New Native Land (The Next Step) (Book II)

Chapter 23 (We Fall Sometimes)

I came to my senses quickly and I grabbed my duffle and I packed it. Most of my stuff was already in the bag, I packed the remaining and I zipped up the bag. I walked out the room and I saw Smokey standing there waiting on me. He laughed and teased "You got told." I sucked my teeth and said "Shut up." He laughed, grabbed my bag and said "Come on, your five minutes is almost up."

We walked downstairs and I gave the keys back and Smokey lead me to the car. "Get in the back." Smokey told me and I opened the door to the back. Smokey put my bag in and then got in the passenger seat. The tension was so thick and I felt suffocated, I felt hot, I felt really, really light headed.

Smokey passed me a small baggie with my medicine in it and some water. "You forgot something." He said and I took it immediately and praised God for this. Ahm sped off so fast, it was so overwhelming. "Ahm, let's just take her to our place and let's get our heads on straight. She's going to run again if we take her to her dad's and she'll end up somewhere else." He suggested to Ahm, but Ahm didn't say anything.

I sighed and leaned back letting the medicine work, I felt my heart going back to normal but my body feeling really weak. "How you feeling back there?" Smokey asked me and I breathed out harshly and said breathlessly "Better." He chuckled "You something else." I couldn't even pay attention to him. I felt helpless, this pill made me so loopy and lightheaded, plus I didn't take it with food.

It was quiet and we made it back to my neighborhood, but we didn't go the way to my house, we went a different way. We turned down a couple of different streets and then rolled down another street until we stopped at this nice looking brownstone. I'm guessing this is where Ahm and the crew stays.

"Come on." Smokey said to me and I breathed out, I didn't want to walk around. He went and grabbed my bag and then he helped me out the car, while Ahm remained in the car. "Need to lay you down." Smokey said and I nodded in agreement. We walked inside the house and he lead me to a room upstairs. "This Ahm's room, he won't mind." I looked at him desperately "Can't I go on the couch or something?" I asked him and he lifted an eyebrow at me.

"You think Ahm want you sleeping on a couch? Especially when you came from a place like what we came from?" He asked me and I sighed "Maybe." I said quietly and he laughed "Ahm's mad at you but he doesn't hate you shawty. Give him time, he'll be up at some point." I nodded "And you better take every word he gives you, cause you had us all worried shawty." Smokey got stern for a moment and then gave me a warm smile as he walked out the room and closed the door.

I couldn't take it anymore, I had to lay down, I had to catch my breath. I stayed there and I looked up at the ceiling, Ahm's room had a wooden ceiling fan and it was really pretty.

I closed my eyes and focused on breathing right. I took a few sips of the water I had and that made me feel better. And then the door opened, and I was frozen again. I didn't move and I didn't open my eyes. I heard a drawer open and then I heard a door open and close and then a shower starting.

I breathed out and finally my breathing stopped being to erratic. I turned to my side and I closed my eyes and waited for slumber once again but it wasn't coming to me, I couldn't stop thinking about the talk I know is coming.

I heard the water stop and I felt tense again, but I calmed myself down and thought about the possibilities of this conversation. I was really shocked to be honest that Ahm even admitted he was in love with me, it didn't seem like him at all, but I guess he has been hinting at it for a while now.

The door opened and instead of freezing I just waited for him to approach me. He walked over to the bed and he tapped my thigh, I looked up at him and he said "Scoot over." I did quickly and he got in the bed with me and he groaned when his body hit the mattress. As if he has been awaiting this all-day long. I noticed he did not have on a shirt and let me tell you it was all I imagined, he was sculpted and fine as wine.

I turned around so I wouldn't focus on him but he said "Turn back around." It shocked me but I turned back around slowly. He was giving me this stern face "Night." He simply said to me, shocking me.

That's it? 'Night'? I'm off the hook that easy? I lifted an eyebrow because I knew that couldn't possibly be it.

I decided to be bold, I wasn't going to wait around for a scolding, nope, I wasn't going to do that. I reached over him and I wrapped my arms around his perfect body. I laid on his chest and put one of my legs between his, I could tell he was shocked.

I whispered "Don't be mad at me." He relaxed and he wrapped his arms around me as if he'll never be able to do this again. "Don't you ever in your life do that again do you hear me?" He said to me with passion. I nodded against his chest and he finally relaxed. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He admitted and I started closing my eyes. Softly I said "I'm sorry." He exhaled sharply. I don't think he accepted that apology.

"Are you going to be here when I wake up?" I asked him and he tensed again. "Ahm? Are you going to be here?" I asked him again and he sighed out, I felt sleep overcoming me. "Ahm?" I asked tiredly and he said "Go to sleep." "Just be here when I wake up, okay?" I asked and he relaxed giving into me "Alright baby, go to sleep." I let sleep overcome me right after that.

I tossed and I woke up. I looked around because I thought last night was a crazy dream but it wasn't, it was so real. I looked around and Ahm was gone, I rubbed my eyes and squinted but he didn't magically appear and I was somewhat disappointed, but not surprised.

I went to my bag and I pulled out my toothbrush and toothpaste and I brushed my teeth and I walked out and changed. I walked out the room and I smelled food. I'm not going to lie, I was hungry.

I went down stairs and saw Scrap and Shad arguing over whatever and they finally noticed my presence. They both looked mad at me which I guess I deserve. "What the hell Texas!" Shad yelled at me and I laughed a little "My bad?" I said and he mocked my laugh "You doin too much. You want Ahm's attention that bad?" Scrap joked and I waved him off. "Ahm said you need to eat and take this pill so do that." Shad told me while motioning to a box of food and my pill sitting in a baggie on top of it with a bottle of water on the side.

I walked over to the plate and I ate the food and took the pill. "Did you guys have to watch me so intensely?" I asked them because they were. "Yeah, Ahm said you had to eat every last bite and we had to watch you take that pill." Scrap explained and I made a face. "And where is he?" They shrugged their shoulders "Who knows." Shad said nonchalantly and turned back around to watch TV.

"You scared us." Scrap said really disappointed. "We real life thought someone did something to you. You need to watch the actions you take cause we were about to start a war with someone because of you." All I could do was nod. "Why you run away anyway?" Shad turned around and asked me. "My dad ruined my life." I honestly answered and Scrap said "Join the club." Shad laughed at him.