Infrunami

40

AMIR

I was back in New York and I cleared my schedule for the next five days, I needed it.

I decided on seeing Curtis, he's probably been wondering where I was and honestly so was I.

I pulled up into the driveway, usually he would recognise my car and run out straight away but this was a new one so he didn't.

I got out of the car and in seconds he was out, running towards me with his arms out. He threw himself into me before hugging me and so do I.

"You came to see me!" He grins in excitement causing me to chuckle.

"Yeah of course, is Maya home?" I ask him.

"Yeah she's inside, she just came back from work." He replies.

Fuck.

"Oh alright, you got any biscuits today? Remember I promised to eat with you next time I come?" I ask him.

"Not today but I have some peach cobbler, I made it myself." He says proudly and I smile.

Whenever Curtis showed a ounce of independence it made me so happy.

"Maya gonna be okay with me coming in?" I ask him and he furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

"Why wouldn't she be?" He asks and I shrug before smiling. He doesn't even know.

He opened the door for me and allowed me to walk in first. His house looked much different, everything had a black and white theme.

Maya really did her thing with it.

He walked me into the kitchen before opening the oven door.

"Curtis put the gloves on first." I tell him and he nods before putting the oven gloves on.

Curtis had a thing for forgetting and I wasn't taking any chances.

He put on the oven gloves before taking out the peach cobbler and cutting me a slice.

"You want ice cream with it too?" He asks me and I shake my head.

"You not gonna eat with me?"

"I'm not hungry." He shrugs.

"You got your job you was telling me about?" I ask him and he beams up.

"Yeah, I work at the record store 4 days a week." He replies.

"I'm proud of you Curtis." I tell him and he smiles in response. His communication was getting much better, you could tell.

I took a bite of the peach cobbler before widening my eyes. This was good as fuck I won't even lie.

"Yeah that's good as hell." I chuckle and so does he. I hear footsteps become closer and my eyes turn to the door that was now opening.

"I promise i'll do the dishes Maya, he's just eating right now." Curtis says and Maya gives him a small smile.

"Whats up Maya?" I turn to her and she scoffs.

"I want you gone in ten minutes." She orders and my face scrunches up.

"You're gonna treat me like this forever? You don't think I feel bad enough?"

"Does Curtis have to go?" Curtis asks and both of us turn to him.

"Just for a minute, is that okay?" Maya asks him and he nods before leaving the kitchen.

"He always asks me how he can take it off, that big ass scar on the back of his head." Maya says quietly.

"I'm sorry."

"You ruined his life, you ruined mine because all I do is look after him." She sighs. "He wakes up in the middle of the night, sweating and running into my room telling me he can still hear the gunshot and he can still see the blood."

"If I could change what would happened, I would, you know this. You know I love Curtis with my whole heart."

"The more I see you, the more I hate you. I hate you Amir, so fucking much."

"I know Maya, i'm sorry." I reply, fighting back tears and so is she.

"When he was shot you didn't even do anything, you just ran and kept fucking running." She says. "I fucking hate you." She shouts which causes a glass to fall.

We both look at the shards of glass on the floor and I walk over to clean it.

"Just go, I got it." She sighs.

"Maya-

"Take the pie, speak to Curtis and leave. Please." She says slower and I nod.

I take my paper plate and walk outside the kitchen where Curtis was sitting down, playing on the game.

"You think you can beat me now?" He asks me and I chuckle.

"Nah you've always been good at this game." I reply.

"You have to go don't you?"

"You know how your sister can be sometimes." I tell him before sitting next to him.

"You like my peach cobbler?"

"The best i've ever had." I say.

"Hey I love you Amir." Curtis says to me before pausing his game.

"I love you too Curt', I got you for life." I reply before dapping him up with my free hand.

"Should I walk you out?" He asks me and I nod before standing up.

He walks into the kitchen and comes out a minute later with a packaged slice of peach cobbler and hands it to me.

"Thank you man."

He walks me out to my car and daps me up once more before I get inside.

"Next time you come, i'll make sure Maya let's you stay for longer." He says.

"I would appreciate that." I chuckle.

"I'll see you later." He replies before waving and I do the same before winding the window up.

See you later Curtis.

Small filler chapter until Kehlani is back from Miami. I low-key forgot about Curtis from chapter 14 so😭