Here is a quick recap before the chapter just in case you forgot! If you haven't you can skip the first couple of pages.
Malik (Adonis's cousin) plans to do better with his life. Damien stabs Malik at the end of the year party which lands him in the hospital but luckily, he fought through it and is recovering. He is also back with Namiko.
Trevor (Malik and Adonis's best friend) is still getting treated for leukemia all while working on his music career.
Ember has an encounter with her cousin Damien at the end of the year party and they are still not on good terms. She finds out that her father (X) is awake. Also, Ember is feeling bad about her mom being in prison, so she plans to find help to set her free all while trying to be there for her brother. (Justin) Who is growing and learning by the way. He's starting to become upset because they are keeping secrets from him.
Adonis is still not on talking terms with his mother (Katrina) and little sister (Paisley.) Remember his mother tried to get rid of "the problem" (His unborn child) by paying Ember off. Paisley is doing a little too much for him. Adonis is also trying to be there for his friends, and family while he is focusing on his boxing career.
The thunderstorm picked up while Ember sat inside her car, staring out at the cars that sped by on the street. There were a few people running along the sidewalk trying to get out of the bad weather. It had been raining all day up until nightfall.
As the heavy rain tapped against the window, Ember rested her head in her hands while chaotic thoughts crowded her mind. She came up with an excuse to leave work two hours early.
After clocking out, she sat in her car and let her tears fall. For the past few months, she had been holding on to them, hiding her emotions and avoiding talking about anything because she would hate to be a burden to anyone.
Inside the cup holder, her phone started to ring, breaking her thoughts. The phone had been ringing repeatedly and most calls were from Ian, her uncle. She was afraid to answer, yet she's curious about what he wanted. Ian never called or visited unless he was talking with her father about business. She had been avoiding every one of her family members on her fathers side. Although some were calling to genuinely check up on her, she wasn't in the mood to talk. More than likely they were calling to question her about what happened between her parents.
Ember let out a deep sigh as she started up her car.
Stressed was an understatement. She was working overtime, trying to figure out how she was going to pay her way through college. Medical school was quite pricey. There were other things like having enough money to purchase things that she needed, helping her aunt with Justin and the bills because her aunt couldn't do it alone.
Although Adonis offered his help, giving her money, she politely declined. He was already doing enough for her, and she hated to dump all her problems on him when he and his family were going through their own.
The phone rang again. This time her eyes darted down to the caller ID. Uncle Ian's name flashed across the screen. She wanted nothing more than to throw the phone out of the window and run it over because the constant ringing was driving her insane.
"Why won't he just leave me alone?" Ember asks aloud. Ian was not going to stop until she answered his call. Ember hesitated a bit before picking up the phone. "Hey uncle Ian."
"I have been calling you all day, Ember. I don't like to be ignored."
"Busy day at work."
He snickered, "How are you and Justin doing?"
"We're fine."
"Are you sure?"
Ember nods as if he could see her, "Yes uncle Ian, I'm okay."
"That is good to hear. I'm calling to let you know that X has been released from the hospital and taken into police custody. I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me, Ember. Can you do that?"
Ember became quiet, afraid of what he may ask. Maybe she should just hang up, still that wouldn't do her any good since he knew where she worked. Ian is a bit more intimidating than her father and Ezra. He's the quiet brother, no one knew what he was thinking or plotting to do.
"Ember..."
"Yes." She quickly answered.
"Did you and your mother plan this?"
Ember became confused, "Plan what?"
"You know what the fuck I'm talking about. Did you?"
"No. I had nothing to do with anything."
Ember could hear him chuckle.
"I find that hard to believe, Ember."
"Uncle Ian, I don't know what he's told you but everything that's happened is his fault. I didn't do anything."
"If I find out that you're lying, Ember, it'll be a price to pay."
After those words, the line went dead.
Ember sat there for a moment trying to process the conversation that just happened. Never have any of her uncles threatened her before. None of this was her fight and she was tired of it all.
She started up the street towards Adonis's where she had been staying for the past few days.
Sadly, when she parked in the driveway his truck wasn't there. He was probably out at the gym again with his father. He spent most of his time there than at home which is another reason why Ember chose to work extra shifts.
The traumatizing events in her life resulted in her being afraid to be alone. Being threatened by her uncle didn't help any. It had gotten to the point where she started having nightmares. Therapy had been on her mind a lot lately. Ember was looking into it every day, yet she was unsure if it would actually help her.
Ember stepped out of her car and traveled towards the front door. By that time the rain had slowed into a drizzle. Her phone rang again but this time it was aunt Draya. She called every night after Ember got off work. It did make Ember feel better after talking to her. She always knew what to say, comforting her with words.
"Aunt Draya, I made it home I'm fine." Ember answered.
"I'm just making sure you got in. And don't forget to stop by here tomorrow. We need to talk about."
Ember sighed, "Okay."
"Are you okay though? You sound a little off tonight."
"Not really. Uncle Ian called."
"What did he say?"
"He threatened me."
"For what?"
The tone in Draya's voice changed from calm to worry and anger all at once.
"He thinks that me and mom set dad up to get arrested."
"No, this is not about to happen. God, I am so tired of these adults dragging you into their bullshit. Ember, you are not at fault for anything that happened between your parents. I think you should come home. Your mother has someone watching over us. I think you'll be safer here that way I can keep an eye on you."
"Aunt Draya, I'm safer here. No one knows where he lives, and he has a security gate so you can't get in without a pin or you'll trigger the alarm. And remember, Adonis says that you and Justin are welcome to come over to stay any time with me." Although Ember was worried about her aunt and Justin being alone, Draya lived in an apartment complex, so if anything were to go down there would be witnesses and several people there to help.
Draya let out a sigh, "I know that I can be a bit strict sometimes, but you and Justin are under my care now and I can't let the two of you get hurt. I worry about you everyday, Ember."
"I know, but I'll be fine aunt Draya, I promise."
"Leave it alone."
"What?"
"I can hear the stress and unhappiness in your voice. You're selfless, and I love that about you but Ember, you're a seventeen-year-old girl who's trying to take on too much at once. It's only going to wear you down. Your parents will handle their own. So, leave it alone. Everything. Do you hear me?"
"Yes ma'am." Ember responded as she unlocked and opened the front door to Adonis's home. She stepped inside and turned on the lights in the living room.
"I'm serious, Ember. You have your whole life ahead of you, don't live it trying to save everyone to make them happy. Your happiness comes first. I've learned that the hard way." Draya went on.
Ember shut the front door, locked it and traveled over to the sofa where she took a seat while continuing to converse with her aunt.
~
Adonis dropped the cards on the table in disappointment as he listened to his uncle Rahman gloat about winning the fourth round of spades. The two of them were betting money each round and this was the last game which meant his uncle would take all one thousand dollars home.
"I'm an OG, what you thought was gone happen?" Rahman asked.
"You just got lucky this game. I was whipping yo ass the first five games." Adonis tells him.
"Ricky, you better tell him. These youngins ain't no match for us."
Adonis waved them off as he glanced down at the phone to check the time. It was eleven p.m.. The four of them, Rahman, Malik, Ricky and Adonis had been down in the man cave since eight p.m., talking and playing card games. The time had slipped away from them.
Ricky chuckled, "These youngins can't be told shit."
"You right about that." Rahman agreed.
Adonis only shook his head. He picked up his bottle of water and took a long sip from it.
"How are those wounds healing?" Ricky asks Malik.
"Not fast enough."
Malik sat at the bar eating leftover spaghetti that Adonis's mother cooked for lunch earlier during the day.
"What are we gone do about Damien? You know he's not going to stop." Adonis says.
"I'm not looking for revenge or nothing but I got a right to protect myself if he come at me again." Malik states.
Rahman shook his head, "Yeah don't go looking for trouble just because you got a burner."
"Come on pops, I know better than that."
"All right. Neph you ready for your big fight in the UK?" Rahman put the attention on Adonis.
"The UK?" Adonis looked over at his father.
"Ricky you ain't tell him?"
"Tell me what?" Adonis asks confused.
"We'll be in the UK for a month attending events and preparing for your first match out there." Ricky explained.
"Why you didn't tell me this? What about graduation?"
"Our flight leaves the day after graduation. Are you having second thoughts about this?"
"Nah, you know I live for this."
Ricky raised his brow as he examined his son. "Stay focused."
Adonis could hear Malik chuckle, "Unc you know him and Ember stick together like glue. They can't be away from each other that long."
Adonis chuckled too, but he didn't deny it. Ember is his everything. He never went through his day without thinking about her or talking to her over the phone when they were apart.
Lately, she hasn't been saying much. He could sense whenever something was wrong and he had been planning to talk to her about it. She ignored his phone calls but he knew that she was safe. The camera's outside his front gate showed her car pulling into the driveway.
"I'm about to head out though." Adonis tells them. There were a few errands that he needed to run in the morning. He also promised Ember that he would go shopping with her to find something to wear for graduation. Knowing Ember, they would be out late.
"All right, take it easy neph." Rahman tells him.
Adonis said his goodbyes and traveled up the stairs from the basement. As he walked down the hall, he could hear laughter coming from Paisley's bedroom. He hasn't talked to his sister since she was released from the juvenile detention center. He hasn't spoken to his mother either.
He wanted to make amends yet had no clue where to start. It was nothing like having a loving family. Within a year things changed quickly. They have never fallen out this bad. Even though Adonis and Paisley were always fighting, they didn't hold a grudge for long.
Stopping in front of Paisley's door, he peered inside. Since Adonis, his father, uncle and Malik was down in the basement, no one knew Paisley was home now with company. A pregnant Madison sat on the floor painting her toenails, while Paisley lie across the bed playing on her phone. Kayla sat at the desk with her feet propped, flipping through a magazine. All three of the girls eyes darted towards the door landing on him. There was a bit of tension in the room and Adonis could feel it.
"Paisley I need to talk to you." Adonis spoke.
Paisley kissed her teeth and rolled her eyes as she slowly slid out the bed, "Let me change clothes first."
She disappeared inside of her closet.
"Hi, Adonis. I haven't seen Ember in so long. Could you tell her I said hi?" Madison asked.
"Can't believe you're still with Ember after what happened to Paisley." Kayla shook her head.
Adonis snickered, "Mind your fucking business."
Madison rolled her eyes, "Ember had nothing to do with that. You know that, Kayla. Why cause drama where it's not needed?"
"Oh please like you weren't talking shit because she backstabbed you by getting with your crush."
"I never said that."
Kayla says, "Sure you didn't with your racist ass. We didn't forget."
"I publicly apologized for that. I don't know what else y'all expect from me. I'm really starting to see why you and Paisley are best friends. You're both just alike. Two treacherous bitches." Madison stood to her feet, and grabbed her things. She slipped by Adonis, leaving the room.
Adonis looked over at Kayla who held a smirk on her face. Shaking his head, Adonis stepped away from the door and leaned against the wall, patiently waiting for Paisley. He could be heartless and bring up Kayla's dirty secret's because Paisley could never keep a secret for long. Since he was trying to make amends with his family, he decided to let it go. He refused to argue with a sixteen year old girl.
Downstairs in the living room, his mother's voice echoed as she announced her arrival. His father told him that she was away visiting his grandparents. Adonis's eyes darted towards the bottom of the stairs where his mother stood peering up.
"All right, talk about what?" Paisley asked as she stepped out of the room. "Oh, hey mom."
"Hey baby girl. Since you two are finally here together come downstairs to the living room. We need to have a family talk." Katrina said.
Paisley sighed, "I hate family meetings so much."
Adonis started downstairs after her with Paisley following close behind. Once in the living room, he sat on the sofa, making himself comfortable. Ever since he's moved out, he noticed that his parents changed a few things around. There were less pictures hanging on the wall and the sofas weren't white anymore, they were a light brown. It matched the other decor inside the house better than the white.
Katrina cleared her throat as she looked back and forth between Adonis and Paisley. There was a long silence before she sighed, deeply.
"Mom is something wrong?" Paisley asks.
"I know that I have made some decisions that may have ruined the bond that we all once had as a family." Katrina briefly paused as she looked over at Adonis. "Adonis, I'm sorry for not supporting your dreams, and making a decision that would hurt you. I thought that I was protecting you not realizing how it would hurt you and Ember. I should have been there for your most vulnerable moments. Paisley, I'm sorry for not listening to you, pushing you away when you were crying out for help."
There was a creek at the bottom of the stairs which caused them to look over. Ricky had taken a seat on the bottom step.
Katrina continued speaking, "As your mother I'm going to make mistakes, we all do and that is okay. Instead of ignoring one another and holding a grudge, we should hear each other out regardless of what it is."
Adonis never thought that he would get a a sincere apology from his mother. Usually some parents never apologized for anything even if they were the one in the wrong. They would just move on pretending as if it never happened. Standing to his feet, Adonis traveled over to his mother and hugged her tightly, "I love you, ma."
"I love you too, son." She hugged him back before stepping away putting her focus on Paisley, "Paisley, I need to hear a meaningful apology from you too, young lady."
"Apology for what? I've already apologized for lying but I will not apologize for being kidnapped and taken advantage of."
"To your brother."
"For?"
"For saying those disrespectful words to him. Your brother has your back through everything. Don't you know that he was the one that even got people to participate in those search parties for you? Who was by your bedside when you were found? Day and night. So apologize."
"I don't have anything to apologize about." Paisley shrugged.
"Paisley, you either apologize or go upstairs and you'll be on punishment until you apologize." Katrina demanded.
Adonis wasn't worried about an apology from Paisley. She would never apologize no matter who was hurt. She's still a kid and had a lot of growing up to do.
Paisley stood to her feet, placed her phone down on the table and started towards the stairs but Ricky blocked her path and shoved his hands down inside of his pockets as he looked down at her sternly, "Go back over there."
Paisley obeyed him and stepped away from the stairs.
"While you're under my roof, you will respect your mother and I." Ricky spoke. Although Ricky was quiet at family meetings, there was some stuff he refused to let slide.
The room had become quiet.
"Apologize to your mother and Adonis or we'll be sitting here all night." Ricky demanded.
Paisley let out a deep sigh, "I'm sorry for being disrespectful. Can I go up to my room now, please?"
Ricky nodded his head and stepped down from blocking the steps allowing her to go up.
Although she apologized, everyone in the room knew that it wasn't genuine.
Some things would just never change.
~
Once Adonis arrived at home, he saw Ember on the couch, sleeping with her favorite blanket and teddy bear that she used as a pillow. He gave her that teddy bear a couple of weeks ago when they were out at a carnival.
Every night he came home she would be fast asleep on the sofa. She always waited for him to come home so that she wouldn't be in the bed alone. Before he moved her, Adonis went upstairs to shower and brush his teeth.
Adonis then traveled back down the stairs and towards the sofa. He leaned down and scooped Ember up into his arms which caused her eyes to flutter open. Once she realized that it was him, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'm so happy you're home." She tells him.
He pressed his lips against hers, passionately kissing her. He didn't know how to tell her that he would be gone to another country for a month next week. Adonis would hate to leave her behind.
Adonis pulled away to look into her eyes as he carried her upstairs to their bedroom, "I've been calling you all day."
"I was over at my aunts."
"All day?" Adonis raised his brow.
She hesitated a little before nodding her head, "Yeah."
Adonis stepped inside the room and sat on the edge of the bed with Ember on his lap. "I stopped by your aunts house before I went over to my parents. You weren't there. Why are you lying to me Em? I don't like that, you know that."
Ember looked into his eyes, apologetically, "Work."
"Why would you lie to me about going to work?"
"Because I've been taking extra shifts, I need the money."
"What did I tell you?"
"This is why I didn't say anything about the extra shifts. The last thing I want to hear right now is a lecture."
She tried to climb off his lap, but he gripped her waist tighter.
"Adonis, please. You've already done enough for me. Besides I need something to take my mind off things."
"So you're just going to keep working like that? What about your mental health? You think I don't hear you crying some nights? Talking to your aunt about being tired? About not going to college, and struggling to help with Justin's bills. Why don't you ever come to me?"
Ember's eyes weren't on his anymore. She looked down at his chest as tears formed in her eyes as she asked, "Can I tell you something without you getting offended?"
Adonis nodded as he caught her tears with his thumb.
"Adonis, I love how considerate and generous you are. I hope that I don't sound ungrateful because I appreciate everything you do for me but sometimes I just need some space to figure things out on my own. I can't keep depending on you or someone else to fix my problems when something goes wrong. Being able to think and make decisions for myself is part of my growth."
"And when you lecture me, tell me to stop working so many hours or not to do certain things, it makes me feel like a child and that's controlling. Kind of like my dad and I don't want you to ever be that way. I want you to be my boyfriend, not my parent."
She paused for a moment, just to see if he was still listening before she continued, "I promise that you will be the first person that I come to for advice or a listening ear and I want you to be able to do the same with me."
Adonis understood where she was coming from. In relationships, he was used to providing and women being dependent on him for everything, even when they were in trouble, he would go and solve the problem because that's what was expected. It was the things that he had seen from his parents growing up. His mother has never worked a day in her life because of his father taking care of her. He had to realize that all women, especially Ember were not the same.
"I never meant to come off as controlling, or treat you like a child. I'm sorry. It's just that I see what all of this is doing to your mental. You're unhappy and I don't like that."
"My whole senior year has been so traumatic. It wasn't supposed to go like this. I'm honestly thinking about going to therapy."
Adonis agreed. This year had been the worst but the only good thing that came about it was meeting her and he didn't regret that. "Whatever you decide, I'm here to support you."
"Thank you for being understanding. I love you so much."
Adonis softly kisses her lips, "I love you more."
Ember smiles as she hugs him tightly. He rested his face in the crook of her neck, planting a few kisses.
"How was your day?" She asks.
"I got some good news." Adonis says.
Ember looked at him and raised her brow, "What is it?"
"After graduation, I have a flight to the UK." He explained.
"You have a match?"
"Yeah and I'll be there for a month."
"A month?"
There was a sadness in her voice that he was trying to avoid.
"Look, while I'm gone..."
"I'll be fine. I can stay with my aunt."
"Or your aunt and Justin can come stay with you until I get back. Whatever works for you."
Ember shook her head, "She's not going to go for that. I promise I'll be fine. I'm just going to miss you so much."
"I'll call every day, all right?"
"You better or I'll be catching a flight to come see you."
Adonis chuckled as he kisses her lips.
"Can you go downstairs and get Mr. cuddles? We left him." Ember says.
This time Adonis kissed his teeth, "What is up with you and that bear?"
"Whenever you're not around, I have the teddy bear which makes me think of you. Mr. cuddles makes me feel safe, warm, loved, and comfortable. Like you do. That day you gave him to me was one of the happiest moments in my life." Ember explains.
It was the little things. The bracelet he had given her on her birthday was never removed from her wrist. Those colorful daisy's were downstairs in the living room on the coffee table. Wherever she moved to, she refused to leave them. Every gift that Adonis has given her meant more than he thought. She didn't just look at it as a gift that she would throw out later. Those gifts held special memories, something that she would forever keep. Just like the compact mirror that her grandmother had given her. It meant so much to her when Adonis went and got it fixed.
"Please be nice to Mr. cuddles." Ember poked her lips out making Adonis chuckle.
Instead of protesting, he went downstairs to retrieve the bear and the blanket. When he returned to the bedroom, Ember had already made herself comfortable in bed.
Adonis did the same.
She placed the teddy bear behind her, and cuddled underneath Adonis. A whole month without him would feel like eternity and she wasn't ready for him to leave.
________
Graduation Day
The sound of Ember humming echoed throughout the room while she sat at the vanity applying the finishing touches of her makeup. Graduation would be starting in an hour.
She couldn't believe it.
High school had flown by with a blink of an eye. It felt like yesterday when she was a freshman. She remembered hearing the horror stories of high school and being so afraid to become a freshman. She could never regret experiencing high school. It was a place where she met new people and learned growth. There were bittersweet moments, from the good and the bad. Now she was about to step into adulthood. A part of her was scared, and nervous yet she's excited to see what the future may bring.
Ember finished putting on her makeup. She stood to her feet and traveled over to the body length mirror examining herself. After debating how she wanted her hair for a few hours, she settled with wand curls in her natural hair that touched her back. She wore a light pink thigh length backless dress that hugged her curves. As she matured, the more she loved clothing that hugged her curves.
A pair of light pink Bottega Veneta heels complimented her feet. It was the pair of heels Adonis purchased for her when they went out shopping last weekend. He had even gotten her the silver earrings, necklace and bracelet set that she wore. Ember hasn't felt this pretty in a long time. She couldn't help but to admire herself in the mirror for the fifth time today.
She could feel a pair of arms snake around her waist. She smiled basking in the scent of his cologne.
"You look so beautiful." Adonis says as he plants a kiss on her neck.
"Thank you." Ember turns to him. She adjusted his tie and smoothed out his coat. He looked good in a suit and a fresh hair cut. His beard had even grown out nicely.
After graduation they had reservations at Odyssey where they would give gifts and have dinner with Adonis and Ember's family. Ember couldn't help but to pray that everything went well. Considering the families past she was quite afraid that things would go left.
"You look so good in a suit." Ember pecks his lips while he pulled her close.
"If your aunt wasn't downstairs waiting for you..."
Ember laughs as she snakes her arms around his neck kissing him softly on the lips, "Tonight I'm all yours. If you don't plan on going to the gym."
"No gym tonight."
"Just us?"
Adonis nodded, "Yeah."
Ember started to smile from ear to ear. She understood his work schedule but she just wanted a full peaceful day to spend with him at least before he leaves for a month.
"And, I have something for you but you have to wait until I get back." He says.
"What is it? Please tell me." Ember looked up at him with pleading eyes.
Adonis smirks, " I can't do that. Are you ready to go?"
Ember sighed, she took a step back from him and retrieved her purse that was sitting on top of the bed. "I'm ready. Do you think the dinner afterwards is going to go well? I mean I don't know if your parents would want me there."
"Everything will be fine, baby. I talked to my mother and she's moved past that."
A part of her felt as though his parents still weren't going to accept her. Regardless she never planned to leave the love of her life so they had no choice but to move past it.
Once they were outside, Ember embraced her aunt and little brother.
"You look so beautiful slim! And those shoes are everything." Draya complimented.
"Thanks aunt Draya. Got to give Adonis the credit for the shoes. He picked them out."
"That's so sweet of him."
"I thought we were meeting at the school?"
"We were but I wanted to stop by to thank Adonis for everything that he's done."
Ember gave her aunt a confused look before her eyes darted over to Adonis.
"Adonis helped out with the bills for Justin and got him some new shoes. Thank you so much, you have been such a big help to us." Draya says.
"Before you get mad, I did this before we talked the other night. I didn't get the chance to tell you." Adonis quickly spoke up.
Ember's eyes began to water as she looked at Adonis, "You really did that for him?"
Her tears cascaded down her cheeks. They weren't tears of sadnesses. She was in complete awe as she looked at Adonis. No one ever did anything for Justin, unless it was her or their parents.
Adonis nodded, "Yeah. Remember what I told you?"
Ember stepped closer to him and placed her hands in his, "What I said last night was about me learning responsibility and taking control of my life. I could never be mad at you for being there for Justin. He needs it, honestly. Dad isn't around anymore and he doesn't have any real friends. No one but me and my aunt. I'm sorry for crying, I just don't know what I would do without you. Thank you so much."
Adonis knew how much she loved her brother and since they were going through a rough time, he figured that he would help them out in their time of need.
He softly kissed Ember's lips before pulling away, "It's not a problem. Glad I could help."
"I owe you. See you two at the graduation, drive safe." Draya said.
"Okay." Ember wiped her tears away as Adonis opened the car door for her. She climbed inside and strapped on her seatbelt. Leaning forward she pulled down the mirror to make sure she didn't mess up her makeup especially since she planned to take tons of pictures.
"You still look good, baby." Adonis reassured her while he climbed in and strapped on his seatbelt as well.
"I'm just so nervous."
"I ain't gonna lie, I am too."
Ember intertwined her fingers with his, "But I'm thankful that we've made it this far. We got this."
Adonis kisses her hand, "You know we do."
~
Music played while the seniors walked down the field towards their seats. Inside the stadium were a crowd of people. Families that came to see their loved one's graduate and complete one of the milestones in their life.
After being seated, Ember's eyes danced around the stadium, searching for her family. Regardless of the drama, she had invited everyone, aunts, uncles, cousins, and their friends that were considered family. She had even invited her grandmother on her father's side although she hasn't talked to her in years. Ember understood her wanting to keep her distance because of her son's illegal activities but it wouldn't hurt to visit sometimes. She had gotten to the point where she didn't allow them to know where she resided so visiting her was out of the question. Ember had no clue if she knew about Xavier and Ezra being in prison. It was either that or she just didn't care.
Ember focused on the front where the valedictorian was giving a speech. The way the speech was going, everyone was going to be there all night. She had been taking so long that one of the teachers stood and rushed her to shorten the speech. Once the young girl was off the stage, another went up to sing. It would take them a while to start calling names and since her last name started with a Y, she was sitting in the second to the last row right next to Damien who hasn't said a word to her.
Ember spoke to him, yet he ignored her. That wasn't like her favorite cousin to ignore her.
Once the singing stopped, teachers gave speeches before the names started getting called. An hour had already gone by. Each name that was called everyone in the stadiums shouted and clapped for the student regardless of if they knew them or not. Even the seniors were cheering. Everyone was getting showed love and that made Ember smile just a little.
When it was Adonis's turn, she stood to her feet and shouted for him. His eyes locked with hers for a split second as they shared a smile. He winked at her which made a part of Ember melt.
"This nigga." Damien muttered.
Ember took her seat again and glanced over at Damien. Although he said it low, she could hear him, "Can you not?"
He only chuckled.
There was a brief silence before Ember spoke again, "What happened Damien?"
"What you mean?"
"With our family. We were so close. Everything fell apart."
Damien snickered, "You know the answer to that already."
"No, I really don't."
"Yeah, okay."
"I don't understand why things are being blamed on me. An old beef that happened before any of us were even born. The only thing I did was love and find happiness. If you all found something wrong in that then that is a personal problem. Not everyone wants to be miserable."
Ember looked over at Damien while he stared back at her. His eyes were red, and he was indeed high. Still, she could see the anger with a hint of sadness.
"Ember I never said that I didn't want you to be happy. Do you know how it makes me feel to be forced to do something that I don't want to do all because I owe our people loyalty?"
"What do you mean?"
Damien chuckled, "You ain't got a fucking clue."
"Damien don't..."
"Nah I ain't got nothing else to say about it."
Before Ember could protest, his name was being called. He stood to his feet and traveled towards the front. Ember let out a deep sigh and stood because she was next. Once her name was called, she started towards the front. She could hear the people cheering for her but in the midst, there was a familiar voice that stood out. Almost frozen, her eyes darted around the crowd of people, yet she didn't see anyone.
Maybe she was just hearing things.
Ember proceeded to receive her diploma. Adonis shouting her name made her laugh but blush with embarrassment. There were a few others shouting her name. Her family members had come through which made her smile. She shook a few hands, accepted her diploma and returned to her seat. The last few people were called up before ending speeches were made.
Everyone stood to their feet, switching their tassel and throwing their hat. It was then that everyone started cheering with excitement.
Ember pushed her way through the crowd of people searching for her family. Instead, she found Adonis standing off to the side with Trevor and Malik who had Namiko on his arm.
Once her eyes locked with Adonis, she smiled wide and jumped into his arms, "We did it. I can't believe we did it!"
Ember could hear him chuckle as he pecked her lips and placed her down to her feet, "We got a long journey ahead of us though."
"Like you said earlier, we got this."
"Ember, I'm so proud of you girl and you have grown into such a beautiful young woman." Aunt Toryn greeted before Adonis got the chance to respond. Toryn is Ember's aunt through marriage. Uncle Ian's wife. Behind her stood all three of their children, the twin girls Ariel, Avery and then their only son, Kingston.
Ember's eyes lit up once they landed on her aunt, "Aunt Toryn! I've missed you so much."
They shared a tight embrace for a couple minutes.
"How are you doing sweetie?" Toryn asked.
"I'm good."
"Are you sure?"
Ember nodded.
"I'm just one phone call away if you need anything, love. You know that I'm always here for you. I got you a gift. I saw it and thought of you."
"Thank you so much." She accepted the gift bag from her aunt before greeting her three cousins who had gifts as well. She was a little shocked that Ariel got her something because of how much Ariel disliked her. "Where's uncle Ian?"
"He's making funeral arrangements." Ariel says.
"Funeral arrangements?"
"Ariel, please don't ruin a good moment." Avery pushed her twin sister.
"Well, I thought she fucking knew."
"Knew what?"
The two girls were quiet as they looked at her with sorrow.
"Ariel, Avery, tell me." Ember demanded. She was becoming tired of everyone keeping secrets from her as if she were a little girl.
Toryn was a few feet away, conversing with Draya and Kingston had found his way over to Damien, and Jacoby. That left Ember standing with her twin cousins alone.
"I think that's aunt Sahara's place to explain that to you." Avery said.
"Well, my mom isn't here." Ember tells them.
"I couldn't miss my only daughters high school graduation. That only comes once in a lifetime."
The familiar voice that she heard earlier in the sea of people was in her ear again. Her eyes watered as she turned around to face her.
Her mother.
Sahara stood there dressed in all black. Her hair was pulled into a simple mid ponytail. While away in jail, she lost some weight. She would fit right in with the teenagers standing on the field.
Ember's words were caught in her throat. She didn't know whether or not to be excited that her mother was free or upset for not being told.
Just a few seconds of silence flew by before Ember burst into tears. She felt her mother hug her, tightly. This was her second time crying today. Her emotions were everywhere since life had been so overwhelming lately. She had never cried this much in her life.
The tears wouldn't stop falling.
"Everything is okay, now, I can promise you that. We have a lot to talk about. I'm not here to try and ruin a good day for you so we can talk later or whenever you feel comfortable. I'll be at Draya's for a while." Sahara says.
Ember took a step back from her mother who held her hand. Taking a deep breath, Ember finally found her words, "Can we talk tomorrow? I just want this day to be drama free and have a good time with my family for once. I at least deserve that."
"Okay. I heard that you have plans after this so, I'll be at your aunts."
"Come to the dinner with me, please."
Sahara smiled a little, "Baby girl, I'm not showing my face where I wasn't invited with people that don't like me."
"Well, I'm inviting you because you're my mother. I don't care what anyone else thinks or how they feel. At least I'll have one parent here to celebrate with me. This day means a lot to me." Ember tells her.
There was a brief silence before Sahara spoke again, "Okay. I'll come only if that witch doesn't say anything to me."
"Mom, stop. Please." Ember knew that her mother was referring to Katrina. The two of them being in the same room would be a disaster. She was hoping that they could put their differences aside.
At least for tonight.