M͓̽y͓̽ c͓̽o͓̽n͓̽v͓̽i͓̽c͓̽t͓̽ [B͓̽W͓̽W͓̽M͓̽]

26 - The Date ✔️

+Brandy

I blink into the darkness, feeling a numb sensation run through my body. The grip on my coffee cup tightens as I bring it up to sip some hot coffee. My eyes are strained, there is no doubt about it I'll have bags underneath them by sunrise.

I take in a deep breath, trying so desperately to not stress myself out. Mia was out and now we're short a person and we have yet to find a recruit. I shake my head, parting my lips to take another sip.

What the fuck were we going to do?

"You're stressing yourself out." Elijah voiced from behind me.

I sigh, setting my cup down on the table. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep. I'm worried about you." He tells me, remaining his distance.

"You're worried about me? That's a first."

"It's not, believe it or not." He walks forward and picks up a cup to pour himself some of my coffee. "I've been worried about you since the day I found out you were pregnant with Ej. I mean, do you know the pressure I was under to make sure no one found out about you two? I'd work day and night to ensure your safety because I knew if someone I was beefing with found out... you guys would cease to exist." He lets his cup cool down. "And when I was in prison, I grew more worried because I didn't have eyes on you guys. Only the word of my people."

"Why are you telling me this?"

He shrugs. "So you know. You seem to think you know a lot about me and my ways... but you don't. I mean, I'm an asshole, I'll admit that... but I'm not cold-hearted. I've got feelings too... even though I don't show them as much."

"This is the most we've spoken in a week."

"That's because you walked away."

"And if I didn't. What exactly would be different?"

He grows silent. "What did you want me to say? You wanted me to lie?"

"No, I didn't want you to lie!" I whispered, angrily. "I wanted you to give me hope that you'd be able to love me... someday."

"And if you would've let me explain, you'd hear me say that I love you, Brandy. God knows that I do. And the reason I won't be able to love you, the same way I love Trinity is because I'm afraid I'll love you more." He confessed. "And that scares me. Love is a scary thing."

"What?" I ask, thrown off. "You love me?"

"You heard me," Elijah says. "And you may think it's a good thing, but I already told you, shit happens to those I love. Bad shit. You're already a liability because you're Ej's mom, but if it gets out that I'm in love with your crazy ass, who knows what'll happen."

I take a sip of my coffee. "If you know that being in the mafia creates enemies. Why do you stay?"

"Because it's all I know." He whispers.

"Can't you know other things? Can't you just leave? Why can't we just take the rest of this money and leave all this behind?"

He walks to me, cupping my face. "Because it's not that easy, Brandy. Everyone knows who I am, and no matter how many disguises I put on, it doesn't change the fact that they do. There's a code, and I've got to live by it. My title... it's my birthright. Passed down to my father, by his father, and so on. If I leave it all behind, I'll be letting them down, I'll be letting Elliot miss out on opportunities and I won't have the protection that I need to keep my people safe."

"You and your cousin have the same mentality."

Elijah backs away. "Stop comparing me to that monster."