Grim

50

Not. One. Word.

Azias hadn't said a single thing to me since the hospital. He wouldn't even look in my direction. I honestly didn't even want to know what he was thinking. It was best that I gave him his space. Currently, he was in Marco's car, and Ace, my mom, Rose, Pharaoh, and me were in Ace's. They had done this split just in case we would run into trouble on the road. Ace would take us to safety while Marco and Azias deal with the problem.

It was a little after 10 P.M, and we had been driving for 7 hours straight. After explaining to everyone what had happened, I too had gone silent. Eventually, everyone in the car fell asleep except for Ace, who had been driving, and me. Even though we had both been up the entire ride, we didn't say anything to each other. I didn't know if it was because he understood that I didn't wanna speak anymore about what had happened, if he was still in his head over the news Azias had given him about Richard, or if he was just too focused on the road and the recent increase of attacks Azias and I had faced.

"Are we going to California?" I questioned.

"No," was his only reply.

"Do you know where we're going?"

"Kinda..."

"...Would you like to tell me?"

"Probably Florida," he sighed.

Why was he so grumpy.

"Are you upset with me too?"

"I'm not," he answered in a more polite voice. He then explained, "Florida is where my dad lives, Sapphire. I'd like to think Zy won't try to confront him, but I know he might."

Ace took a deep breath in before apologizing, "I'm sorry for my tone. The thought of seeing my dad after he abandoned me...I..."

I nodded, "I get it, and it's okay. How are you doing?"

"Not good, honestly. Every time my mind spaces out, I start thinking about what Zy told me. I understand being pissed about finding out that your firstborn wasn't even your kid, but that nigga had two other children that he left behind. Who the fuck does that?!" Ace began to vent. "Now I'm thinking about a whole lotta shit that I don't even wanna be thinking bout."

Trying to gauge where his head was at, I questioned, "Like what?"

"Like I'm the problem," he answered, his voice holding hurt and anger. "Like I'm not good enough. First Emily, now this. I know it's not true, but I can't help thinking it..."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, it isn't true," I assured him. I then suggested, "You should have a talk with Azias about it. I know he's probably thinking the same thing about himself."

"Yeah, I will...after you do," he replied, and I mentally found myself saying oof.

"Do you think he's ups—"

Ace cut me off to ask, "Upset some nigga was touching on the person he still wants to marry? Upset you thought that nigga was him? C'mon, who wouldn't be upset?"

I sadly stared out of the window, and Ace sighed. He then added, "He's not angry at you, though."

"You just said—"

"He's upset the guy was able to touch you by pretending that he was him. He's not upset at you, Sapphire," Ace clarified.

As I thought about his distant behavior, I asked, "Then why is he so distant?"

"I don't know. You should ask him," Ace suggested.

I teased, "The amount of talks we wanna have with this man...You wanna go first or should I?"