I kissed his cheek, then ran.
My feet couldn't move fast enough. The front doors flew open, and I bolted to the car. Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder with every heartbeat. My chest was tight. I could barely breathe.
As soon as I got in my Nissan, I threw it in sport and peeled out of the lot. Tires screeched. My hands were slick with sweat, my fingers trembling around the wheel.
"I just gotta get to the highway," I whispered to myself. "Just get to the highway…"
I tried to keep calm, eased my speed to blend with traffic, but I couldn't stop checking the rearview mirror. In the distance, I saw flashing lights—cops and an ambulance swarming into Keion's job.
"Nah… they gettin' too close."
I pressed harder on the gas, weaving in and out of lanes, trying to stay ahead of it. Every turn, every red light felt like it might be the one where I get caught. My heart thudded against my ribs like it was trying to escape my chest.
As I hit the ramp for the highway, I saw them.
Barricades. Blue and red lights. Officers with flashlights checking every lane.
"FUCK!" I slammed the steering wheel with both hands.
There was no way through.
I swerved off the next exit and took back roads, breath ragged, brain spiraling. I felt the panic climbing up my throat like it was trying to choke me.
That's when I remembered: Jamir. My big brother. The only person I could really trust.
I yanked my phone from the cupholder and hit call.
"Yoo what's good, sis?" he answered.
"Where you at right now?" My voice shook.
"I'm at the crib. You good?"
"Meet me at the lot. I'll explain when I get there."
I hung up and took the back streets. Found a gravel spot behind the abandoned warehouse Jamir used to work near. I backed the car into the shadows and spotted a tarp in the corner. I grabbed it and yanked it over my car, hands still shaking.
I texted him. "I'm here."
Three minutes later, headlights hit the edge of the lot.
I ran to his car and jumped in, my chest heaving like I'd just outrun death.
He looked at me with a mixture of concern and disbelief. "You good, Key?"
I shook my head. "I just did some dumb shit, man. Some real dumb shit."
"What happened?"
"I wasn't tryna kill him—I swear, I just wanted him to feel what I felt. I didn't even mean to shoot him…"
My voice cracked. The tears I'd been holding back started to fall.
Jamir stared at me like he didn't even recognize me.
"You really shot Keion?" he said, slow and serious. "What the fuck, Key?"
"I know," I choked out. "I know it was wrong, but I just—snapped. I couldn't take the lies, the disrespect, the way he just threw me away."
Jamir shook his head, jaw tight, but he didn't say anything else. He threw the car in reverse and pulled out.
We rode in silence. My mind raced, but my mouth stayed shut. My brother had always been my protector. When our dad dipped, he stepped up. When I had nowhere to turn, he made sure I was straight.
I should've called him before I did that dumb shit.
Eventually, we pulled into a gated community I'd never seen before. Expensive-looking, clean, quiet. Way out of my tax bracket.
"Whose neighborhood is this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Don't worry about that," Jamir said. "You're safe here."
We pulled into the driveway of a massive house—long brick path, modern landscaping, like something off HGTV. The place looked like money.
"Jamir… whose house is this?"
He didn't answer. Just punched in a code on the door and held it open.
I stepped inside—and froze.
The ceilings stretched up forever, white walls spotless, a massive chandelier hanging like it belonged in a palace. The floors were marble. A spiral staircase curved to the second floor. I stood there, mouth open, spinning slowly to take it all in.
I suddenly felt small. Like I didn't belong.
"This don't even feel real," I muttered.
"It's real," Jamir said, shutting the door behind us. "And you're safe here. I got you. Like always."
"I know," I whispered. "I just… I don't know what to do now."
I sat on the black leather couch, the cushions swallowing me up. My hands shook as I dropped my head into them.
"I can't go home. I can't go to work. The police are lookin' for me, Mir. I'm on the run."
Jamir crouched down beside me, rested a hand on my shoulder.
"We'll figure it out," he said.
But even as he said it, my stomach twisted. My world had already started falling apart—and I had no idea how far it was about to drop.