Hollow

Five | Mercy

"Girl, take a break." Jas says, snatching my phone out of my hands as when we settle at our usual spot in Azur, my favorite restaurant here in Miami.

"Can I get you anything to start?" A waitress asks.

Jas smiles. "Surprise us."

Two minutes later, the waitress comes back with a tray with cocktail glasses before taking her leave. Jas takes her glass and chugs half of it.

"You okay there, Jas?"

"I'm fine." She asks a little too loudly. I nod dismissively but I know I'll eventually get her to talk.

"So, I figured we should go on a little trip."

"Really? Where?" She asks excitedly.

I take a sip before placing my glass back down. "An answer for an answer."

A frown appears on her face and she lets out a sigh. "Keith asked me out tonight but apparently, something came up and he can't make it."

"Keith? As in our Business Management professor, Keith? Keith Philips?" I ask incredulous.

"Yes, that Keith." She answers in a bored tone. "Anyways, where is it we're going?"

"There's no trip."

"Did you just manipulate me?"

I shrug innocently, sipping of my drink.

<<·>> <<·>> <<·>>

Jas and I talked for hours until she got a call from Keith asking her to meet him, something about making things right. I, on the other hand, decided to head home, drained from exhaustion.

Stepping out of my car, I find Bryce leaning against his Porsche with a folder in his hands. I walk towards him with Marcus tagging closely behind.

"Hey, Bryce."

"Sorry to show up at this time of the night but it's kinda urgent." He hands me a file but Marcus snatches it midway, opening it to view its contents.

I take it from, giving him my best glare. I open the file and gasp when I find pictures, call logs, financial transactions and flight information. I feel traitor tears threatening to fall but I close my eyes, trying to calm down.

"Thank you, Bryce." I whisper, opening my eyes and handing the file back to him.

He steps forward and pulls me in for a hug before pulling back and heading back to his car, driving away. I avert my gaze to Marcus, trying hard not to fall apart in front of him as he steps in his car as well.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asks his head popping out of his window of his car.

I nod and he drives away.

<<·>> <<·>> <<·>>

I try my best to hide my own grief and guilt as I stare at the people gathered to honor Roman. I scan the crowd until my eyes land on his parents. I walk towards them and wrap my hands around my cousin, Sydney.

The expression on his face is telling a different a different story than his eyes; they hold a great deal of grief that it pains me to even look at him. To know that you're responsible for the pain your twelve year old cousin is feeling, is excruciating.

I remember being in the hospital identifying my parents with my aunt Nuri. She was crying in my arms and I just stood there, holding her. I couldn't get myself to shed a tear.

"I'm here for you, Syd. Whatever you need, you let me know."

Sydney nods sadly. "Thank you Z."

I hug him again before turning to my aunt Crystal. I pull her into a hug before turning to my uncle Mark.

"If I hear another sorry for your loss, I will go insane." He chuckles, planting a kiss on the side of my cheek just as Luca comes to stand next to me and offers his sympathies.

Moments later, I pull Luca to the side and let him know I'm leaving before turning back to my family and biding my goodbyes but not before making them promise to let me know if they need anything. I nod to Marcus letting him know I'm ready to leave.

We start making our way out of the grave yard and I reach to open the door but it doesn't open. I frown, looking down to see my hand shaking. Marcus must have noticed because suddenly, the door is pulled open and he helps me into the car before stepping into the passenger's seat. He soon starts the car and pulls out of the graveyard, Kaleo's Way Down We Go blasting through the speakers.

The fucking irony.