, I finally turned into Giovanni's private parking space. Thankfully, his home address was stored into his car's gps system or I would have been confused as to where to take him. The minute he climbed into the car, he was fast asleep and remained sleep the entire ride.

I wasn't even sure why I chose to get out of my bed and drive to Newark for him, but I did. Something about him being drunk and calling me triggered something for me. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but I had to be there for him. Especially when I was the one he wanted to see while in his vulnerable, inebriated state.

"Gio, you have to get up." I reached over to shake him after killing the engine. "Gio. Giovanni."

"Yes?" he muttered turning his head.

"We're at your place, you have to get up." I climbed out of the car and walked around to the passenger seat. I opened his door as he removed his seatbelt. "You're good enough to walk?"

"Yeah, I'm cool." he rubbed over his eyes. He sat for a little bit then slid from the car.

"You have to lead the way. I don't know where I'm going."

He walked toward the elevator and tripped over his own foot, crashing onto the ground. He groaned. "Fuck dawg."

"Yo, how many drinks did you have?" I sighed while attempting to help him up from the ground.

"Just leave me here." he swatted my hand away. "Just leave me here and let-let somebody run me over."

"Okay, that is not what I'm doing so get up. You can lay in your bed all you want but you can't lay here."

It took about two minutes to get him up from the ground and walking again. When we were finally able to reach his penthouse, he trucked over to the couch while I went in search for the kitchen. He needed a bottle of water and to sleep as much as he could. I found the kitchen then grabbed him a cold water bottle before returning to the living room.

He laid across the couch, watching me walk back over to him. I held the water out to him and he took it, sitting it to the side rather than drinking any of it.

"I'm going to go okay? Eliana's waiting on me downstairs." I sat his keys on the glass table.

"No." he grabbed my hand. "Stay here with me."

"I can't."

"Yes you can. I don't wanna do anything, I just want you to stay here with me."

"Giovanni, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Alright. It's fine, you can go." he took his eyes off of me and fixed them on the ceiling.

The look on his face and the tone of his voice sadden me, but I felt like I was suffocating being around him like this. It was taking me back to a time I hadn't visited since it happened. A time where both of our lives were in shambles; his mother had just walked away and I was on the edge of taking my life. It was my first suicidal attempt, and only he and I knew about it. The energy surrounding him now is the same energy he had back then.

I wasn't ready to feel or revisit that time and I needed to get away from him. I needed to hide from that specific time for a little while longer. I knew for a fact it would take me to a place I could not afford to be at this point in my career.

After standing before him for a few seconds, I rounded the couch and headed for the front door. I held it open debating on whether I really wanted to leave him alone. Out of all people, he'd called me to come to him, and he was asking me to keep him company. That had to mean something when I hadn't been there for him in years. This wasn't our things anymore, yet, he felt comfortable enough to dial my number for comfort.

As bad I wanted to run from the heaviness surrounding us, I wasn't able to step over the threshold and leave. I couldn't find the will to leave him alone when all he wanted was company. He just wanted to have a presence with him. Therefore, I pushed the door closed and rested against the wall for a moment. While growing up, I never saw us turning out this way. It was just an impossible outcome, but here we were. At the impossible.

As I stood pressed against the wall, Giovanni's pain erupted throughout the penthouse when he released a gut-wrenching sob. In an instant, my heart fractured. I trailed back into the living room to see him still laid on the couch crying with the force of a seizure. I dropped down to my knees so that I was leveled with his head and he could see me.

"Gio what is going on with you?" I asked, my voice just as fragile as him.

He attempted to speak but his words were drowning in the flow of his tears. I climbed onto the couch with him and pulled him into my arms. It was all that I had to offer. I didn't know what to say or what to do besides hold him and let him cry. There in my arms, is what he did until he was left with nothing other than the sniffles and hiccups. Even then he chose not to say anything and I allowed him the opportunity to sit in silence.

My fingers massaged his scalp while I laid with my eyes closed, searching for words to say to him. He needed more from me and I was racking my brain to find exactly what it was. After a while, I found it in the recollection of his drunken Facetime call.

"I'm not mad at you, Gio.... I knew you needed to leave so that you could be happy and I wanted you to be happy. I just never thought you'd forget about me. Especially after we had our moment, but I'm allowing you to start over. There's no ill will in my heart for you. I'm here again. It might not be how it used to be but I'm here nonetheless."

"I never forgot about you." he spoke after a few moments. "I could never forget about you. I wouldn't be me if it weren't for you."

"Well it felt like it and that's what hurt me the most."

"I'm so sorry for ever hurting you, Kori. I'd never want to hurt you — " he was interrupted by a hiccup. "– then or now. And thank you for giving me another chance."

"Everyone deserves a second chance. You ready to sleep this alcohol off now?"

He nodded. "I'm so tired."

I reached up, grabbing the throw blanket laid across the back of the couch to cover us. I didn't remember falling asleep but I was startled awake when I heard Giovanni's body prepare to vomit. I quickly sat up and as soon as I pulled him up, he was puking all over me. My nose turned up at the smell and feel of his stomach contents sliding down my neck and chest.

"I'm so—" he wasn't able to finish before he gagged and took off for the nearest bathroom.

I disgustedly climbed from the couch unsure of what to do. I could hear him in the bathroom throwing up more, so I decided to remove my shirt. I used it to wipe myself clean but I needed a shower or else I would have thrown up myself.

I took my phone from my pocket to see that it was five thirty in the morning. Not caring to check any of my notifications at the moment, I dropped my phone onto the table then traveled toward Giovanni in the bathroom. He was no longer throwing up but he held onto the toilet dry heaving. I wiped his forehead clean of his sweat and sat down beside him.

"I'm sorry for putting you thru this." he let go off the toilet and laid on the floor.

"I told you, I'm here. And when it's my turn to get sloppy drunk you owe me a favor."

He gave a weak smile. "Right. You wanna take a shower tho? You stank."

"Wow, throw up on me then tell me I'm stank. What a gentleman you are." I stood to my feet.

"The other two bathrooms are upstairs. I'm gonna lay here for a minute and catch my breath."

"I'll be quick."

I walked out of the bathroom and rounded up the stairs to the second level. His bedroom door was wide open so I entered and invaded his privacy for something to put on. I grabbed a pair of briefs and a t-shirt before going into the conjoined bathroom.

Once I stepped out of the shower and dressed myself in his clothes, I opened the bathroom door to him sprawled across his bed. He had a cup in his hand that released steam, meaning whatever it was, was pretty hot.

He looked over at me. "Just invade my shit huh?"

"Since you're well enough to talk shit, that means I can go now right?" I teased.

"If you wanna go you can go." he looked away from me. "I appreciate you coming to get me and looking after me."

I sat on the edge of the bed. "Eliana probably won't be here until nine or ten so I'm in no rush. However, your energy is off. What's going on? Is it the break up?"

"It's part of it." he scratched his head. "I loved her, you know? But she couldn't live a lie anymore. She finally set herself free and I can't really be mad at that?"

"What do you mean 'live a lie'? What was a lie?"

"She's not attracted to men. She was trying to be the person her father wanted her to be and not who she actually is. Two years of my life gone."

"I was taught that love is never wasted time. It's always a learning experience whether good or bad."

He nodded. "How are you and your boy?"

"Um, we're okay I guess."

"You guess? What does that mean? Something happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it with you. It's weird."

"But it's nothing bad right? He's not out here fucking up is he?"

"It's...it's just complicated to explain. I don't want it to affect us but I can't stop thinking about it."

"Just tell me what it is." he sipped from his cup. "It can't be too bad you're still with him."

I sighed. "We had sex for the first time and I hated it."

He burst out into laughter. A smile graced my face at the sound of his obnoxious laugh that used to make my day. He covered his mouth and attempted to cease his laugh but it only made it worse. I smacked his leg.

"It's not funny, Giovanni. I'm being serious."

"I know, I know." he buried his face into his pillow for a minute then came back up. "Okay, I'm sorry. Why did you hate it?"

"He was literally stabbing my cervix and he doesn't take direction well. It was just annoying and it makes me not want to have sex with him but I really like him."

"Aw damn, yeah that ain't cool. I don't know what to tell you if you already told him. I told you that nigga was a square."

"Whatever. I'm going back to sleep until Eliana gets here."

I crawled over to the opposite end of the bed and laid down to rest my eyes a little bit longer.

, facing me with her full lips slightly ajar. She'd been asleep for an hour but I could not take my eyes off of her. Instead, I was using this opportunity to take in every feature about her and nothing much had changed from when we were younger. It was like she hadn't aged a day since then.

I may have looked like a weirdo watching her sleep, but it was calming to me. I was in a position to savor her presence unlike any other time we'd been in the same space. There was nothing other than silence and observation. Even if it was only on my part.

"Yo." my dad's voice broke my gaze. He stood in the doorway holding up a phone, looking as if he'd just woken up. His eyes went over to Korin. "I'm guessing this is her phone."

"Probably. Was it going off?"

"Hell yeah, calls and an alarm. Who is that?" he stepped inside and handed me the phone.

"Korin."

"Korin?" he started to shake his head. "I should've known. Y'all two trip me out, I swear. Y'all like some damn magnets. And why you look like shit?"

"Got too drunk yesterday. I feel just how I look."

"I hope that's tea you drinking."

"Yeah, I'm finally trying the tea Chazmon's mom told me to drink for my insomnia."

"Good. You'll need as much as rest as you can get when you get that surgery."

When'd you get home? You were gone when we got here."

"Around eleven." Korin began to stir. "Lemme go before we wake her up. Don't run her away before the dinner, Gio."

Once he was out of the room, I glanced back over at Korin to see that she'd turned away from me. Her phone, which was in my hand, pinged with a message. I'm outside, whore. It was from Eliana. I sighed because that meant she would have to leave me and I wanted to continue basking in her presence.

Rather than do what I really wanted to do, I reached over and shook her awake. She stirred around and groaned, meaning she didn't want to be bothered.

"You gotta get up, Kori. Eliana's outside waiting on you."

She rolled onto her back. "What time is it?"

"Almost eight."

With a deep sigh, she sat up and looked at me. "You're going to be okay? I don't have to leave and get another phone call like yesterday?"

"Nah, I'm cool. Plus my dad is here so I'll be straight."

"Okay." she climbed from the bed. "I'll see you next weekend for the dinner right?"

"Yeah and don't leave this." I stretched her phone out to her. She walked over, took the phone from me then gave me an intense analyzing stare.

"What?"

She shook her head before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on my temple. The simple gesture caused me to close my eyes for a moment. "Take care of yourself, Gio."

"I'll walk you out." I stood up.

"No, you don't have to. I'm a big girl."

"Shut up." I chuckled following behind her toward the staircase.

As we descended the stairs, I thought about our short, yet long night together. Not many words were spoken but I felt what I needed to from her company. From laying in her arms during a moment where I was a glass house. We may not have been Ying and Yang again, but she assured me that she was inviting me back into her life. I was granted a second chance and I couldn't be more thankful for it.

She was a part of me that I refused to let go of. I may have allowed distance to stir us apart way back when, but I never let her go. She was always there in memory and my heart, putting a smile on my face when I needed it most. It may not've been crystal clear to her or anyone else at the time, but I was in love with everything about her. So to leave her behind hurt like hell. It was probably the underlying reason why I never chose to write her. I knew her address by heart, therefore, it would have been simple to do. But I guess I wanted the hurt to fade away meaning the attachment had to as well.

Now here I was attempting to win her over again. Not as my first love, but as the best friend I had before the love. The person who did reckless shit with me just for a laugh and called me out on all of my bullshit. The one who wasn't afraid to hurt my feelings because she knew it was what I needed to hear and wouldn't put her on the outs because of it.

We reached my front door and I pulled it open only to reveal Chazmon. "I'm glad to see you up and moving, my boy. I thought you would be in this bitch half dead."

"Nah, I'm cool."

"Still look like hell though. Hi, I'm Chazmon or Chad." he turned to Korin. "Thank you for taking care of my brother. He doesn't usually get like that."

"Korin, and it was nothing. I'll see you later, Gio." she stepped out of the door and headed for the elevator.

I attempted to watch her walk down the hall but Chad pushed me inside. "How the hell you know Korin Alexander, my nigga? I thought Pete was lying when he said that's who picked you up."

"From around the way." I shrugged.

"Around the way? And you chose Brielle? I mean I didn't have a problem with her but we see how that turned out."

"We'd fallen off until recently. When Brielle thought I was cheating, it was with Korin." I sat on the couch.

"Aw damn... I can definitely see that 'cause she had her lil insecure ways so I can definitely see that accusation. But why y'all fell off? You and Korin."

"I never hit her up after I moved to Houston with my uncle Lang. You know I'm just getting into social media, I never had a phone until I moved up there so I never knew anybody's number. I mean I could've sent her letters but I never did."

"She was pissed huh?"

"Hell yeah. I'm really trying to get back in her good graces because she still has that place in my heart. I can't have her right under my nose and not have her in my life. I'd be sick."

"Oh y'all were like that? Damn you lucky. I mean if she's exactly how she's portrayed in the media."

"I'm not familiar with all of that but she's an amazing person." I cut the tv on. "How was the rest of the party?"

"Just as lit as it was when you were there. Aye, you remember the girl Brittney that was trying to help you out?"

I thought for a few seconds. "Nah."

"Well anyway, she took the kid home and whew! My world was rocked. I'm still shook."

"Chill out bro." I laughed.

"I'm being deadass serious. Almost had a nigga in there hollering for the Lord himself. She's dangerous."

I shook my head continuing to laugh. One thing about Chazmon was he liked to joke. He was the goofiest of the trio whereas Pete was normally serious and I was a median of the both. Though Chad would be considered a jokester, most of the time he was being serious but it hilarious nonetheless.

"You gotta chill. But on a real note, you feel like making us breakfast?"

"My nigga. You had a whole woman in here and ain't ask her to make breakfast?"

"Obviously not if I'm asking you. C'mon don't be like that. You know your pancakes unbeatable."

"They are aren't they?" he grinned.

"Yeah so go ahead whip up a lil some in the kitchen."

"If I wasn't hungry too, I wouldn't make you shit." he stood up going toward the kitchen.

"Love you bro."

"Yeah whatever." he fanned his hand.

_____

1. How do you think their night together will affect their relationship?

2. Do you think Korin should have told Gio about the sex between her and Asani?

3. General thoughts?