Devil

-30-

-Goddess-

Esla was asleep again as we pulled up to Burger Burger Bun's drive thru. Nico didn't want to go back ever again because of what we had experienced earlier, but I wanted to go back and get some more onion rings...and of course piss her off.

"Welcome to Burger Burger Bun's, can I take your order?" someone answered on the little machine.

I let Nicotine order, glancing over at Esla next to me in the backseat. I moved her sleeping body against me, grateful for the warmth she emitted even in her sleep. I rubbed her face gently remembering our brief kiss, then pulled my hand back, stricken with guilt. I knew she had been telling the truth and I still put her through all of this.

"Goddess would feel guilty, not you," I whispered to myself. I had let myself go today all because I was jealous of attention Nico threw around. She was completely unbothered and unaware of her effect on me, and Esla had just been in the crossfire. I closed my eyes, willing the tears to stay in my tear ducts. I felt so out of control and confused. Why Nico? She was my best friend. My business partner. My partner in crime. The car pulled up to the window and Nico paid, then received my food. I took the bag and placed it on the other side of my lap, away from Esla.

Esla rose up, stretching then noticing me, she moved away. Fear shone brighter than her spirit in those little brown orbs. "I'm sorry," I found myself saying, handing her a feeble onion ring. She took it with shaky hands and offered me a weak smile, nibbling on it.

"Somebody's awake," Nico said with a smile in her voice, like Esla was a little baby. I shoved my bitterness down and chased it with an onion ring. Esla opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out. She clamped it shut and I watched her roll a crunchy crumb between her fingers as she stared at her lap.

"We're taking you home. We're dropping you off at the edge of your neighborhood," I told her, digging out another onion ring and handing it to her. She slightly shook as my hand approached her then she grabbed the food.

"Devil," Nico said my name in a disappointed voice. I hadn't realized that we had parked at the edge of the neighborhood and that she had witnessed our exchange. "It was a mistake," I told Nico in a small voice.

She only shook her head and offered Esla a kind smile. "Feel free to tell the cops about us, I've always liked the feeling that I was being chased," she mused.

"I won't," Esla whispered.

She looked at us both one last time then opened the car door and stepped out. She stared at Nico for a moment like she had something to say or ask, then she shut the door. I watched her timidly walk into the dark oasis of Perry Island Street, three of the street lights out.

"Did you give her her phone back?" Nico asked me.

Esla was long gone into the neighborhood. "Yea," I lied, sadness in my voice.

Nico didn't say anything to me as we left the neighborhood, switched cars and routes three times, and travelled to my home.

"I know I fucked up."

"You let the way you feel about me affect your everything," she told me.

I was surprised she had noticed my mood changes, and my bitter jealousy. I hung my head, ashamed at my behavior. "You don't need to be jealous, Goddess. You got my heart, because you're my best friend, but..." her fingers grazed my cheek. "You won't have my heart in that way. I'm sorry. Not when you're like this."

I nodded, trying to keep my tears to myself.

"You need to control your emotions better. We're on the job. We smuggle, we do illegal shit," Nico listed off. "If we get caught, one of us or both of us- everything goes down the drain. It's all over."

I nodded, feeling like a child getting scolded by their parent. "Ima do better."

"Yeen gotta choice but to," Nico added.

Chapter Checkpoint:

-What could be Esla's connection to Thomkeesha, or do you think there's one at all?

-Do you see a future relationship for any character?

-What do you think might happen next?

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