Bodies

dix-huit.

Ramses looked like Milan had just slapped him across the face.

"What the fuck do you mean you're through?" He spat back at her like she'd just cursed him into an early grave. He stopped leaning on the deep freezer and began to stand up straight. Milan knew he was two seconds away from grabbing her up.

She took a step back.

"You know exactly what I mean. We've talked about it. I've told you. This life is not what I want. I lost sight of that for one fucking night and the next day you done set the whole world on fire, Ramses." Milan tried to explain to him. It made perfect sense in her head what she was doing.

She was not built to run around hiding from whoever wanted to be up next in the gang world. 

Ramses' eye-for-an-eye philosophy would never resonate with her; and that was why enough was enough.

It obviously wasn't for him though. Just as Milan predicted, Ramses moved to grab her arm, but she quickly side stepped him. That seemed to only piss him off more.

"Milan don't even play like this right now. We just barely fucking started and yo' ass already copping out. You know you're not built like that. You know we can--"

"No, you're right." Milan broke his sentence. 

"You're right. I'm not built like this. I'm not trying to act like I don't like you, Ramses. I feel the same energy you feel between us. But, I'm not built for this like you. I can't stand here while you justify killing people and then get in bed with you at night knowing you'd do it all  the same way again." Milan continued to explain. Ramses looked like she was twisting a knife in his side. 

"You know I don't mean it like that, Mi." Ramses walked towards her again. This time Milan didn't move. Out of the corner of her eye, she was Malcolm had fallen asleep on the couch.

Well, at least I know I didn't have to be embarrassed about the scene we were making right now.

Ramses wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing them together. Immediately Milan felt like swooning. Looking up into his eyes, the way he looked down at her made her feel like she was the only girl in the world. 

"What did I tell you on our first date when you got hurt? I ain't gon let nobody hurt you."

Her mind transported her to the scene where she was whining over her face being grazed. Unconsciously, her hand reached up, ghosting her fingers over the scar.

She definitely heard his words. However, although he came looking for her, fifteen minutes earlier Devon could've left her in a twin pile of blood to Chrisanto's. Ramses would have been none the wiser either. 

And all because he decided to up the score over his ego. 

She opened her mouth to tell him this. To let him know no matter how hard he tried, they'd never be safe together. They would always be targets in Chicago as a couple. 

But her breath hitched in her throat when she looked into his eyes again. They ran over her face quickly, like her forehead was going to display what she was thinking. 

The way her heart stirred in her chest. She knew she was falling in love with him and that hurt the most.

Reaching up, she put a hand on his cheek. Her thumb rubbing circles against his jaw. They had, had a long night. He'd been in a holding cell a couple of hours ago. Milan had a gun to her head not too long ago for Christ's sake. 

"Okay." Milan softly agreed. Tears pricked her eyes as she said it. She made sure to look forward at his chest rather than at his eyes as she did her best to make sure they didn't fall.