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IMANI
My phone buzzed on the coffee table, lighting up the dark room. I picked my head up off Kai’s chest and glanced over at the screen, my stomach twisting and turning at the mere thought of what kind of news Landon and João could have for us.
Except it wasn’t either of them.
Mom: Where are you?
I rolled my eyes and ignored it, resting my head back on Kai’s chest and curling into his body. After our little chat, we hadn’t talked much. Kai was never really a talker anyway. So, we sat on the sofa in the dark, and I tried hard to relax a bit.
João and Landon had it handled, and at least João’s mom was at the hospital now.
Mom: Imani! Please, answer me. I’m worried. It’s really late.
“You should answer her,” Kai said, chest rumbling slightly.
Once I let out a long sigh, I pulled myself away from Kai and sat up, snatching my phone from the table. Before I responded to her, I checked the Discord group chat again—hoping that João or Landon had said something. When I came up empty-handed, I opened Mom’s messages.
Me: I’m babysitting.
Mom: Where? Why didn’t you tell me?
Clenching my jaw, I glared at the messages. Mom might’ve been acting like she was trying, but this … fuck, I hated having to deal with this shit all the time. I was her daughter, and I lived under her roof, but I was an adult. I had a life too.
Me: I’m babysitting my friend’s little sister.
Mom: João’s?
My eyes widened. How the hell does she know?
Though I didn’t want to fight with her right now because I had other stuff to deal with, like worrying endlessly about João and Landon burning Redwood to the ground, I bit my tongue and responded to her.
Me: Yes.
I thought she’d come back with a snarky reply and tell me that I needed to get out of this neighborhood as soon as possible or that people around the slums were no good. But instead, she called me and actually expected me to pick up the damn phone.
After everything she had put me through.
My phone buzzed in my hand.
Over. And over. And over. And over.
I sent it to voice mail.
Mom: Please answer.
Mom: It’s important.
Mom: João’s mom is in the hospital, and the doctors stabilized her.
Three little bubbles appeared next to her contact image. I clicked on her image and called her. She should be at home now. Her shift had ended over an hour ago. What is she doing at the hospital, updating me about João’s mom? She hated him.
“Mom?” I asked when she picked up. “What’s going on?”
“João’s mother is in the hospital. She’s recovering, but João ran out and hasn’t come back for almost an hour now. Nobody knows how to contact him, and nobody here has even tried. Those girls at the front desk are—”
“Didn’t you get off an hour ago?” I asked, confused.
“Yes, but I saw João with his mother.”
