FOUR MONTHS EARLIER! - Flashback

"You crazy bitch"

The voice crackled through the phone, raw with rage. She held it to her ear like a lover's whisper, a soft smile curling her lips as she stared at the flames licking what was left of the house.

The fire glowed bright against the night, orange and red consuming everything Dre owned—his memories, his pride, the things he cared about more than her. The heat kissed her cheeks, and for the first time in months, she felt good.

"What's the matter, Dre?" she purred, her voice smooth as honey. "Something on fire?"

Across the street, she could see him—Andre Kingston—flailing like a man possessed. His shadows on the pavement as he screamed into the night, his voice raw and ugly. She could barely hear him now, though the curses and threats still carried over the crackling fire.

He doesn't even realize it yet, she thought. He already lost me the first time he put his hands on me.

"See how it feels to be beaten down?" she said into the phone, her tone slick as oil.

That shut him up. For a moment, all she heard was his ragged breathing on the other end, like he was struggling to take it all in.

The first time Dre had hit her, she'd been stunned although she didn't expect it. She remembered the ache in her jaw, the way she'd tasted blood on her tongue. He'd apologized—they always do—and promised it wouldn't happen again.

But it had.

If she was honest she could take the beatings. It wasn't new to her. So this really had nothing to do with how he put his hands on her. But for her it was really for the women before her.

She wasn't the first he had hit like that but she wanted to make sure she wad the last. Plus she liked hurting men. Making them feel like they weren't any good because in her eyes they weren't.

"You still there, Dre?" she asked, the phone cool against her ear.

"You're dead, Riri. You hear me? I swear I'm gone kill you."

Sariyah rolled her eyes, leaning back against the concrete wall. "You should focus on that fire, baby. You've got bigger problems than me right now."

A loud crash echoed as part of the house caved in, flames shooting higher into the sky. Dre turned to stare at the destruction, his hands pulling at his dreads, like maybe he could stop it with his bare fists.

She watched him for a second longer—watched his panic, his hopelessness—and then ended the call.



The low hum of the air conditioning was the first thing Kaelix noticed. Then the cheap motel sheets—thin, scratchy, and too warm—clinging to his legs. He blinked awake, groggy, his muscles aching like he'd run a marathon.

Because he had.

For a second, Kaelix didn't know where the hell he was. Then the night before hit him like a sledgehammer: gunshots, masked figures, that run-down motel, and—

Her.

Kaelix sat up fast off the hard couch, his heart hammering again. He scanned the room, his eyes adjusting to the dim light that crept through the blinds.

The smell of mildew and stale smoke hung heavy in the air. Across the room, sitting at the edge of the dingy desk, was Sariyah.

She looked like she'd been there for hours—legs crossed, her long braids tumbling over one shoulder as she focused on the small computer screen infront of her. She didn't look up right away, like his sudden movement didn't surprise her at all. She looked focused, like she was piecing together a puzzle only she could see.

"You sleep loud as hell, you know that?" she said finally, her voice soft.

Kaelix frowned, scrubbing a hand over his face. "You still here?"

Sariyah raised an eyebrow and glanced up at him, her dark eyes unreadable. "Nigga this is my room. Remember?" He didn't truly understand why he was still here, with her.

Kaelix shifted, the couch springs creaking beneath him. "Why didn't you kick me out?"

Sariyah smirked faintly, turning her gaze back to the screen. "Thought about it. But you looked like you needed the sleep."

The funny thing was he was hoping she would. Maybe then he would have to leave and actually deal with the fact that random ass niggas was chasing him.

Kaelix frowned. He didn't know if she was being kind or mocking him. He glanced at the desk again, at her laptop. "What're you doing?"

"Working," she replied, not missing a beat. He nodded trying to figure out what "working" meant.

"Hm, working" he mumbled

She glanced at him, her lips twitching into a half-smile. "You'd be surprised how much business gets done in places like this."

Kaelix pushed himself off the couch with a groan, his shoulders stiff. He walked toward the window and pulled back the edge of the curtain just enough to peek outside. The parking lot was empty, but it didn't calm him any.

"You expecting someone?" Sariyah asked.

Kaelix let the curtain fall back and turned toward her. "Don't worry about it."

She laughed softly, a shrug lifting her shoulders. She didn't press him, just went back to typing, her fingers moving like she had all the time in the world.

Ding.

A soft chime from the laptop caught Kaelix's attention. Something green flashed on the screen—a notification of some kind. She didn't react to it, but whatever she was doing looked... productive.

"You scamming?" Kaelix asked bluntly, his brow furrowed..

Sariyah's smile widened, but she didn't look at him. "And what if I am?"

Kaelix's brow furrowed. He didn't know if she was joking or not.

"Why do you care, anyway?" she added. "You're the one running around tryna get away from whoever chasing you. Right?"

Kaelix tensed at that, his jaw clenching. "Nobody's chasing me."

Her gaze held his, unflinching. Kaelix didn't say anything. She wasn't wrong, but he didn't trust her enough to admit it. Then again, she didn't look like she needed him to.

"Look," Sariyah said after a beat, tilting her head just slightly. "I'm not trying to get in your business. We all got our own shit." She shrugged.

Kaelix studied her carefully. She looked calm—too calm. Like none of this was new to her. The laptop, the motel, the gun still sitting on the nightstand... it painted a picture, but not one he could see clearly yet.

"You always this chill?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Sariyah raised an eyebrow, unbothered. "You always this paranoid?"

"Yeah, when people are shooting at me," he shot back.

The air between them went quiet for a moment. That was the first time he'd admitted it—out loud, anyway—that someone was after him. He expected her to press him for details, to ask who or why, but Sariyah just smiled faintly and turned back to her laptop.

He appreciated that because he truly didn't want to speak on anything that happened last night anyways.

Kaelix ran a hand over his head, exhaling slowly. He didn't know what the hell he was doing here. His body was still telling him to move, to get the hell out, but his feet stayed planted.

"Stay or go," Sariyah said suddenly, her tone light but indifferent. "Doesn't matter to me."

Her words caught him off guard. She didn't sound like she was bluffing. She meant it—if he walked out that door right now, she wouldn't stop him.

But where would he go? He knew whoever was chasing him knew where to find him at home. Plus he had no one to even go back to at home.

Everyone he loved was miles away.

The one woman who had been there since birth—his mother—had up and left, trading him in for a man she barely knew. She didn't even look back. Kaelix was starting to think no one ever did.

What else did he have left?

He looked at Sariyah again. The glow of the laptop painted her face in faint, shifting light, the curve of her lips soft but unreadable. She sat there like she already knew what he was thinking—like she'd seen this game play out a hundred times before.

Kaelix glanced back at the door.

He didn't trust her. Hell, he barely trusted himself these days—But his gut told him this girl was worth being around, for now at least.

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@NYLAATIME

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WORD COUNT : 1,430