In These Streets

Chapter 9

Darius didn't follow us out into the large driveway, and I was grateful.

Tears continued to fall down my cheeks, and I didn't even attempt to try to pull myself together. I felt used and spent. I knew the alcohol was seriously clouding my rationale and making me embarrassingly emotional, but the thought of Darius trying to play mind games with me so he could have a quick fuck made my heart constrict. It was all just so disappointing and fucked up to me.

Genesis leaned against the hood of her car and regarded me silently.

"You don't need to say 'I told you so'," I hiccupped.

"Yeah, no shit," she breathed, rolling her eyes dramatically.

I looked away.

"Girl, listen," she sighed, "I said what I said earlier to avoid this, not to hurt your feelings."

"Can you call that taxi or are you good to drive?"

"I'm definitely drunk. I'm too fucked up right now to drive." She pulled out her cell from her handbag, her nails clicking on the screen.

I looked around to distract myself from thinking about what happened.

I noticed the garage door on the end of the house was open, but it hadn't been when we'd gotten there. The rest of the group and Talia were nowhere to be found.

"I just ordered you an Uber. Lot faster than a taxi," Genesis said.

We waited in silence and eventually the Uber showed up. Genesis must've messaged Darius to unlock and open the gate because the Uber drove right up to the mansion.

It was some White guy, who was chubby with thick glasses and a long beard. He gawked at Darius's house as we approached the car.

I tiredly climbed into the backseat, a faint headache beginning to throb in my skull.

"I'll stop by tomorrow and see you if I can, girl," Genesis said gently, before pushing the door shut.

The ride felt like forever on the way back to Watts, tears still endlessly streaming down my face and my headache worsening.

That was the last time I would see Darius. The last memory I would have of him.

I guess it was what I deserved, for throwing my morals out the window as soon as a guy intensely pursued me.

No, not just any guy. I knew I would have never done those things if it had been anyone other than Darius. He commanded respect, and gave off this thrill of danger and mystery, but complete maturity too. It was a heady notion; a gorgeous man with an edgy personality, but still intelligent and articulate.

Gratefully, the Uber driver didn't push for conversation and he finally dropped me home. Genesis already paid for it, which I made sure to make a mental note of to thank and repay her.

I slowly made my way into my apartment, everything deathly quiet. I was glad my mother was asleep and wouldn't ambush me, and I quickly made my way to my room.

I barely kicked my stilettos off before face planting on my bed and drifting into a sad and lonely darkness.

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I woke up to the irritating sound of cooking pots clanging together from down the hall. I groaned, trying to cover my head with my pillow, but I couldn't ignore it.

I squinted blearily at my window, rays of sunshine filtering in. Slowly, I sat up in bed and saw my pillow streaked with mascara and lipstick.

Lovely.

I got up and padded to my vanity to confirm the worst.

My eyes were swollen and puffy, my skin was blotched, and my makeup was smudged so badly I looked like a drowned clown.

Grabbing a pair of grey sweatpants and a cropped t-shirt, I dashed for the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. After moisturizing my bare face, changing into my comfy clothes, and finger combing through my tangled curls, I felt much better. I headed to the kitchen, my stomach growling.

My mom was flipping pancakes in a frying pan at the stove and Tadeus was glued in his new spot on the couch, watching TV.

"Good morning, Ambra," my mom said flatly without looking up.

"Good morning, Mama."

"A package arrived for you earlier. It's on the table."

Surprised, I looked at the clock on the stove and then to the little, inconspicuous black box sitting on the table. It was only 10:30 a.m. Who would be sending me a package so early and on a Sunday?

Hope sparked inside me and I quickly tampered it down. Grabbing the box, I walked down the hall to the privacy of my own room.

I opened the lid and was shocked to see the newest iPhone gleaming back at me. I picked it up to inspect it and realized it was fully charged and turned on, with a beautiful two-tone teal phone case with expensive looking rhinestones.

I tapped the screen and saw there was one text message. It was from Darius.

Ambra, please accept this gift I got for you. I wanted to call you but Diamond said you didn't have a cellphone. Please give me a call. I need to explain myself - D

I couldn't believe it. He actually had the nerve to put himself in the phone as a contact and then asked me to call him?

Not a chance.

As much as I wanted to, just to hear his voice, I knew I would be giving him what he wanted. He was used to women giving him whatever he wanted and when he grew tired of those advantages he just cast those women aside for new ones.

I wouldn't play his games and I would let him know he couldn't just have whatever he wanted from me. I wasn't a doormat.

Deleting the message, I put the phone back in the box and left it on my bedside table beside my alarm clock and went to eat breakfast.

"What was in the box?" My mom asked as I sat at the table.

"A phone...... my friend gave to me," I answered casually as I started to eat.

My mom gave me a startled look.

"A phone? What friend?"

"That girl I went out with the other night, Genesis. I met some of her other friends and they decided to pitch in and get me a phone since I didn't have one," I lied, staring down at my plate.

Her tone was sharp.

"How do you know it's not stolen?"

"Mama! It's not stolen, trust me. They all have good jobs," I muttered, Darius's mansion flashing briefly in my mind.

"Oh....... well that was nice of them," she finally said, skeptical.

Though I didn't plan to keep the phone, an idea popped into my head that suddenly made me excited.

"I should call Ocean and Ophelia. They haven't heard from me in weeks and are probably worried sick. Would I be able to invite them down before the summer's over?"

A genuine smile crept on my mother's face.

"I think that would be a good idea."

Invigorated, I hastily ate my breakfast then dashed for my room to call my best friends.