Page 14 of Pieces of Us

I paused mid-sip and looked over at Shelby. My heart did a nosedive into my stomach from knowing Shelby ran into a puzzle piece to my lost past—my Morgan, my Mo Boogie, my love.

My eyes cast out of the window I sat in front of as a visual of her in the yard tending to the April flowers she’d planted…watching them as they bloomed in this early May. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to let go of the pain I felt when she disappeared without a trace. How one man could hide a person should have been studied.

After scouring the city to find her, on whatever day Shelby saw Drue after thirteen years, they resurfaced? I had questions. If Drue was back in the picture, I knew Mo wasn’t too far behind.

“Hemi? Are you okay?” Chelsea asked me. I was sure she was concerned.

“Y-yeah…of course.” I swallowed down the rest of my drink. “Did you say something to her?”

“I did. She didn’t give me much on Morgan, and I didn’t want to pry, but I could tell she wanted to. She said after y’all’s breakup, they moved to Troy and their dad severed her communication to the outside world. She wasn’t even allowed to have friends.”

I scoffed. “That man was a fucking nut job, so I’m not surprised.”

“I loved Morgan. She was so sweet.” Shanise chimed in.

“We all did. I gave Drue my number to keep in touch, but I doubt she will.”

“Drue wasn’t as sheltered as Morgan. I mean, in a sense of having a boyfriend. Sis stayed with the niggas.” Shelby laughed.

“Not gon’ lie. She sure did. She wasn’t letting them hit, though, but she had them wrapped around her finger.”

Shanise offered information that I didn’t care about. I was silent as they continued talking until the conversation segued to my father’s upcoming birthday party.

I wouldn’t say I didn’t want to celebrate my father’s big sixtieth, but I always resented him a little. That showed in me only visiting him on Sundays and holidays. It was messed up, but he didn’t start being extra until my mother passed away. That’s when he started forcing me to do shit I didn’t want to do. I was young and vulnerable at the time. We had just lost our mother, Morgan was snatched away from me, and I couldn’t function enough to stand up to him when it came to what I wanted to do with my life.

However, I wouldn’t let him choose my career or having kids with a woman who only cared about her image more than she cared about anything else.

“I’m just glad you didn’t have kids with that bitch, Hemi. Lord knows I’d really have to clock that bitch for playing with your offspring,” Shelby stated, placing a plate with chili inside a breaded bowl in front of me.

“Yeah…Thanks, baby sis.”

“Anything for you, big bro.” She kissed my cheek as I smiled, digging in.

“Man, bet fifty I beat you.”

Loon challenged Morgan as we sat on the bleachers at Renaissance High. It was after 6:00 p.m., and she would be leaving me soon because her curfew was 8:00 p.m. My arm was draped over her shoulder while she was snuggled under my arm. They were having a debate on who was the fastest on the track team for both male and female athletes. Since they both trained for Renaissance, Loon wanted to flex his muscle on my girl.

“Lawrence, please. I don’t want to have to take your money. I will dust you.”

“Bet me then, PK.”

“Loon…” I said, laughing. “Don’t do it, man. My baby’s stats speak for itself.”

“You put up the fifty for ya girl then, sleeze.”

“You know what, Lawrence? How about we don’t put up any money. I’ll just beat you for the free ball,” she said, standing up.

“If you get beat by a girl, I promise I’m dumping you!” his girl, Delilah, exclaimed.

Loon scrunched his face up. “We ain’t even together. Fuck you talmbout?”

I laughed.

Delilah mushed me. “Shut up.”

“Hey, not too much on my booby, girly,” Morgan told her.

I blew her a kiss and winked at her as she blushed and descended the bleachers.

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