Page 149 of Are You Going to Love Me

“I can promise to protect you with my life. You might not always like my methods, but you got to know that when it comes to you, it’s whatever it takes. Hear me?”

“Heard you.”

“Good. Can your man get something for this pain, and a leg thrown over me? Please?”

“Yeah.” Eden stood, still heavy with her own knowing, trotted to the kitchen to get him a bottle of water and some Motrin. He took it and then patted the cushion. Eden draped the blanket over them, along with her leg, and leaned her head on his good shoulder. “Max...”

“Hmm,” he grunted, rubbing her leg.

“I’ll let you love me.”

“Good. You ain’t have a choice, though.”

forty-nine

. . .

He’d leftEden curled up on the couch hours ago. From the balcony, he watched her body rise and fall with blanketed peace while he smoked to ease both the physical and emotional pain. Ribbons of smoke danced in the air around his hair in desperate need of Eden’s touch, and the TV mounted on the far wall only served as background noise to drown out his thoughts.

Keon: Big Rod is calling for a meeting. Turn on the news.

Maximus dropped the phone in his lap and turned the channel to the news.

“Good day, Waynesville, we have breaking news. UVE CEO Anzel Ellis, and leader of the Trae Way Gangstas, Moriah Ellis, known as ‘Mama’, have been indicted on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, forgery, human trafficking, murder-for-hire, bribery of government officials, and countless other charges. Anzel Ellis has turned herself in, and Moriah Ellis is still at large and considered a fugitive. ADA Shanna Lewis requests that if anyone knows her whereabouts to call 537-932-0865. We will provide information as it becomes available. Now to Sarah O’Day for the weather.”

“Just like that,” Eden’s soft voice followed, gracing his ears. “What happens now?”

Maximus blew the smoke from his lungs and placed the blunt in the ashtray. He waved her over. “I don’t like you talking to me on the other side of the room.”

Eden tightly wrapped the blanket around her and traipsed over to him. Taking a seat, she sighed, “Hearing that just makes the last couple of days real.”

“I thought it was a fuckin’ dream myself. It’s real.” Maximus slouched down in the seat and groaned. “I guess the good thing is we had a plan. We knew it was coming and adjusted.”

Eden grunted. “It really would’ve been nice to be brought into that plan. Whatever it was.”

“I can’t change what I didn’t do, E.”

“I know. Still doesn’t make the sting just go away. But I’m not trying to argue. Especially not now. Not with everything you’ve done and ...” Her words trailed off.

“And what?” Maximus questioned.

Eden shook her head. “Nothing. I just want to make sure my mother’s shit won’t fuck with yours.”

Maximus watched her as she watched the city, stories below, begin to come alive. People were starting to appear, rushing to the coffee shops, public transit, or restaurants, businesspeople whisking into their high-rise offices. For them, it seemed their world was at a standstill.

“I need to know something,” Maximus started.

Eden didn’t move her eyes off Midtown. “What’s that?”

“You never thought about what would happen to your shit for being mixed up with me?”

She swayed her head. “Never.”

“Why not? You know like I know this shit could touch us.”

“It has touched us. I also know, like you know, what it is to lose – everything. More than once. Why would I let fear keep me from knowing what this is like? I admit, in the beginning, fear held me hostage. But it was never because of the potential damage you could do to me. It was always about what my connection could do to you.” She finally turned to look at him. “The thought of not having you feels like death. The idea alone feels like what it’s been to live without Poppi. I choose you just like you choose me. We got to ride that wave.”

He reached out and pulled her close to him. “I don’t like being at odds with you.”

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