guardian ➸ trevante rhodes

three

calm down, mamas, let me hold you.

I opened the door and quietly entered. I locked it and set my gun back into its hiding spot. I took off my jacket and shirt and placed them on the couch. I went into my dark bedroom and dug into my drawer. I grabbed a thing that I had hid so temptation wouldn't let me have it, but I needed one at the moment. I grabbed an old lighter and went back outside to the front. I sat on the porch and pulled the cigarette from my ear and lit it up. I inhaled a huge puff and slowly exhaled it out. Again, I had failed at quitting. It was more like I had one every three months or so, but lately I had one every week.

It smelled like rain outside and deadly quiet. No one would be out at three in the morning but surely I was. I was getting into hot water having this girl with me. It's not that I'm scared or anything but I know Q is a hardheaded dumbass. He will definitely want revenge and I know that revenge will have something to do with Toya.

As inhaled the cigarette once more, the door swung open. I clutched my pocket where I usually keep my gun at but remembered I left it in the house. I turned around quickly and faced Toya. In the moonlight, I saw her eyes travel down to my hand, looking at my cigarette.

"Toya," I whispered as my heart rate still rose. She nearly scared the living crap out of me.

"You lied to me," she said. She walked backward slowly and then turned her heels back into the house.

"Fuck," I cursed under my breath and put out the drug, following her quickly. "T."

"No, you lied to me. I trusted you!" She yelled and turned the light on in the bedroom.

"Lower your voice," I said and rose my hands in surrender. She grabbed her duffel bag and stuffed one of her tshirts in her bag.

"Why do I have to?" She yelled once more. "I told you all types of things of myself to you. I've never been so open to someone before and you straight up lied to me. What about the things you told me? Were those lies too? Because clearly the part of you not taking drugs was a lie."

I pinched the bridge of nose and closed my eyes. I should let her go, I really should. What good am I going to get out of this anyway? If she walks out, I will definitely not see her again. She'll be posted on those street posts that she went missing--if her family cares that much. I sighed as I watch her pace around the room again. Her dreads falling to her shoulders as she bent down to put her shoes on.

"Where are you even going to go?" I asked her.

"Away from a sorry ass coward," she spat. I rose my eyebrow and nodded slowly. I ain't no damn coward, but I ain't gonna say nothing. "I'd rather be on the streets than trapped in a room with a liar."

"Trapped? Babygirl, I ain't gonna hold you back. If you wanna leave then leave. Just know that you ain't gonna make it far. Quintell will get you before you that sun rises in a couple hours. If you think you can survive for three more hours then you must be out of your damn mind. If I were you, I would stay in the house until sunrise and then you can go roam the streets." I sat down on the bed as she stared at me and then grabbed her bag.

"I knew I shouldn't have listened to no drug dealer." As she stormed out of my room, I quickly grabbed her arm.

"You won't make it," I said and looked into her dark eyes one last time.