When The Sun Rises | ✔

10 | Like Slender-Man

Chapter 10 | Like Slender-Man

• • •

        I stand with my hand on my hip and eyebrow raised. Running into him at the restaurant had thrown me for a loop, but I couldn't complain since the owner was his whole ass grandmother. He had more of a right to be there than I did.

        But showing up where I live? Where I shower, sleep, and shit? This is where the line gets drawn.

        "Okay, this is hella creepy. What you doing here? How you even get my address?" I ask defensively.

        I mean, how else am I supposed to react when some random nigga I shared an uber with starts popping up all over my life? Blame it on the universe and serendipity? Hell no. I don't know if I should be scared or pissed off.

        "You cute and all, and as much as you'd like to think I am, I'm not here because of you, love. Didn't even know you lived here," he chuckles and gestures to something, or rather someone, behind me.

        I whirl around to see Donovan coming toward us with a relaxed smile and look of recognition that tells me he knows more about this random visit than I do.

        He saunters over to the open doorway and daps Honovi up. I watch as they interact like they've known each other for years, when they hadn't met each other before the other day at Dolly's.

        When the hell did this happen?

        "Wassup bruh, didn't think you was gon' be by until later." Donovan nudges me to the side to make room for the uber nigga to cross the threshold.

        "I wasn't but then my Mama woke up early as hell unpacking shit so my Dad sent me over here to pick it up." His back is to me and my eyes unconsciously trail the light ripples beneath the fabric of his gray t-shirt. His hair sits in a ponytail at the base of his neck. It sways gently between his shoulder blades.

        "It? What it?" I ask.

        The uber nigga peers over his shoulder at me, amused by my need to know.

        "If you have to ask, then that's probably a sign that it's none of your business, love," he says, watching my face for a reaction.

        "One, don't call me love. I have a name and I promise you that ain't it. Two, you're right. Your reason for being here has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Donovan so y'all have fun with whatever it is. I'm going back upstairs."

        I sidestep Donovan to cut through the living room.

        "Oh yeah. It's Shannon, right?" he calls out. I turn back around to see him standing with his corded arms crossed against his chest, a mocking smile on his lips.

        "To you? It most definitely is," I say calmly and pivot on my heel. I scale the stairs two steps at a time. Rounding the corner to the hall, Xo is standing in my doorway grinning from ear to ear.

        "Who was it?" she whispers smirking like she already knows who it is.

        "Nobody."

        "Didn't sound like nobody."

        "If you're so interested, why don't you go see for yourself then?"

        All I want at this point is to be left alone with my thoughts. With the sun as high in the sky as it is, there's no reason for me to have already been forced to deal with this many people.