Page 30 of Omar

I remembered it. Remembered what she had dreamed of. The life by the sea or some shit like that and the memory of her little self with these big hopes and dreams made me smile.

"What you cheesing about?" she asked, nudging me. "Ain't nothing funny about missing out on fourteen years."

My smile faded. "You right."

"I've been holding it down with Preem for three years, you know. Ray... my pops traded me over like it didn't matter."

"Traded you? The fuck?"

"When you move in these dangerous circles there's always a price." She sighed and tilted her head back, eyes closed. "He brought me back here to keep me close as things were heating up and I've never felt more..."

She stopped herself but I could work out what she meant. My girl was trapped.

"Why haven't you left yet?"

She opened her eyes and faced me when I asked, brows furrowed like I'd asked the dumbest question. "You know who that man is. The minute I try to walk, I'm finished. You saw what Marlon did. That was a threat. So I just do what I gotta do. I perform as his girl then go to work and put money away. And if I don't? I stop the performance, the loyalty, and run? He'll find and kill me and probably my sisters too just to make sure I understood what happens when you try to leave him."

My hands tightened on my knees but I kept my voice level. "You know I'd kill him first. If he touched you I'd..."

She stopped me by pressing her finger to her lips. "Uh-uh, can't be talking like that. Anyway, enough about me moaning," she said. "I heard about your dad. I'm sorry."

I went quiet. She waited.

"For two years we've been trying to find out what happened," I said finally. "But that kind of shit stays with you, you feel me? I'm never going to stop looking for answers and I'm never going to stop searching."

"That's love. Your dad adored you, I remember that." She gave me a small hopeful smile. "Do you think he's still alive?"

"I used to hope so, but it's been so long now, I just..."

I didn't finish the sentence. Didn't need to.

She put her hand on my arm, her thumb stroking against my skin. Just for a second. The weight of it registered and then it was gone.

We'd been sitting for too long, but neither of us moved. The sun was sinking, Cee was waiting. The urgency was pressing in, but I didn't want to let go. Not yet.

Then, slow like, she pushed herself up from the bench. I stood with her, close enough to feel the heat of her body. Her breath hitched, just once, and I kissed her.

It wasn't just one kiss. Her mouth was soft, warm, and she made a sound low in her throat that settled deep in my chest. Her hand came up to my jaw, fingers pressing into my skin like she was memorizing me. For a heartbeat, she stayed there, her body leaning into mine. Then she stepped back, her eyes wide and scared, darting over my shoulder toward the street like Supreme might pop up out of nowhere.

"Shit!" she hissed. "I'm sorry, I... we shouldn't have... this is gonna be huge if we've been seen." She looked around us, searching for any sign of Supreme's boys.

I reached for her but she put her hand on my chest and stopped me.

"This only ends badly," she said. "You know that, right? There's no version of this where we both walk away okay."

"I know. I get it."

"Then why did you kiss me?" Her fingers went up to her lips as though she could still feel me there.

"Because I've been wanting to do that for fourteen fucking years."

She opened her mouth to say something but her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the screen. Her face went tight.

"It's Cee." She answered it. "Hey. Yeah, I'm sorry. I ran into a friend and we got to talking. I'm heading back now." She paused, listening. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be there in two minutes."

She hung up and looked at me.

"I have to go."