while for me to get what he means.

"You're lying." I say with widened eyes. There is no way this fine ass man has never had sex before me.

"I promise." He smiles goofily. He always smiled now yet just the other day I had to praise him for seeing his teeth at least once. "I wasn't yours?" He asks.

"I lost it with my first boyfriend when I was 17." I tell him and he nods. I'm glad he didn't make it a big thing.

"Can I take you somewhere tomorrow? This can be our break before we get back on track with our jobs." I ask him and he nods.

"Let me eat that pussy." He licks his licks causing me to laugh.

"Amir stop playing with me." I shake my head, waving him off. I would let him but I just got him back, I just wanted to enjoy his company.

"You talked to your parents lately?" He asks me and I nod.

"They sent their condolences, both of them." I add emphasis on the both, just in case.

"I know you wanted shit to go right but honestly, fuck your dad." He says. I'm not even affected. But Amir's relationship with his parents wasn't the best either and I wanted us to at least have some sort of family.

"Do you speak to any of your cousins? Any family at all?" I ask and he shrugs.

"Baby when you leave a area with bad memories, you want to leave everything. All that shit that was weighing me down, I left, including my family and friends."

"Don't you think that's a little selfish? I mean I completely understand where you're coming from but that's your family."

"They all blamed me for my brother's death even when I was still making sure everybody ate. I left and I ain't looked back." He explains in a harsher tone.

I never knew how much pain someone could experience, especially someone like him. He was so strong, I admired it.

"If you ever want to meet my family, I'll do it but just don't expect no hugs and kisses." He tells me in a calmer voice.

"I trust you." I tell him which definitely meant something deeper to him.

"To me, that's bigger than any  'I love you'." He says and I nod.

"I trust you Amir."

"I trust you too Kehlani." He smiles before kissing my hand.