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I shut my bedroom door gently behind me, letting out a shaky breath as I leaned against it. My heart was still racing from the talk with my dad. It felt like I had just stepped out of an interrogation room. My phone was already in my hand, my thumb hovering over Trayvon's name in my call list.
I hesitated for a second, then hit call.
It rang twice before he answered, voice low and smooth like he hadn't expected me to call this early.
"Yo, Angel. Everything good?"
I sat down on the edge of my bed, chewing the inside of my cheek. "Yeah uh, kinda. I just got home not too long ago. My dad was waiting for me."
Trayvon was quiet for a second. "Damn. He mad?"
I exhaled through my nose, a half laugh slipping out. "Mad is an understatement. He told me to sit down like I was about to get sentenced. He asked who I was seeing and I tried to play dumb at first."
Trayvon hummed, letting me keep going at my pace.
"But then he got real stern, like...I don't know. He said he wasn't stupid and that he heard me on the phone before. So I just told him. Everything. That I've been seeing you. That you're older. And that I really like you."
There was a pause on the other end. Then Trayvon's voice came through, softer than before.
"You really said all that?"
"Yeah." I swallowed. "And he didn't yell, not like I thought he would. But he laid down rules. Said I'm only allowed to go to school and work unless I get permission. And if I still wanna see you, you gotta meet both him and my mom."
Trayvon let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's a lot."
"I know," I mumbled, curling my free hand into my blanket. "I was scared he'd flip, or worse like, tell me I couldn't see you at all. But he didn't. I mean, he wasn't happy. But I guess it could've gone worse?"
There was another pause. Then Trayvon said, "Nah, you're right. Honestly? That's big, Angel. You told him the truth. That takes guts."
I smiled faintly, even if it was a little shaky. "You're not freaked out about meeting them?"
"I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. But it's not a bad thing. If anything, it means this is real, right? They wanna meet me cause I matter to you."
I felt my face heat up at that. My chest fluttered, equal parts nervous and happy. "You do matter to me. A lot."
Trayvon chuckled. "Then I'll be ready when it happens. Just give me the heads up. I'll even wear a button up and everything."
I laughed for real then, the tension easing from my shoulders. "You don't gotta do all that."
"Bet I don't. But I will. I wanna make a good impression."
