late.”
“I ran into a problem.” she answered, sitting down next to Theresa. “One of the guys from the bar caught me outside Inked, the tattoo shop on Scherm Ave. I thought he wouldn’t recognize me, but I was so wrong.”
Placing her hand over her pounding heart, she took several breaths trying to calm down. She had gotten away from Griffin. He hadn’t followed her into the park, so everything was good on her end.
“Oh God, Amara are you sure that you’re okay?” Theresa questioned, touching her on the leg. “Liam told me about the jerk who wanted to call the cops on you.”
“I’m okay,” she assured her friend, patting her hand. “I was only caught off guard by him. I truly wasn’t expecting the guy to remember me. I mean I was only around him and Dante for probably no longer than ten minutes.”
Theresa placed her other hand on top of hers giving it a squeeze. “Amara, I hate you‘re still living out here on the streets begging and stealing food. Why don’t you move in with me? I have an extra room at my condo.”
Easing her hand away, Amara frowned at Theresa. “When did you get a condo? I thought you were staying with Ike across town at his place?”
“Ike got it for me last week for doing such a good job for him. He told me that he couldn’t have his best girl without her own place. Please stay with me,” Theresa said, grabbing her hand again. “The place is so big and he only comes over twice a week to tell me where to go now. I don’t like being there all by myself. We can have a girl’s night anytime we want.”
Without hurting Theresa feelings, Amara tried to think of a nice way to turn down her offer. She didn’t want to be anywhere Ike could show up at any given minute. He wanted her to become one of his ‘girls’ and she wasn’t interested in using her body to gain shelter and food.
“Theresa, I—” she stalled still searching for the right words to say.
“Didn’t I tell you not to bring that up to her?” Liam jumped into the conversation. He took a seat on the other side of the bench next to her. “She doesn’t want to live under the same roof as you and the men you take care of every night. Why would you ask her to lower herself like that? What is wrong with you?”
“How dare you judge me, Liam? You don’t know all of what I went through living out here before Ike took me in. If you have a problem with what I do to stay warm and keep food in my stomach then I shouldn’t be around you,” Theresa hollered getting up from her seat.
Amara grabbed her friend by the arm preventing her from storming off. She hadn’t seen Theresa in weeks and she didn’t want her to leave before finding out what else was going on with her.
“Theresa, please don’t leave. I want to know where you have been. You know how much I worry about you.” Theresa yanked her arm out of her grasp and then shot Liam a hard look. “Amara, I would love to catch up with you but I don’t want to get another lecture from the ‘high and mighty I-never-do-anything-wrong’ Liam over there.”
Amara looked at Liam and then back at Theresa. “Can’t you just ignore him? You know how protective he can be about the two of us.”
“I know you and Liam can't stand what I do for a living, but I can’t be like the two of you,” Theresa said. “Sleeping on the cold ground underneath boxes and a garage bag isn’t something I can handle. Both of you know how difficult it was for me before Ike came into my life.”
Amara believed Theresa’s life had gotten worst since Ike took an interest in her, but her girlfriend didn’t see it the same way as they did. She was too blinded by what he had already done for her, not seeing what it was costing her now every time she went with one of those men. It seemed like the best part of Theresa was disappearing.
Ike had approached her more than once offering his ‘ help ’, but she wasn’t crazy or desperate enough to take anything that asshole was
“I ran into a problem.” she answered, sitting down next to Theresa. “One of the guys from the bar caught me outside Inked, the tattoo shop on Scherm Ave. I thought he wouldn’t recognize me, but I was so wrong.”
Placing her hand over her pounding heart, she took several breaths trying to calm down. She had gotten away from Griffin. He hadn’t followed her into the park, so everything was good on her end.
“Oh God, Amara are you sure that you’re okay?” Theresa questioned, touching her on the leg. “Liam told me about the jerk who wanted to call the cops on you.”
“I’m okay,” she assured her friend, patting her hand. “I was only caught off guard by him. I truly wasn’t expecting the guy to remember me. I mean I was only around him and Dante for probably no longer than ten minutes.”
Theresa placed her other hand on top of hers giving it a squeeze. “Amara, I hate you‘re still living out here on the streets begging and stealing food. Why don’t you move in with me? I have an extra room at my condo.”
Easing her hand away, Amara frowned at Theresa. “When did you get a condo? I thought you were staying with Ike across town at his place?”
“Ike got it for me last week for doing such a good job for him. He told me that he couldn’t have his best girl without her own place. Please stay with me,” Theresa said, grabbing her hand again. “The place is so big and he only comes over twice a week to tell me where to go now. I don’t like being there all by myself. We can have a girl’s night anytime we want.”
Without hurting Theresa feelings, Amara tried to think of a nice way to turn down her offer. She didn’t want to be anywhere Ike could show up at any given minute. He wanted her to become one of his ‘girls’ and she wasn’t interested in using her body to gain shelter and food.
“Theresa, I—” she stalled still searching for the right words to say.
“Didn’t I tell you not to bring that up to her?” Liam jumped into the conversation. He took a seat on the other side of the bench next to her. “She doesn’t want to live under the same roof as you and the men you take care of every night. Why would you ask her to lower herself like that? What is wrong with you?”
“How dare you judge me, Liam? You don’t know all of what I went through living out here before Ike took me in. If you have a problem with what I do to stay warm and keep food in my stomach then I shouldn’t be around you,” Theresa hollered getting up from her seat.
Amara grabbed her friend by the arm preventing her from storming off. She hadn’t seen Theresa in weeks and she didn’t want her to leave before finding out what else was going on with her.
“Theresa, please don’t leave. I want to know where you have been. You know how much I worry about you.” Theresa yanked her arm out of her grasp and then shot Liam a hard look. “Amara, I would love to catch up with you but I don’t want to get another lecture from the ‘high and mighty I-never-do-anything-wrong’ Liam over there.”
Amara looked at Liam and then back at Theresa. “Can’t you just ignore him? You know how protective he can be about the two of us.”
“I know you and Liam can't stand what I do for a living, but I can’t be like the two of you,” Theresa said. “Sleeping on the cold ground underneath boxes and a garage bag isn’t something I can handle. Both of you know how difficult it was for me before Ike came into my life.”
Amara believed Theresa’s life had gotten worst since Ike took an interest in her, but her girlfriend didn’t see it the same way as they did. She was too blinded by what he had already done for her, not seeing what it was costing her now every time she went with one of those men. It seemed like the best part of Theresa was disappearing.
Ike had approached her more than once offering his ‘ help ’, but she wasn’t crazy or desperate enough to take anything that asshole was
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