before you go [COMPLETED]

chapter ten

Lixue eyes brightened as she met the five year old, thinking she was the most adorable child she had ever seen. She and her father were dressed alike with matching Jordans, jeans, and jerseys. The little girl rocked a pair of shades with her hair in two curly pigtails.

"You're so gorgeous! What's your name?" Lixue got to her level.

"Aaliyah Tracii Hamilton!" She cheesed as wide as she could.

Lixue clutched her chest as she swooned, "It's so nice to meet you, I'm Lixue but you can call Me LiLi if you want." She told her.

Aliyah eyed her up and down before turning to her father.

"You my daddy new girlfriend?" She asked.

Kendrix grumbled.

Lixue laughed, shaking her head, "No, we're just friends, that's all." 

Aaliyah, accepting the answer, turned back to her father and asked for her little blue purse. She grabbed Lixue's hand and pulled her towards the gift store. Leaving Kendrix to look after their bags, he checked the time and just relaxed for a moment while looking in the direction of the store.

After a while, he had to drag them out of the gift shop to board the plane. They sat together, Aaliyah with a window seat, Kendrix in the middle and Lixue on the end. Lixue bounced her knee while people passed by, the moment of a gap she jumped up to use the bathroom.

She had left her phone in her place, it rang, Kendrix stared at the screen before answering it.

"Baby, look, I know I said some things and I ain't mean it at all. I don't want to lose you, we can get some counseling, I'll see a therapist, anything."

Theodore's voice cracked.

Kendrix listened, silently.

"Come back, please. I can't see a life without you in it. Say something, please."

"I think you should move on, man, she looks happier at the moment. Don't call her phone again with all that sad shit." Kendrix replied.

A moment of silence ticked, "Who the fuck is this?"

Kendrix ended the call, deleted the call. He dropped the phone back into the seat as he saw Lixue's head in the sea of people. She smiled and sat back down.

"You should put a lock on your phone." He mumbled.

"Why?"

"I'm nosey, I'm tempted to snoop." He shrugged with a half truth.

Lixue rolled her eyes but made a mental note to put a code on her phone anyway.

As the plane took off, Aaliyah had played her tablet dead, as well as her father's phone. She had fallen asleep not four hours into the ride. Lixue tried to keep her eyes open but she was tired.

Laying her head on Kendrix's shoulder she smiled.

"You like me don't you?" She asked.

Kendrix scoffed, "Nope."

"I don't like you either." 

The remainder of the flight, Kendrix and Lixue got to know each other, Lixue found out how he had gotten to know her brothers. Even found out more about what her brother had been up to.

Kendrix listened to her woes in life, didn't interrupt, and didn't judge. He sat there, listened and added his input when asked. Lixue liked that, she didn't feel like her issues were childish.

She had found out that they were the same age and only a couple months apart.

By the time that they landed, they made it to the hotel that Lixue had reserved. Kendrix put Aaliyah to bed to finish sleeping while he joined Lixue in her bed that was connected through the door across the room. She squealed as she was picked up and thrown onto the bed.