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 21
The next morning, my mind is haunted with memories of Connor in the club. I'm covered in sweat by the time I wake up from the nightmares. As I lay in the bed, Connor's swollen, red face is all I can think about. Wondering what would have taken place if Tory and the gang weren't there makes it harder to breathe. Needless to say, I'm on full alert. So, when my bedroom door creaks open, all rationality exits the room. My head snaps towards the door; my eyes are wide with anticipation.
Paryis' little leg sticks through the door first. I sigh a long sigh, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I'm not sure who I expected to see in my house at 8 in the morning. After last night, I can't help but feel like anything is possible. Seeing Connor do nine lines of coke has scarred me for life.
"What you doing up?" I ask her.
Her eyes never moved from the floor so she didn't see me glaring at her when she came in. She must have thought I was asleep because she stops dead in her tracks. Her brown teddy bear hangs from her fingers.
"Can I sleep with you?" She asks.
"You know how I feel about you in my room. But I guess you could stay here just this time," I say.
I pat the side of the bed next to me so she can join. The truth is, I want Paryis to feel comfortable to come to me anytime. She doesn't have too many of us left with Mama as sad as she is and Ace gone in the wind. Her and Simon never had a close relationship to begin with so, that leaves me.
As much as I want her to know the door between is practically nonexistent, I'm having a hard time telling her that. I've been running Paryis out of my room all of her life. With all the changes in our lives, I feel the need to keep some things the same. Even the little shit matters when the whole world turns upside down.
She walks over slowly. She climbs onto the bed, snuggling beside me. The dark rings I noticed were under her eyes at the funeral, are still there. The look takes away all of the innocence she deserves to have. I can't help but wonder what her teachers must think.
"You okay?" I ask.
She nods her head robotically. Her eyes tell a different story, though. They're harder than they should be, an effect of all the death she's seen in the short 8 years she's lived. She's seen the same amount of bodies I have. It seems unfair that I've had years in between each horrific memory to unpack my emotions. Yet, her first memory was of her mother's overdose. She saw her dad get buried not long after and now Jonah too.
Take it from experience, no kid should have to cope with all that.
I pull her under my arm. I let her lay beside me, knowing her thrashes will kick in as soon as her eyes close. Until then, the least I could do is hold her.
While she's asleep, I take the opportunity to get dressed. I have a meeting with a financial planner at 9:30. Even though last night turned into a complete mess, I made what I needed to keep us afloat for awhile. But I know that security won't last forever. So in order to ensure we won't ever fall behind like we did, I have to meet with Caesar later on to discuss next steps for my business.
