Page 46 of Are You Going to Love Me

Maximus swiped his finger under his nose subtly. “I’ve graduated from my life of crime.”

“So, kidnapping me ain’t a crime?”

“Uh uh, you’d come willingly.”

“Oh my God, I'm going home.”

He grinned. “Nah, not yet. What’s the plan, Eden?”

She pulled in a deep breath and shrugged. “Figuring out how to bet on me and figure out my dream, I guess.”

“What’s your dream? I promise I won’t laugh.”

“I went to WSU for performing arts, never finished because Poppi got sick. But being on set and doing all of this these last three days felt good.”

“Aight then, so bet on you. You got something on you,” Maximus stated.

“You hypin’ me up.”

“Nah, I don’t do hype. Pure, straight up and down facts. You’re good at this. And if that’s your dream, you should be doing it. Don’t let a muthafucka stand in your way either.”

“Noted.”

“Good, eat.”

nineteen

. . .

“You havea collect call from an inmate at-”

Before the prompt could continue, Maximus rumbled, “Accept.”

There wouldn’t be anyone else calling him from prison than Brody.

“Ay bro,” Brody started skipping over the pleasantries.

“What you want nigga?” Maximus asked, roaming down his stairs and squinting at all the natural light flooding in. Being that he’d spent years in lock up not seeing the sun in its fullness he didn’t mind but the window in his room damn near dragged him out the bed far before he wanted to.

Since dropping Eden off at her building in Midtown a couple of nights ago, he’d been spending his nights in the studio piecing songs together, and still nothing was speaking to him. He had hits for sure, but he needed more than hits.

“I could’ve sworn you said you wasn’t going to holla at shorty,” Brody stated in reference to Eden.

Maximus scrunching his face asked, “Ain’t your ass in prison? How you know what I’m doing, nigga?”

“Nigga the blogs,” Brody stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “According to these blogs, y’all kicking it somethin’ serious. That’s how you been spendin’ your time? Boo’d up with Eden.”

“Ain’t blogs and shit for women? Or bitch ass niggas. The fuck you on them for?”

“Distractions trying to pass time. You doing aight?”

When Brody asked that question, Maximus knew it came from a place of true concern.

“Adjusting. Not going to lie all the shit is comin’ at me all at once. Trying to keep myself out of fuckin’ trouble.”

“You hired security yet?”

“Nah, you getting out?”

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