Even If It Kills Us (On hold)

Chapter Three {Editing/Rewriting }

Adonis walked towards his father's black Dodge truck, his mother trailing behind him. Katrina was furious; her son getting arrested was now all over the media because of Ricky being known.

"Adonis, I can't believe you got into a fight over Sasha!" Katrina exclaimed.

"I didn't fight over Sasha," Adonis replied, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Then what was it about?" Katrina demanded, stopping in front of Ricky's truck with her hands on her hips. Ricky had been quiet since they bailed Adonis out, understanding the situation after Adonis explained what had happened.

"I just wanted to see my son," Adonis said truthfully.

"You should've just walked away. Now she has a restraining order against you. She said you were a threat to her and Jr. after that fight," Katrina explained.

"That's his son, Trina. He has every right to see him," Ricky interjected.

Adonis felt as if he had been stabbed straight in the heart with daggers. "A restraining order?"

"Was it worth it? Now you can't even see your son!" Katrina shouted, her voice full of frustration and disappointment.

"I know, ma. I fucked up," Adonis said, looking directly at Katrina. "But I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. He's my son. I didn't know what else to do."

Katrina had always been hard on him. She didn't make the situation better by jumping down his throat. The tension between him and his mother grew thicker each day. Nothing was the same without Paisley being around and a part of him felt as if she'd blamed him for Paisley going missing. He couldn't see his son, and he missed his sister.

"Don't you swear at me, Adonis!" Katrina hit her son in the chest, but it didn't seem to faze him one bit.

Adonis remained quiet. He had nothing more to say as he climbed into the backseat of his father's truck. He just wanted to get home. He removed his phone from the plastic bag that his things were stored in when he got arrested. His battery was low, so he decided to wait until he got home to call her.

"There's a search party for Paisley Saturday morning," Katrina said.

They organized search parties for Paisley every month, often more than once. Disappointed with the police efforts, Katrina took matters into her own hands, rallying people from neighboring areas and even students from school to join in.

"I just pray we find her, and I hope she's alive," Katrina continued, tears streaming down her face. Ricky reached over, placing his hand on her thigh in an attempt to comfort her.

Paisley had been missing for a year now. While many believed she might already be gone, her family clung to hope and prayer, refusing to give up until she was found and safely returned home.

Adonis couldn't bear the thought of his sister being gone forever. "She's not dead. We're going to find her," he insisted.

He carried a heavy burden of guilt, knowing his mother likely blamed him for Paisley's disappearance. Truthfully, he blamed himself too. He felt responsible—when his mother was away working, he was supposed to keep a close eye on Paisley.

Paisley wouldn't stop bugging him about seeing her best friend. She told him that it was important and that her best friend needed her. Adonis knew how close they were and Paisley always walked to her house to visit. Adonis let her leave and he regretted it. He should've walked with her, but he didn't.

Adonis stared out the window, watching the trees, houses, and cars as they passed by them. His life may seem perfect to other people; it wasn't. He always felt like the fuck up in the family. The only person that really showed that they cared was his father, Ricky. He could go to him about anything. All Katrina did was judge him, and talk about him behind his back with her sisters.