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Rolling over in bed, I bumped into Angel's hot ass body.

"Babe." I pulled the duvet off of him. "You're literally burning up. Why do you get so hot when you sleep?"

He groaned, pulling the duvet back over him. "Yo' breath hot as hell. Why yo' breath always burnin' the skin off my body?"

"Fuck you." I chuckled, climbing out of the bed. "I'm gonna go shower. You better be up by the time I get out."

"Yea yea yea." He mumbled, pulling the cover over his head and spreading out across the bed more.

I grabbed my bathing suit and the shorts I had laid out, going into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

See, today was my dad's birthday. In honor of him and his day, we were going to spend it at the beach. It was one of his favorite places to spend time at.

Especially with his family.

He said it was his "escape zone". So, today, my mom, McKenzie, Angel, Amere, auntie Trinity, uncle Michael, Angel's parents and I were going to be celebrating and barbecuing on the beach.

"Happy birthday, my favorite person in the entire world." I smiled, pulling my hair up into a bun before getting in the shower. Mrs. Roman braided my hair for me and I honestly didn't want to mess it up. "I love you more than anything, dad. I'm going to turn up for you today, we all are. I miss you so so much, my love. Be with us today and keep the spirits high. I don't want to cry today, okay?"

Starting my shower up, I waited for it to get hot before stepping in. "Thank you for being my strength lately, dad. I couldn't have went through this without you. Don't ever think I don't miss you because I do. More than anything in this world."

I let silence take over me before I looked up to the ceiling. "God, thank you. Thank you for the happiness that you've brought over me lately. Thank you for allowing me to get the justice my family and I deserved. Thank you for keeping me strong through it all. Keep the spirits up for us today, God. Y'all show out up there for my dad." I smiled, getting back to my shower.

I wasn't surprised when I came out and seen Angel still knocked out on the bed. Good thing is, though, he doesn't take long to get ready so I let him sleep while I went to check on my mom.

"Mom?" I knocked before going into her room.

She was standing in front of her mirror, holding bathing suits up to her body. "Good morning, sweetie. I don't know which one to wear. Both of these were your daddy's favorites, but I think I'm going to go with this one." She held the red and black one up for me to see better. "Your daddy took me out of this the second I put it on. Girl, you-"

"Mom." I scrunched my face up at her before we both busted out laughing. "Thank you for that, but I'd rather not know about that side of y'all. Anyways, speaking of him, have you talked to him today?"

She nodded. "I did. From the minute I woke up throughout my entire shower. We had a good conversation, that man still knows how to make me laugh and keep me going. Did you pray?"

"I did too. And, I did. I feel really good about today. I feel refreshed."

"That's good, sweetie." She took a seat on her bed next to me. "How have you been holding up? You know, since the..."

I sighed. "I've been a lot better than I thought I would be. Honestly, I felt like even after they got charged for it, that I wouldn't feel happy again. But, I do. I've been feeling so relieved, like a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, you know?"

"I feel kind of bad though." I continued. "Cedrick had to spend his 18th birthday in jail."

"They didn't feel bad about what they did to you." My mom scoffed. "Not until they got convicted of it and realized they would be spending the next few months to a year or so under a jail. God handled them just like he was supposed to."

I shrugged. "I guess you're right. I just wish I had more answers, you know? Like, why? Why me?"

"Everything you need to know will be revealed to you. If not, then you're not meant to know. Don't let that stress you out though, sweetie. You deserve to be happy so do just that. Be happy."

"I am. Honestly, I am."

"Good, now go wake everybody up for breakfast."

I got up from the bed, walking out of her room and going over to McKenzie's. Knocking on the door, I waited a few seconds to open it after no one said anything.

I heard the shower going while Amere's sleeping body laid out across Kenz's bed. Every time they spent the night, which had been quite often lately, Kenz and I would wake up hours before them.

They slept like they're always on somebody's clock from sun up until sun down- they aren't.

Angel finally told me what he did for a living. Well, sort of. As far as I know, he and Amere work with his dad to put families back together.

I honestly have no idea what it means, but I've learned to stop questioning it a while ago. I was thankful for knowing at least that much.

It ridded all of the negative things I assumed he did for a living out of my head. Well, most of them.

If it wasn't for Adrian working under his dad, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have even told me that much. I had to force that little information that I did get out of him.

"Babe." I called out, walking back into my room to Angel's still sleeping body. "Angel!"

He jumped up. "What?"

"Get up and get ready. My mom just started cooking breakfast."

He rubbed his eyes, pulling himself out of the bed. "I am so fuckin' tied."

"Nobody told you to stay up all night playing Fortnite."

"It wasn't Fortnite." He uttered back, grabbing a pair of his swim trunks out of his newly designated drawers. "It was Black Ops."

I rolled my eyes. "Same shit."

"If I wasn't so tied, I'd have somethin' smart to say back to that."

"I wish you were tired more often then. Maybe you'd talk a lot less."

Angel chuckled. "Oh, you got balls this mornin' huh?"

"Yep. And, they're a lot bigger than yours."

"You ain't neva' seen mine to know that."

I shrugged. "You're right."

"Ain't I always?" He smirked, closing the door to the bathroom behind him.

Angel and I still haven't had any type of sex and we were both completely fine with that. Honestly, there hasn't been any time for that.

Every time we've tried, and we have a few a times, it just didn't feel like the right time. That was something we both felt so it never became an issue.

He doesn't harp on it and neither do I. We both agree that when the time is right, we'll know.

Now, Amere and McKenzie on the other hand.

Whew.

I'll mind my business though.

After grabbing my beach bag, and adding some more things in it for Angel since he doesn't know how to pack for himself, I headed downstairs. Of course, like usual, Kenz and I were ready before them.

"Good morning, sister girl." Kenz greeted me, laying the plates on the table.

I picked up the cups and Orange Juice. "Somebody got some cuddy last night."

"That's not even funny." My mom butted in, causing McKenzie and I to bust out laughing.

"I'm just kidding mom." I attempted to assure her. "I watched ATL last night and it just seemed like a good joke."

She glared at me. "Well, it wasn't."

Kenz gave me a look that only her and I understood. I nodded. I knew we would be finishing this conversation later.

"You girls ready for the beach today?"

I nodded. "Yea. It's like perfect beach weather too."

"God knew."

"And how that job goin' for ya?" My uncle Michael asked me as he flipped the burgers that he and the boys were barbecuing on the grill.

I smiled proudly. "Really good. It's definitely made it clear that working with animals is what I want to do for the rest of my life."

"That's wassup. You betta' than me." He chuckled. "I can't be around animals like that all day. Especially not them big ass dogs y'all be havin' in thea'. Like the one that was in thea' when I came to visit you."

I unknowingly began to laugh at the memory of my uncle Mike literally screeching at the sight of Papi. He and his owner, Tyla, was one of our regulars.

Papi was an all black Saint Bernard, beautiful with one light green eye and one dark blue eye. If you're familiar with the Saint Bernard breed, then you know their pretty big in size.

And if you know my uncle Mike, you know he isn't that big in size so he was really freaked out when he came across a dog that was bigger than him.

"You're talking about Papi." I caught my breath after my fit of laughter. "He's the sweetest thing ever."

Uncle Mike scoffed. "Sweet or not, that motherfucka' big as fuck." He chuckled. "You bout to be graduatin' next year, huh?"

"I am. I am."

"You ready?"

"So ready."

He nodded in approval. "I promised y'all when we lost my brother that I was gon' step up and make sure you neva' need for nothin, right?" I nodded. "So with that bein' said, it's something serious I need to talk about with you, aight?"

"Okay, yea."

He nodded towards the direction of the water after handing the tongs over to Amere to take over the burger side he was on. I followed behind him, a million and one things racing through my head about what he wanted to talk about.

"Aye, pops." I yelled out to my dad. "Come help me wit' these hotdogs."

He was snickering as he made his way over to me and 'Mere. "You over here burning the food supply?"

"I'on know why these hoes keep burnin' like this, pops. They cookin' on the outside, but the inside cold as fuck still."

He turned a few nobs on da grill. "You gotta turn the fire down, son. Let them cook from the inside out not the outside in."

"Good thing we're not relying on these hotdogs for our only source of food." My mama walked up behind me and pops. "You guys would have messed that up."

"Na, not me." Pops shook his head. "That was all Angel. He had the grill on high so it was cooking from the outside to the inside."

My mama thought it was the funniest thing in the world. "You were never that good in the kitchen."

"Y'all gon' stop flaggin' on me. I know how to cook, not grill."

They both looked at each other before lookin' at me at the same time. "Yea, okay."

"Aye." 'Mere nudged my back hard as hell. "Angel."

I scrunched my face up, turning to 'Mere as my parents walked away. "Man, nigga you tryna break my back? Fuck you pushin' me so hard fa? Nie, I'a be wrong if I back hand the fuck out-"

"Man, shut up." 'Mere interrupted me, pullin' me to da side. "I overheard some fucked up ass shit. I'on know if I heard it right, but I think I did and I wish I didn't."

I could tell by his face that he was serious. "Wassup, bro? Tell me."

"Aight, man." He rubbed his hands down his face, lettin' out a breath. "I was tryna talk to ma but she was talkin' to ha' sista'. Trinity?" I nodded as a way to say yea, that's ha' name and continue with the story. "They must not have realized I was thea' cause they startin' talkin' bout the whole situation wit' Audri and the niggas that got locked up."

He let out anotha' breath. "I wasn't payin' too much attention to it, but then I heard ma say some shit bout 'why would Dri brotha take advantage and do some shit like that to ha'."

"Hol' up. Some shit like what?"

"I'on know, bruh." 'Mere wiped down his face. This time I did it with him. "Only thing that came to my mind was..."

I nodded, bitin' my lip. "That hotel shit."

"Exactly."

"I'ma go ask her-"

'Mere put his arm out to stop me. "No, bruh."

"So what the fuck I'm 'posed to do then, my nigga? Sit back and pretend like I ain't hear what the fuck just came at yo mouth?"

"No, bro. Just chill out."

I scoffed. "I'a chill out when I get to the bottom of whateva' the fuck goin' on."

"You find out the truth then what?" Amere asked me, gettin' serious. "The fuck you gon' do, bruh?"

"I'ma tell Dri."

"And then what?! Make that shit break her down and traumatize her even mo'?"

He was right...

"Clearly she don't know bout the shit and that's prolly for a good ass reason. If her mama and her family ain't tell her then you ain't got no place tellin' her. Especially if we just goin' off of the lil shit I just heard."

I shook my head. "So what I'm 'posed to do then?"

"Chill yo' ass out. We can look mo' into the shit later. If we find somethin', or even if we don't, we'ca talk to ma about it anotha' time. Now is not the time."

I looked around, seein' everybody enjoyin' themselves.

"Aight."

"Aight?" Amere asked me, makin' sure we was on the same page.

I huffed. "Yea, man. Aight."

"Aight then. We'a find out what we needa know lata'. For now, we make sure Dri havin' a good time on this day. C'mon."

"Alright ma. We out." Kenz yelled as we walked through the living room to head out for the night.

Kenz, Mere, Angel, and I decided to go out to a teen club tonight. Kenz and I haven't been out in a while so we took advantage of it.

I dressed in my slime green cut-out dress from Fashion Nova with clear heels, also from Fashion Nova. My good sis McKenzie dressed in her leather black, skin tight romper- from Fashion Nova- with black heels- from Fashion Nova.

They might as well sponsor us. Tell Fashion Nova to hit us up.

Just as my mom walked into the living room, there was a knock on the door.

"Let me innnnnn." Amere's dumb ass sang on the other side of the door. "Opennnn the doooooo."

My mom shook her head. "Kenz, that's your man."

"I've been second guessing it lately." Kenz joked, opening the door to reveal my fine ass boyfriend. Oh, and Amere.

"Let's get this show on the road slow pokes." Amere barged in the house. "Oh h-hi Mrs. I." He stammered, noticing my mom standing in the doorway.

Kenz and I looked at each other, mentally asking each other why the hell he looked so nervous as if he'd never seen our mother before.

"Hi, Amere. Hi Angel."

Angel had the same look on his face, but he was trying a lot harder than Amere to hide it.

"Y'all take care of my girls tonight, okay? You all better come back in one piece." My mom demanded, walking us out the door.

Angel quickly nodded. "We always do, ma. Have a nice night. We'a be back lata'."

We shared a few love you's before finally walking out and getting into Angel's car.

"So we're not going to talk about you acting like you've never met ma before?" Kenz asked Amere as we pulled out of the driveway.

He nervously chuckled. "Bro, what you talkin' bout?"

"H-hi, Mrs. I." She mocked him, making me laugh to myself. "When do you ever call her Mrs. I?"

He smacked his teeth. "I ain't know she was right there, bro. She just caught me off guard."

"Call me your bro one more time watch how fast my hand can come across your head." Sis threatened him, causing Angel and I to bust out laughing.

That's my sis.