Yemi is driving when her phone rings. She glances at the air vent where the phone sits inside of a mount. Sam's name appears on the screen. She sighs warily before accepting the FaceTime call.

Sam's face appears, and Yemi smiles nervously while focusing on the road. "Hi."

"What's up, ma? You're off work?"

"Yes. On my way home now."

He nods. "So are you gonna tell me why you ran away from me this morning?"

"... You know why," she responds quietly, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

"Well, I don't like that," he says straightforward and to the point.

She does a double take at the phone. "Don't like what?"

"You running away from me. Don't do that. What happened to the Yemi I first met that told me to give her face back when she caught me staring?"

She breaks into a smile.

He stares at her, really looking for an answer. "I'll wait."

She sighs. "She's right here, Sam."

"Shit. Show me then. 'Cause that Yemi would've never dipped out like you did this morning. That Yemi would've been too confident for that."

"Okay... okay." She rolls her eyes playfully.

He shrugs. "I'm just sayin'"

"Anyway... I missed you, today."

He smirks. "I missed you, too. Come over."

"I'll come after I go home and take a shower."

"Take a shower here."

"I don't have any clothes there."

"You don't need any."

She chuckles softly. "... I'm on my way."

___

FOUR DAYS LATER

Yemi is at Veronica's station, getting her last couple of nails polished. Yemi keeps glancing at Veronica, noticing how deep in thought she is and how she's avoiding eye contact with her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"If you don't stop asking me that..." Veronica responds sarcastically.

"I'll stop asking you when you stop avoiding the question."

Veronica pauses, finally looking up at Yemi. "Oh my gosh, you sound just like your boyfriend." She chuckles.

"No, I don't."

"Yemi that is definitely some shit he would've said. Word for word. And you know it."

Yemi grins. "Anyway, what's really going on with you, Veronica? I tell you when something is wrong with me. You can't do the same?"

Just as Veronica opens her mouth to speak, a nail tech approaches them. "Alright V, I'm out. The party starts at 8, right?"

Veronica scowls at the technician, and then looks back at Yemi who is furrowing her eyebrows.

"My bad." The technician gives her an apologetic look before waving goodbye and leaving out.

"I'm confused."

"I know. And I apologize."

"For what? For not telling me you're having a party? Or for you not inviting me?"

"I apologize for... having to tell you- I won't be coming back with you and Sam, next month."

"Okay... soooo you're going to stay longer? But what does that have to do with your party?"

"... It's a going-away party."

Yemi squints, not sure if she heard her right or not. "Like going away for good?"

"I didn't know how to tell you. Deep down inside, I wish you could come with me. Real talk... you're my very first best friend."

Yemi starts to get teary eyed.

"Don't do that- Don't cry. We'll still see each other, on holidays and birthdays. We gotta get you a passport, too. 'Cause Sam's family does it big, and you don't want to miss those trips," she giggles in between words to stop herself from crying. "And then, I go to Puerto Rico every summer to visit my cousins on my dad's side. So we're definitely gonna create some dope ass memories together."

Yemi nods.

"Just promise me you'll take care of Sam. And if he ever gets funny style, just let me know. I'll set him straight."

Yemi laughs. "I'll promise you that, if you tell me why this is the first time I'm hearing about your father's side of the family. You only talk about your mom's side."

"That's because they're not worth me talking about. My cousins reached out to me a few years ago, but everyone else can kick rocks. They didn't want anything to do with me when my mom passed away, so screw them. My mom's brother had to take me in, but he stayed in a one bedroom apartment with three boys. So we were packed in there like sardines."

"I'm sorry."

She waves off Yemi's apology. "Girl, don't be. It made us closer."

Veronica smiles. "So check this... My bed was the fold out couch, right? So, whenever my cousins would come home from school, they would chill with me in the living room because it was the biggest room there. And the living room wasn't even that big. But anyway, we were always in there playing video games and clowin' each other. We had mad fun."

"But, how did you feel about sleeping in the living room?"

Veronica shakes her head, reminiscing. "Before I moved there, my uncle and his wife- Sam's mom- used to sleep in the bedroom in a full size bed. Sam would sleep on the sofa bed that was a pretty good size, and Stephen and Nathan would sleep on the bunk bed in the living room. They would surround it with this portable room divider, so it would look more like a living room when they had company over. But when I moved in, my uncle sold the bed he and his wife had, and got another twin bunk bed. They put both bunks in the bedroom, had Sam sleep on one, and his mom sleep underneath him. My uncle Larry slept on the recliner in the living room while I had that big ass fold out bed. They sacrificed for me and I'll never forget that."

"I love your family, and I haven't even met them, yet." Yemi giggles.

"Girl, we're going to have so much fun in New York. Oh, and I'm gonna have to teach you how to do your own nails. I don't want any of these technicians trying to take my place with you." Veronica winks at her, and Yemi grins.

"No one will ever be able to take your place. Not with nails, not with anything. You were a friend before we were officially friends, and I thank you for that."

Veronica screws the top onto the nail polish bottle, before standing up and giving Yemi a side hug.

"So what are you going to wear tonight?" Veronica asks, releasing her embrace.

"Oh, so I'm invited, now?"

Veronica thumps Yemi playfully. "Girl, stop playing."

They both laugh. "Oh, and please prep Sam not to get all protective when he sees my guys tonight."

"Wait, they're all coming?"

"Yep. And I'm sure there's going to be some light drama with that. But I rather deal with that drama than Jamie's."

"I thought you and him were good?"

"I thought so, too. But when we went to lunch yesterday, I asked him about the person who called him, and if it's a new girlfriend. He told me- and I quote... You're always in somebody's business. Now I know why none of your hoes wants to settle down with you."

Yemi gasps loudly.

"Yeah, that's the same reaction Tevin had."

"What did you say?"

"Before I can even say anything, Sam jumps in and then Jamie gets all offensive. Let's just say... I don't know what's gotten into Jamie. Sam didn't tell you anything about it?"

"No. Not one word."

"That can be a good thing. That means he should be cool around Jamie tonight then. But Jamie, I'm not too sure of. We'll just have to find out later."

Yemi shakes her head in shock of the news.

___

LATER

In the living room, Sam laces his Air Force 1's when the doorbell rings. He sighs heavily, not really trying to see what's on the other side of the door. He gets up and opens it to see Tevin standing there alone. As Tevin walks in, Sam looks out into the hallway in search of someone.

"He's not coming," Tevin informs him.

"Are you shittin' me?"

"I wish I was, man."

"What is wrong with this guy? He does know V is leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, I told him that."

"It gotta be something way more serious than some shorty. I've known him for almost 15 years, and I have never seen him lose his mind over a female. And he knows how I am about V. If he wasn't my boy, yesterday would've been much worse after he talked to her like that."

"Facts."

"Tevin, I know you know something. Y'all always together."

"I don't know for certain. But today, I heard something I wasn't going to bring up at first, because I didn't want to get in the middle of it. But maybe I should. 'Cause my assumption could be wrong."

"What the fuck did you hear?"

He exhales. "He was checking his voicemail in another room, and I don't think he realized how loud it was. I heard the name, but it wasn't something I've heard before. I was thinking maybe it's someone from his past, who he's beefing with or something? Maybe he just doesn't want to deal with it or talk about it, you know?"

"What was the name?"

"It was- damn, what was it again?" Tevin asks himself, trying to remember.

"You know what? Don't even tell me. I'm not talking about him anymore tonight. Fuck him. Let's roll." Sam starts to lead the way out.

Tevin shakes his head, wishing there was something he can do to fix the situation. Just when he gets outside the door, he looks back inside Sam's place. "Wait, where's Yemi? She's not coming?"

"She's already there. And what're you doing asking about my shorty?"

Tevin throws his hands up in a surrendering position. "Chill, man. I don't want no smoke," he assures him, chuckling.

Sam smirks, before locking up the loft.