At 17, Candyce's small worldview is maginifed when her big brother, Ace, invites her into his world as punishment. Ace may have been an overbearing big brother at home, but in the streets he was feared and respected as a young drug dealer, proving h...
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Chapter 3
Caesar and Ace decide to bring me back to Caesar's spot out in Chalmette. It's just like him to move far enough away, but still able to move around in the city. His house is as clean as his car. The walls are white. His furniture is sleek and grey. The floors are marble. He must have been pushing serious dope in NYC cause his house is bigger than the one Daddy left us.
"Caese, show her to the bathroom. Let her fix her makeup and shit," Ace says.
Caese grabs me by my arm gently unlike last night. Ace sits on the grey sectional with his hands on his head. We round the corner and Caese opens the door and flips the light switch on. When he turns to go, I grab his hand.
"Don't leave me alone," I say.
I know how pathetic I must look with makeup running down my cheeks. Or maybe it's cause I'm clutching his hand like a four-year-old who just saw monsters under their bed. Either way, he nods his head and allows me to pull him back into the bathroom.
He leans against the doorframe while I wash my face. I feel him disappear for a moment while I'm splashing water on my face. He returns before I open my eyes to hand me a white towellet. Foundation stains the towel as I pat my face dry.
"Sorry," I mumble to him.
"You good," He says.
I untie the bun in my head and let my hair fall around my shoulders. It feels like a warm blanket right about now.
"Come on, let me get you another shirt to wear," He glances at my ripped top, my sheer pink bra showing underneath.
For some reason, watching him watch me makes me self-conscious. I cross my arms over my chest.
I follow him up the stairs to one of many rooms. The place barely looks slept in; the bed was made to perfection. Only tell-tale signs that he'd been here are the cologne bottles on the dresser and novel sitting beside the bed. I don't have enough time to read the cover, cause Caesar's flinging a t-shirt my way.
"Let me stop out so you can change," Caesar says.
"You don't have to," I say.
I turn my back to him and pull my original crop top over my head. Then I pull his shirt over my skin. I shudder as I get a whiff of his amazing scented cologne. I'm happy he didn't give me one of his new shirts.
"That's cool and all but you gotta step outside so I can change my clothes," Caesar says.
I'm a little hurt by his response but not surprised. Caesar wouldn't let me think for a second that I had a chance with him.
I step out into the hall while Caesar softly closes the door in my face. I rejoin Ace in the living room as he's hanging up a call.
