By The Rules

10

Kris

At nine thirty in the morning, I arrive out Chelsea at Jay's apartment. Today, Adela and I are going to spend the day together. She's been lounging around the apartment all week and I figured she needed to get out the house. I know I needed to get away from the warehouse because I've been there all week. I've been trying to find Malachi and we haven't had any luck. He's not even in town and he hasn't been on social media for weeks. This man fell off the face of the earth. I haven't told Adela that he might be the one responsible, because I know her temper. I witness Adela coming out the apartment building and closing the door. She walks down the steps and I unbuckle my seat belt, and reach for my purse in the back. My phone is ringing and I knew it couldn't be no one but Moss. Receiving my phone, I witness the caller being exactly who I thought it was. I answer and before I could say anything, he began talking.

"Yo, you need to get down here ASAP." He says.

"What's going on?" I question as Adela gets in the car.

"We got hit. Everything is gone from the stash, money, safes and one of the guards were shot." Moss sighs. I sigh as well and roll my eyes over towards Adela who looks concerned. She didn't need to know what was going on and I don't want to ruin our day with work. I didn't want to be bothered with it either.

"Well, I'm actually in the middle of something. Just check the video footage. I'll be there later." I mumble, scratching over my eyebrow.

"What?" Moss questions confused.

"You heard what I said. I'll be there later." I hang up the phone and toss it back in my purse. It's always something and for the past six months I've been stressed since. I'm surprised that I haven't grown any grey hairs yet. After shifting gears, I pull off into traffic and drive to our destination.

"Everything good?" Adela asks. I roll my eyes and nod as I comb my fingers through my hair.

"Just a lot of shit going on with the warehouse. We got robbed last night and one of the guards was shot." I mumble.

"Don't you think you should go and check that out?" Adela questions concerned.

"I've been buried in that warehouse for six months now with work up to my neck. I've been putting the new product together and trying to find Mal-, the niggas that jumped you." I try to correct myself, knowing it was too late when I hear Adela exhale deeply. I've been stressed for so long that any thing will slip.

"I know it wasn't Malachi. His parents are wealthy and he's in college, but he's not going to pay ten grand to get me jumped. Especially not over something petty like a damn break up. We broke up many times before that." She explains. I nod while taking a left at the next corner.

"You still love him don't you?"

"Yea but I wouldn't go back to his ass. Malachi wasn't ready for commitment nor a relationship. You know when I went to meet his parents, he didn't even tell them about me. They thought he was with someone else."

"Damn. Niggas just don't give a shit anymore." I chuckle as she does the same.

"Real shit. What are we getting into?" Stopping at the light, I shrug my shoulders and tap my fingers on the steering wheel.

"I figured we get Mom from rehab and go get something to eat. I'm pretty sure she's tired of the rehab food." Adela smiles while nodding.

"Yea. Mom would love that. She's always asking about you. Of course then we weren't talking." Nodding, I take off once the light changes.

"Are we good now?" I question, arching a brow. I see her nod in the corner of my eye.

"Yea. I meant what I said when I apologized Kris. After learning we're both not happy where we are, and you telling me how daddy's death affected you made me understand. I want you to know that daddy would be proud of you. You're doing the best you can and it shows." She says. I think differently, but I don't want to have a debate about it. I also don't want to have a conversation about it either.