Back To You

Rescue

Malakai Davis

I stretched and yawned. After a long and boring day of work, I was excited to lay in my bed. My warm and comfortable sweatpants were covering the outfit I had spent hours dancing in. A shower before bed was guaranteed.

"I can't wait to go home." I opened my locker and grabbed my duffle bag.

I received a laugh as if I said something funny. I looked in the direction of where it was coming from, of course, it was Taylor. "Absolutely not, you are coming out with us."

"Says who?" I turned to her to give her my full attention.

"Bitch I do," Taylor said.

"Claire's taking me to her place," I told her.

The whole locker room started to laugh. Apparently there was a joke that I was unaware of.

"Claire got sick and had to leave early. You are going wherever I take you." Taylor smiled.

"Fuck." Taylor had been waiting to get her hands on me, but Claire was always there to help me out. Without Claire and a car, I was left with no other option than to do what Taylor wanted.

"Don't sound too happy," Taylor smirked. "The bus station is about a mile away if you want to walk in the dark."

I slammed my locker closed. "Who's party are we going to?"

Taylor shrugged. "Some guy who needs some bitches for his bachelor's party."

"So we're getting paid?" I asked.

Taylor showed me a stack of cash. "Already paid in advance."

She threw it at me and I caught it. It was about fifty dollars in ones. I wasn't stupid, Taylor barely paid the newbies she brought along to parties. "Couldn't I just sleep in the car while you guys do your thing?"

"No. You already touched the money. It's yours, now you have to earn it." Taylor said.

I sighed and put the stack of cash in my pocket. I had no idea how to get out of going with Taylor. So I just silently followed Taylor and her crew out of the club.

The second I stepped outside my phone buzzed.

Love ❤️: I'm outside your workplace

Love ❤️ : It's freezing out here

I looked around and found Hiraeth staring at me. She started to walk over to me. "Hiraeth what the fuck are you doing?" For some reason, my voice came out pretty calm despite my confusion.

Hiraeth pointed to her car. "I came to pick you up. You didn't take a car to school today so I figured you didn't have a ride from work either."

As much as I loved her thoughtfulness, I couldn't leave with her. I had a job to do. "Go home. I have to go to a party."

"No, you have school in the morning. You can't go." Hiraeth crossed her arms. She wasn't going to let me leave the parking lot with anyone but her. I was more than grateful for it.

Someone threw their arm around me. I immediately shrugged it off. The smell of cigarette ash told me that it was Taylor. "She has no choice. I already paid her."

"Take the money back. I'm taking her home." Hiraeth said.

"Who are you?" Taylor stepped up to spook Hiraeth as if they weren't both the same height and size.

"I'm her sister-in-law. My brother wants her home immediately." Hiraeth lied.

"You're married?" Taylor turned to me in surprise.

I pulled the fifty dollars out of my pocket and handed it to her. "Take your money and go Taylor. I owe you nothing."

"Fine." Taylor groaned but she backed off. "If you ever want to party you know where I work."

"Ugly-ass-ashy-smelling bitch," Hiraeth mumbled under her breath. I laughed and gave her a hug.

"I really needed a ride. How can I thank you?" I asked.

"We can figure that out after we get in the car," Hiraeth said. We concluded that Hiraeth was more tired than me, so I decided to drive.

Due to her being so tired she was asleep for most of the ride.

I drove to my place since it was the closest. Hiraeth started to complain the second I woke her up. "How do you live like this? It's so late in the night."

"I got used to it after a while." I shrugged. "Do you want to stay the night?"

"Yeah. I told my father that I was staying over at Wynn's, but clearly, that's not the case." Hiraeth said. "Is your mom home?"

"No." She went on a three-day cruise with Christian. Unfortunately, she took my damn car with them. I had her car, but Christian accidentally took the keys with him.

"Good, she scares me." Hiraeth laughed.

"My mama?" I found the thought of Hiraeth being scared of my mom hilarious.

Hiraeth's cheeks turned a darker shade. "Well yeah, I'm scared of disappointing her or something. It's stupid I know but..."

I couldn't help but laugh and Hiraeth glared at me. "Come on Scardy-Cat, it's cold out here." We got out of the car and hurried into the house. Well, I hurried. Hiraeth was a little bit slower. I couldn't tell if she was nervous about something or just tired.

"You guys painted?" Hiraeth asked as she entered the house. She was looking at the various splashes of color that decorated the walls.

"My mom's boyfriend did," I said with an eye roll.

'Oh, it's creative." Hiraeth snorted. "Kai... don't get mad at me when I say this but... this whole stripper thing-"

I immediately cut her off, afraid of where she was headed. "Look, babe, I'm not quitting my job just because we're doing whatever the hell we're doing." We hadn't even put a label on our "relationship". We just kissed a few times, and Hiraeth made it clear she didn't want me to be with anyone else. And I was perfectly fine with it, but she couldn't possibly expect me to quit my only source of income over it.

"Actually, I was going to say that it was dangerous. Especially when you don't have a car. I think you should tell your mom." Hiraeth explained.

I blinked in surprise and my mouth damn there dropped. I never planned on telling my mother that I danced for money. "That's never going to happen."

"Why not?" Hiraeth frowned.

"She would freak out and probably cry." My mother, damn there had a whole breakdown over me going to therapy. She would never accept the fact that I was a stripper. There was a chance that she would kick me out over it or just slutshame me constantly.

"But what if something happens to you? Like what if something happened at whatever thing those girls were taking you to." Worry was displayed all over Hiraeth's face.

I couldn't help but smile. She was so cute. "I will be perfectly fine, Rye."

"Fine. Just... the next time you don't have your car, call me instead." Hiraeth huffed.

I shook my head. "I can't expect you-"

"Just accept my help and the fact that I care about you." Hiraeth rolled her eyes and pulled me into a hug.

"I care about you too." I hummed.