Shot clock | Book 2 in USC series

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟑.

" Well first off, you are nothing like that egg donor. You actually aren't that much of a heartless bitch," Ayanna was quick to deflect the playful slaps that I was attacking her bare arms with.

" I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" She raised her white cloth up in the air as if it was a white flag.

" Do you remember when we used to babysit in high school?" She asked.

I nodded my head. I used to babysit for a few of my neighbors from time to time. Ayanna spent most of her time at my house, so naturally, she was helping me babysit the children that came over. Most people had horrible experiences with babysitting. My experience was great.

" You loved taking care of those kids and they loved you. You have these strong motherly instincts about you and when you get around kids, it's hard to ignore, Rhegan. I think that your relationship with your mother makes you doubt yourself. Frankly, she makes you doubt a lot of things about you and I hate that for you."

I hated that for myself too.

" I know." I couldn't let these feelings fester inside of me any longer. Some of the emotions that I felt towards my mother, the words that I wanted to say to her, the pain that I wanted to inflict on her ate me up inside. Maybe I needed closure.

Who was I fucking kidding? I wouldn't last two minutes in a space with her even if you gave me all of the twinkies on the planet. Tears would be split and it wouldn't be from me. One of my specialties happened to be hurting people just as badly as they hurt me, maybe even worse.

" You are not your mother," Ayanna reminds me.

This conversation was putting a damper on what was supposed to be a fun night. " Let's go do karaoke," I decided to change the subject, hoping that it would distract me for the rest of the night.

I had already let her consume the majority of my thoughts today. She didn't deserve any more of my room in my head to infect with the thought of her. I wish that she was a memory that I could forget.

A memory that didn't exist.

" After I finish this fudge brownie. It's so good. Here." Ayanna didn't wait for my response. She shoved a piece of brownie into my mouth and the chocolate immediately melted onto my tongue.

" That thing has to have crack baked into it." I reached for another piece. Ayanna selfishly pulled back, extending the plate away from my reach.

" Get your own," she shoves half of it into her mouth.

Crossing my arms, I look out at the glass that shows us the view of the club below. The wheels in my head stopped turning as the perfect idea snapped into my head.

" Oh my god! Is that Big Sean!" I gasped.

Ayanna placed the plate down on the couch, leaving half of the brownie on the plate and the remaining quarter in her hand. " Where? I don't see him!" She squinted her eyes as if to increase her chances of getting a better vision.

" Must've been a look-a-like." I smiled, shoving the brownie into my mouth as she stood, mouth agape.

" You fucking bitch," Ayanna pouted, shoving the last bit of her brownie into her mouth as well.

Karma giggles as she approaches us. " I wouldn't eat those too fast if I were you."

Ayanna slows down her chewing, and I lick the crumbs off of my lips. The both of us eyed Karma skeptically as we gulped, " Why?"

" My husband has taken an interest in experimenting with weed lately."

Oh fuck.

When you mix together half of a weed brownie, six shots  of top shelf tequila, and three and a half vodka martinis, that equals a hell of a hang-over, tons of concealer, and Sade's miracle bloody mary mix for the next day.