*THERE IS MENTION OF SA IN THIS CHAPTER*
"How could you be so stupid?! You fucking lied to me and got kidnapped! Do you know what could've happened to you?! To Kai?! You made me have to put your brother in danger to save your ass!" my mother shouts while pacing.
"I get that I "disobeyed" you but is Kai really the only thing you're worried about? I almost got raped for Pete's sake. Sure you sent him to a death match but he's home, isn't he? Nothing happened to him. Nothing would have happened to him because I stepped in front of him to take that bullet and then someone stepped in front of me." I explain.
She's always been like this. Favoring Kai. I think it's because she blames me for getting Daddy locked up. When he got caught, he was on his way home from getting me ice cream. He kept saying that he didn't feel like going but I was craving it and begging so bad so he gave in.
"You almost got raped. Did it happen? No. Just like "nothing happened to Kai". You're so selfish it's ridiculous." she scoffs.
Oh, wow.
"Ma, are you serious?!" Kai emerges from his room.
"Wow, Pam." I say while backing up. Pam is her real name. I've never addressed my mother by her first name but she doesn't deserve the title as "Mama" right now.
Tears form in my eyes from what she just said. I can't believe this shit. I can't believe she just said that to me.
She throws her hand over her mouth as if it was an accident. "Kia, I'm sorry- I didn't mean it." she tries to walk over to me but I'm not having it.
I storm out of the house and don't even bother closing the door. Outside awaits all of their men, plus Sully.
"Gorgeous, what's wrong? Where you going?" Sully asks but I push past him.
"I'm going to the hospital with Geo if anybody needs me." I open my car door.
"With Geo? Isn't that the dude that broke your heart?" Sully questions with a disgusted look.
"No, he's the dude that took a bullet for me." I get in my car and drive off. I know someone's gonna follow me but they won't be able to get in.
At the hospital:
I open the door and see Geo getting put on his clothes with help from Kiana. He's putting his shirt on and lord have mercy, the abs, the tattoos. All of it is sexy as hell. Even the new bandage from the bullet wound.
"Princess, why are you back? You just left." he asks while pulling his shirt on over his head.
"How'd you know it was me?" I question.
"By the way you opened the door. It was gentle and I just knew." he answers.
Hm.
I'm supposed to hate him but I'm not doing much of that right now.
"That's weird." I say while walking in and closing the door.
"If me noticing your presence is weird, then I'm one weird bastard. I love it when I can feel that you're near me. It gives me the sense of peace."
I walk over to him and I can feel Kiana side eying me. I glance over at her and she isn't even trying to hide it. She must have a thing for Geo.
"What's wrong, you look like you've been crying." Geo asks.
"Nothing; why are you getting dressed? You got shot yesterday and there's no way they should be letting you go right now." I ask, puzzled.
"Money can buy you anything, beautiful. Now, why the hell are you crying?"
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"Obviously you do if you came to see the guy you hate the most for the second time today."
He's got a point. I do wanna talk about it but I don't. It's so embarrassing, you know? And Kiana's in here and it's making me uncomfortable.
"When I went home, a lot went down with my mother. I don't really wanna get into details right now." I kind of signal at Kiana's attendance.
"Thank you for staying with me, Kiana; but could you wait outside for a moment-"
"No, no, no. It's okay. I'm good. Don't worry about me, I'm a thug." I flex a muscle trying to joke my way out of the situation.
"Sure you are," he says before grabbing my waist and pulling me between his legs. "You're so pretty." he smiles.
I don't smile. I have to stay away. And he's making this girl hate me more than she's showing.
"Come on, princess; don't be like that. You know you wanna smile. Let me see that dimple." he cheeses. Ugh, he's so annoying.
I crack a small grin.
Kiana clears her throat and that makes me back up from Geo. As soon as I back up, the door opens. It's Sully.
"Sully, what the hell are you doing here?" I walk over.
"Hey, gorgeous. Your brother sent me here with you,"
"How'd you get in?"
"Money. These gas prices are high as hell these days, girl." he smirks. I laugh.
"Geo." He stands behind me with his arm stretched out and introduces himself sternly.
"Sully."
They shake hands. The eye contact is strong.
"I'm gonna go ahead and leave... Sully, you too." I force him to turn around.
"Are you going back home, princess? Before you do, tell me what happened to you. Let's talk outside." Geo starts walking out of the door without letting me talk so I follow.
On the balcony of the hospital:
"What happened, beautiful?"
I take a deep breath. I don't know if I wanna tell him.
"Princess, you can trust me. I just took a bullet for you, dammit." he reads my mind.
Yeah, he has a point I guess. "In a nutshell, when Kai took me home, my mother yelled at me for acting irrational for meeting you. She blamed me for Kai being there, which was expected of a black mother when it comes to her son. Afterwards, I explained to her how Kai was there but didn't get hurt because of us, mainly you. Also how I almost got raped and she blamed that on me too. She basically said, "you almost got raped. Did it happen? No. Just like nothing happened to Kai." She didn't care at all how that shit is affecting me. I don't even know how it's affecting me. It bothers me a lot, yeah but she's right. It's not like anything happened."
"Just because nothing happened, doesn't mean it was okay. And it doesn't mean you don't get to have feelings about it. He was wrong and touched you after you said no; that's more than enough reason for you to be mentally fucked up. Your mother is a total... meanie for that." He wanted to call my mother a bitch so bad. I do too.
"I know but what if something did happen to Kai? It would've been my fault. I shouldn't have met up with you, Geo. I'm glad I did because we cleared our misunderstanding but look at what happened. You got shot. All of this happened because of me. The South wanted me and everyone, even some of your people, got hurt. This shit is so crazy." I throw my head back while choking back tears.
"Princess." Geo pulls me into his chest.
"It's all my fault," I sob.
"Nobody blames you. Not people from my side and I know for sure not people from yours. If anything, your people blame me." he jokes.
"You should blame me. Look at your stomach," I lift up and see my tears all on his shirt. "And I messed up your damn shirt." I kind of sigh with a small laugh.
"When I take you on another date to the mall, you can buy me another one." Another date? I don't know about that.
"You gonna let this bum take you out after all he did to you? After the moment we just shared the other day?" Sully comes and says. No, we didn't fuck.
"I didn't even respond."
"You didn't have to. Man, you been playing me this whole time. Something told me your trifling ass was gonna get back with him." Sully says.
What's up with everybody talking bad about me today? And to my face? I was partially okay with Mama and it was expected but to hear this coming from Sully. It hurts.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Geo starts to heat up.
"Geo, I don't have time time for this. Let it go and go home." I start walking away.
"Where are you gonna go? Are you going back home?" Sully asks.
"Don't talk to me. My whereabouts are far from your concern now."
When I open the door I hear Geo's fist hit Sully's face along with a grunt. I immediately turn around and get him inside, leaving Sully on the ground. Wait until Kai finds out what he said. He's a dead man walking after that statement.
Geo went to see Kiana off before we walked to our cars together.
"Where are you going to stay tonight?" he asks while standing in front of his car door.
"I'm not sure yet. Probably with one of my friends."'
"Probably? Hell no. Call them right now and see for sure." he demands.
I'm not one to take orders but I really should find out so I call. Neither one of them picked up. Probably sleep or ignoring me like I ignored them. Both are reasonable.
"You can stay at my house." he offers. Not with his dad, hell no.
"Oh, hell no. Thank you for the offer, but I'll sleep in my car before I stay in the same house as your father."
He chuckles, "I live alone, princess. Leave your car here; we can ride together." he walks around to the passenger side and opens the door for me.
I think the reason I went with him is because Sully is out of the picture. Right now, Geo's the only one here for me and it feels nice to be cared about, whether it's real or not. I know it sounds pathetic, sure, but I don't care.
At Geo's house:
"There's five spare bedrooms. I bet you want your own so you can have the one next to mine. I'll go get you some clothes so you can shower, okay?"
His house is big as hell and decorated so nicely.
"Princess, do you hear me?"
"Oh, yes. Thank you."
I follow him and we end up in a room; this must be his. He walks over to his dresser and pulls out a pair of sweatpants and then to his closet and gets a hoodie.
"I know you don't have underclothes but the stores are closed because of the recovery of the pandemic and everything." he says while handing them to me.
"It's okay; I don't usually wear underwear like that unless I'm out and I can re-wear my bra." I say.
"You- do you have underwear on right now?" he questions.
"If I answered that, I'd have to kill you. But I need a towel and washcloth." I change the subject.
I, in fact, do not have on panties right now. I planned to come straight back home yesterday but the south bitches had other plans for me.
____
I walk out into the kitchen and living room area to find Geo on the couch.
"Hey, I'm out." I say.
"Oh, okay," he turns around and looks at me. I don't have the sweatshirt on; it's too hot in here. "My pants are hanging off of your waist." he laughs.
"Ha-ha very funny." I plop down next to him.
"Has anyone called you?"
"Nope."
His faint smile fades and he looks at me with sad, yet angry eyes.
"It's okay, though. I'll go get my stuff when they're not home and get my own place. I should've moved out a while ago anyway but Kai wouldn't let me leave." I shrug.
"Stay here with me. I'll help you get your stuff and everything." Geo offers.
I don't think I can do that. I'm still big hating on him for what he did but I know he didn't really have a choice. What if his father comes here? Then what?
"I don't know, Geo. Does your father come by here often?" I ask while crossing my legs.
"No, not really. He has come by a few times but when he shows up unannounced, I turn him away. If you stay with me I won't let him in at all."
I lean on the back of the couch and prop my head up with my arm.
"If I stay here, you have to let me pay bills and buy food."
"Absolutely not."
I knew he was gonna say that.
"Then I'm sleeping on the streets!" I throw a finger up. I like to help out in a household. I wanna pay bills too, as weird as it sounds. I'm ready to become an adult.
"You're such a guilt-tripper." he squints.
"And is-" my phone rings from on the counter.
We both rush to see who it was.
My big brother, Kai.