“You done sulking?” He blatantly asked. I could tell he was annoyed. It seemed like everyone was annoyed the moment I open my mouth and speak my fucking mind, people are annoyed. “Huh? You done?”
“Please leave me alone, Solo–––”
“I won’t. I can’t. You will always be a priority. In a room full of mythics like them, you will always be my priority by default. I don’t get why you move like you don’t have people that will step for you. Why hasn’t it clicked who you are and what you can do?”
I looked down at my phone with a sniff, seeing my boyfriend asking me where I was. It must mean he was in my room or attempting to visit me for the weekend. I could already feel myself feeling better just at the thought of being with him and away from this.
“I need you to step in my place again,” Solomon said as he looked down at his phone. “If you and Souxie beefing, cool. Put that on the back burner and figure that out for another day. Youhave other priorities to attend to. I need you to handle business with us first. You are not like them,” he stressed. “Do you hear me? You are not the same.”
I nodded as I wiped my face, letting the last bit of tears go for good. I refuse to cry for this long, especially in front of this fool. Not after how we started. Like that weird orange chick said, stop giving up the most vulnerable parts of yourself to everybody.
This shit is no longer free.
“I’m good,” I said, hardening up. “I’m gonna go back to the school and cover for y'all if they ask.”
“You need me to take you?” Professor Jones asked as she leaned her head out of the window. “I can drop my son off with my coworker for her to watch so I can be here for Bellamy.”
“I still can’t believe you’re dating him,” I said with a smile. “How in the world did that happen? Were you not scared?”
“Tuh,” she laughed. “Baby, that man is more afraid of me, and he should be. Come on. Let’s go before the sun comes up.”
After a long talk with my old professor, I was back at the iron gates. I quietly made my way back to my dorm where my roommate was sound asleep with her music playing. The base fell against the walls so all you could hear was muffled lyrics and a light bump of the walls from the beat. I knew my man was here when I smelled his cologne. I could just ughhhh, I can feel my body relax at the sight of him. sitting on the floor with his back against the bed, studying his drawings. He wore a black hoodie with his headphones over his ears, and his locs were pulled up pack wearing black sweats and his bare webbed brown feet. His sharp eyes were soft, and always calm when he looked at me. What started as a winter break situation turned into a full blown,I plan on marrying this man, and having all his babies,relationship. Since he was Solomon's half biological brother who didn’t want to be known as such, I kept him and his life private. If people found out about Silas, questions would begin to arise and the truth about who was actually born a triton and who wasn’t, would start to circulate. As far as who said I love you first, it was probably him but then again, I was ready to drink this man’s bath water by week three. So.
“You’ve been crying,” Silas said, taking off his headphones. His deep voice calm and chill like neo-soul, this man always had a way of just keeping cool during the most emotional times. He was the perfect blend of a cool siren and the even temperament of a nymph. I love the way his ears pointed back with the piercings and the way his lips formed that thick wide heart shape, perfect for kissing on. I sat on the floor with my body leaning against his and just closed my eyes. This was my safe space and probably the reason I didn’t speak about him too much. I wanted to keep the best feeling in the world to myself and maybe Maggie was the same.
“I want to be in the water,” I told him, looking at my nails.
“Yeah?” He said, flipping the large notepad to show more sketches. The official school crest of Montclair University was at the top. Silas was one of the top architectural students in the Underground. I tried to get him to transfer to Drew Collins, but he calls it the First 48 University and had no desire to be around murderers and whatever else he heard. Still, it was cute to see his designs as he slowly flipped through different scales of buildings and homes until I picked my head up and stared at one in particular.
“That’s here,” I pointed.
“Yeah. I’ll be staying here starting Monday. I was going to surprise you. They’ve given us dorms and everything. I’m one ofthe lead designers for the arena for the official games. I may not be able to see you as much, but I’ll still be here.”
“Good,” was all I said as I leaned my head back on his shoulder.
“Do you want to see it?”
“I’m looking at it, babe.” I said before closing my eyes.
“No, do you want to see the dome? The arena? Right now? I don’t understand why it’s here given everything that’s happened, but Drew Collins is the Underground cherished diamond I guess.”
“I’m allowed in?”
“No,” getting up. “But it’s fine. Come on.”
I’m glad we weren’t walking all the way when we slipped into the cool seats of his car. He had most of his stuff packed for the next week of his stay here. I had a few things already here like my sneakers, blankets and extra pair of socks and tights for when I slept over at his dorm. Silas let the windows down as the cool early morning summer breeze blew into the car. I could feel the moisture in the air hit my face as my skin began to breathe like it was the first time it touched water.
“Do you think I can be…self-centered sometimes?” I asked. Silas’s eyes widened for a moment before settling back into his chill demeanor. He leaned against the door of his car with one hand draped over the wheel as he drove along the backroads of the school.
“Sometimes,” he replied. “You grew up in an environment where you had to constantly be on the defense. No affection. No time to pity others and their situation. You know how to fight, fuck, and feel. All for yourself.”
I smiled as I looked down at my nails.
“It’s not a bad thing. That’s just how you are. As you get comfortable in a space, you realize you don’t have to be on guard so much. One of your friends must have said that?”
“Yeaap.” I let out. “A lady told me to stop giving out my emotions to everybody…the most vulnerable parts of me anyway.”
“She’s right,” he stated as he made a turn. I could see the large dome in the distance start to appear within the trees. “The way you talk about your friends, you’re always on go, always ready to fight or just be in the middle of something. I don’t understand it but if that’s what they constantly bring out of you, and that’s what you’re comfortable with.”
