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Driving to Platinum Pleasures at 9:30 in the morning wasn't how I imagined starting my day. After hanging up with Banks, sleep was a no-go. Thoughts of Daisjha and Zy'aire circled in my head, restless and relentless.
I dialed Banks to check if they were still at the club, and sure enough, they were. He'd let them stay the night. Despite my hesitations, I decided to head over. If Daisjha still wanted nothing to do with me, at least I'd know I tried.
The drive was a blur of worry. Zy, that kid, he's been through too much at such a young age.. Daisjha struggling to get him into a good school was just the tip of the iceberg. I wanted to help, yet she could barely stand me.
Arriving at the club, it was eerie to see the lot so deserted. So used to seeing it lit up with cars everywhere. I headed to the back door, and Banks was there, opening it before I could knock.
"Drake," he greeted me with a hint of unease in his voice. I knew he was still irritated about the threats I made, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
"Wassup, they're still here, right?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
"Yeah, right this way," Banks replied, leading me inside. "Didn't want to wake them, so I let them stay. I crashed in my other office."
He opened the door to the room where Daisjha and Zy were. Zy was awake, resting his head in Daisjha's lap on the couch. His initial fear faded when he saw me step in.
"Uncle Aubrey!" he exclaimed, leaping up and into my arms. "Hey, little man," I greeted, holding him close.
"Me and mommy missed you, Uncle Aubrey," he said, hugging me tight. Daisjha was waking up, looking around, confused but silent.
"I missed you too, buddy," I assured him, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice.
"See, Mommy? I told you Uncle Aubrey missed us. Uncle Aubrey, are you taking us back to your house? I miss Thor too! I promise to feed him every day. I missed that one time. I'm sorry, Uncle Aubrey," Zy's words tumbled out in a rush, his innocence piercing through the air.
I glanced at Banks, who looked as taken aback as I felt. "Zy, don't worry about that, okay?" I said, trying to reassure him.
Turning to Daisjha, who was now standing and gathering their things, I managed a "Good morning."
She barely acknowledged me, her focus on Zy. "Zy, get down and let's go," she instructed, avoiding my gaze.
"But Mommy, Uncle Aubrey is here to pick us up," Zy protested.
Daisjha's eyes finally met mine, then shifted to Banks. "Thank you for letting us stay here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Banks nodded. "Daisjha, I'm not sure what's going on between you two but you really need to let Drake help you. Your son doesn't need to be out in the streets all times of the night. You know what could happen if the wrong people found out," he said, his tone serious.
