“My dad…”
Marlon’s expression shifted. “Yeah.”
I swallowed. “I don’t even know what happens now.”
“We deal with it,” he said.
“We?” I asked, looking at him closely.
He didn’t hesitate.
“We.”
I nodded slowly. “Okay.”
The room settled into a quieter kind of silence. I looked at him again, taking him in one more time. Making sure I wasn’t imagining it.
“For the record,” I added. “That was the worst launch day ever.”
He let out a low breath that almost turned into a laugh.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
I paused.
“At least it sold out though,” I added.
He laughed deeply. “Of course, that’s all you worried about right now.”
“I gotta take my mind off all this somehow,” I massaged my temples as I spoke. “Or I don’t think I’m gotta me able to sleep tonight.”
“I know, Bunny. I’m so mad that had to happen in front of you. You ain’t deserve to see yo daddy in that light.”
My hand was still wrapped around his arm, my thumb brushing absentmindedly against his skin.
“I’m sorry, Bunny,” he repeated steady and there was regret under it. “You wanna talk about it?”
I shook my head before he could even finish. “No.”
I knew if I started unpacking today’s events, I wasn’t going to be able to stop. And I couldn’t fall apart right now. Not when I just got him back in one piece.
So I pivoted. I leaned back slightly, looking him over again, the bandage and tightness around his eyes sticking out the most.
“You sure you okay?”
“I’ll be alright,” he said, brushing it off like it was nothing. “Small things to a giant.”
I rolled my eyes a little at that, but there wasn’t any real attitude behind it.
“You’re annoying,” I muttered.
He almost smiled.
“I wanna talk about you,” he said instead.
“About me?”
