Scenes in this chapter may trigger some readers.
Reader discretion is advised. 🦋
Sippin' on the rocks, only way with us
This kinda love dangerous when there's nothing else to lose
So don't make me wild out
Got 99 problems, what's one more?
50 feet get you touched at your front door
| DJ Khaled - Just Us
"Okay, that's enough," Crystal laughed through all the pictures Dom was snapping of her.
"Just one more," Dom chuckled, snapping more pictures of her before putting his phone away, "You never wear your hair in a bun."
"Do you see how big my head looks?" Crystal frowned, "That's the number one reason why I don't wear it."
"Yeah, you right. You got a dome on you," Dom teased, making Crystal straight face him as she stood, "I'm just playing with you."
Crystal rolled her eyes as Dom pulled her into his side, walking amongst the halls of their high school. The school day was coming to an end and both Crystal and Dom were getting ready to go to the respective sports practices. Crystal had track practice while Dom was busy waiting on basketball practices to start up. Both of them had fifteen minutes before each practice had begun, and they made it their obligation to spend that time together.
As they paraded down the hall towards Crystal's locker, she could feel eyes burning into the side of her face. A few stares were common for them because many of the other teenagers found them to be such an odd couple. While they were both student athletes, their personalities were polar opposites.
Dom was a loud goofball; responsible for being the life of the party and having a plethora of friends who never had an issue speaking his mind. He was known for his larger than life personality that never seemed to fail to have people tearing up from how hard they were laughing at him. Crystal was much more introverted though and it was obvious. She didn't have friends, in fact Dom was her only friend after the incident at that party during the summer. She wasn't known for cracking jokes or being vocal, rather known for sitting by herself quietly and keeping her head buried in the books.
Many people who attended the school thought Dom would end up with someone like Yasmine—the captain of the cheer team who was just as popular as him while being the same age. Seeing him grow close with the fifteen year old was a shock to many, even Dom himself, but there was something about Crystal that struck him the night they met at that party. While everyone else saw her as a quiet girl who had the brains, beauty, and brawn, Dom saw past all of that. He found out what penetrated the surface was a girl just as goofy as him who could make anywhere on earth, even a cardboard box, feel like home.
Crystal never saw herself being with Dom either. Not because she felt as though she wasn't enough for him or because she was younger, but because she never saw herself having a boyfriend. She was used to talking to Remi about avoiding boys as if they were the plague; Dom though, Dom was different.
Dom never failed to put a smile on her face, no matter what the circumstances were. It may have been because he was reciting corny dad jokes he found online or because he was hollering her name just as loud as Remi would when he was the only one who could make it to one of her meets. With a demanding father who put her down and a mother who got walked over as if she was a doormat, Dom was her escape from the depressing home environment she lived in. Not only was he her best friend, he was her protector.
"Can I get my face back bro?" Dom jerked his head back at one of the boys who was burning holes at the side of his head as he waited by Crystal's locker. Quickly the boy looked away and let his feet carry him at the speed of light to the other end of the hall.
"Stop," Crystal nudged him, quickly grabbing her duffle bag and slamming her locker door shut. She hated how vocal he was to other people because he came off as rude, but she knew he had no ill-intentions. He just hated the fact people were so concerned with him and her rather than their own business.
"What? He was starin' at me like I killed his puppy or something," Dom screwed up his face in dismay while Crystal chuckled and shook her head.
"Whatever, can we just go get my Sun Chips before practice?" Crystal poked out her bottom lip, scratching the inner corner of her eyes.
"I can't believe you willingly eat Sun Chips," Dom scrunched up his face, "Out of all the chips the corner store has—Doritos, Hot Cheetos, Funyuns—You willingly pick Sun Chips."
"The harvest cheddar is the best kind!" Crystal persisted in defense of her favorite chip. Dom couldn't stand the smell of Sun Chips much less the taste of them.
"I swear, I'm dating a serial killer," Dom shook his head with a laugh, grabbing a hold of her hand.
"You just might be," Crystal winked at him, making him smack his teeth with a laugh.
With their fingers intertwined, Crystal and Dom made their way out of the school and over to the corner store that was a few blocks away from the school.
"Hey, I talked to my dad for you," Dom looked over at Crystal, "He said if you could get your papers from the school and have them signed by the board of Education, he can have you answer phones on the weekends for him. It's only minimum wage but it'll help, right?"
Crystal smiled wide and nodded, "Oh my God, yes! Y'all are the best. Remind me to get the papers tomorrow, please?"
"Of course," Dom laughed at her excited reaction before licking over his lips, "Did you talk to your sister about fronting you the money?"
Crystal pursed her lips together before shaking her head. While she knew her sister would give her anything she asked for, she couldn't find it in her to ask her for a thousand dollars for a volleyball camp that was held in Florida. It was an exclusive event filled with the top players across the country that she had managed to get invited to, but it wasn't free. Samuel had told her he didn't think she should go and focus on her other sports, so he wasn't going to give her the money.
Being only fifteen, Crystal's job options were limited and she only made so much money tutoring kids. It was why having Dom's father offer her a job was so exciting because she could save up the money herself. Dom had came up with the idea of asking Remi, and while it sounded good, Crystal was nervous to do so.
Money was nothing to play with, especially playing with someone who worked very hard for their money. Unless Crystal knew for sure she could pay Remi back, she didn't want to fix her lips to even ask for ten dollars. While Remi drilled the purpose of education into her sister's head, her hard work ethic also rubbed off on Crystal.
"No. I don't want to, it's too much," Crystal shook her head, "Maybe if I can get half and ask her, I'd feel more comfortable."
"You know she'd give it to you in a heartbeat," Dom pulled open the corner store's door open for Crystal, "With or without having half of it. It's not like you're asking her to just give it you anyway, you're saving up to pay her back."
"Yeah, I know," Crystal shrugged, "But I also know she has her own shit going on that she needs her money for. Are you forgetting that she's putting herself through school?"
"Oh, that's true," Dom ran his hand down the back of his neck, "When do you have to have the deposit down?"
"Before the New Year so...Less than a month," Crystal bit down on her lip.
"I'll figure it out. If there's a will, there's a way," Crystal confidently stated, "And I know a Will from my third period math class, so."
Dom gave her a straight face before busting out in laughter, shaking his head, "You're so corny, I can't stand you."
As Dom dragged Crystal over towards the assortment of chips that were up against the wall, her phone vibrated in her back pocket. When she saw her father's name flash across the screen she mentally let out a loud groan of frustration before reading over his message.
I need you to come straight home after school today.
Crystal mugged her phone slightly before fixing her fingers to reply, I have practice until five.
Your coach knows that you cannot make it today, Samuel's reply came back instantly, I expect you to be home within the next fifteen minutes, Crystal.
"Babe, I don't see the kind you eat," Dom furrowed his eyebrows as he bent down to look for the orange bag of Sun Chips Crystal always munched on.
"Just forget it," Crystal mumbled, readjusting her duffle bag on her shoulder.
Noticing the change in her voice, Dom immediately popped up, "We can always try the other store around the corner."
Crystal smiled softly, "No it's not that babe, I just have to go home."
She flashed him her phone, making him squint his eyes to read over the text bubbles, "The hell is so important that you gotta miss practice?"
"I don't know," Crystal shoved her phone into the back of her pants with an attitude, "Maybe the remote is three inches too far for him to grab and he beat my mom so bad she can't move to fucking pick it up!"
Dom had just stayed silent, not knowing what to say in this situation. He came from a home where his mother and father treated each other with the same mutual respect. Typical gender roles that were enforced in Crystal's household weren't enforced in his. His father would cook dinner and his mother would take out the trash, and things of that sort. Their love and respect had ran so deep for one another, Dom couldn't even recall a time where they argued in front of him, if ever. Verbal spats were rare between his parents, and the thought of hitting a woman, especially a woman who birthed his children, never even cross the mind of Dom's father.
Whenever he heard Crystal blow up about her family problems, he felt extremely bad and blessed as the same time. As bad as he wanted to comfort her with words of encouragement, he knew he couldn't because he wasn't in her shoes. How could he tell her it would get better if he wasn't sure it would?
"I'm sorry," Crystal rubbed her temples, as Dom pulled her into a hug, "I just—"
Dom rubbed her back, pecking the top of her forehead, "It's okay, you don't have to explain yourself to me. You have every right to feel how you feel."
Crystal rested her head against his chest for a few seconds, inhaling his scent before pulling away, "I should go before I get in more trouble. Call me after practice?"
"You know I wouldn't wanna do anything else," Dom cheesed, making her blush slightly, "You don't want me to walk you home?"
"No, because that means he's home and if he sees me with you, I don't know how he'll act," Crystal adjusted her bun as Dom nodded in understanding.
After a few pecks on the lips and another goodbye, Dom and Crystal were headed their separate ways. Crystal's house wasn't far from the school at all, in fact it was in walking distance and Crystal hated that. Not only did it mean she had to walk to school every morning, it meant she had to walk even if she was half dead from the lack of sleep the night prior.
By the time she had approached the front door, she could see her father's BMW stationed in the driveway and it made her mentally sigh. She hated when he was home before her because that meant they had to have an exchange of words. Crystal never knew what Samuel she was getting when she entered her home. One day it could be flashbacks of the man she remembered growing up with; loving, funny, and caring. Other days it would be an angry man who snapped at every move made within the house.
The constant flip of emotions within the house made Crystal lock herself up in her room a hundred percent of the time with no desire to interact with anyone but her two-year-old brother.
"I'm home!" she called out, placing her duffle bag down before kicking off her shoes by the front door.
Within seconds of her arrival, her father had popped up from out of the kitchen with an unreadable look on his face. It wasn't like he was angry, but she knew he definitely wasn't happy either.
"Sit down," he instructed, skipping past any type of formal introduction.
Crystal did as told, sitting down on the couch in front of him. She watched as her father eyed her, biting down on the side of his lips as his nostrils began to flare. He was obviously holding back from cursing her out to not try and scare her off.
"Let me see your phone," he demanded, rubbing his hands together.
Crystal was hesitant, but obliged—handing her phone over to her father. She knew for a fact she didn't have Dom saved under any pet names for this very instance, but if he scrolled through their message thread, she'd be screwed. What she didn't know though, was that Samuel could care less for Dom's name because he wasn't searching for those messages. He was more concerned with finding her messages with Remi.
"What's the passcode?" he questioned, his thumbs dancing over the screen."
"4422," she replied quietly.
Samuel unlocked the phone, immediately heading over to her call log before going through her contacts and messages. No matter where he looked though, he couldn't find it and he was growing angry.
"Where's Remi's name?" he questioned, finally looking up at her.
At the mention of Remi's name, Crystal felt her heart drop but she didn't let it show. She kept her cool composure, trying to play it off as if she was confused.
"What?" Crystal scrunched up on her face. Also for instances like this, Remi's name wasn't saved under Remi. It was saved under, Krista (Lab Partner). Crystal typically deleted the texts and calls between her and her sister, but just in case she slipped up she knew not having Remi's name in her phone would save her ass.
"Don't play stupid with me, Crystal Noel Graham," he recited her government name with a clenched jaw, "I know you've been talking to her, where is her name?"
"I don't talk to Remi. I haven't talked to Remi since the day you kicked her out the house," Crystal straight faced him. There was one thing she got from Samuel and it was the ability to lie—she could do it in her sleep.
"These are the games you wanna play, Crys?" Samuel let out a bitter chuckle, now getting frustrated.
"The only games I play are volleyball and softball sir," Crystal shifted in her seat, "I'm not sure if track counts."
Samuel's jaw clenched at his daughter's remarks, making him ball up his fist, "I'm giving you one more time to tell me the truth, or else."
"Or else what?" Crystal frowned, "I am telling you the truth. I haven't spoken to Remi since the day you kicked her out. I barely remember what she looks like since you got rid of all the pictures with her in them, what makes you think I know her number?"
It got quiet for a few moments as Samuel closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. While his daughter was convincing, what Remi had said to him back at the club was telling. He knew he instilled fear into Kimberly to the point where she wouldn't even tell God about what he was doing to her, but Crystal was a different story. He had spoiled Crystal rotten throughout the first thirteen years of her life, and it made her think she was untouchable. Talking to Remi behind his back made perfect sense for her to do.
"Get out," Samuel cursed, throwing her phone down on the floor.
"Wh-What?" Crystal stammered, a bit taken back.
"Get out," Samuel repeated, "You want to associate with a whore like your sister and be sneaky just like her, you can go make yourself comfortable in her home. Get out right now."
"I haven't been talking to her!" Crystal shouted, now feeling her voice crack. As much as she hated her home, she was only fifteen and knew she couldn't really go anywhere else. Just like she didn't want to burden Remi about the thousand dollars, she didn't want to burden Remi by having to live with her.
"You think I'm stupid?" Samuel stood to his feet, inching closer to Crystal, "Huh? You think I don't know you told your sister about what happened within the four walls of our home?"
"Da-Dad," Crystal was starting to get scared, and her front of trying to be bold was slowly tumbling down.
"You must want to live with the bitch, because that's what telling her all of our business is gonna do. It's gonna let the state take you away and you'll be living with her! A broke ass whore who shakes her ass for money!" Samuel was practically in his daughter's face, yelling to the point where foam was forming at the corner of his mouth, "So go! Go live with her! Go be a whore, just like her!"
Crystal didn't say anything because she was sure now if she did, she'd dig herself further into a hole that she tried to jump over.
"Get out!" Samuel screamed in her face, specks of his spit flying onto her face.
With a shaky stance, Crystal stood to her feet and started to move away from her father. She was scared to the point where she didn't even care anymore, she just wanted to get out of Samuel's presence.
"Sammy, no!" she could hear her mother speak up on her behalf, coughing as she spoke, "Crys get back over here."
Crystal turned and looked at her mother—her usually coily hair practically gone, brown skin looking sickly, and bruises and dried up blood burned into her body. It was as if she was a halloween decoration: a zombie who had been beat by a group of people. The sight of Kimberly like this broke Crystal's heart.
"If she says she isn't talking to Remi, she isn't—" Before Kimberly could finish her sentence, Samuel's hand flew across her face, sending her to the floor.
An immediate whimper had left Kimberly's mouth as her weak body curled up into the fetal position. It was a position that she found out limited the amount of blows she could feel that were delivered by Samuel's powerful hands. His large foot found it's way against Kimberly's side, making her cry out in pain.
"Don't touch her!" Crystal shouted, rushing up to her father and pushing him away. Hearing her mother finally speak up, did something to Crystal, and it broke her heart to see her sick mother be beat on by a man as strong as her father, "Get away from her!"
When his body had stumbled a few inches, Samuel immediately felt his jaw clench and fist ball up. Not only did he feel disrespected by Kimberly speaking out against him, the feeling of Crystal putting her hands on him made something inside of him snap just a bit more. Samuel felt as though nobody should touch him like that, especially a woman.
As Crystal bent down to try and help her mother up off the ground, Samuel grabbed her by her hair, dragging her off of her mother and against the hardwood floors. Crystal yelled in pain as his large hand pulled at her hair, making tears well up in her eyes.
"Get off of me!" Crystal screamed.
Samuel didn't listen and instead sent a blow to his daughter's side that was so painful, her scream came out silent. It was almost like she could feel her rib crack at the blows he was pounding into her as if she was a grown man. Kimberly tried to get up, but fell right back to the floor—her body too weak to get up to try and stop Samuel.
"Stop it! Stop hitting her! Me, hit me instead! It's my fault!" Kimberly groaned out, trying to get his attention. It was to no avail though as Samuel kept hitting Crystal, her cries and screams filling the room.
The only thing Kimberly could do is the thing she had done for years—sit back and watch as Samuel did as he pleased to make himself feel like more of a man.
"Omari!"
Remi's voice had shouted throughout his penthouse, making him look over towards the door. Her voice wasn't it's usual gleeful and soft tone, rather it was the complete opposite. He knew that, combined with the fact she was just now stopping by at damn near seven the next night with no Shadow was a tell tale sign that she was not happy.
"Uh-oh," Brayden looked up at his father with wide eyes while shaking his head, noticing Remi's tone.
"Yeah, that definitely doesn't sound good," Omari scrunched up his face, before calling back out to her, "We in here!"
Remi had stormed into the kitchen but when she noticed Brayden looking up at her, she calmed herself down and bent down to his level. It was one thing to be mad, but she didn't need Brayden seeing that side of her. He was just starting to open up and the thought of scaring him into silence wasn't a good feeling.
"Hey Bray," she smiled at him, sticking out her hand.
He gave her the high five that was becoming their thing as he smiled up at her.
"Wanna color, while I talk to daddy?" Remi pointed into the pile of coloring books and crayons that were in the next room.
"Yes," Brayden nodded.
"Okay, go head," Remi nodded, making him run off into the living room.
Omari looked up at her as he shut the sink off, drying off the last dish he needed to watch, "Hey babe."
"Don't hey babe me," Remi squinted her eyes at him before shoving her phone in his face, "What does this say Omari?"
Omari scrunched up his face as he read the message from Kelly across her screen, "An anonymous donation was made to your account, you're set through your next semester and your entire senior year. You got the money Rem! No L.O.A needed! Wow babe! That's crazy! Congratulations!"
"Don't do that," Remi gritted, locking her phone and placing it on the table, "Don't try to act coy with me Omari."
Omari tossed his hands up in the air, jerking his head back, "What did I do?"
"I know it was you!" Remi screeched, trying her hardest not to jump at him.
"What?" Omari twisted at his curls and immediately, Remi smacked his hand down, getting frustrated.
"You're pissing me off," Remi clenched her jaw, "We have a conversation that I'm struggling financially with school, and all of a sudden, my tuition is paid by someone making an anonymous donation. You think I'm stupid or something huh?"
Omari scratched the back of his neck, taking a seat down at the table. He could sense Remi was getting irritated with his constant deflecting, so he spoke up truthfully, "Technically, I gave the money to Jeremiah who then made the donation. It's a good tax write off."
"You must think I'm a fucking joke," Remi laughed bitterly, throwing her hands up in the air, "Is that what I am to you? A fucking joke?"
"This was not the reaction I was expecting," Omari mumbled to himself, watching as Remi paced back and forth in anger. He expected some reluctancy from her at first, but he thought after a few minutes she'd be happy and jumping into his arms. Instead, seeing her genuinely be angry confused the hell out of him.
"Why would you do that?" Remi looked at him as if he had four heads, "You know you can't get your money back right? I tried to send it back, and I can't! How am I supposed to pay you all that money back, Omari?"
"Why would I do it? You barely wanted to have a conversation about me trying to help you, so I knew going behind your back would be the only way to help you!" Omari answered in a 'duh' tone, "And who said anything about paying me back? I didn't do it to be paid back."
"No," Remi shook her head, beginning to dig through her bag for money, "I'm paying you back."
"I don't want you to pay me back," Omari repeated himself, "Why do you keep insisting that you have to?"
"Because I don't want you holding it over my head!" Remi shouted at him, her voice cracking, "I don't need you throwing the fact that you paid for me to go to school in my face when we're arguing or something! I don't need that! So I'm paying you back!"
Omari jerked his head back letting his hands go up in the air in confusion, "Hold it over your head? You think I'd do that to you?"
Remi got silent and the next thing he could hear were her sobs, making him lick over his lips as his eyebrows became knitted together. He was just as hurt as he was confused because he didn't know why Remi would think such a thing of him. He didn't want to hold anything over her head, he just wanted to show her that he believed in her and was ready to show her that at all costs. It wasn't like he didn't have the money either, it barely put a dent in his savings after all the money he had made on the market the past week.
"Sit down, Remi," he instructed, pulling out the chair that was next to him.
Remi obliged and sat down, looking up at him. She was trying her hardest to hold back her tears, but she wasn't sure how well she was doing due to how many times his thumb had wiped away the wet drops that were cascading down her face. Omari hated watching her cry because it did something to him that wasn't pleasant.
"Stop crying," Omari whispered softly, "Stop it, and let's talk. No cursing, no yelling, none of that immature shit. Let's sit down and talk, like adults. Okay?"
"O-Okay," Remi quietly responded, locking eyes at him.
Omari grabbed her hand into his, letting his thumb rub over the back of her hand, "You really think I'd throw something like that in your face?"
Remi shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed seeing how genuinely hurt Omari seemed to be. After her conversation with Samuel and thinking back on her mother, she was a bit on edge about everything. While she loved and believed Omari was a good man, she had remembered a point in time where she idolized Samuel as her father figure. The last thing she wanted was Omari to constantly mention he was the reason she go to go through college.
"You know how much you do for me that you could throw in my face?" Omari tilted his head at her before counting on his fingers, "You've accepted my past; my crazy, horrible, past that's haunted me for years. You've lifted me up and gave me the love I craved. You've taken in my son and treat him like he's yours. You wake up in the morning and cook breakfast while taking his vitals as if you're super woman! Not to mention, those hot garlic wings you make for me when I'm hungry..."
He watched as a small smile formed on her face and he poked at her side, "There goes my baby's pretty smile."
"Stop," Remi blushed, pushing away his hand.
"Seriously babe," Omari tilted her chin up with his finger so that she was looking in his eye, "I would never throw that in your face or hold it over your head. I'm not no lil' ass boy who needs to do that or hold that type of power over you."
"So why did you do it?" Remi whispered quietly. She felt as if there was a reason. There had to be a reason. Was Samuel right? Would she forever owe him?
"'Cause I believe in you!" Omari laughed gently, "I see the way your eyes light up when you're talking about freakin' blood pressure medication, and how invested you are in making sure Brayden gets the right treatment, and all that other nurse stuff you do. You were built for this and I didn't want to let anything stop you, especially money. Hell, Jeremiah was one upin' me, investing in his woman, so it was only right I invest in mine."
Remi was trying to fight back her tears, and her bottom lip quivered as she spoke, "T-Thank you."
"You really wanna pay me back?" Omari raised a 'brow and Remi reluctantly nodded her head, "Then walk across that stage with your head held high. That's the only type of payment I want from you. No money, just success."
"Okay," Remi smiled softly, pressing at the base of her eyes, "I will. I promise."
"Spit shake?" Omari questioned with a laugh, making Remi scrunch up her face in disgust and shake her had.
As Remi fiddled with her thumbs, her silence was telling for Omari. The way she sat slouched in her seat while trying to avoid eye contact with him made it obvious that something was still bothering her.
Omari sat up in his seat, tapping against the table, "Why do you think I'd throw that in your face Rem?"
"'Cause I seen it happen to my mom," Remi looked up at him with eyes brimmed with tears, "She fell in love with man who gave her the money and paid for my grandfather's treatments, she stopped working and let him provide, and now she's stuck in a predicament no woman should ever have to be put in because he holds that power over her. Without him, she's nothing, and now I'm picking up the pieces to try and get her and my siblings out of there. I don't want to be my mom. I don't want to be nothing."
"You are not your mother," Omari assured her, "You were something before me, and you always will be something. Don't compare me to a man that does those type of things, that's not me and you know that."
"Omari, I've never gotten help from anyone," Remi began to open up finally, "From the moment I got kicked out, I did what I needed to do to survive. Everything I have, I've worked my ass off for and did it on my own. I'm used to doing it by myself because I don't want anyone saying that they did it for me."
"That's 'cause you ain't never been apart of a team before," Omari licked over his lips, "You and I? We're a team. That means the same way you go so hard for me, and helping me, I'm going to do the same for you. Put your pride to the side, and let me help you! It isn't just you anymore Rem, it's us, and you have to understand that."
"I know, but—"
"No," Omari cut her off, shaking his head, "There is no buts. I got you and you got me. This isn't the one-sided energy you were accustomed to growing up. I'm gonna let you work, I'm gonna let you do you, but when you need it, I'm gonna step up and be the man you need me to be. I'm going to be your man. You hear me?"
Remi had to squeeze her legs shut just a bit as she looked Omari over and nodded her head, "I hear you."
"And since we're a team, you know what that means?" Omari pressed his lips together.
"What?"
"It means no more trying to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders alone," he looked her up and down, "Your pain is mine, and we gon' get through it together. No more of that closed off, feeling like you have to fight battles on your own. I'm here to fight with you, babe."
Remi nodded and just pressed her lips against his, making him give her a small smile. He loved when they kissed—it felt like fireworks every time.
"Now, you wanna tell me what it is that you have to do for your mother and siblings?" he questioned. He was more than willing to give Shawn a call if need be.
"Can we talk about it tomorrow?" Remi let out a little sigh. Right now she was happy, she felt grateful, and didn't want to have to think about what her mother was going through, as selfish as it may have sounded.
"Whatever you want," he pecked her lips once more, "Let's go color with Bray."
‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵
By the time the next day had rolled around, the couple and Brayden found themselves enjoying the day together. With Omari and Remi having classes, they were practically doing shifts with Brayden. While Omari went to class and to talk to Dr. Reynolds about his job in the morning, Remi practiced sight words with Brayden. In the afternoon, Omari took him to the park and the pet store to get some stuff for Shadow's arrival. Now, they had found themselves getting ready to enjoy dinner together.
Omari wrapped his arms around Remi's waist as she stood in front of the stove, resting his face in the crook of her neck, "I have a proposition for you."
"And what's that proposition Omari?" Remi questioned.
"Stay here for a lil' bit," Omari let his fingers dance against her hips, "Move out of your apartment and help me with Brayden here until you can find something smaller. It's not something permanent because that may be a big step for you to want to take, but it's something to consider temporarily."
Remi would have said yes, but she thought about her younger sister who she told could stay with her whenever she pleased. It was one thing to have Omari invest in her, as he put it, but a completely different thing to have him have to take in her and her family, "I—"
The sound of her phone ringing cut her off, making her stick up her finger, signaling Omari to hold on. The number that flashed across her screen wasn't saved, but something compelled her to answer it.
"Hello?...Oh, hi Dom...No, she didn't...What do you mean she wasn't in school? Was she sick?...She isn't answering your calls?...Samuel?" The drop in Remi's voice could be heard from a mile away as fear replaced her pervious joyous tone, "I'll try to call her, give me a second."
With tears in her eyes, Omari watched as Remi rush to the front door and dial another number on her phone, "Shit. Shit. Shit!"
"Babe, what's wrong?" Omari asked, watching her frantically grab for her keys and shoes.
"Call Royce for me," she shakily told Omari, "Tell her to meet me at my apartment now, I have to keep trying for my little sister. I'll explain when I get back, but please do me that favor."
Before he could protest, Remi pressed her lips against his and ran out of his door as if she was the superhero Flash. Confused and a bit dazed, Omari stood at the door for a few seconds before going to grab his phone to call Royce like she had asked.
_______________
We got a look at Crystal and Dom...How did you feel about her POV? Samuel, her, and her mother?
Remi was pissed that Omari paid for her tuition, but they had a conversation to smooth things over. How do you feel about his choice to pay it? Their conversation?
What do you think about Omari asking Remi to move in temporarily?
Remi knows Crys is in trouble and is on her way...Any predictions? Another new character POV coming and I'm sure y'all know who it is by who Remi said to call.
Vote/comment. Songs in this chapter are on the playlist. Be sure to follow SuGenerisSisters for an exclusive story written by _lataavia and I titled 'Pray You Catch Me.'