Ché
"How you feeling about going back?" Shawn asked looking at me.
Gia was knocked out in the back seat of the car as Shawn and I spoke.
I let out a heavy sigh, "I'm nervous. Maybe a lil scared even." I admitted.
"Gi's brother said he would be with me while I went to get my things but... Ion know, I'm still nervous."
"You want me to go with you?" He asked.
I shook my head, "You be busy."
"I'll make time for you. You know that." He assured. "The people I love come before all this basketball stuff."
I blushed and my heart raced.
"You sure?"
He passed me his phone, "Text 'Jamal' and tell him I need a flight for 3 to ATL for tomorrow."
"For three?"
"Y'all riding with me and I'll just reimburse y'all for the original tickets." He said pulling up his driveway.
"You don't gotta pay us-"
"We both know imma do it anyway." He interrupted, playfully pinching my lips together.
I glared at him, which made him laugh.
When we got back to the house, I woke Gia up and she made a beeline to one of Shawn's guest bedrooms.
"That girl loves to sleep." I chuckled, following him to his master bedroom.
"I'm bouta sleep good as fuck in this bed." I said, stretching.
"How you gon come to my house and take my bed."
"I mean I guess you can sleep on it too if you wanna take a nap." I took off my slides and hopped on his bed, cuddling up with the comforter.
"I mean I guess you ca-" he mocked, taking his shoes and shirt off. "Move over."
I patted the bed on the space that I freed up.
"And don't be snoring in my ear." He added.
"I don't be snoring."
Shawn
"Who don't be snoring? Big headed ass."
I was showing her the video I recorded of her taking a nap the day before.
"That ain't even me for real." She said zipping up her suitcase.
"Mhmmm." I dragged, taking the bag from her and walking towards the jeep.
"You sure you can take this trip?" She asked following me.
"Yes ma'am." I assured. "I already let coach know I'm takin a couple days off and I'll be in the gym while I'm gone."
She hugged him, "Thank you for this."
"You don't needa thank me."
"You know imma do it anyway."
Gia cleared her throat, interrupting our moment.
"Alright let's go."
Gia
Message from Bruno
"Please call me."
He really had some fucking nerve.
Almost 200 missed calls and hundreds of texts.
Why does he think I'd want anything to do with him after what his friend did to my Cita?
"Did I do something?" Another message read.
Did he really not know?
"Um, drinks in the fridge. I gotta make a call." I said to Ché and Shawn as they settled down in my living room.
I hurried to my room.
My heart was racing. I took a deep breath before calling him.
"Ma, what's goin on?" He said immediately after picking up.
"So you don't know?" I questioned.
"Don't know what?" He urged.
"Shawn-"
"Here you go with this Shawn shit again." He interrupted.
"Are you fucking serious?" I said, with wide eyes.
"Look, he ain't shit for beating on her, but he ain't me. I wouldn't ever do that to you."
I stood there, mouth agape. There was no way he was so dismissive about the situation.
"He raped her." I said bluntly.
He gasped, "Wha-"
"And I don't wanna fuck with niggas who are friends with rapists, or think it's not a big deal that their homeboys beat on women."
"Gia I'm sorry, I ain't know."
"Don't ever try to contact me again."
Ché
My heart pounded. My leg was bouncing. My breathing was shaky.
Shawn rubbed my back which helped me calm down a little, but I was still on edge.
It was time for me to go back to the house and get my thing. I don't know how I would have done it alone. Tito pulled into the driveway and I gasped when I saw Tez's car.
"Don't worry, mi amor. I gotchu." Tito said parking and tucking his piece.
He parked, got out of the car, and opened the door for her then his sister. Shawn followed behind him.
"Gimme ya key." He said.
With shaky hands I pulled it out and he took it.
"You got this, ight?" Shawn whispered to me.
Though I was nervous, their presences calmed me.
"You ready?" Tito asked.
I took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah."
He opened the door and took lead. Gia followed behind him and Shawn walked behind me.
All was well until I heard the TV coming from our room. My heart started racing again.
Tito kicked in the door, "Don't say shit, we came fa ha stuff."
"Tuh." Tez scoffed, as he struggled to sit up due to his injuries. "You serious Ché? Weak ass bitch. Can't even come fa ya own shit. Got ya lil boyfriends and this bitch up in my house?
"The fuck I just tell ya bitch ass?" Tito gritted pressing his tool against Tez's neck. "Get ya stuff Cita."
Gia went to the car and got the storage containers. We packed everything we could as fast as possible.
Shawn
"Ight das the last one." I told Tito, who still had his gun to Tez's neck.
"Ight, the girls in the car?"
"Yeah." I entered the room and closed the door. "You gon shoot him?"
"Think I should?" He asked with a grin.
"Shit, yeah." I chuckled. "I shoulda killed his ass when I fucked him up the other day.
"Oh word, you did this?" He said gesturing to his bruised and beaten body with his gun.
I nodded.
"Respect." He said dapping me up.
"Only reason I ain't gon kill ya worthless ass is cause Ché told me not to." He said calmly, tucking his piece. "But if I even dream you tryna talk to her imma do ya shit in."
I started to leave but he called me back.
He whispered his plan to me and I happily followed along.
Tito took his shirt off and wrapped his hand with it. He snatched the empty rod from the closet.
He nodded at me and I grabbed a pillow and covered Tez's face with it.
Tito immediately started striking his legs with the rod.
He screamed as we grinned.
"Try. That. Shit. Again." He yelled, emphasizing each word with a strike to the knees.
He hit him once more, "I fuckin dare you."
He threw the pole down and I followed him out.
Heyyy 🙂 It's been a minute. I got caught up with my other stories and kinda lost interest in this one. I have a lot of things about this book that I don't like, but y'all seem to fw it so imma do my best to put out chapters at an acceptable rate. I appreacite y'all for still messin with the book 🫶🏾