Her arms crossed over her chest as she rolled her eyes. “Both.”
“Good.” She took another step back, and I took another step forward. “Do you want to be with me?”
Her mouth opened and shut as her eyes widened. “I came to vent about people being wrong about us, but I feel like that’s not what’s happening here.”
Chuckling, I shook my head and wrapped my hand around her neck. “Nah, it’s not.”
Pulling her into my chest, I swallowed her gasp with a kiss. A low moan escaped me when she sighed and melted against me. Before I could deepen the kiss, Jayla pulled away and walked backward toward the door.
“W-what the helly?” she questioned quietly, making me laugh. “Where did that come from?”
“I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“Tonight?”
“No. Ten years ago.”
Cupping her hands in front of her, her head lowered and shook. “I um . . . I have to go, Kayne.”
“Okay. Compose yourself, and we’ll finish this another time.”
She didn’t respond as she quickly made her way out, and that didn’t bother me. Tonight, Jayla opened the door to our next level, and I didnotplan on letting her escape this moment and run away like she normally did.
Two Weeks Later
June
School had been out for a couple of weeks now, and I thought my concern for Mateo and Miley had me seeing things. I’d stopped by McDonald’s to get my mama some fries and an ice cream cone and saw a boy that looked just like Mateo. He was standing by the entrance. I rolled my window down to hear what he was saying to the woman in the car.
“Hi, um, can I sell you this iPad for fourteen dollars so I can get me and my sister some food?”
I scowled and swerved my car behind theirs. “Mateo!” I yelled, gaining his attention. When he realized it was me, his eyes widened before his shoulders slouched and he headed my way. “The fuck are you doing out here, son?”
“My daddy ain’t been home in three days and Miley wanted McDonald’s. I tried to fix her a sandwich or some noodles, but she didn’t want that, and we are out of those frozen meals in the red box.”
“Get in the car,” I directed with more bite in my tone than intended as I unlocked the doors. I wasn’t mad at him, and I certainly didn’t want him to think I was. I was mad as fuck that he was out here asking strangers for shit. He tried to get in the back, but I told him to get in the front. “Where is your father?”
Mateo shrugged as his head hung. “I don’t know. He said he was going out of town because he needed a vacation.”
“And he left y’all at the house alone?”
He nodded. “Yes. He said I’m in charge. We’ve been good. She just wanted something different to eat. I texted Dad and asked him if he could order us something, but he didn’t respond.”
I thought back on how far away his house was from here to calculate the distance. “You walked here?”
“Yes, sir.”
Trying to keep my anger under control, I confirmed, “I thought Mrs. Carla was cooking for y’all?”
“She was, but she got sick, so she didn’t cook anything this past week.”
“And what about the babysitter Sonny said he was going to hire?”
“I don’t know, Mr. Mathis. I guess he didn’t pay her because she hasn’t been at the house with us.”
Pausing the conversation temporarily, I went through the drive-thru to get what they wanted. My anger increased when he said, “I only have six dollars, so just get her a kid’s meal if that’s enough. I’ll eat some noodles when I get home.”
The sadness in his voice couldn’t be denied, but more than that, I had no choice but to respect his willingness to go without to make sure his sister had what she wanted.
