King of the Fall

Chapter 17

(Abel)

I walked into the club, hoping to see Elize. I hadn't called her in a while but she hadn't called me either.

I walked into the club, hoping to see her. I hadn't seen her in a while but she hadn't tried to see me either.

I walked into the club, hoping to touch her.

But I didn't see her there. She wasn't at her house and her mother didn't know where she was either. So, I concluded, she was with the guy from the shoot.

That was the only plausible cause for her disappearance.

I tilted my head upwards, blowing the smoke out. My head felt lighter now. So did the rest of me.

"Abel," Rick muttered.

"Yeah?"

"Man, we gotta get out of here."

"Why?"

"Come on," he muttered.

"What's up, man? Why the fuck you want to leave?"

"Look, you don't want to screw things up with... that girl you're with. Too many damn people around here and you know how you get."

"No, I don't. How do I get?"

"Stop acting like some damn child. Come on."

I wanted to say no, I wanted to stay for a while longer but then, I knew he was right, sadly.

I scrambled up and then followed him out the back of the club and climbed into the car.

"This was the first time I'd been out in weeks," I told him.

"Yeah, well, Elize is back home. You wanna go meet her?"

"How the fuck do you know?"

He didn't reply but a few minutes later I heard a voice, her voice.

"Hey Abel, it's Elize. I just came back from New York. I need to talk to you. Well, I need to apologize. I'll come by your house later, around ten because I'll hopefully be out of work by then. I hope you're there. Um... okay, I guess that's all I had to say. I'll see you. Take care."

And then a clipped sound ended the call.

"When was the message left? Where?" I asked him, quickly.

"Calm down. She left that message about an hour ago. It's not too late, okay? I told her that we're out and you don't have your phone. I told her to come whenever was possible, to let herself in, that I'd have you there."

"What's the deal with you talking to her?"

"Well, your bitch ass chickens out whenever you gotta talk to this girl. What's with her, man? Is it serious?"

"None of your damn business," I muttered and turned to look out of the window.

(Elize)

I was busy waiting for Abel at his apartment.

New York was a... last minute decision. I wanted to get away from Rasheed and Abel and everything else. So, I went to the NYC division of our offices to "check" on some things and to work for a while. I also told my mother not to tell anyone where I was.

I leaned against the back of Abel's bed and put the game on. Basketball was one passion that I had never given up. I wanted to be on a team when I was younger. I'd made it to state level and was qualified enough to get into a college for Basketball but my family made me choose differently. That's life, you know.