2

Mesi's POV

I took another sip of my beer as Spain continued to tell me about his plans for the building he had recently purchased and I listened intently since he and Jazmine were my mentors when it came to shit like this. If I was being completely honest with myself, I wouldn't be the person I was today if they hadn't been generous enough to invest in my business idea.

"Spain can you help me with something?" Britt called out from the kitchen entrance and he replied with a small yes before dismissing himself, leaving me to enjoy my own company.

I took the time to enjoy the sweet sound of the old RnB playing through the speakers, the music bringing a sense of nostalgia throughout me as my mind began to reminisce.

"Mesi," Jazmine called out interrupting my thoughts and I turned to see her approaching with a woman by her side whose features awakened a blurry memory in me.

"This is my sister Destiny, Destiny this is Mesi," she introduced allowing me to meet her after a long-anticipated wait and I smiled outstretching my hand.

"We've met," Destiny told Jazmine as she shook my hand and I frowned as realization sprinted through me.

"How did you two meet?" Jazmine asked bitting her top lip slightly, looking at me.

"At the club,"

"Which club?" she questioned and I smiled knowing where her train of thoughts had stopped.

"The club I recently bought I saw her perform on stage," Destiny explained and Jazmine's features relaxed slightly, the entirety of the exchange amusing me.

"Small world," Jazmine voiced chuckling and Destiny nodded glancing over at me for a split second.

"I'm going to get Aria from practice I'll be right back," she added directing her statement towards her sister and I watched as they began engaging in a small conversation which I tuned out allowing my mind to drift back to the music.

"It's nice to see you again," Destiny voiced pulling back my attention towards her, cluing me into Jazmine's retreating figure.

"Likewise," I replied smiling.

"I wouldn't have pictured your name to be Mesi," she announced and I lifted my beer taking a sip trying my best to conceal my approaching smile.

"What did you picture my name to be?" I asked curiously.

"I don't Grace or Elizabeth," she replied making me laugh.

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint,"

"You didn't, I actually like it, it's unique" she uttered and I looked down at my shoes finding her outgoing personality somewhat compelling.

"Is there some kind of meaning behind your name?" she questioned and I nodded.

"It's African, my mother is Nigerian and she named me Mesi because it means water and she always says I'm pure and forgiving," I explained and she nodded her eyes running over me.

"Can you get me something to drink?"

"Sure,"

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Samantha's POV

LOVE.

FREEDOM.

PEACE.

TRUST.

Those four words staying constant in my mind as some sort of mockery since it was all the things my chosen path had denied me of.

I sat on the side of the road giving my exhausted feet the much-needed rest they yearned for, dust standing firmly on top of the air that flowed by me, the hot sun making its presence known as sweat ran down my body and I frowned looking back at the prison gates in agony and disdain.

My hands moved to my grey shirt lifting it to wipe the flowing sweat from my face that was slowly approaching my tired eyes as my mind continued to wonder how far away he was since my body was still left in a sense of disbelief when it came to my freedom.

My gaze fell to my dusty blue shoes and I reached down retying my dirt-stained laces, freedom feeling almost unreal as I tried to gather the emotions that were flowing in me so I could hide them away, my drained body not being ready to face them.

A sound of an approaching vehicle pulled my attention and I said a silent prayer hoping it was him. The windows went down slowly as the car parked in front of me and for a second I didn't recognize him but the smile he soon released had a sense of nostalgia running over me.

"Sam," he called out sounding slightly unsure and I returned a small smile confirming his hesitant mind as I stood up grabbing the bag of clothes I had sitting beside me walking towards the car.

I watched as he got out of the vehicle moving towards me and I met his approaching body accepting the hug he released against the wishes of the lingering pain and betrayal his previous actions over the years had left in me.

Tears threatened to fall as I realized just how much time had passed by, I released him slowly the resentment I held towards him vanishing a little and I believed it was my spirit's way of forcing growth onto me, or maybe my heart returning to my sleeve against the warnings of my weary soul.

"You got buff as shit," he pointed out making me smile.

"Ain't nothing to do in there but lift weights," I replied moving to the vehicle with him, the unaddressed words between us capturing a wild elephant bringing it to the centre of the room. 

"Got my ass looking skinny next to you," he responded amused as we got into the car and I forced a small smile, my emotions standing as my heart called out for them.

"So what's been going on with you?" I asked after a couple of seconds trying to destroy the awkward tension building between us as he drove off, my mind realizing he was a completely different person now, the silent observation making me frown as another wave of sadness rushed over me.

"Nothing much, I got a kid now and a job-"

"How are you gonna say nothing much then drop a whole kid in the conversation?" I asked laughing and he joined in as I looked in the mirror, the disappearing prison gates allowing reality to settle in.

"Yeah, I got a kid, a son, Adonis," He confessed and I nodded looking at the grown man before me, the sight surprising since the last time I saw him we were practically still kids.

"Which motherfucker let your bum-ass knock them up?" I asked teasingly.

"You must've not heard me I stopped dealing I got a job now," He repeated laughing.

"So what's her name?"

"That ain't important man," he replied chuckling and I frowned as my curiosity released a yawn awakening from its slumber.

"Ackeem who is it?" I asked since I was about to be staying with him and I didn't-

"Tameka," he answered softly glancing over to me and I smiled.

"You mean my ex Tameka, man I ain't worried bout that," I told him truthfully, not fully surprised since they were the reason we broke up, a small feeling of hurt from the betrayal peeking to surface becoming more evident than all my other emotions.

"You sure?"

"I ain't seen Tameka in years and on top of that we were practically kids," I assured since my feelings towards her disappeared years ago and he nodded turning onto the highway.

The further I got away from the prison the more anxiety sat in me since I was stepping away from the one thing I knew.

"We got to get you some clothes or something, you look like you walked outta a nelly video," he voiced and I smiled looking at my clothes not really seeing the problem.

"Nelly a bop,"

"Nelly was a bop when you got locked up," he announced laughing and I smiled loving the flow of our conversation, especially when my anxious spirit had me expecting the opposite, the knowledge of him not visiting me once during all those years being the reason.

I expected rage from my beaten heart and ego but instead, the feeling of hurt his actions caused as well as the many emotions I was currently feeling drowned the energy to even begin asking why he wasn't there along with the fear of getting an answer that would bring more pain than relief.

"So those fucking tight ass jeans the new shit?" I asked wondering how he even moved in them.

"They ain't tight man they just close-fitted," he defended making me laugh.

"Motherfucker, talking bout some close-fitted, you probably take them off and it be looking like you still wearing them," I fired the mental image I created increasing my laughter.

"Worry about yourself Sam," he replied making me smile.

"You still sensitive as hell huh?" I asked sending the seat back and silence fell around us, and I made no move to change that since it was rare I was allowed it.

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My name ran sitting at the entrance of my ears, the sound forcing my eyes opened as I looked up to see Ackeem's gaze on me.

"We here," he informed and I sat up slowly running my hand over my face as a yawn left me.

He opened the door and mirrored his actions grabbing my sack of clothes trailing him to the house's entrance scanning my surroundings on the way, taking notice of how different the neighbourhood looked.

"Tameka not here, but she knows you're coming I got work right now, there are leftovers in the fridge," he announced opening the door.

"Your son here?"

"Naw he with Tameka, your sleeping on the couch, there is a bathroom by the stairs if you wanna take a shower or something," he replied and I nodded stepping inside closing the door behind me, deciding to use the time alone to gather myself.

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