Ashley ✓

Twenty-Eight | Offer

SOTC: Boy's a Liar (pt.2) by Pink Panthrees (ft. Ice Spice)
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Hours later, my eyelids popped open upon two taps on my shoulder. I lifted my head and looked to the left to realize the action had been committed by Mustafa.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hi," I mumbled, but rather than looking at him I peered down on the sleeping child still drooling on my chest.

From behind his back, Mustafa held out a black plastic container. "Everyone at Panda Express gets fucking tweaked out over nothing, but Sienna said you liked food from there," he explained in a sigh.

"Oh. Thank you," I said, sincerity in my words.

Mustafa set the container down, and I lifted Xavier off my chest and handed him back to his father. I then popped off the container and began eating the beef and broccoli strewn across a bed of fried rice.

"Here's your—" he then started as he pulled green paper out of his pocket.

"Actually.. um, it's fine," I cut him off.

His fist that held the money slapped against his knee. "Girl, I just offered you a hundred."

Despite a reluctance and confusion at the words I actually seemed to mean, I just shrugged my shoulders and continued scooping rice in my mouth.

"Seriously, take it. You like..." He clearly struggled to continue from the way his words faltered.

"You won't inflict poison damage on your masculinity if you say that I saved you," I assured him.

Mustafa snorted.

"And I mostly slept in the same position with him on me," I proceeded with, gesturing to Xavier. "He also didn't cry or do anything weird so... yeah. No need."

"Yeah, he's a good kid," he replied, grinning at the baby whose head rested on his shoulder. "And I sense you're one of them chicks who don't change their mind."

"No," I stated bluntly.

There was a pause.

"Hey, what if I watched him sometimes while you played basketball for West?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Mustafa breathed out.

"Maybe I..." I fumbled on repeating my impulsive words. "I could watch Xavier while you played basketball for West again?"

"Ashley, I quit."

"You could rejoin. Your teammates did say they needed you," I just stated, taking another bite.

Mustafa scoffed dryly. "Ashley, you work and you're still adjusting to the hood life. I'll be fucking damned if you decided to tackle watching my kid—"

"I only work four days a week," I found myself retorting.

His voice rose. "Why the hell are you suggesting this, anyway?"

I whipped my head to the left to face him, looking him dead in the eyes. "Because possibly, you're wasting money. Namely, a full-ride scholarship," I stated. "Because if you got that full-ride scholarship again, you could make a better life for yourself."

Mustafa was silent.

"Don't be crazy," I whispered, searing my eyes into his.

"Fine," Mustafa said after a pause. "Fine. I'll think about it only because you look fucking scary right now. Like you're about to tear my face off or something."

I smiled, earning a grumble from him.

But I was no stranger to getting what I wanted out of someone, and judging by the way Mustafa's brown eyes peered to the left and made micro-shifts, I wouldn't be wrong this time.

The new stunning cover(s) has been made by the design goddess named meha-k. PLEASE check her work out, you won't be disappointed. Her work has brought up the author's dopamine levels to a new high.

- S.R. Sunday (SodaPopXtreme)