The Game of Love

Ch. 8: "Thought I can trust you."

Tyra's P.o.V

"You sure you ok?" Jaylen asks wit a concerned look on his face.

I'm just sitting here dazed trying to figure out what that unknown, weird text message means. He snaps me outta my thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah but can you walk me in, please," I smile to hide my fear and he returns the smile and helps me out the car.

We walk up the three concrete stairs to the front door and I rummage through my purse for my keys. I unlock the door and Jaylen helps me in-----.

A raw metallic crimson covered Deon is propped on the white frame of his bedroom door! "Dejaaaa!" I cry but she never answers as I cover my mouth in shock. My emotions have taken a sudden turn and I experience almost every imaginable sad emotion all crashing at once. I drop to the floor and Jaylen follows holding me up as I cry my eyes out speaking total gibberish outta frustration. Deon's brown lifeless eyes are fixed in my direction, his body and clothes are outlined with grime and dry blood, his once-alive body is just sitting there---- I can't believe my eyes. I finally notice a deadly smell emitting off of Deon' s body where the obvious several gunshot wholes are located. Ewww! "Deon---why you----," I turn around trailing off crying and resting my head on Jaylen's chest.

Jaylen's P.oV.

I shut the door. I'm in complete awe to the point where I can cry too but hold it in to be strong for Tyra's sake. By the cries she is making, I'm thinking this is the brother she mentioned---dead before her eyes. No, excuse me---murdered. The image of a bloody dead person is just too much to bear for anyone but Tyra seems unwilling to move from her stunned gaze. So, I hold her, rubbing her back and her head, letting her wet my outfit.

"Ohh," more crying, "my God. Deon! Why?!" Tyra cries looking back at the body.

"Ssshhh. I know, I know," I softly whisper in her ear caressing her hair and holding her tightly.

"Why?!"

She cries for another good three minutes and she then abruptly up. "I'm sorry," I say rubbing her red puffy eyelid from her crying with my thumb and then I smile . She half-smiles and wipes her face looking one last time at the body. "What you tryna do?" I follow her into her kitchen.

"I dunno," she replies sniffing and grabbing a First Aid Kit from one of her cabinets.

"You know you can't save him wit the First Aid Kit."

She breaks, "I know that Jaylen, d-! I'm just, just---jeez I dunno." I walk over to her pulling her in for another hug and she gratefully hugs me back and just sniffs cuz she's still a lil upset.

"I'm sorry for your brother."

"Yeah thanks." She lets go and we share a moment looking into each other's eyes. "Hey Jaylen . . ."

"Yeah, was up?"

"You mind if I can come stay wit you fa the night or so so I wouldn't have to see that." I know she's referring to her dead brother.

"Yeah, sure." She heads in her room gathering stuff to pack. I wait by the door for her about five minutes.

"Ready." She comes out and locks her front door behind her.

I help her in her seat and pull off to my house.

Tyra's P.o.V.

"So, you sure your folks is ok wit me staying wit you for a while?" I ask fiddling wit the drawstring on my backpack.

"Oh yeah. They'll be a'ight wit you staying wit me fa a sec." Silence for a while as we head onto another street. "You wanna report this to the police that ya brother was murdered?" He changes the feeling in this car.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not? It'll help them find the person who killed him," Jaylen says sounding annoyed.

I have to choose my words wisely and say the right thing.

"What do you think . . . huh Tyra? We should tell the cops!"

"Don't yell at me----," Jaylen cuts me off.

"Why not though? We need to do this."

Be carfeul Tyra. "I'm just not sure that's the safest idea," I spit that out in one breath very low. Jaylen glances back at me and continues driving.

"Whatchu mean not safe? Is this gang-related? Somebody you know mixed up in that s---"

"Yes. My brother Deon was slinging for Thee Atlanta Kingpin, that's what they call him," I interrupt him and we pull into his driveway to a nice suburban 2-story single family house.

We unbuckle our seatbelts and get out the car.

"We'll talk about this later ok, Tyra?" He opens this front door wit his keys and I clutch my drawstring bag to my chest tightly.

He opens the door to a chandelier lit sky blue foyer with cream trim lining the floor and ceilings. The light beige carpet accents it very well as it creeps into both side rooms: the dining room and sitting room. The carpeted stairs lead to the second level with dark wood railings.

"Ma!" Jaylen yells leading me through the rest of the house.

"Back in the kitchen Jay!" So that's his nickname.

We go to a dark gray kitchen wit cream cabinets and granite countertops. Light wood floors accent this kitchen and the light beige carpet occupies the family room.

"Who's this Jay?" Jaylen's 5'8" pretty mother asks putting her dishrag in the sink and placing one hand on her hip. She a shade or two darker than Jaylen and got big pretty light hazel eyes. Her black shoulder-length flat-ironed hair is pinned up in the back and her facial features mirrors that of Jaylen's. I wonder what his dad looks like.

"Ma, this is my date, Tyra. Tyra my mom." We shake hands and exchange varying smiles.

"You are gorgeous. He said that too, exact words."

"Ma come on now." We all laugh light-heartedly. "So where's Pops?"

"Oh he at the store getting some bread, milk, and eggs. So . . . y'all had fun?"

"Yeah, I know I did. What 'bout you Tyra?"

"I had a lot of fun." I smile.

"That's great, honey." His mom pauses and notices something. "Honey what happened? Why were you crying?" She comes closer examining my face. I feel uncomfortable like what am I s'posed to tell her---My brother was killed? h-- no.

"She just got a text saying a family member died." Thanks Jaylen.

"Oooo, sorry to hear that. Were you guys close?"

"Yeah, very close."

"Yeah, Ma that's what I wanted to talk to you about . . ." She just stands their all confused. "Ma she needs to stay here for a while and recover. Her house situation isn't the best since everybody is mourning." Dang Jaylen is a good liar.

"I 'ont know Jay."

"Ma c'mon now," Jaylen begs.

She ponders for a bit and says, "Ok fine. But only if y'all ain't sleeping in the same bed and ain't fooling around," she lays it down sternly.

"Yeah, Ma. She ain't like that . . . yet." He cracks up and I get the joke a lil later and smack him on the back.

"Thank you Mrs. Summers." She nods back and Jaylen leads me upstairs to his room.

*****

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