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“Now you can call Meek.”

CHAPTER 38

AVERIE

Iknew something was wrong when Q stopped answering his phone. At first, I didn’t think too much of it. District 12 kept him busy, and there were plenty of times he would disappear for hours because someone needed him. We tried our best not to sit around on the phone with each other all day. Today just felt off. He had sent a text and asked if me and the kids were good. That was around six. I was busy getting off and picking the kids up to even answer. I didn’t answer until an hour later. It was now eight, and I had called him three times. Kaiden had asked twice whether he was coming over because he promised to watch film with him before bed. Every time he asked where Q was, I got annoyed. I was standing in the kitchen putting leftovers away when Kaiden came in with his phone in his hand.

“Q still ain’t called?”

“No, go finish your homework.”

“I already did.”

“Okay, go find something productive to do.”

“He said he was going to watch with me.”

“I know what he said, Kaiden.”

“You mad at him?”

“I’m not mad. I just don’t like when people say they’re going to do something and then disappear without communicating.”

Kaiden shrugged and walked away before his mouth got him in trouble. I picked my phone up and looked at the time. I was not about to be that woman calling a man’s business because he hadn’t responded for a few hours. Q had a life before me. There were things he handled that didn’t require an explanation every thirty minutes. I still felt like something was off. It could’ve been the conversation we had about Weston. The conversation was heavy, and we both noticed there were things about his past that I wasn’t aware of. I placed the leftovers in the refrigerator as the doorbell rang. I looked towards the front. It was almost nine, and I wasn’t expecting anyone but Q this late. I picked up my phone and looked at the camera to see Kyenna.

Kyenna did not randomly pop up at my house. We were better than we had been after Rah died, but we still weren’t the type to pull up unannounced and sit around drinking wine. I opened the door for her anyway. One look at her face made something in my stomach turn.

“Kyenna?”

“Can I come in?”

I stepped aside, and she slowly walked in, carrying her purse close to her side.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Are the kids up?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I need you to go upstairs and tell them to close their doors and not to come down here.”

My heart started beating fast.

“Kyenna, what the fuck happened?”

“Averie, please.”

I could tell by her tone how serious this was. Kyenna had this way of going extremely calm when something serious happened. I had seen it after Rah died. She did it again at the reading of the will. I had no idea what she did when no one was watching, but when eyes were on her. She held herself together well. The more shit around her fell apart, the more controlled she became.

“Have a seat,” I told her as I walked up the stairs to Kaiden’s room.

“Kaiden, can you get Khari and bring her in here with you until I come and get y’all?”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“No, I’m about to talk, and I don’t need y’all in my business.”

“Is it Q?”