“You’ve never had a boyfriend?”
“Not really. We never get past the talking stage because I could really only talk to them at school. If they came over, Rowdy would scare them away.”
I shook my head. “Your brother is a mess, but I understand because Shyne’s the same way. I’ll talk to him for you.”
“Yay!” she cheered while clapping.
“Okay. You need to get back to class. Let me write you a pass.”
I quickly scribbled out a pass for her, and she left. I looked at the time and saw I had ten minutes before my next student was set to arrive. I stood to head to the bathroom when one of my co-workers appeared at my door. He stood with his hands folded across his chest, looking down on me, even though I was standing.
“Hiding in your office today?” Alvin questioned in a condescending manner.
Alvin Greer was a counselor and, from the looks of it, a good friend of Kenai’s. If anyone would come to Kenai’s defense, it would be him because he was an asshole just like his friend.
“It’s good to see you too, Alvin. Glad to be back.”
“I would think after killing someone, you’d be too traumatized to help adolescents solve their life problems.”
This nigga!
“Really? It’s been quite the opposite for me. I’m far from traumatized because I saved myself from being where he is right now. Get the fuck outta my office, and don’t come back unless it’s work-related.”
“You’re not wanted around here, Noelani. Everyone else is afraid to say it, but I’m not. You know damn well you led Kenai on?—”
“Hold up. I’ll stop you right there because that’s a lie. I don’t know what he told you, but I was never interested in his delusional ass. Get away from me, Alvin. Get out of my office and don’t come back.”
“What are you gonna do? Shoot me?” He unfolded his arms and stuck out his chest.
“If I had my gun on me, you’d already be dead.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No, it’s a promise, and that’s the only warning you’ll get.”
Alvin was far from a street nigga, but I suppose in his circle of friends, he may have seemed tough. He would get a bullet to the head just like his friend fucking with me. He slowly backed out of my office, and I sat down, inhaling deeply a few times.
“Rowdy is on his way,” I heard Ramina say, startling me.
“What are you doing back in here? You heard all that?”
“I forgot my folder, and yes, I did. Rowdy heard it too, and he’s on his way.”
“Ramina, are you trying to get my fiancé arrested? You know he’ll come up here and act a damn fool.”
She shrugged. “If he beats that man’s ass, it’ll be worth it. Sorry for cussing.”
“This will not end well.”
When I sawmy sister’s name flashing across my phone screen in the middle of the day, I knew something was up. Ramina had been on her best behavior, and I hoped she didn’t let someone knock her off her square.
I picked up, and what I heard was the last thing I expected. There was no way in hell I’d let another grown man disrespect my woman. I didn’t give a damn if it was a co-worker, a nigga off the street, or her damn daddy.
“I gotta go take care of something. I may or may not come back,” I told my uncle.
“Hold on, Nephew. What’s going on?”
As I headed to my car, my uncle followed me, and I shared with him where I was headed and why.
