Aaliyah Otiento- Miller's POV

*8 years earlier.*

The sound of a glass breaking wakes me up from a decent sleep.

Elian and his clumsy ass are about to piss me off!

I look at the clock to see that it's nearly 4 am!

That's unusual.

Elian is by no means lazy.

But waking up at 4am?!

He'd mop the ocean and count a bag of rice first!

I get out of his bed and I sleepily walk down towards the living room where he decided to sleep.

He's not there.

I hear a voice coming from the kitchen.

It's not Elian.

What, the fuck?

I walk closer and I hear Elian speak.

"I- I'm deaf. I can't hear what you're saying" he stutters.

He sounds hoarse.

Scared even.

I peep through the door slightly I see that there is a woman in the kitchen with her back to me and a gun in her hand.

And she's pointing it right at him!

"So you're just as stupid as you are broke!" She cackles.

She talks slowly and condescendingly to him as if he's incompetent.

I can tell that he understands, because he looks hurt.

And afraid.

My blood boils.

I look to my side and I grab a letter opener.

This is risky, but I care more about my best friend, than I do about myself.

I walk into the kitchen making sure my footsteps are light.

Elian notices me but hardly moves, so that he doesn't make it obvious.

'Keep talking' I sign.

His eyes show me that he understands.

"I- I don't have anything that could be useful to you. If you leave now I won't call the police. And you won't get hurt." He says.

He trusts me.

'Dive!' I sign!

He does it immediately and before she can move, I grab her by her throat, pulling her into me, holding the letter opener to the base of her throat, kneeing her in the back so that shock makes her drop the gun.

Elian snatches he gun and tucks it into the waistband of his pants.

The woman screams as if she is the victim and I grip her throat tighter so that she can't make another noise.

"Shhh. You'll wake the neighbours" I say chillingly into her ear.

She struggles, clawing at my arm, her body going limp.

"That's right sweetheart. Go to sleep" I say.

She goes completely limp and Elian gives me the signal that she's passed out.
***

Elian Deogene's POV.

As soon as the woman is knocked out on the ground, Aaliyah instructs me to grab some dishcloths.

I shakily do it and reach for my phone, ready to call the police.

"No" Aaliyah calls.

I put the phone down in surprise.

Aaliyah quickly ties the woman up tightly binding her arms and legs.

When she's done, she approaches me holding my face.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" She asks.

Worry is plastered all over her face.

"I'm fine" I say softly.

I was so scared!

Her face goes hard.

"No you're not. Get me my phone" she clips.

I do as she says and she holds me close to her, dialling.

My eyes keep darting to the unconscious woman scared she'll wake up.

Aaliyah has a scowl on her face.

"Auntie Jayla" she says smoothly.

"I know, I know! It's 4am. But I've got a job for you. Are you still in New York?" She asks her.

"Good. I'll send you the address." She says.

"I love you tooo" she says laughing.

I stare at her as if she's gone mad.

Why is she laughing?!
***

Aaliyah Otiento-Miller's POV.

"You better have a good explanation for this, kid" Jayla says, walking into the apartment.

I smile up at her.

"You'll like this one." I say.

She ties her dreadlocks up, clearly having woken up in a bad mood.

"How's your boyfriend?" I ask, leading her to the kitchen.

"That's uncle Luis to you. Furthermore that's my husband. Ouu you're so lucky I have a li'l woman crush on your step mom" she says.

Elian who is now wearing his hearing aids, catches the last part of the conversation looks up, blinking at me.

"This your boyfriend or somethin?" Jayla asks.

Elian goes tomato-red.

"No, aunt Jay. That's my best friend." I sigh.

Elian stands up, towering over us both and he meekly shakes her hand.

"Elian. Thank you for coming" he says politely.

"Why isn't he your fuckin' boyfriend?! Fuck, Aaliyah you're as stupid as I am." She says laughing.

I roll my eyes.

"There she is" I say changing the subject.

As if on cue, the woman in question starts to stir.

Jayla grins and waits for her to become aware.

"Morning sweet pea. You like to break into people's homes?" She asks. The woman scrambles back at the sight of three people in the room, starting to panic.

"I'm sorry! I won't do it again! I was desperate!" She says whining.

Jayla looks at her with disgust.

"You're a teenage white girl in America. And my the looks of your clothes, you're middle class too." Jayla says.

She kisses her teeth.

"You're sorry?" She asks.

The girl nods.

Jayla chuckles.

"You will be" she responds.

And with that, she punches the girl straight in the jaw, knocking her out once again.

She looks at Elian, who looks shocked.

"Pick her up. We're taking a trip. I'll call your firm later and discuss some things with them. Quick time, I'm hungry" she says.

Elian tentatively picks up the limp woman and carries her over his shoulder.

She make our way out of the apartment and we walk up to Jayla's car.

We sit inside, the woman in between me and Elian, before driving off.

"Just a suggestion but if you don't date him, I fuckin know someone who will. The man is built like a beefcake and has the face of a Greek God." Jayla says.

Elian blushes and I pinch Jayla.

"Fuck, I'm driving!" She complains.

She takes out an already rolled blunt and lights it.

"You can have some of you don't snitch to your mom or your uncle" she negotiates.

I nod happily.

She takes a drag and then passes me the blunt to me.

I take it and smoke it, taking two pulls while she's not looking at me.

I pass it to Elian, who grins and takes it from me.

"I didn't know you smoked" he says softly with a small smile.

He puts the blunt between his lips and smokes it with ease, letting it out of his nose.

I watch him, stunned.

I've never seen him smoke before.

I watch his full lips and I feel my heart skip slightly, but I shake it off and face my front.

"We're here!" Jayla announced.

This time, I carry the girl.

We go into what looks like a garage.

A man slightly older than us, walks in.

"Mom, do you still need me to fix the-" he cuts off short when he sees what's happening.

"What did she do?" He sighs.

"She broke into your cousin's boyfriend's house." She says.

He looks at me.

"Bitch, you got a whole boyfriend and you ain't tell me shit?" He asks, taking the blunt from me and pulling.

"Kofi you at yo' momma house. Don't tell me what I can and can't do" I say, snatching it back.

"And he ain't my boyfriend, fool! You'll make him uncomfortable" I scowl.

"First of all, my pops asked me to help him build something for him." He argues.

"Secondly! Bitch I oughta smack the shit out yo stupid ass- -"

"Kofi!" Jayla calls.

"Yes ma. I know. Don't tell dad and go to my own house and my own kids when I'm done" he says.

He picks the teenager out of my hands and sits her down as she starts waking up and then he goes back into the house.

"Where am I?" The girl asks.

"Don't worry about that. Worry about your parents potentially finding your body scattered across New York" Jayla says with a smile, wearing a pair of gloves.

The girl opens her mouth.

"Don't bother screaming. I'll cut out your tongue then make you swallow it" I warn.

She closes her mouth.

Jayla sighs.

"Now my niece and her boyfriend have told me that killing you for breaking and entering, won't be necessary." Jayla sighs.

The girl looks scared enough to piss herself.

"I disagree but it's whatever." Jayla says.

"Elian here doesn't hit women" Jayla says, patting his shoulder.

I walk forwards.

"But I do" I say my tone dripping with loathing.

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~ Xo.