"The fuck you just say to me?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Your best friend. Montana. Yeah, she's a stripper." He said again, making me smack my lips.

"Nigga, what? Shut up." I laughed, flagging him.

"I'm serious, kid."

I didn't believe a word coming out of this nigga's mouth. Montana could barely even strip for me without getting nervous, let alone a club full of niggas.

"Where did you get this false information?"

"Me, nigga. I saw her."

"Saw her where?" I furrowed my eyebrows once I saw the serious look on his face.

"Strip joint I was telling you about."

"You crazy as hell if you think Montana timid ass is out here stripping. She wouldn't even play with me like that." I blurted out, not caring how he took it.

"Exactly, nigga. That's why she didn't tell you."

"Yeah aight."

"Look, I'm just telling you because I know she ain't gon' tell you on her own and you're my little brother. I can't let you go out like that."

"Man.." I trailed off.

"If you don't believe me, just ask her for yourself."

"I'm going to." I spat.

I was going to ask her myself but I already knew this information was false. Montana wouldn't even go against the grain like that. She already know what's up.

*

"Hey." I smiled, walking into Josiah's room.

It was his last night here at the hospital and it was pretty late so everybody else was gone. It was only him and I until tomorrow.

"Montana." He called, making me look up as I sat in the chair to remove my shoes.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Nah. Fuck all that." He spoke, making me furrow my eyebrows.

"I'm only going to ask you one time.."

Freezing in place, I waited for what he was going to say to me. I felt like I already knew what it was going to be considering what Messiah said to me.

"What's going on, Joey?" I went onto ask.

"My brother came here earlier talking some bullshit and I need to know if it's true.."

"Okay." I spoke, tucking my lips as we looked into each other's eyes.

"You out here stripping?" He asked sternly.

My heart dropped as I looked him in the eyes. His eyes pierced mine while he spoke. I tried hard not to make it obvious that I was about to lie.

Right to his face, I was about to lie.

"Is it true, yes or no?"

Collecting my words, I contemplated what I wanted to say.

"And you better tell the truth, Montana."

"No." I furrowed my eyebrows.

Fuck. What am I doing?

"What the hell is he talking about?" I continued to lie through my teeth.

I'm so dumb for this. I thought to myself.

"Aight." He nodded with a sigh of relief.

"Cool. I apologize to you, ma. Shit just came out of nowhere and I needed to know."

"I understand but no. I don't know what he's talking about." I shrugged and he nodded slowly.

"Aight. Don't even worry about it. I'll talk to him." He assured as I bit my lip nervously.

"And I apologize again for accusing you."

"It's okay, Joey." I smiled small.

Please God, save me. I thought.

"Turn the light off so you come over here and lay with me. I'm tired."

"Okay." I nodded, doing as told.

As I did, my mind drifted off. This was too close of a call and I needed to end this now. I couldn't strip anymore. I was going to take the money that I'd made, get my car and small apartment then get a regular 9-5 job. Maybe even go back to school with Teesh.

*

"Mom!?" I called walking into the house.

"I'm in the kitchen."

Following her voice, I made my way into the kitchen and she was making breakfast.

"Hey." She spoke politely, throwing me off.

"Hi."

"Hungry? I'm making bacon and eggs." She said and I nodded slowly.

"Sure?"

Taking a seat the table, I watched as she moved around the kitchen joyfully. This was weird for me, my mother was never joyful. Not even close to it.

"What are you so happy about?" I couldn't help but to ask and she turned around with a smile.

"Guess what I found."

"What?" I spoke slowly, furrowing my eyebrows.

Saying nothing, she moved around the kitchen, going into her purse that hung on top of the door. I watched intently as she dug and dug, pulling out a bunch of papers.

"Look."

"What's this?" I furrowed my eyebrows, looking down at all of the receipts she'd spread out onto the table.

"I bought all new appliances for the house, I bought a couple of handbags and did you notice my new hair?" She smiled, fluffing her wig.

"You have money?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Yes. Just like I prayed for. I paid the bills with the money you gave me and I found 10 thousand cash in the basement wall." She spoke, making me gasp.

That was my money.

"God works in mysterious ways, Montana." She pointed as if she'd done some good in the world.

"Mom." I called, looking up at her.

"Hm?"

"You have to return all of this stuff. That was my money." I explained to her and she chuckled.

"What?"

"That was my money. I made it and I was saving it for my car and apartment. I just put it in the basement so that I wouldn't get the urge to spend it."

"What?"

"Yes. All of that money was mine so you need to return this stuff and get it back."

"Let me explain something to you." She spoke rolling her neck.

"For starters, everything in this house is mine. There is no yours, Montana."

"Secondly, even if it was your money. Where the hell did you get it from?"

"Ma, it was my money. I made it at my job. Why does that even matter?"

"Monty, get the hell out of my face. You did not make 10 thousands dollars at your little job."

"Ma." I pleaded, I wanted to get out of this house so bad and I wanted my car. That's the only thing that I'd been looking forward to and she was snatching that away from me.

"What the fuck did I say?" She spoke sternly and I just looked at her.

She really wasn't trying to give me back the hard earned money I'd worked my ass off for. She'd sucked me dry again with no remorse and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Get out of my presence with your lying ass." She shooed me as I bit my lip and stood to my feet.

Deciding not to even go against her, I'd let her have it. It was already spent anyway. I'd just have to go to the club another night.

Fuck my life.

Breaking down into tears, I made my way up to my room. I thought I would be finished with the club but here I was, back at the beginning point.

You can do this, Montana. Just a couple more nights. I thought.

Sucking up my tears, I began to pack my bag for tonight's shift. I was determined to make this money back. I had to.

*

"Bro, I'm telling you she's lying to you. She's just scared to tell you." My brother went on laughing as we sat in my car.

I was finally out of the hospital and my wounds were damn near healed. The doctors told me to take it slow but I was already back out here gooning. On the same corner I got shot on.

"Montana wouldn't lie to me." I shook my head.

He didn't know Monty like I did. We had an understanding because she knew how I was and I knew how she was. We both didn't like the other sides of each other so we stood clear of doing fuck shit.

"Nigga, she got you so far up her ass you don't even see it."

"It's not even that. I just trust her because she know.." I trailed off.

"Bro, just come on." He said and I looked over to him.

"What?"

"Come on. We're going to the strip joint right now. I'm sure she's there again."

"Man..I'm not going to that damn strip club."

"Yeah, that's because you're scared she really is gon' be there."

"Nah. I know she's not."

"Then come on.." He nodded his head and I sighed heavily.

"Aight." I started my car.

"And you owe me gas money too, for this dummy mission."

"You'll see." He chuckled.

Only reason I was even feeding into this shit was because I was confident Montana wasn't there. She was at work. I'd been texting her since she got there.

"You're in for a surprise, nigga."

*

Wining my hips while on the pole, I was up 2 grand for the night. I was no where near the amount I'd once had and I couldn't even lie, it was making me sadder by the second.

Feeling hands pushing money into my thong, I said nothing. I knew it wasn't enough to get me back to 10 thousand so I wasn't even sweating it.

"What's up, Montana?" I heard the familiar again, making me turn around.

Still dancing, I looked down at Messiah completely unfazed while he held a smirk on his face.

"Hi, rat boy." I spoke while spinning on the pole. I had no desire to care about his presence or even be scared anymore.

Fuck it. I thought.

"Watch your mouth." He spoke seriously.

"Well that's what you are for snitching on me to your brother."

"I told you to tell him." He laughed.

"And I was going to tell him, had you given me the chance to." I spat.

"Man, shut up. You wasn't going to tell him shit with yo' scary ass."

"I was going to tell him."

"When?" He looked at me as if I was lying.

"When I felt like it." I sassed, turning away from him.

"It's none of your damn business anyway." I rolled my eyes.

"You wasn't gon' tell him and that's why I did."

"Okay and what? He doesn't believe you." I sassed, turning back toward him.

He simply smirked as he walked away from me. I rolled my eyes, getting down from the stage as I made my way to the back for a quick breather. He'd ruined my mood even more now.

"What's wrong?" Chocolate asked me as she counted her money.

"My best friend's brother is out there again.."

"Again?" She raised her eyebrows and I nodded.

"I think he likes you." She cooed and I turned my lip up.

"Ew. Stop."

She laughed obnoxiously as I sat there, taking the money out of my thong and putting it into my bag.

"You're not scared he's going to tell him anymore?" She went on to ask.

"He already did." I shrugged and she gasped

"And what did he say?"

"He didn't believe him. I simply told him that his brother was lying and he took my word for it."

"Oh girl..."

"And you're still here?"

"Yeah but only because I'm going through something right now. I plan to leave soon." I admitted and she nodded, slowly.

"Well it's great that you have plans, mama." She smiled, making me feel the least bit better.

"Thank you, Chocolate."

Hearing footsteps coming to the door, both Chocolate and I looked up from our money.

"Ruby, you have a client waiting on you in the champagne room." The floor manager came to the back and told me.

Chocolate raised her eyebrows, looking at me as I stood to my feet.

"Probably the brother like I said ." She taunted.

"Stop." I whined, silently hoping that it wasn't Messiah.

Ew. I couldn't.

"Do your thing girl. Remember what I said." She pointed and I nodded, walking out.

Building up the strength to get through this two song dance, I grabbed a bottle of champagne from the bar before I made my way to the back toward the VIP rooms.

"$500." I spoke, walking in, freezing in place once I saw the client.

"Josiah?" I gasped while he sat there looking at me with a clenched jaw.

My heart dropped as well as the bottle of champagne while I stood there frozen with an increased heart rate.

Not standing there any longer as the champagne flooded the floor, I ran to the back and Chocolate looked at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"What's wrong?"

Not even stopping to talk, I threw my heels off and grabbed all of my stuff. Not even changing out of my outfit or putting on any shoes. I ran out of the building as fast as I could.

"Fuck." I cried, shaking from anxiety.

"Fuck. Why did I lie? Why did I lie?" I kept repeating as I walked barefoot to the bus stop with nothing but this revealing bodysuit on.

"Why did I go back there? I should've just stopped when I said I would. I should've jus-" I stopped, bawling my eyes out.

I now stood at the bus stop farthest away from the club as I began to put on my sweatpants and then my hoodie. I could feel my phone vibrating but I refused to answer it. I already knew who it was and I wasn't ready for the consequences.

My mouth was dry, my muscles were tense and it seemed as if everything around me was spinning. I was scared, embarrassed and I now regretted everything.

"Please God, get me out of this one and I won't mess up again." I started to pray, looking up at the dark sky.

About 15 minutes later, I was still waiting for the bus, I had no idea when it would come but I hoped that it came soon. I just needed to get home so that I could figure out my next move. I needed to get my mind together.

Noticing my phone's vibrating had finally died down, I removed it from my pocket and looked down at all of the missed calls. More tears blurred my vision once reality hit me, I was caught and I'd been lying for so long. I wasn't getting out of this one.

Why didn't I just tell the truth? I thought as tears began to drop down onto my phone screen.

Deciding to read one of the text messages that I had from Josiah, I silently prayed that it was him saying that he wanted to talk. In a perfect world, that's what it would say but this here, this was far from perfect.

Opening the thread, I cried harder, reading the message.

🤞🏽❤️

You can't run forever. When I catch you, I'm gon' kill you bitch.

*