• • •

I searched through the box, looking for a different bracelet. I wished I hadn't given Elijah's mine, but I hadn't felt the need to wear it in years.

Settling on the blue one, I walked on my knees towards the door and locked the door behind me.

It was well after 10, but I figured my parents would still be up. I was right in that assumption, finding them in the living room. The tv was on, but they were both looking expectedly towards the hall, the alarm alerting them to the fact I'd come in.

Confusion crossed their faces when they saw I was upset, "What's wrong?"

I didn't know where to start, "What would possess you to tell Ariana anything about me? Let alone some shit like that?"

It dawned on my dad instantly, but the realization was overshadowed by defensiveness, "Don't be disrespectful, Kensley."

"Why can't I be?" A tremble went through my voice, and I hated it because I wasn't sad, "Y'all disrespect me over and over. I don't ask for anything– just privacy and you shit on that every chance you get."

My mom sighed and forward, "We were voicing our concerns to her about Eli. You know we love Jailyn, but she isn't the best person to be looking out for you. Ariana's more mature."

There they were again: 'Looking out for you'. Even after I told them why it wasn't necessary. The day after our initial argument, my dad and I had another conversation, and we agreed that he would let it go, and I'd be careful.

His exact words were, "I understand you're a woman now, and I can respect that. Promise me you'll be careful, and I'll let it go."

My stupid ass response, "I swear I'll be careful."

What was the point in letting me think that we were making progress if he was going to go and do something like this?

"Jailyn didn't go tell a complete stranger my autobiography!" I shouted, "This lady came to my job, letting everybody close enough to hear, something that's not even true!"

"The 'lady' is Elijah's wife." My dad responded, "I'm not saying that gives her the right, but what would 'possess you' to sleep with a married man?"

I didn't care to tell them that Elijah was getting divorced. At that moment, I didn't care to tell them anything about me ever again.

"I was so disappointed." My mom voiced while shaking her head.

"I don't give a damn."

"Hey!" My dad stood up, "Now I said it before, we can talk, but be respectful."

It occurred to me on the drive over that I'd only introduced Ari and Jade as my friends, which is what they were at the time, but I don't feel as if I had to tell them that we had sex from time to time.

"Ariana, Jade, and I have sex." I stated bluntly, "Next week, we were scheduled for our monthly threesome– I told her that I wasn't going. Now you tell me why you think she told Leah that. You tell me if she was looking out for me."

I enjoyed the look on their faces, "So you told a lady who's mad that I'm not eating her pussy this month, my medical history, and who knows what else. I'm moving to Alaska. Don't call me."

That was the conclusion I came to in the locker room. Ari didn't think I'd want to stop, and I actually didn't plan on it. I only meant no this month, and had she taken the time to ask, she'd know that.

Still, that didn't excuse what Ari did. I wish I would've hit her when I had the chance, but another woman went to get Tristan the moment she heard me start yelling.

It wasn't an overreaction to me.

I ignored the call for me to come back, and continued to my car, sighing as I thought about the 3-hour drive home. Hopefully, the bracelet was worth it.

• • •

Thankfully, I was off the next morning.

I wasn't sleeping, because I couldn't. Whenever something upset me, the knot at the bottom of my stomach prevented me from being able to sleep consistently.

Jailyn opened the door and saw me watching tv, "Want me to skip class? We can watch movies and stuff. I'll just tell my professor my granny sick."

"You lie on that lady so much. Can she rest peacefully?"

"She gave me hella whoopings growing up. Ian get no rest 'cause of her, she ain't gone get no rest 'cause of me."

I laughed and pulled the covers back over my head, "Bye Jai. Go to class."

A few hours went by before I stopped fighting the urge to call Elijah. Not that I was necessarily fighting it, I just didn't know what I expected him to do about it.

I'd already vented to Jailyn, but as I said, I didn't go to her for advice. Did I want advice? I wasn't sure."

Elijah answered quickly, "Wassup Kensley?"

"Are you busy?" I asked.

"Uhh, yes, and no."

He sounded distracted, but he didn't outright say yes, "Why and no?"

"'Cause I'm busy, but if you need some then I'm not."

A smile went across my face, "I feel special. I just wanted to talk, but I can wait until you're done doing that."

"It's shit I can do later." He assured me, "What's wrong?"

"I had a bad day yesterday." I paused because I wanted him to come over, not talk on the phone, "Come make me a grilled cheese sandwich."

"You said it was nasty." Elijah laughed.

"It was. But I still want another one."

After it was decided that he was coming to make another greasy ass sandwich, I hung up and went to take a shower.

I stood under the warm water longer than necessary, just thinking.

After every disagreement with my parents, I felt guilty. And even though they were in the wrong, again, I still wanted to apologize so I wouldn't feel bad.

Anger was more prominent, though, and I refused to do it. Maybe if they'd just told Ariana and she'd kept it to herself, it'd be different.

But no, she acted out of spite, and that's fucked up to me that they put her in the position to do that.

Why was I angrier at them than Ari? Because technically, Ari owed me nothing. Yes, we were friends, but those were my parents. I expected a different type of loyalty from them.

When the water grew lukewarm, I finished my shower and got dressed, going into the kitchen to sit and wait for Elijah. That didn't last long, and another smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I went to open the door.

He held up a bag when I opened it, "UberEats. I accept payments in the form of pussy only."

"I don't have any on me right now." I laughed and moved aside for him to walk in.

"Take out a loan or some. I can't be giving out food for free."

Once in the kitchen, I dug through the Waffle House bag, doing a small dance when I saw the container of grits, and sighing happily when I saw the cheese on top, "I might just go find some coochie 'cause you showed out."

"You were already having a bad day. That sandwich would've only made it worse."

He'd gotten my order right, all the way down to the packs of ketchup, and watched in disgust as I squeezed in on my hashbrown, "I appreciate you a lot."

Elijah sat on the stool and listened to me relay the most of my last day and a half, leaving out certain parts. I didn't want to talk too badly about my parents to him, because they were still my parents.

I'd made it to the part about Ari talking to Leah when he interrupted to tell me about her approaching him.

I shook my head, "It's not that serious. She and Jade can just find someone else."

"Kensley," He paused and laughed, "It's just sex for you. It's more than that for her."

I could see that if Ari hadn't gotten with Jade after me. Furthermore, she was the one who continuously reiterated that it was only sex. She'd never shown interest in being in a relationship with me even before Jade.

Ariana wanted to control everybody in her life. She wasn't in love with me.

"Either way...My mama and them shouldn't have told Ari, she shouldn't have told the other lady, and the other lady shouldn't have come to my job. A domino effect."

"I apologize again for her going there."

"At least you apologized." I mumbled, "They'll probably just call in 2 weeks and tell me they're coming for the weekend."

That's just how it went. They said sorry for small things, but situations like this, we'd just wait until it blew over and start back talking.

"Don't take family advice from me. Damn near everybody over there not shit and I still talk to 'em."

I shook my head and laughed, "I just wanted you to listen. I don't wanna end up telling a lady in the coffee shop about my life 'cause I need to vent."

"What happened to 'no Ms. Tracey slander would be tolerated'?"

"That was before she came in there tryna read me your tax returns." A grin appeared when he started laughing, "The ink ain't even dry and mama wanna auction you off."

By then, I'd placed the food I had left in the microwave and was leading Elijah to my room. He stood by the door as I took off my clothes, likely waiting to see what I wanted to do.

"I didn't sleep that well last night, you didn't sleep well the other night." I shrugged while sliding under the covers, "Let's take a nap."

Elijah agreed and after stripping, slid in the bed behind me. When we were in the kitchen, he kept toying with the bracelet I gave him, and my thoughts about having not given it to him, repeated.

He slid his arm under my side and reached the other hand across me, "I think you need it back."

His words were slightly teasing, but there was an underlying tone of seriousness as he secured it to my wrist.

"What about you?"

"I already told you where I get my peace," Elijah kissed the back of my shoulder making his next sentence muffled, "The bracelet just reminded me of you."

Usually, I was good at deciphering when people liked me as more than a friend, which was why I was so adamant about the fact that Ari didn't.

Elijah, however, did.

Which was fine, because as I told Jailyn, I liked him too.

"If you want me to be a bracelet just say that," I replied while rolling over to face him.

He surprised me by kissing me, his hand gently lifting my face to his, a sharp contrast to the rough nature of his lips. He pulled my lip between his teeth, his tongue sliding against mine, then he just stopped.

"I want you to be a lot, Kensley."

My neck was burning, "Thanks."

Elijah just laughed.

• • •

thanks for reading 💕