I walked around and hopped on the driver’s side.
“Whatever, I’ll see you later, Bully.”
He nodded, and I backed up, not even giving what was going on there a second thought. As I drove down the street, I got a text from Mr. Groom that made my night. He said that Gio had a bond hearing in the morning, and he wanted him to have a suit.
I texted him back that I got it and turned the car around. I turned the music up and sang,My baby, coming home,to myself.
But when I pulled back into the complex, my mood changed, and the hair on my arms raised. I saw Bully still talking to thebitch that was in front of my door, but she wasn’t in front of my door anymore; they were in the road. And what caught me off guard was that they were talking to each other as if they knew each other.
When Bully noticed that it was my car that was pulling back in, he said one more thing to her, and she walked off while he stood there waiting for me to park.
“Everything okay?” I asked as I was getting out of the car.
“Yeah, like I said, a crackhead, a broke one at that.”
I nodded, letting his lie go.
“The lawyer texted me, Gio got a bond hearing in the morning.”
Bully clapped. “That’s wussup, I will meet you at the courthouse.”
I nodded and walked up the stairs. As I opened the door to the apartment, Bully was still standing out there and waved once I closed the door.
I was headed to the room but stopped and checked the window, watching Bully look around, then walk up the steps to his place. I wasn’t so much worried about him, but the girl who’s been around my door all day seemed gone.
I continued to the room, moving what I could out of the way, and pushed through our clothes. I found my plain black fitted dress that was court appropriate and some black heels, then found Gio’s black suit and pulled out a white shirt, black tie, and his black dress shoes, and left the room.
Just as I was about to open the front door, I heard feet coming up the steps. I paused on opening the door. Gio telling me be careful echoed in my ear. I held my breath and listened closely to the steps passing my door, and let my breath out, opening the door and stepping out, glad to see my neighbor turn back and wave.
I waved back and looked all over the complex before going down the steps. I don’t know who that girl was or how Bully clearly knew who she was, but I couldn’t let it worry me the way that it was.
I hopped back in my car, started it, and pulled out, but this time, I felt like Gio. I knew eyes were on me.
Chapter 10
My Man?
Iwas up bright and early, waiting for the court doors to open. My stomach was in knots. I had the hotel press Gio’s suit and had it hanging up in the back window. My Gucci tote bag was filled with stacks for my baby’s bond.
People were already standin’ around the courthouse steps when I pulled up. Lawyers in suits, family members pacing. Some people sitting on the concrete, smoking, looking nervous as hell.
Once the doors opened, I stepped out of my car, smoothed out my dress, and grabbed what I needed. I stood in front of my car for a minute, staring up at the big gray building, exhaling loudly.
“Come on,” I muttered to myself. “Everything is going to be okay. Gio is going to come home.”
I pulled myself together and walked across the street and up the steps to stand in line. The security wasn’t playin’. They were getting all the lawyers out of the way, then letting everybody else flow through the metal detectors.
I found a seat on one of the wooden benches where I could watch the room numbers and cases. Nothing had been loadedyet, but I was still staring at the screen. I was nervous to say the least.
After a while, I heard my name being yelled down the hall and saw Bully walking toward me.
I ain’t ever seen that nigga in a button down and some slacks, but I appreciated him looking respectable.
“You good?” he asked, sitting next to me.
I nodded even though my stomach was telling a different story.
“I’ll be better when I see him.”
