I Still Do (bwwm) ᑕᗝᗰᑭᒪᗴ丅ᗴ

when kenny turned three

"Well, if you're not doing anything tonight, maybe we can go grab a drink?"

I smiled and nodded my head, even though Keegan couldn't see me.

"I'd like that."

"Or..."

"Or...?"

I bit my lip nervously wondering what the possible alternative could be.

"Or, maybe I could come over, and, I don't know,... maybe fix us up a couple of steaks? Some loaded mashed potatoes? Maybe some corn on the cob... What do you say?"

A warm tingling feeling began to fill my heart along with a bit of optimism.

"I say... yes. That sounds great."

"Whew! Okay... great!"

I giggled a little at how excited Keegan sounded, tugging on my bottom lip as a familiar set of butterflies began fluttering in my belly.

"Yeah."

"So... I'll see you tonight at like...eight?"

I pulled my phone away for a moment, seeing I still had a little time to drive home and get ready.

"Eight's perfect."

After getting off the phone with Keegan, I happily rushed back to my car, ready to get home.

✨

The forty-minute drive took a little longer, due to traffic, and as I pulled into my garage, my phone began to ring. As I shut my car off, I picked up my phone and scrunched my eyebrows together in curiosity before I answered the call.

"Hey, 'Lijah. What's up?"

"Hey, Tay. Uhh, what's up?"

"You called me..."

I cocked my head to the side in confusion as I pressed the garage door button to close and entered my house using the backstairs, kicking off my sandals the moment I was upstairs.

"Right, heh. Uhm, you haven't seen Jay lately.... Have you?"

"Not since last night."

I bit my lip guiltily, not letting on that I had seen him after he left the bar.

"Shit."

"'Lijah, what's going on?"

"Well funny thing, actually. Jay kinda got into it with one of Lori's brothers and dipped out."

I walked into the kitchen, setting my bag down, before fully concentrating on the call. Elijah was always the goofy one within the bunch, but even I knew Jay missing today was a serious thing.

"What? He dipped? Where'd he go?"

"Nobody knows. We haven't seen him in an hour and we gotta start gettin' ready soon."