Page 24 of Intercept My Heart

“I guess we’re gonna have to change that, huh?” I threw my arm around her, and we headed out the door.

This morning, the weather was chilly, so I planned to turn on the heat as soon as I got in the car. I made sure to open the door for Charae before I headed to my side. My music playlist kicked on as I backed out of the driveway.

“Put your seat belt on. You already know what it is.” I got on her almost every time she got in my car.

“Ugh, I’m tired of you and this seat belt rule.” She playfully grumbled.

“I don’t give a damn about how you feel. All I know is that you better have that shit on.”

The ride to the mall was short but enjoyable. Charae opened up a little bit when her favorite song played in the car. Her melodious voice took me by surprise. When the song ended, I was disappointed because I wanted to hear more from her. She had me in a trance, and I enjoyed seeing this side of her.

Once we got out of the car, I grabbed her hand and pulled her along with me. The crowd appeared to be thick, and I didn’t have time for her to fall behind. Charae loved to people-watch and observe the scenery wherever we went. She would get so caught up in the scenery that we would end up being separated.

The first store we went to was the Shoe Department because I had a couple of pairs of Retros on hold. I loved special edition shoes, and I’d admit that was where a large portion of my money went. After I secured my sneakers, we went to Saks. Most girlswent crazy when they stepped into this place, but Charae simply looked around as if she was out of her element.

“Do you see anything you like?” I asked, picking up a pair of jeans that I planned to buy for myself.

“I really haven’t looked. All of this is kind of out of my price range. I make decent money at the Steak Shack, but not this good. One pair of jeans would probably take my entire check,” she declared.

“Okay, well, I guess it is a good thing that you aren’t the one paying. Hey, excuse me!” I called out to one of the workers. She seductively switched her way over to me as if she thought I was trying to holler at her.

“Welcome to Saks Fifth. What can I help you with today?”

“My girl needs a new wardrobe. Would you mind helping her pick out some pieces? There is no set budget. All I want is for her to get some outfits and shoes to go with them.” The girls were always picking on her for her wardrobe, so I decided to do something about it. We were on break right now, but once she went back, I was going to make sure she shut all the haters up. She deserved to be able to walk into school with her head held high.

“Dinero, this is really kind, but?—”

“Girl, don’t you even fix your mouth to turn this shopping spree down. Come on. My name is Shanique, and I’m gonna get you all the way together. The man said there is no budget, so let’s max this shit out.”

Shanique grabbed her hand, and they were off. I went over to the men’s section to do my own shopping alone. While shifting through the clothes, my phone rang. When I saw my uncle’s name flash on the screen, I hurriedly answered to see what he wanted.

“Hello.”

“What’s up, nephew? I’m sorry it took so long to get back to you. How are things going on the home front?” I called him months ago when Charae first moved in to give him a heads-up. I thought it was the right thing to do since the house was in his name.

“Everything is cool. I called you because I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Not now, baby. I’m on the phone with my nephew,” he told whoever was in the background with him. “Sorry about that, Money. What were you saying?” I tried my best not to get annoyed, but it pissed me off that this was my first time hearing from him in months, and he barely had time to talk.

“A friend of mine got put out of her foster home, and she has been staying at the house. I wanted to let you know?—”

“Oh, that’s straight. Damn, baby. I-I told you I was on the phone. Fuck!” I pulled the phone away from my ear to make sure that I hadn’t been tripping. I knew damn well he wasn’t fucking while we were on the phone.”

“Aye, Unc. Are you still there?” At this point, this conversation was going nowhere fast.

“Yeah, just like that. You’re a nasty little bitch. Aye, my fault, nephew. Umm, I’m cool with whatever. I sent some more money to your account. There will be plenty to get through the rest of the year. I have my accountant on notice to continue the monthly deposits, and the mortgage is paid up, so you have nothing to worry about. If your friend is in a bad way, I want you to do everything you can to help her. However, don’t lose sight of the goal here. You are college bound and headed to the NFL. Don’t fuck up your dreams for anyone, do you hear me?”

“Yeah, I hear you. I brought her to the mall so she could pick out a few outfits since she doesn’t have much.”

“That’s what’s up. Real men do real shit. Just make sure that she has a genuine heart. You are a highly sought-after youngman, and women will be flocking to you in order to attach themselves to your name. Keep your heart on lock and your eyes open at all times. I love you, kid. If you need anything, you know how to reach me.” Uncle Ro disconnected before I could reply, and I wasn’t upset. It was clear that he had more important things to do; who was I to stand in his way?

It bothered me sometimes because he was the closest thing I had to family, yet he was rarely present. My friends envied my lifestyle because of the freedom I had, but I would give all of it up if I could have my family back the way it was.

I got all my items and decided to check out and take my things to the car while Charae continued shopping. Since I would be the one carrying her bags, I needed to make sure my hands were free. By the time I made it back into the store, Charae and Shanique were laughing like old friends.

“I’m telling you, girl, people would kill to have a face and body like yours, and you don’t even know what to do with it.” Shanique complimented her. I agreed wholeheartedly with what she said. Charae seemed to be unaware of how gorgeous she was. I believed it was the reason why the girls hated her the way they did. Her natural beauty was shitting on a lot of these girls, and they couldn’t stand it.

“I guess you’re right. I’ve never been into hair and makeup because I’ve never had the money to buy it. I’ve been watching a bunch of YouTube videos on how to do certain things, but it all seems so complicated. Besides, it’s not like I have anywhere to go anyway. No one invites me anywhere.”

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