Shut Up & Listen

Safe

Dame

I stood on the porch. Maverik's white Range Rover was parked in front of Maurice's black foreign right ahead of my old beat up red Chevy pickup. It's two completely different worlds, why did I ever think this shit could work? I put my headphones in and bounced down the carpeted stairs until my feet hit the pavement with a dramatic clap. They looked my way, but I ignored whatever they were saying. My feet started moving before they and my mind agreed on where I was going.

My playlist of hood Cali shit blasted my thoughts away until there was nothing but light; empty white nothingness flooded the inside of my dome and my body just roamed, on autopilot until I was knocking on the green door that plagued my memory constantly as of late.

As expected, she answered, ready for me. I crossed the threshold, removing both my headphones and my shoes. I didn't have to say a word, that's why I love her. Yeah, I do.

•••

He rubbed her ass while they laid on the bed watching her favorite movie. Dame looked at Rane's face closely before leaning in and placing a kiss on her chin. She looked at him and smiled, "you alright?" She asked, holding his chin with one long acrylic fingernail.  Their eyes connected for a while, silently until Dame closed the distance between them kissing her on the lips while pulling her over him.

Dame laid back, hands behind his head, watching Rane watch him. She laid on him, playing with his gold chain that splayed across his chest. Their eyes constantly connected and disconnected until Dame finally unclosed his mouth. She perked up, ready to listen.

"I got something to tell you."

She watched his eyes.

"While I was at school, I was with this girl."

Her eyes moved away from his and were now focused on her hand tracing the detail of his chain.

"I got a baby on the way." He almost whispered, slightly hoping that she didn't hear what he said.

"Why are you telling me?"

"You important to me." There was a pause that only made the time move at tortoise speed. She finally looked back at Dame, avoiding his eyes.

"Y'all together?"

He just looked at her but only halfway. The other half of his attention was inward on himself. "Imma be there for her."

"That's not what I asked."

"I know." Was all he could say without admitting that not only had he broken his promise to Rane, but he'd also gone and made a promise to Sadé.

The next couple of hours was silence filled with light from the muted tv, darkness pouring into the room from the night and frequent faint breaths — in and out— distributed by the couple laying on the pale blue linen sheets.

12-02-2020