Liam planted his hand on Lo’s shoulders. “I get it. Being away from home is really an adjustment. I promise you that you will have fun during the upcoming weeks. This week was all about getting to know the camp and now that we’ve gotten the boring stuff out of the way, fun things are on the horizon.” He smiled.
Lo didn’t reciprocate the energy. He didn’t want to hear about what was going to happen in the upcoming weeks. He was suffering now.
“Hey, I haven’t had my one-on-one with you yet. I usually invite kids to my quarters so we can talk about what it is you wanna do at this camp. How about this, you come to my dorm, and we’ll get to know each other better. I also could use your help with my robot, too.” He grinned. “What do you say?”
Lo sighed, tempted to decline. Since he was stuck there for another five weeks, he figured he would make the best of it.
He nodded, making Liam smile broader.
“Great. Meet me at cabin C around seven o’clock, okay?”
“A’ight.”
“See you later, Kylo.”
He walked away, and Lo headed toward his dorm until it was time to meet Liam.
The reveries were no longer making appearances in Lo’s dreams. They were invading his thoughts now. He felt like a prisoner inside his own body. Why couldn’t he escape this trauma? Knowing it was no good for him, Lo should’ve been able to move past this. Why could he conquer everything except his gruesome memories? It was debilitating roving through his existence with this on his mind. It held him back from becoming the man God wanted him to be, but he didn’t know how to fix it even if he had a manual.
Lo pulled out his phone and checked the time. It was a little after one o’clock in the morning when he dialed Bria. Hearing her voice always put him at ease and feeling her touch soothed him in ways he couldn’t put into words. Since hecouldn’t be with her, he decided her voice had to be his therapy for the night.
“Hello?” Her voice was groggy but still sweet.
“You was sleep?” he asked.
“Yeah, I dozed off trying to wait up for you.” She sounded as if she was adjusting her body. “Where are you?”
Lo’s gaze traveled to the guy who was tied up with duct tape covering his mouth. Sweat pooled on his oily face as he whimpered quietly. Lo was sent on a mission to end his existence.
“Working. Why? You miss me?”
“I kinda do.”
He smirked. “Cap. The way you act like I stress you out, I’m sure you be glad a nigga be gone.”
Bria tittered. “You are a lot to deal with but you’re mine so there’s that.”
Her words sounded like a verse to his favorite rap song. Lo needed to hear that. He needed someone to claim him as their own. For years, he felt abandoned. A feeling he wouldn’t wish even on someone he loathed. He hadn’t belonged to anyone in years; not Ada, not Dax and neither of his brothers. Maddy had taken claim over him, but it didn’t feel right. Almost like an obligation since he had distanced himself from his family.
“You still scared of me?”
“No… are you scared of me still?”
“A lil’ bit.”
“Lo, come on. I’ve proven myself to you by now.”
“I know, I’m just… cautious. I gotta protect myself.”
“Even from me?”
He thought about her question for a moment. “Yeah.”
“What happened in your past that made you lose trust in people? I’m on your team, and I’ve been here. I know I haven’t made the best decisions in the past, but neither have you.”
Lo pulled on his beard, staring at the surface while attempting to answer her question without revealing too much. Bria was right, she had been there. Her patience was a virtue that he didn’t know he needed. The desire to let her in was present but the fear of her not looking at him the same halted him from opening that door.
“It’s a lot, and I ain’t ready to talk about it. Just be patient with me, Bria. You don’t know all the shit I’m fighting through to be the man you need. I ain’t never been in this position before so bear with me.”
