Gracious

Chapter 17

A/N - the way I'm on the verge of becoming a uni dropout✌🏾

TW: this chapter contains multiple scenes some may find upsetting ❤️

(Almost made myself cry writing some LMAO)

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"Trouble", the warmth that coursed through my body the second Cairo got into my car was embarrassing, the fact he had this much of an effect on me just by sitting beside me? A smile spread across my face when he kissed my cheek, proceeding to buckle his seatbelt and turn to me.

"How was your Christmas?", I asked him, pulling off of the sidewalk and heading down the street, "I missed you". That much was true, it hadn't even been that long since I'd last seen him, but his presence was one of the only things keeping me sane right now.

"Don't make me blush", he teased, cracking his knuckles, "it was alright, nothin' special".

"Me too", I admitted, "it was just you and your mum?". He nodded, and even though my eyes were on the road, I didn't miss the clench of his jaw out of the corner of my eye.

"The boys had a good day?", he changed the topic, another smile on his face, "no fighting I hope?".

"None that couldn't be resolved overnight", I'd spoken to Prescott and I was back in his good books after filling him in on the letter situation, "I feel like you're deflecting".

"Deflecting what?", he asked, voice apprehensive.

"When I brought up your mum", I replied, tapping the wheel, "I'm not prying, I just-,".

"I know you ain't prying, I've done more of that to you", he shook his head slightly, "it's complicated Zane".

He didn't even call me Trouble.

"I'm all ears, if you wanna talk about it", I offered, knowing he'd been there for me more times than I could count, "if not, that's fine too". The car fell silent for a moment or so, I just stared straight ahead while Cairo presumably gathered his thoughts, if I could do anything in this situation it would be to mirror the patience he'd given me.

"My dad cheated on my Ma when I was twelve, while she was pregnant with Zahra", he finally said, I stayed quiet, "she kicked him out, haven't seen him since".

"He sounds like a dick", I muttered and a small chuckle came from him.

"Putting it lightly", he scoffed, "Ma struggled a lot, when she gave birth to Zahra she started to suffer from postpartum depression, I looked after the two of them a lot, I didn't mind though". I'd had no idea he'd been carrying all of this on his shoulders, and here I was thinking I was the only one who had it bad.

"You do what you have to for your family", I nodded, understanding the feeling all too well, "no matter what it costs you".

"Yeah", he whispered, ruffling the loose curls on his head, "after Zahra...she spiralled- badly". I couldn't even imagine losing your own child so unexpectedly like that, and Cairo losing a sibling.

"Mentally?", I asked, facing him at a red light and catching an almost missable nod.

"She hasn't left the house in years, not since the funeral. She doesn't work, fuck- she barely moves from the sofa, it's like livin' with a ghost, Zane", I reached out and squeezed his thigh when his voice grew shaky, "I tell myself that it's better than her not being there at all, y'know? I work to make sure we have heating, food, but as long as she's here that should be all that matters, right?".

"You're just trying to keep the two of you afloat", I nodded, squeezing his thigh again, "I want to help".

"I'm not takin' your money Trouble", he shook his head, "I'm not a charity case".