Aura

Chapter Six

Prince's P.O.V.

I looked at her across the table as she looked at the menu trying to figure out what to order. I seriously couldn't get enough of this girl. I hadn't felt a soft spot for a girl since Pria when I met her in the 10th grade. I wouldn't say it was love or nothing extreme like that... Laylani was just... Laylani. She was cute in an unintentional way. She was so unaware of her beauty and the presence she gave off which just made her more intriguing. She didn't talk much but when she did she either said something deep, rude, or a rambled on apology over her previous comment which was either deep, or rude.

"Stop staring at me," She directed without looking up.

"I can't," I admitted. I saw her start to smile and she quickly readjusted her menu to hide herself. I pushed the menu down and she swatted at me, causing me to giggle at her shyness. 

"Okay," She placed her menu down and looked at me. I could see her becoming more comfortable with me as she was looking me in the eye more and more but still not for to long.

"Where you from?" I asked her out of curiosity. She was obviously African American or of black decent but I figured her family was from somewhere outside of America. She looked ethnic or Caribbean and her hair passed her elbows and was rich and thick like she had Indian in her. Her eyes were round and pretty and her left dimple pressed so much more into her her face than her left but both were prominent.

"My mother is Bajan and my father was born and raised in California and so was I," She responded. She twirled her pressed hair in her finger and studied my face. "You?"

"My mother is biracial and my father is Jamaican." I answered. "But fuck him honestly."

"Why F him?" She asked not wanting to repeat the F word.

"He never did nothing for me."

"You shouldn't say that. One day he won't be there anymore..." She spoke softly. Her tone revealed a pain that was obviously personal.

"He was never there... Nothing would be different." I added. She remained quiet and started playing with her hands under the table. "You have a good relationship with your parents?"

"Yeah. I was really close with my mother..." She trailed off and the 'was' in her sentence made me stop in my tracks.

"What happened? Ya'll grew apart?" I asked oblivious.

"She, uhm passed a little under a month ago. She had terminal breast cancer." She looked up and the expression on her face was neutral.

"I'm so sorry Laylani," I grabbed her hand across the table. A tear started to roll down her face and I could tell the wound was still very fresh. I got up from my seat and moved so I was sitting on the same part of the booth as her. I rubbed her shoulder and kissed her forehead and she took a deep breath before wiping her tear.

"I'm good..." She lied. I knew she felt embarrassed for crying but I had nothing but sympathy for her. My mother was my rock and I couldn't imagine what I would do if I lost he. She was truly my everything, life wouldn't even be worth living anymore without her. 

We ordered our food and once she recollected herself our conversation grew deeper. We talked about a variety of stuff and the whole time I just couldn't help but think to myself how dope she was. The conversation fluctuated from deep shit to jokes and laughter and then back to deep shit flowing swiftly.

Two hours later we were done eating and making our way back to my car. We walked out holding hands and she was so much less tense than she was when I picked her up in front of her apartment. I checked the time on my phone and it was almost 11 o'clock. I figured I should be getting her home because I didn't know if she had curfew and I didn't want to belittle by asking. We joked and listened to throwback love songs from the early 2000's on our way home and she sang along to almost every song.