All For Love (Urban Fiction) Part 5

Chapter 36 Kaidyn

Meilani

Man, these past four months had been a wild ride for me. I had been grinding as a bartender, working late nights, and in school during the day to make my new dream of becoming a licensed nail tech a reality. It ain't been easy, but I'm determined to make it happen.

I was on a mission that afternoon, looking for a book to help me with my studies. But then, I spotted him. Shaheem, with his locs styled up into two- strand twists, with glasses sitting at the tip of his nose, he had me shook. He looked so innocent, nothing like the guarded guy I usually saw.

I couldn't help but stare, captivated by this unexpected side of him. I watched from a distance, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. His fingers turning the pages with care, his serious face buried in the book - it was like he had transported himself to another world.

Finally, I gathered the courage to approach him. I could see he was reading 'The Common Law'. As I got closer, his eyes widened, surprised to see me. He closed the book and took off his glasses, revealing a vulnerability I had never seen before. Damn, it was interesting. It was almost like a child being caught doing the wrong thing, like he had to protect me from finding out something.

"Hey, Shaheem," I greeted him, keeping my voice low.

He looked at me, a mix of surprise and curiosity in his eyes. "Didn't expect to see you here," he replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

I chuckled. "I didn't expect to see you here. It's nice to see you can do more than shoot guns." My mind played back to when we were caught in crossfire in his apartment. I never asked him where he ended up moving to.

Shaheem's gaze softened, showing a hint of gratitude. "We all got layers, Meilani," he said, his voice revealing a newfound openness. "Sometimes, all it takes is someone who can see beyond them."

That connection hit me deep, like we were on the same wavelength, I decided to dig deeper into what I really wanted to know.

"Oh, by the way, is there any update on Marcus? It's been a few months now." I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

A shadow passed over Shaheem's face, a touch of sadness in his eyes. "Nah, haven't heard anything in a minute," he replied. "But I'll keep an eye out. You know all this shit is out of everybody's control now..."

I hesitated for a moment, debating whether to spill my worries. But his words pushed me to speak my truth. "Yeah, he's caught up in some messed-up stuff. I'm just hoping for the best, he's still family. I'm so worried about Chantel and how she's taking it. Some days she seems okay, and others mad at the world. I can barely get in touch with her now."

Shaheem's eyes narrowed with curiosity. "I mean I heard about everything that's going on, can't be easy for her. Nigga fucked up for sure, you can't even be mad that she wanna leave."

"But he loves her.. That's worth everything. Plus, he's locked up and probably feels alone."

Shaheem adjusted his position in the chair, focusing more on me in front of him. "You can't love the trauma out of someone."

In that moment, surrounded by books and confusion, I knew our paths had crossed for a reason. After having a conversation with Shaheem, he decided to give me a ride back to my mother's home.

I couldn't help but think over his words, 'Nigga fucked up for sure, you can't even be mad that she wanna leave. You can't love the trauma out of someone' What was Chantel not telling me? What did Shaheem know about Marcus that I didn't?

I was uneasy while holding the glass between my finger tips and thinking about what happened earlier today.  We gathered at my mom's place for our weekly family night. The living room was cozy with my cousins, well Chantel's sisters and brothers, they were basically my siblings since I was an only child. There were dimmed lights casting a warm glow on the walls as the smell of fresh food lingered in the air. Chantel, her children, and mom settled into the plush couches together, ready for a night of laughter.