Page 80 of Taeja

“Don’t forget the time she had an SUV,” Mason added. “How did you manage to run into a parked vehicle?”

“I-I-” Taeja stuttered, and Mason and Liyah laughed. She rolled her eyes. “Go back to unu conversation. Stop teaming up on me.”

He chuckled. “Babe, like I was saying. I know you don’t like my family—”

Liyah frowned. “That’s not true. I love them.”

Mason paused before saying, “We’re having dinner, and I want you to come.”

Sighing, Liyah slumped into the seat. Her frown deepened as she lookedthrough the window to her right. “I don’t know, Mason.”

“Please?” he begged. “They love you, and the last time we spoke about this, you said you’d try.”

She looked at the screen. A moment passed before her face relaxed, and she released a big puff through her nostrils. “What time is it?”

“Six.”

“I’ll let you know.” Liyah ended the call, and Kirone Tyke blasted through the speakers again.

Taeja glanced at Liyah with a raised brow. “Everything okay?” she asked, moving a hand from the steering to lower the volume.

“Yeah.”

“You sure?” she asked, and Liyah nodded before looking through the window. Taeja pursed her lips.

They continued their journey with no words exchanged between them, only the music filling the silence. A couple of minutes later, they arrived at Aaliyah’s apartment. Liyah disappeared into her bedroom. Whispering drifted through the walls as she spoke on the phone to Mason. Wanting to give them some privacy, Taeja went on the balcony.

It was early June, so the air was hot. The heavy winds made it more humid. It didn’t even help that the sun was out today, high in the sky and burning everything it smiled at.

Taeja returned inside for a cold bottle of water, then went to the balcony. She sat on a chair, chugging the water while pulling her phone out. After a few clicks, her eyes bulged. “This cya right!” Taeja exclaimed, rubbing her eyes as she stared at the screen. She exited the banking app, powered her phone off, then turned it on again. She reopened the app, and her mouth and heart dropped. “Where’s all my money, and how’s my account closed?”

Convinced it was an error, she dialed her bank. After ten minutes of talking to an automated system, then listening to classical music she was sure Damon would like, Taeja got through with a representative.

“Good day. My name is Kyra, and I will be assisting you today. May I get your name for easier communication?” said the representative.

“Good day. My name’s Taeja,” she answered.

“How may I help you, Taeja?” asked Kyra.

“I’m calling because there seems to be an error in my account. My card keeps declining and now it’s saying that my account is closed. I can’t check my balance, and I didn’t close my accounts. There must be an error on the bank’s end?”

“Can I get your account number?” Kyra asked, and Taeja gave the necessary information. “Okay, Taeja, it’s saying here that you are the secondary owner of the account, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Okay, then there’s no error. The primary owner withdrew all the money, then closed the checking and savings accounts.”

“W-what?”

“Jerry Marley, the primary account holder, withdrew the money and closed the account,” Kyra repeated slowly.

Taeja closed her eyes, shook her head, and released a heavy breath through her nostrils. Reopening her eyes, they settled on the array of leafy green trees in the nearby park. Dogs barked as they played with their owners, and Taeja wished she could be as happy and carefree as them.

“Okay,” she finally said on exhale. “Thank you, Kyra,” Taeja said before ending the call. She stared down at the phone in her hand, her reflection looking up at her. Tears lined her eyelids, but she couldn’t feel them. She was numb, even as she wiped them away. “Wow.” Taeja laughed to herself. “Just wow.”

“Taeja?!” a yell came from in the house.

“Balcony!” she yelled back, wiping her face and straightening her shoulders. She didn’t want Liyah to see her when she was down. Taeja looked toward the balcony door as it opened.

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