“What?” I knew she was staring at me.
“Okaaaaaay! I see you!” she chanted. “Just make sure you never turn down a man’s offer to give you free money while you’re in front of me.”
“Coming from a relationship where a man controlled you with this very thing…” I held up the money for emphasis before continuing. “You’re pretty hesitant to accept it, knowing how much pain and time it cost you.”
Lyric didn’t respond. She simply nodded her head to let me know she understood. Dewayne had used my lack of finances and his abundance of cash to keep me gagged and bound to our relationship. It was the sole reason I’d stayed as long as I had. I didn’t have anything. Barely a dime to my name. He only gave me enough money to pay bills, and he knew how much each of them cost. Whenever anything more was needed in our home, he made me use his debit card.
In a full year, I’d only been able to save four hundred dollars and that was not from his pockets. It was from birthday gifts that I’d returned and small amounts of cash that fell from birthday cards for the girls’ birthdays. Technically, not even that money was mine. It was theirs. We didn’t want for anything, but Dewayne never gave a red cent extra when paying.
The night continued without flaw. My two-drink limit was increased substantially, being the reason I handed the waitress the two hundred dollars with wobbly hands when it was time to pay our tab. Three drinks, two shots, and a hookah, which neither me nor Lyric had ever smoked in our lives.
Cedric had sent it over shortly after our food arrived after first offering marijuana to smoke. We politely declined but accepted the hookah after the waitress demonstrated how it was to be used.
“We don’t need any change,” I told her.
“It’s literally more than two hundred dollars, Ever. Ain’t no change.” Lyric laughed hysterically.
Trying to catch my breath, I zeroed in on the ticket and realized the tab was two hundred and twenty-four dollars. Not only was there not any change, but I hadn’t given her enough. My eyes darted around the lounge in search of Cedric, but his handsome face had disappeared from the section he’d been in all night.
“He told me he’ll handle the rest,” the waitress informed me as she placed a hand on my shoulder to calm my racing heart.
Sighing with relief, I looked at her and nodded. “Thanks. Make sure that he tips you well.”
“He will,” she stated as a matter of fact, letting me know she knew something about Cedric that I didn’t.
“You ready?” Lyric asked, still sniggering.
“I’m ready. Are you sober enough to drive?”
“When I get behind the wheel, I’m about as sober as sober gets. I don’t play with my life. I can’t. My brothers would kill me again if I killed myself and broke their hearts like that.”
Hearing Lyric mention her brothers made my heart warm. She was the youngest of her siblings and though she hardly talked about them, I knew she loved them and vice versa. As I thought more about their closeness, I realized why I’d never heard anything about her oldest brother. He wasn’t around so there wasn’t anything to say about him.
“And, my babies wouldn’t let me rest in peace, so get us to the room safely!”
My phone displayed four missed calls from a blocked number once I tapped the screen to see what time it was. Dewayne had yet to get the point and was still trying to figure out where I’d gone with the girls. I made a mental note to change my cell number as soon as I got the chance. I had yet to, but I would.I’d had the same number for so many years, it would be hard letting it go, but I knew it was necessary.
“We were supposed to be back by two,” I reminded Lyric. “It’s almost four in the morning, Lyric.”
“Time flies when you’re having fun,” she responded with a shrug as we got situated in her truck.
“It does,” I agreed, resting my head on the passenger seat.
TWO
“Ever.”
I could hear Lyric’s voice in the distance.
“Ever!”
It got a bit closer.
“Ever!” Panic stricken, she yelled my name as she shook my body.
For once, I felt like Essence and Emorey – a bump on a log. Lyric had obviously been calling my name for some time, but I was too tired to even hear her. That was happening a lot lately. I can’t remember sleeping as hard as I had been since moving back to Channing. Or maybe it was the fact that I didn’t have to look over my shoulder or worry about Dewayne coming home onhis bullshit,if he came home at all. The peace the move offered me had me sleeping like a baby. Like my babies.
“Yeah?” I groaned, eyes still closed because I wasn’t ready to wake, yet.
