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Paisley
“PAISLEY HONEY?”
It takes everything I have to peel my eyeballs open as I fight my way out of the deepest sleep I’ve had in a long time. When the voice at the doorway registers, though, I jolt upright in bed, sending a scrap of paper fluttering to the floor beside me.
LaShawn holds one hand out in front of her. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Your mama just wanted me to come make sure you were okay.”
I wipe at the mascara crusted along my eyelashes. “I’m fine.” I squint around the dark room. “What time is it?”
“It’s just after eleven. That’s why she was worried. She’s used to seeing you earlier.” LaShawn gestures for me to lay back down. “But don’t you worry. I’ll tell her you are doing fine. You’re just sleeping like a baby.”
I swing my feet over the edge of the bed. “It’s okay. I’m awake.” A yawn escapes all on its own, but I continue talking through it. “Tell her I’ll be in as soon as I take a shower.”
“You take your time. There’s no rush.” LaShawn silently pulls the door closed as she leaves, stealing the only bit of light that was illuminating Andre’s room.
I fumble around for a switch or pull chain. Something so I can see my hand in front of my face. My fingers feel along the wall above the nightstand and I flip the first switch they reach.
The blackout blinds covering the windows slowly begin to rise and sunlight pours through, the abrupt change forcing me to squint as I shield my eyes. I’m going to have to learn how to work those things because there’s got to be some sort of a middle ground.
I blink a few times, but it becomes clear my eyeballs won’t feel great until I wash off what remains of last night’s makeup, so I force myself up out of the bed. I only make it one step before I realize something is stuck to the bottom of my foot.
I lean against the mattress as I lift my ankle and rest it on my thigh, revealing the paper that fell off the bed when LaShawn woke me up. I peel it off the sole of my foot and take a closer look.
It’s not a piece of paper at all.
It’s a check.
A check for every bit of the money Andre offered me in exchange for pretending to be his—
His.
I stare at it.
My mother will be able to join the trial.
I rest one hand over my mouth as my already irritated eyes begin to burn with tears of relief.
Tears of gratitude.
Tears of happiness.
I wipe at my face with trembling fingers, resorting to using the backs of my hands when that’s not enough to stop everything breaking free.
I’m overwhelmed. In many ways.
My mother’s going to get the care she deserves. I’m going to have the chance to show everyone how wrong they were about what she really is.
And Andre—
Andre...
Is still complicated.
I squeeze my thighs together, clenching my core, almost hoping to feel some evidence of what happened between us last night.
Because something most definitely happened between us, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m no longer a virgin.
It’s a bizarre thing to think about but doesn’t feel nearly as strange or awful as I always expected it would. I don’t feel dirty, or used, or bad.
