"I can do that." I say, as Tupac starts to unpack some of my clothes from the boxes.

"Nah I'll do it for you. Lay down and get you some rest." He says, without looking up at me. My eyes trace his tattooed arms as he opens another box.

"Or I could just help." I suggest.

"You sure?" He asks, raising his eyebrows at me. The rings on his fingers glisten, the light from the lamp reflecting off of them. I nod.

"Baby I'm fine." I say, resting my hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

Ever sense I had that panic attack a few days ago he's been treating me like a child and not letting me do much. I get that he's worried but I'm fine. It wasn't that serious.

He smiles at me, grabbing me by my waist and pressing his lips against mine. My eyes flutter shut as his hands move to my lower back. His lips leave mine and move to my neck, making me pull away from him.

"Sorry." He says, licking his lips and turning his attention back to the boxes.

"You sure youn wanna sleep in my room with me?" Pac asks, before holding up one of my dresses, "Where the fuck was you wearing this to?"

I chuckle. "Its a party dress." I say, snatching it from him.

"Well shit you ain't going no where with that on." He says, shaking his head.

I start to fold my clothes and put them in the dresser drawers. "How's the kitchen remodel going?" I ask, Tupac sucks his teeth.

"Man it's a bunch of fucking retards working down there. We ain't gonna be back open until next month prolly." He says, I silently cheer. He needs some rest, Lesane is always at that damn club. Maybe he'll sit down somewhere now.

"Well, we'll get to spend more time together." I say.

Tupac smiles, "A whole lot of time." He winks at me making me laugh lightly.

"Foreal though, are we okay? Are you okay?" He asks.

I let out a breath.

"I miss you." He says.

I let out another breath. This is the most me and Pac have interacted in a month. We haven't been talking much or spending much time together since the whole thing happened.

I can't say I'm completely over it, but I'm not mad at him anymore. I guess I'm just scared, not of him, but of getting hurt again.

"We're good, I promise." I say, putting away some more of my clothes.

There's a moment of silence between us for a while as he starts breaking down the empty boxes.

"Are you-"

"Yes Tupac. We're good, okay?"

"Igh." He says, a small smile on his face as he heads out of the room, broken down boxes in his arms.

God I love that man.

So fucking much.

"Dri, I gotta head out for a second. You gonna be igh?" I ask, peaking into her room.

She's laying on the bed watching a movie.

"Where you going?" She asks, sitting up.

"One of my homeboys called me up. Gonna roll by his crib fa a minute." I say, coming further into the room and leaning against the door frame.

"Well how long you gonna be gone?" She asks, slight concern on her face.

"An hour at the most baby, not long." I say, leaning down and kissing her forhead. She just nods, turning her attention back to the movie.

"Be careful." She says, without looking at me.

Donald called me, he seemed freaked out.

Told me to meet him in the parking lot of the old Shake Shack a few blocks from my house. Place been closed fa years, so I know it's some funny business that he on.

When I pull into the parking lot and get out of my benz I see his car but he ain't in it. There's another car parked beside his.

I pull my gun out my waistband and walk towards the back of the building.

"Aye De?" I call out, but I get no answer.

I call his name a few more times before I finally get a answer.

"Here." He says, making me walk to the back of the building. My eyes widen when I see the scene underneath the dim streetlight. DeVante is standing over a body, a gun dangling loosely from his hand.

He's shaking.

"I need that favor." He says.

My eyes fly open.

I must've dozed off. I scoot off the bed and look over at the digital clock on my dresser.

Nine o'clock.

There's music coming from across the hall.

I go into Lesane's room, Purple Rain is playing, and I can hear the shower running. I peak around the corner into his bathroom and my eyes widen.

The white beater and joggers he had on have maroon stains all over them. I know what it is. His gold plated gun is sitting on the edge of the sink.

Just as I turn to leave, the shower turns off and the glass door slides open.

"Dri?" He calls my name, making me turn around slowly to face him. We both stare at each other silently. I glance down at the bloody clothes on the floor and then back at him. He dries his face and neck with a towel before wrapping it around his waist.

"It ain't what you think, igh?"

"You promised." I say.

"Ian kill nobody. My homeboy did, he panicked and called me." Pac says, a bit of relief fills my body.

"I.. I had to help him get rid of it." He says.

I just stand there for a while, processing, trying to figure out if I should be mad or not. My eyes fall over his chest, his body still dripping wet.

Finally, I pick up the bloody clothes, and leave him standing there in the bathroom. I go into the laundry room and drop them into the washer, I pour laundry detergent and baking soda in and start it, before going back into my room and closing the door.

Not long after, Pac comes in. He's wearing his favorite basketball shorts.

"You okay?" He asks, sitting on the bed beside me.

"As long as you are." I say.

"I'm sorry Adrienne. I ain't know what he needed when he called me. If I did I wouldn't have went."

"Stop apologizing Lesane. It's okay foreal."

"But I promised-"

"You promised me you'd stay out of trouble. You ain't in trouble, right?" I give him a small smile. He smiles back, an apologetic look on his face.

"Nah." He says.

"Okay then."

I rest my head on his shoulder, breathing in his fresh shower scent. He uses Irish spring soap, he smells so good.

"Are you sniffing me?" Lesane chuckles, making me pull away from him.

"No."

Tupac lunges at me, wrapping his strong arms around me and attacking my face with kisses. I want him to stop at first, but then I find myself laughing as we roll around on the bed.

"I missed you so much." He says, pinning me down on the bed, his face hovering inches above mine. I can't help but smile. I missed him too.

"You act like you haven't seen me in months." I laugh, he sucks his teeth.

"It felt like it.. it still does sometimes." He says, getting off of me and sitting with his back against the headboard. I do the same.

"What do you mean?"

I know what he means. I've purposely distanced myself from him. I'm not really sure what my reason is, or why I'm still doing it. It's the small things, like choosing to sleep in here instead of in his bedroom with him. I can't stop myself from pushing him away, no matter how good it feels when we're close.

"You been different since.." He trails off, his eyes focused on his hands in his lap.

"Its not just you, I have a lot on my mind." I say.

Lesane looks at me. "Wanna talk about it?"

I shake my head no.

"You wanna get drunk instead?" He asks, a sympathetic smile on his lips.

"Maybe."

"Come on." He says, getting off the bed and grabbing me by my wrists before pulling me up. He holds my hand as we make our way downstairs to the kitchen.

I sit down at the kitchen table and watch as Lesane pours a glass of Hennessey for both of us. The cross tattooed on his back catches my eye. I've never really payed attention to it.

"Do you even know what that scripture says?" I ask, "Exodus 18:31?"

He chuckles, placing my glass in front of me and leaning against the kitchen counter. "Its not a scripture."

"Then what is it?" I sip from my drink.

"Exodus means the mass departure of people, that's why it's at the end of the Bible. It represents the end of something great, just like Genesis means the beginning." He says, I furrow my eyebrows.

"What does the 1831 mean?"

Tupac shrugs, "That's for all of us to find out later."

I just nod slowly. I believe that's another thing that drew me to him, he's an intellectual and can teach me so many things. I've never met anyone as interesting as Lesane.

I wish he'd channel that knowledge into something else.

"The other day, when I walked in on you and your mom, what were you talking about?" I ask, there's a pause between us for a moment, before Tupac sits down at the table, scooting his chair closer to mine.

"She wants me to turn myself in." He says, his voice low.

I furrow my eyebrows.