Page 52 of Off the Charts
1 Week Later
Addiction was real. One milliliter over the recommended dosage could cause someone to overdose. Jersei injected some shit in me that felt like the opposite of poison but carried thesame contagion, spreading through my veins like wildfire. I’d taken too much, got injected with the fattest needle out of the bunch, and was still thumping at the next vein for the next hit of her.
I craved Jersei, fiending for her melon scent, her soft touch, and the feel of her skin against mine. She could be laying on my chest and my soul still felt like I needed more. Two months was all it took for her to make the most beautiful, unexpected landing and if this was how love felt, I would never be ashamed to admit that I am a fucking addict for Jersei Lane. Valen was right and I couldn’t deny it, J surpassed a liking or adoration. I love this woman.
I held her hand tighter, cutting my eyes in her direction. “Fuck no.”
“So, you gone let me ride all the rides by myself?” She held her smoothie to my mouth allowing me to take a heavy sip. I finished mine on the way over, so I was fucking hers up. “Damn, super throat!”
“Get fucked up,” I squeezed her hand while she laughed. “Yes, I am. I’m not getting on a rollercoaster, J. Why would I get on some shit they pulled out a suitcase then packed it up like it’s some laundry? What if they left a screw in the bag? Now my ass is fifty plus feet off the ground hanging upside down. Fuck that. I’ll stay on the ground and take pictures of you and Zy.”
Jersei laughed loud as hell. “Not you gone be the camera man. That’s so lame. But I feel like it’s the same with planes though. We put so much trust in them. You get on there and trust the pilot and that big ass caboose. At some point that shit probably came out of a suitcase too.”
It was my turn to laugh. “That don’t make no sense but I’ma let you have it.”
She put the straw to my lips for me to finish the smoothie before tossing it in a nearby garbage can. J wrapped both herarms around one of mine and leaned her head against me. We drove down to Richland Village, about thirty minutes north of Edgewynne. They held the same aesthetics but there were more shopping options in Richland Village as well as one of my favorite places. Jersei was out of training and was set to officially start work this upcoming week, so I wanted to do something special for her before our schedules got hectic. We did bumper cars, ate, then went to the outlet mall. I gave her my card and let her run wild. I spent over an hour convincing her that I didn’t need anything in return, I simply wanted to spoil her. It took me calling Valen for her to give in and I made sure she got anything she eyed and what I felt she’d looked good in. My trunk and backseat were full of bags, but my favorite part was seeing the smile on her face.
“Today was so much fun. Thank you so much, handsome.”
“You’re welcome, mama. It’s not over yet though.” I kissed her forehead, looking up to see that we were getting close. “Ready for work?”
“Am I? I laid my clothes out for the week already. Ironed them too.” I chuckled. “I’m excited. I feel good about it. I can’t wait to see my first direct deposit from a workplace. Devon’s daddy used to write us paper checks.”
“I’m excited for you. The shit gone be good,” I looked down at her sandals noticing she was leaning sideways. “Your feet hurt?”
“A little. It’s m?—”
“You want my shoes or you wanna get on my back?”
She frowned. “If I get your shoes, what will you wear?”
“Which one, J?”
“Your back, your highness.”
I chortled and separated us. I lowered in front of her, looking over my shoulder. Her ass was standing there watching me. “C’mere. Get up here, baby. We still got a lil’ ways to go.”
Jersei giggled then climbed on my back, wrapping her arms around my neck. Once I knew she was secure, I spun us around a few times just to hear her laughs.
“You so childish!” She squealed, kissing the side of my face twice then rested her head on my shoulder. “Can I ask you something?”
“You know you can.”
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but do you want…more kids?”
I sat with her question for a second. It wasn’t that I didn’t know the answer, but more of the thought of going through the heartache of the what ifs. By blood, I had one child but was bonded by two and I’d lost both.
“The short answer is yes. I don’t want to face the possibility of disappointment again so when that time comes, it will take a lot of prayer for me to not overthink the outcome. It gotta be right this time around. I’ve always pictured myself as a father to my own and I can only pray that God grants that before I get out of here.”
“He will,” Jersei whispered, stroking up and down my chest. “As you said, when the time comes, we will make sure we do our part. Almost always we have to step back and let Him do the rest.”
Her words landed like a warm hug. I kissed her arm. “You right, J.”
A few minutes passed before we made it to the end of the strip. In the summer, they’d see me once a week but today was my first time visiting in almost three months and I had a feeling it would be my favorite.
I placed J on her feet and looked into her curious eyes as she read over the tan letteringSide A & 33rdthat was etched on the door and overhead sign.
“Babe, you heard me when I said I’d never been to one,” she cheesed.
