Perfectly Imperfect

Chapter 8

Three weeks have passed, and I'm still staying with Lay. I haven't talked to my mom yet, but I plan to stop by my house to get the rest of mine and Ari's things. I've also been looking for an apartment for us, although Lay parent's said we could stay as long as we need, it's time for my own spot. Something I can call mine, at least for the moment.

I tried asking King to hook me up at his apartment complex but it's downtown, away from school and more expensive than my cheap ass wants to spend right now. I also want to find Ari a better daycare, the one she's at is fine but it's not like she'll ever learn or start preschool there, an all-in-one sort of deal would be more helpful.

It's almost 11 o'clock in the afternoon and me and Lay have just gotten back to her house after morning practice, which started at 6 a.m. State is this weekend, and coach has been working our asses off to make sure we are ready. I'm tired as fuck and all I want is to take a hot shower and go to sleep but I have shit to take care of so there's little time to rest. King has me working tonight, so it was going to be a long ass day. I hear the TV playing in the living room, so I head in that direction while Lay heads straight to her room to take a shower, complaining that her muscles are crying.

I see Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, or Kayla and Michael, sitting on the couch playing with Ari and watching a movie, it's really adorable to see these uptight businesspeople relaxing with a baby and watching tv. They looked like a cute little family together.

"Hey momma, pops" I say before leaning down and giving her a raspberry on her cheek making her squeal and laugh.

"Hey Dréa, how was practice?" Kayla ask glancing my way before going back to Ari.

"Good, tiring, but I need to go get some more things from my house so would it be ok if you guys watched Ari for me."

"Of course, we will you don't even have to ask you know we love y'all like you're our own." I smile and shake up with Michael and give Kayla a kiss on her cheek before heading upstairs.

I love Lay's parents they've always treated me like family ever since Lay and I became friends. They are more like my parents than my mom is, which is why I prefer to spend most of my time here rather than that shithole.

I go to Lay's room which is where I've been sleeping since I've gotten here and she's changing into some sweatpants and a white t-shirt that says "Skilled in every position" with a cartoon basketball that has its tongue sticking out and I smirk at the double meaning as I go up to her.

"Skilled in every position huh?" I laugh and grab her shirt making her blush and swat my hands away. I try to kiss her, but she pushes me away scrunching up her nose.

"Nope you need to shower you stink" I smack my lips and mush her head making her laugh as I kiss her cheek. She's adorable as fuck when she wants to be. I move to go to the bathroom, but she grabs my wrist pulling me back with a sly smile. She bites her lip with a small chuckle before connecting our lips in a slow sensual kiss that has me putting my hand on her hip to steady myself. Her tongue works its way around mine in ways I don't expect and when she pulls away, I'm lost for words. Damn she's so fine it's almost not fair.

"Go take a shower" she slaps my ass with a laugh, and I listen and go to her bathroom closing the door behind me before turning on music on my phone.

I look in the mirror my bruises are gone but my back still has a really bad scar that I knew isn't going away, at least not any time soon. The bitch got me good, and it makes me realize this shit can be over instantaneously, where would Ari be? I have to start putting some shit in perspective but financially I don't see that being a possibility right now, I just don't see a way out.

I sigh and turn on the shower, the cost of working in the streets, it's all life or death. You have to be smart and analyze every move you make; if you don't, you die.