6

Two Weeks Later

Samantha's POV

I sat in the car as the sun rays shining through the windshield continued to slap against my beautifully melanated skin. I lifted the bottle of water I had bought opening it quickly before downing some of the liquid since my body was in desperate need of hydration.

At this current moment, my body was probably filled with as much tension and frustration as my mind was filled with busy thoughts, both feelings leaving me stressed.

I had just spent hours going from building to building earning rejection after rejection, the situation I was left in lifting its gun named reality firing several shots at the remainder of my hope that had been protecting the dreams I had in store for myself.

I had been staying with my Ackeem and Tameka for the last three weeks that I've been out of prison and it was a rather draining agreement since no matter how much he assured me that I wasn't intruding I felt as if I was.

I had spent the majority of those three weeks trying to get a job but it was hard since the first thing they saw when they looked at me was a black lesbian ex-convict. Ackeem had offered me a job at this construction company he worked for, but I don't know, a huge piece of me just felt as if I had already taken too much from him and the remaining piece was my pride.

My pride that wanted me to be the one that pulled myself out of this slump and the fact I couldn't do it left me with a constant feeling of betrayal since I had made a promise to myself a long time ago that I wouldn't fall into this place, but life was unpredictable and I guess things never really went as planned.

My head titled upwards as I gazed at the crown of the tree silently saying a prayer, asking God for some strength since I had fallen weak, asking for some guidance since I was running blind, asking for some hope since I lost mine in the middle of the fight I had with the pressure life had placed on me.

I removed the keys as a small sigh left me, and I hoped the small action could remove some of the heaviness off my body as I began opening the door. I stepped out closing it behind me walking towards the garage where Ackeem told me to meet him.

I walked through the entrance to see Ackeem who was talking to a man I had never seen before and my paranoia had me going on guard.

"Sam what's up?" he greeted and I handed him the keys wordlessly greeting the other man.

"This is my nigga Taj, Taj this friend Sam" he greeted and I quickly dabbed him up.

"You better chill on that nigga shit before Ice hears your ass," Taj voiced laughing slightly pulling one from Ackeem and I stood there feeling like the odd one out of the mix.

"You done for the day?" Ackeem asked as a woman walked past us going to the exit catching my attention for a couple of seconds.

"Naw I got to supervise Ice's car while it's getting fixed,"

"Ice coming through today?" he asked surprised.

"Yeah soon too," he voiced earning a head nod from Ackeem, his reply barely connecting with my mind as my gaze moved to the right watching as the same woman from before entered the building once more.

Her gaze met mine and I quickly directed my attention back to the conversation before me.

"You ain't met Ice yet?" Taj asked directing the question towards me.

"No I haven't," I replied my curiosity getting the best of me as I began to wonder what the man looked like.

"You don't know who Ice is?" Taj asked surprised making me wonder if this man was some type of don or something.

"She was locked up for a couple of years, only been back for three weeks," Ackeem explained as I stayed quiet just observing my surroundings, hating the fact he was out here spilling my personal business to a man who was merely an acquaintance to me, but I pushed aside my feelings deciding to address him later.

"Three weeks, she should know who Ice is,"

"I'm barely in the neighbourhood I've been up and about trying to find a job," I expressed and he nodded in understanding.

"Speaking of Ice you could probably get a job or something, right Taj?" he announced directing the last part to Taj.

"Yeah," he replied his phone ringing shortly after his response and he lifted it answering the object immediately walking away from our conversation.

"How do you know him?" I asked Ackeem as the garage doors went up allowing natural light to enter.

"He and Ice got me the job at the construction company two years back, my boss Jason is a friend of Ice," he explained and I nodded my curiosity rising as Ackeem's gaze moved to the entrance and I followed it to see a woman with a little girl to her right.

"Ice is here," he voiced motioning to the car driving in.

"Is that Ice's baby mother or something?" I asked frowning finding the woman very attractive, her coils falling in her face as her dimples made their presence know, the oversized sweats b-

"No her fiancée," He corrected confusing me.

"Her?"

"Yeah Ice is a woman," he informed me and a sense of pride filled me.

"Aria go put your bag in the office," a voice announced, a woman emerging from the car in a suit, her locs in a high ponytail showing off her haircut as the little girl ran past us saying good evening as she did.

"Yow Ice," Ackeem called out and the woman smiled greeting him as she moved over to her fiancée whispering something in her ear.

I stood there in amazement the surface of their relationship being the picture I had always wished for myself.

I watched as Taj moved over saying something to her and she nodded as her gaze travelled to me.

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