SugarCOAT

107. In the Morning ☀️

"Cousin..."

I slowly opened my eyes to see Monica kneeled down in front of me.

I lifted my head to see that I was lying on the couch with a blanket over me.

"It's five in the morning," she whispered. "E is on his way to pick me up. Did you want to go or stay here with..." She looked over.

I looked at the other end of the couch to see Deonte asleep in a sitting position. I sat up and reached for his arm. "Deonte," I cleared my raspy throat. "Deonte..."

He woke up and smiled when he saw me. "Jamie."

I smiled back. "Zeke is on his way to pick us up."

Deonte stretched before standing up. "I'll walk y'all out."

Monica stood up. "Thank you for everything. I'll return your clothes--"

"Keep 'em. I have plenty. Do y'all have everything?" He asked us.

I shook my head.

"I'll go get our clothes and shoes. Be back." Monica left us.

"What time is it?" Deonte asked me.

I yawned. "'Cuse me. It's 5 a.m."

"I'm gonna be sleep for the rest of the day." He sat back down. "I wish y'all could stay for breakfast. Cha Cha wakes up a little later on the weekends."

"It's okay. I'm sure Zeke will take us to get breakfast."

Deonte said, "Remember, I got your back no matter what you decide to do. Don't worry at all about Aja."

"Well, she's living up to her new song," I recalled.

Deonte stated, "It's a hit. It'll be her biggest song. Her album will probably surpass her first one. With this new image, she will gain more fans and make Ricky even richer... but that's how the game goes."

I stood to my feet. "She was doing great making the music she was making." I began folding the blanket.

"In this business, you can't ride the wave, because... eventually it will crash. You have to stay above it even when it's something that goes against who you are as a person. Unfortunately, that's how a lot of people lose themselves. You can only act or pretend for so long. That's why I don't act."

I thought about what Cha Cha told me. "That's why you decline to be in Stayah McCoy's stage plays."

Deonte grinned, "Cha Cha told you?"

"She did. I really like Stayah McCoy's work, but after hearing what you just said, I get it. I've heard stories about actors who can't shake a character they've played. It's sad."

"Life is real. I rather not play with mine like that. Music is all I need whether I'm making money in it or not."

I sat back down and put the blanket on the arm of the couch. "We fell asleep while we were talking, and you said something that made me be honest with myself."

We looked at one another.

I continued, "I haven't told anyone this, and I don't think I will until it happens, but--"

"You're quitting," he stated.

I arched my brow in surprise. "How did you...?"

Deonte was silent before lightly laughing to himself.

"What's so funny? I wanna laugh." I slide closer to him.

"Nah, I was just thinking about... It's nothing. One day, I'll make you some popcorn and you can sit and listen to me talk about my days with The CRU and whatever else you want to know about me."