When she rested on his lap with her head on his shoulder, he said, “Let that be the last time you don’t come when I say come.”
She squirmed at his tone. When his voice dropped a few years back, she found it insanely cute. She would never admit that, though. Moolah held her close as they looked through the front windshield.
“There goes one,” she whispered.
They watched as a plane whizzed by them before it skyrocketed into the air. Iskyiah giggled in awe, and Moolah grinned. Neither of them had ever been on a plane before. Thatwould change for Moolah tomorrow. She wished she could go with him.
“I’ma miss this,” Moolah muttered.
She turned her head slightly so she could look at him. “If you and Tey would have stopped huggin’ the block, you could have stayed.”
Disappointment riddled her tone. She knew Moolah felt bad already, and she didn’t want to make him feel worse, but her emotions surrounding his move were big. It was hard to contain them.
“I know, but I ain’t gonna apologize.”
She scoffed. “Wouldn’t expect you to.”
Now, her tone held attitude. She wasn’t even sure why. She didn’t want an apology anyway. She just wanted him to stay, but she didn’t understand how his itchy palm worked. He tried explaining it to her so many times, but because she was such a good girl, her brain couldn’t compute.
His mama had to be a fortune teller because according to Moolah, since he was little, money made his world go around. Moolah didn’t only hug the block. He had a job washing cars, and he worked at NellanNem’s on Sundays doing inventory. He stayed busy, and his pockets stayed laced.
“If I ain’t hug the block, I wouldn’t have been able to buy you this.” He fingered the necklace that rested on her collarbone. It was the one piece of jewelry that she never took off. It was a simple silver chain with a sapphire butterfly, which was Iskyiah’s birthstone.
She sighed in frustration. They both knew what he said was true. His legitimate jobs never could have afforded the necklace.
“Moolah . . .” she murmured. Defeat laced her tone now, and her shoulders slumped.
“Iskyiah,” he mocked, and she smiled weakly. She knew he was trying to lighten the mood.
“Seriously. I’m going to miss you. What am I supposed to do without my best friend?” It was a legitimate question. Outside of Moolah, Iskyiah was a complete loner. She was quiet and didn’t really fit in with any crowd. She was a gem of her own, and Moolah seemed to be the only one to really notice her.
“You still got Tey,” he pointed out.
“I love Tey, but you know we only ever hang out when you’re there too. Plus, she’ll graduate at the end of this year, and I’ll be all alone.”
“What about Hassan?”
Iskyiah snorted. Hassan was five years younger than her but swore he was older. He tried treating her like he was her damn daddy instead of her annoying little brother.
“What about him?”
Moolah chuckled but didn’t respond to that. They both knew nothing he said at this point would change Iskyiah’s mind or feelings.
They sat in each other’s embrace for a few more minutes and watched another plane take off before Moolah spoke.
“You know I love you, right?”
Iskyiah’s body seemed to lose all its tension when he said that. “I know, Lah.”
He grinned. She was the only person who could get away with calling him that. Everyone else had to call him Moolah or Mo.
He kissed her head. “Nah. I don’t think you understand. I love you, Sky. I really love you.”
Iskyiah looked up at him. Her heart suddenly did a funny little dance in her chest as she gazed at his handsome face. His toffee skin was a beautiful contrast to the black scruffy beard that had just started sprouting on his face. His coal-colored eyes pierced into her, and his pink lips looked kissable—not for the first time.
Over the past few years, her body reacted differently to Moolah when she saw him. She always shook it off out of respect for Charles, but at this moment, sitting on his lap and feeling him so close, it felt impossible.
“What are you saying?” she asked in a shaky tone.
