Page 23 of Kid
“Yes.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You’re going to have to treat me like I’m yours, look at me like I’m yours, be proud to stand by my side.”
A beautiful smile spread his lips.
“Remember I said I had another gift for you that night.” I bowed my head.
“I remember.”
“I just gave it to you.”
He tipped my chin up to meet my eyes. “You wanted to give me your body on my birthday?”
“Yes.” I couldn’t bow my head for he was holding my chin, forcing me to keep eye contact. “But then Macy introduced herself as your girl and I—I couldn’t. I mean, the last thing I wanted was to bethatwoman, you know?”
He kissed me. “What now?”
“Now we—” My phone rang, and I scrambled from the bed to find it sitting on the floor.
When I checked the face, I saw my mother’s number and quirked a brow. I was having a great morning. My crush had made love to me and we were having a conversation that had my heart racing happily. I knew my mother would ruin it all, she’d pick away at my psyche and self-esteem and left me in a pit of despair.
I exhaled loudly. “Mama?”
“Is Jeremy with you?” She asked.
“No, I’m not home.” I replied. “What do you mean is he with me? It’s seven in the morning on a weekday. He should be getting up for school.”
“I know, but he didn’t come home yesterday.”
“And you’re just calling me? Mama!”
“I know! If he’s not with you then something is wrong.”
“You think!” I screamed while scrambling from the bed with Kid calling after me. I hung up the phone and shifted to face him. “My nephew is missing.”
“Hang on. I’m coming with you.”
I ran back to kiss him gently. “No. He’s probably waiting for me at my place. I’m heading over there.”
“Are you sure?” Kid asked.
“I’m sure.”
“If anything, you call, okay?”
I promised, then gathered my keys and rushed down the stairs. My shoes were still wet, so I darted barefooted to my car with my shoes in my hands.
I sped to my home and barged into the house. Jeremy had a key to my place since my mother wasn’t the easiest person to get along with.
She held on with a chokehold and a teenager didn’t need any of that. From time to time, Jeremy would show up there to hide from her, to get a break and breathe.
“Jer!” I called, rushing from one room to another. “Jeremy, you here?”
I checked my office for he always used my computer for the graphic design software I bought. But he wasn’t there or anywhere else in the house. My heart raced inside me as I paced one way then the next.
Jeremy didn’t have many friends in real life. He spent most of his time locked away in his room playing video games with people from around the world.
Still, it wasn’t like him to just take off.
Something was wrong.
I didn’t call my mother.
I pressed the phone to my ears, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Yeah?”
“Kid?” I sniffled. “Jeremy isn’t here. He’s not here, Kid. Oh my God!”
“Okay, stay where you are. I’m coming.”
