Debt

26: Last Time

Larielle snuggled into Evan, knowing he was leaving her in the morning. She already missed him. He was too good to be true. Like he would disappear if he left. As if she would never get another opportunity to see his smile.

He looked down at her. "Ima come visit you on campus sometime," he told her, smiling, almost if he had read her mind.

She knew he was being genuine. And she told herself that Evan wouldn't tell her that he would if he really wouldn't.

"Maybe you'll sneak your underage boyfriend into a frat party somewhere and we'll get drunk off our asses!"

She giggled and kissed him, shaking her head. Larielle had gotten a little tipsy at a few frat parties. But she didn't know about Evan getting drunk. He was quiet at first glance. But she got to know him, and he was far from quiet.

"I get a feeling you'll be a very animated drunk and probably too eager to start a fight with someone. Let us be sober."

"You are so cute."

He pinched her cheeks and she swatted his hands away, rolling her eyes. She tried to stifle a yawn, but Evan knew she was sleepy.

"Take ya ass to sleep, Larielle. Ima still get to see you before I leave."

She pouted. "But I want to stay up."

"Aww. It's adorable when you do that little lip thing. Because it won't work. Go to sleep, Larielle Vasquez."

"Mean for no reason," she muttered before yawning again.

He just laughed and lay with her, closing his eyes. He wasn't really tired although he knew he was going to have to get up and go catch a flight in a few hours.

He just lay there and watch Larielle sleeping in his arms. He had never liked a girl this much. And especially not this soon. But there was something about her that appealed to him. Something about her that let him know she understood. But she was more fragile than she seemed.

Shayla came into his room at four in the morning, and he was already awake. "We can drop Larielle off at her school if she wants."

Evan shook his head, and Shayla left the room for him to get ready. He didn't want to make Larielle leave at five in the morning. She should spend some time with Abrielle, which was who she was originally there for.

Evan got up and went to handle his hygiene and getting dressed. He knew he was mostly going to be in vehicles until he got to Florida, so he decided on jeans and a hoodie with a pair of sneakers.

He brushed his hair, looking at Larielle asleep in his bed through his mirror. Her hair was all over the place and she was sprawled out haphazardly. He smiled to himself, seeing her like that.

When he sat on the bed, Larielle stirred but didn't wake. He stroked her hair, leaning in to kiss her head, which did wake her up.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yea," he said softly, still stroking her hair. She tried to sit up, but he laid her back. "Go on back to sleep, baby. I'll come see you soon. I'll call."

She nodded and he leaned down to kiss her again, feeling her arms around him as she returned it. He kissed her forehead before he sat up. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He got up and picked up the duffle bag by the door before he joined his mother and Shawn in the car. It was silent the whole drive to the airport.

When they got to the gate, Shawn looked at his sister and nephew and hugged Shayla, rubbing her arms as he stood back. "You can talk to me if you need to. Bri don't like me enough to complain if you call."