DEDICATION | Book Two

C H A P T E R 5

C H A P T E R
F I V E

        Cali covered her mouth as tears swelled up in her eyes. She couldn't believe someone would do this to her. "Take the kids outside, they don't need to see this." Ahmad demanded while grabbing her arm helping him bring her in.

Anari and Alisha rounded up all the kids escorting them out the back door that lead to the backyard while the others were getting towels and a first aid kit to clean her up.

Sitting her on the couch, Ahmad looked over at Twan wondering what tha hell happened, "What tha fuck happened?"

Twan shook his head, "A little while after Imani and I moved in together, she started seeing this dude from her school, I met him a few times whenever he would come and pick her up but we never spoke to each since he apparently he doesn't like me. But I ain't too much care if he liked me or not, I got a weird vibe from him the day I met him but she seemed happy so I was just like man whatever makes her happy is all that matters since she deserves it .. but here recently she'd come back home from being with him with little cuts and marks on her and whenever I would ask what happened, she'd lie and say his dog or something did it and she never lied to me before so I took her world for it .. I thought we was close enough to where she would tell me if a nigga was beating the shit out of her but I guess not..

"So today when I came back home from the gym she was there laid out on our doorstep looking just like this. She hasn't directly said he beats her but I know he hitting her cause thats only person she be around besides me and whenever that nigga call she jumps, and does whatever for him like a lost puppy. So I'm not really sure what happened .."

Ahmad nodded, "This nigga got a name?"

"Tristian, he be hanging out around fifth .. the dude a lowlife, I tried to tell Imani to leave his ass alone but she won't listen to me."

Ahmad shook his head looking down at Imani who was getting cleaned up by Kamry since this is what she does for a living. "Has she said anything since you got her?"

"Nah, she just been crying and I didn't know where else to bring her besides here. Plus I knew if he came looking for her he would go straight to our apartment .. this is like the safest place right now."

Ahmad scratched his forehead letting out a sigh, "If y'all need to stay here, y'all are more than welcome too. But first she needs to file a restraining order on this dude and work on getting him locked up."

Twan nodded then took a seat on the arm of the couch staring down at her. He felt guilty that this had happened and he wasn't able to protect her.

Over the past two years Twan and Imani grew real close, pretty much like bestfriends. They went to different colleges but decided to get a place together since Imani didn't want to live on campus nor did she want to live home.

But Twan really just wanted to protect her, after everything she dealt with at school with kids bullying her and blaming her for everything, he knew she was still not over none that completely yet.

It was many nights of suicide attempts but he was always there to stop her. He continued to tell her things were gonna get better, and that shit isn't always going to be fucked up. Sometimes she listens but its like something will trigger inside of her and she'll just get depressed but Twan never left her side since he was all she really had besides her family.