Link Up ✔️

Chapter 31

How has my life changed since I have a boyfriend?

Not a great deal.

Diallo and I do a lot of things together. He greets me every single morning with my Starbucks drink. To get around him paying, I gave him gift cards I insisted he use. Even on days when he had no morning classes, he was up and greeting me with my drink.

We met up for lunch often, and since we both had a meal plan, I couldn't pay for his lunch. We often hung out at the CU with our friends, and anytime there was something to spend money on, I quickly tried to pay his way., He never let me.

On our second date we went bowling, and to get over him paying, I reserved lanes and prepaid. He rented his own shoes. He did not like it, but I told him that we were fifty-fifty in a relationship and he had to deal with it. Said if his mother had a problem with it, call me.

We studied together on days I did not study with Todd. Diallo was super smart too, not like Todd, but his schoolwork was easy for him. I still was on the struggle bus, big time. Flashcards, notes, study guides, and meeting with my teachers, all so that I did not fall behind. So far so good.

When I was not spending time with Diallo, I hung out with my roomies, and sometimes the guys came around. And Gay was still always there. She would hang out in the hallway sometimes if we weren't in our room. I told Diallo to give her a secret key to our room so she could go and come as she pleased. Gay wanted to move to our residence hall, but their parents did not want her in a coed dorm. The freshman dorm she stayed in had an all-girls wing.

Gay never flirted with me anymore, she knew I was with her brother.

As for King, we still enjoyed talking in class and texting a few times, but we did not hang out at all. I was so focused on Diallo so it didn't matter.

And then the kiss.

Yes, I finally had my kiss with a boy!

It was after our second date Friday night. We were hanging out in his room like we mostly did, and of course, I wanted to cuddle. All that mess from the previous week was long forgotten.

I kissed him on his neck, that was my favorite kissing spot. He kissed me on the forehead.

I wanted so much more.

I moved so I could stare into his face. He was so serious while we looked at each other.

"You're so beautiful."

"Said Mr. Perfect," I said to him. By now, he knew the nickname I called him and he hated it.

"I'm not perfect, you are."

Aw yes, he was my Mr. Perfect. See, he may not be perfect for everyone else, but he was so perfect for me. I was a lucky, lucky girl.

Then I made the first move. I moved in and kissed his beautiful lips. Simple smack on the lips, that's all. I was too afraid to go for more.

"I've been wanting to kiss you since forever you know," he said softly, still staring into my eyes. "I was waiting for you to do it first."

I nodded. "I know. That's just how you are."

"Kiss me again."

I could continue to kiss him forever and ever. I was falling so hard for this boy. Was I scared? No, it had to happen sometime.

Our kisses deepened until they were more passionate, opened-mouthed, soul-stirring. Yet still, Diallo was a gentleman, letting me take our make-out session there. He was an even better kisser than I imagined. If I had to compare, he was better than his sister, and she was good. It's like, it felt magical because my feelings for him were deeper.

Yes, I was a goner for sure.

"Okay, we better stop now," he said, gently pulling away from me. "I'll never want you to leave."

"I can stay the night here...in your room."

Whoa! Did I just say that? What was I thinking? That was not me. Not I! I would never stay in a boy's room.

"No you're not," he said to me. He pulled me in his arms. "But stay until one of us falls asleep and then if it's me, wake me up and I'll walk you back to your room. If it's you, I'll carry you back to your room."

I laughed, running my hair through his messy curls. "Silly."

I think I fell asleep first because I don't remember how I got into my room tucked away, but I found myself in my room, still dressed in clothes, shoes off, in my bed. Diallo could have put me in his bed or left me to sleep on his couch, but he brought me to my room. Oh, he was a keeper.

I was awakened by my phone going off. I wanted to grab it and toss it, but whoever was calling early on a Saturday morning wanted something.

It was my mother.

"I need you to get your daddy to give me some money."

Why was my mom asking me to ask my father for money? He paid child support for eighteen years, and now I was not even living there. When I did plan on going home to St. Louis it would be with my father and Angel. My father was no longer responsible for paying her any money.

What if I told my mother about the trust fund Angel set up for me? I would probably become Bank of Shareefa!

But I couldn't ask my father for money, he would question why? I could simply give her some from my trust, taking it out and say it was for school. Angel did say I could use it for whatever I wanted. It was my money, right? I could do whatever with it.

Giving money to my mother should not be a problem. She didn't make a lot of money and she had to take care of my brother.

"Mom, I...I can get some money for you, no problem."

"That's my girl," she said. "His no good ass know Jalon daddy not giving me anything and he doesn't care. Since he stopped giving me money he thinks I'm supposed to raise y'all kids all on my own."

My mother sounded like a crackhead right now. Was she on drugs? She smoked weed, but that should not have her acting like this.

"Mom, you want me to come to see you again? I can come next weekend and we can do something."

"You're going to drive your fancy-ass here and stay with that bougie ass chick like I didn't give birth to you. No, stay yo ass there but send me my money. I'm not playing, CashApp it to me, I have to get my hair done."

I hung up the phone with my mother and cried. What was wrong with me that I still wanted her love? I loved my mother more than anything at one point, what changed? Why was she this way? My father was a good father. A good man. He had his faults but he took care of her, her sister, AJ and Angel like a man should.

I was so confused. Should I tell my father or Angel that my mother was going to milk me dry of my money? If I gave in to her now, she would continue to ask for more money, thinking I was getting it from my father.

But she was my mother. I had to take care of her, she took care of me.

I wiped my tears and Cash Apped her five hundred dollars and said that was all I could get from my father.

She wanted more.

I told her I would have to wait a few weeks to ask for more money from him.

She called me worthless and selfish and called Angel a bitch.

I got back in bed, under the covers, and cried myself back to sleep.

I thought my world was perfect, new friends, doing well in school, and a hot boyfriend. Now, I was stressed out again.

A/N: What do you all think Rayvn should do about her mother? Not give her the money? Tell her father and Angel?

What if she simply gave her some money every month, she has it in the trust, more than enough.