Chapter 6

𝙻𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚢𝚗

It sounds dumb as fuck. And honestly? It is. Why would I go to the mall my ex hits every Sunday at exactly 7:00 PM to grab his favorite drink and meal after gettin’ high? Well, I wanted to see what Aries was really about, and what better way to do that than to cause a little mess and watch her handle it? Now—

Did I expect a full-blown shootout? No. But am I surprised? Also no. Clearly, life just loves escalatin’ my bad decisions.

As another gunshot rang out, echoing through the mall, Aries yanked me behind a pillar. Her arm braced just above my head as she glared down at me like she was debatin’ whether to protect me or strangle me herself.

“Why the fuck, would you get us in this mess??” she seethed and I glanced down at the Auntie Anne’s in my hand. Like that would somehow explain everything.

“I got hungry?” I replied, because truly, what else was I supposed to say? Her jaw clenched so tight I thought I heard it crack. I could already tell she was addin’ this to her list of reasons to hate me.

The mall was practically empty—most folks had already cleared out or gone on lockdown. The store next door was signalin’ for me and Aries to get inside before we ended up as a headline.

“Go. Sneak by and wait there ’til I’m back,” she murmured, and I glanced over at the store next door, hearing more gunshots go off like background music at this point.

“Girl, I’ll be aight,” I sucked my teeth and waved her off like she was overreactin’, which—when you think about it, that was some real unserious behavior for an active shootout. Without another word, I let out a wince as she dragged me by my arm anyway and quickly shoved me into the store like I was a youngin’ who didn’t know no better.

“Get down!” a few people whispered harsh as hell. I ducked, turnin’ just in time to see Aries dartin’ off, her hand by her waist like she was about to handle some business personally.

“Why didn’t they come in!?” an old lady whispered. 

I let out a groan, pinching the bridge of my nose because clearly common sense was not common in this express.

Because she’s doin’ her job, maybe??

Glass shattered followed by another pop, and everyone went to trippin’. Now, I wouldn’t care if the shop across the way got sprayed—which it did—Cool. Not my business, but the people in here started screamin’ like we were in the final scene of a horror movie, and I wasn’t exactly fond of the idea of being surrounded by loud-ass panickin’ people while bullets were flyin’.

I rolled my eyes and took cover away from the glass wall. “Some of y’all need to move.” I barked, because apparently I had to take charge since everybody else wanted to be dramatic. “I could see y’all from outside.” They stared at me like I lost my damn mind.

I started directin’ people where to go and why, pointing out obvious things that shouldn’t have needed explaining in the first place. “You—move over there. Not by the gate—Nigga—you basically volunteerin’ for a body bag!? And you—why is you still standin’?? Sit yo’ ass the hell down?!”

At this point, I might as well ask for a vest and a paycheck. I’m out here doin’ safety drills for free??

Suddenly, I heard Aries and Jalen shoutin’, and my head whipped toward the door so fast it almost hurt. “Everyone stay quiet!” someone whispered, but I could already see Jalen and a couple other guys rushin’ past, with Aries following right behind him like she was actively chasing him down.

I closed my eyes and cursed inwardly, because yeah… maybe fuckin’ around wasn’t the best idea this time.

I waited there for about five minutes, telling myself she’d be back quickly. Then that five minutes turned into twenty, and then into an hour, and at that point I was just sitting there like I really did clock into a shift I never applied for.

I honestly sat there and ate my food, completely unbothered while some old folks watched me in disbelief. A few of them even looked disgusted, probably wonderin’ how I could be so calm in a situation like this, but honestly… what they want me to do? Starve and panic?

Which… okay. Fair. Technically I’m the one who caused the play anyway.

Aries was worryin’ me a bit, though. I ain’t gon’ lie, and that annoyed me more than anything because why am I worried about her when she’s the one trained for this?

Once the second hour mark hit, she finally came back, out of breath and guidin’ everyone out as cops began floodin’ the mall. She didn’t even speak to me. She just glared sharply before walking ahead like I wasn’t even worth the energy or oxygen.

I rolled my eyes, followin’ behind because again what else I’m supposed to do, stay in the mall and window shop?

I wanted to ask what happened, I really did, but it was clear she didn’t want to talk at all. And I mean she didn’t say not one word, not even a sigh, not even a complaint—which somehow felt worse than her yelling at me.

The entire drive home was silent as hell too. No attitude. No yelling. All that played was some chill R&B, and it honestly felt like the music was there to fill the tension because if it wasn’t, the silence would’ve been loud as fuck. I would’ve preferred her cussing me out.

At least then I’d know where we stand.

I made my way upstairs to my bedroom, changin’ into some shorts and a cropped top, only to come back down and see Aries leavin’ like she couldn’t get out fast enough. I raised a brow out of curiosity while my father stood there pinchin’ the bridge of his nose like I personally shaved years off his life.

“You out here stirrin’ shit again?” he questioned, and I rolled my eyes, walkin’ outside in my slides as I heard her engine rev like she was already halfway gone.

“Aries!” I called out, and the car settled down just enough for her to roll the window low.

“What,” she said firmly, and I huffed, peekin’ my head into the window because the attitude was unnecessary… even if slightly deserved.

“Listen, you don’t gotta dip, you can stay the night again,” I offered, because despite everythin’, I wasn’t tryna have her lookin’ at me like I was the enemy.

“I’d prefer sleepin’ in my own bed over a guest bed,” she replied, and I rolled my eyes instantly.

“You actin’ like the beds are trash.”

She cut her eyes to the mansion like it was a trap house. “‘Cause they is?”

“Okay, not too much?”

“Can I leave now? You been playin’ with my time since this mornin’,” she said, her jaw clenchin’ again. I rolled my eyes like she wasn’t draggin’ it just a little.

“Girl, I ain’t play with your time—”

“Oh, so we lyin’ now?” she cut in, glarin’ at me. “I got things to do. You ain’t doin’ nothin’ today, so my job is done for the day.”

Oh.

She mad-mad. Like, ‘don’t call my phone’ mad.

I huffed and pulled back from the car, because clearly there was no winnin’ this argument. She drove right off, no hesitation, no second thought, just gone. And I walked back inside, my father already groaning like he knew exactly how that went.

“One job, Londyn. One.”

“Listen, a girl got bored. My friends ain’t around, and you got me stuck with a bodyguard I ain’t ask for,” I said, because truly, what did he expect from me?

“Act like she yo friend or some shit,” he huffed, and I rolled my eyes immediately.

“We have nothin’ in common!?”

“Figure it out.”

And just like that, he walked off, leaving me standin’ there like I was the one being unreasonable.

I hummed, unamused, because now apparently I gotta fix a situation I ain’t even think was that deep in the first place.

I stood there in the foyer, the sound of the SRT fadin’ into the distance. I huffed, lookin’ at my reflection in the hallway mirror. I had my glasses on and I kinda looked a mess, my ankle throbbin’. On top of that, the only person other than my dad who actually seemed to give a damn about me stayin’ alive was currently busy hatin’ my guts.

We have nothin’ in common!?

I replayed my own words and winced. I mean… we both liked the same music…? We both liked the same food. And apparently…we both had a thing for people who were no good for us.

I pulled out my phone, lookin’ at her contact. I didn’t even have a name for her, just a ninja emoji. I started typin’ then deleted it. Then started again.

“You really gon’ act like the guest bed ain’t got 1000 thread count?”

Nah. Too bratty.

“My bad about the mall. Jalen was trippin’.”

Nahh. Too much like I’m chasin’ it.

I settled on somethin’ that felt a little like me.

> L: Since you think the beds here are trash… tell me where the “good” ones are at. I’m bored. And I’m hungry. Again.

I hit send before I could overthink it. Now I just had to see if she was the type to stay mad, or the type to come back for the “play.”

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Y’all think Londyn in the wrong??