𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣
⊱ ─────────── ⊰

It's been three weeks. I never thought since entering Chris's life that I'd go this long without him in mine.

For the first time in my life, my optimism has failed me. I have hoped and even prayed that Chris would return home to me.
Now, tomorrow is our supposed wedding day and he is still no where to be found -- or even heard from.

I'm not angry or disappointed. I am devastated.

If I felt as if this was my fiancé being purposely negligent, I would feel hurt, but I mostly feel concerned for him.

I know I should be pissed, never wanting to see or be with him again, but he got Earth-shattering news that affects us both. He did what he felt in his heart was the easiest, for not only me, but for him, too. Honestly, yes, if he came home and told me he had a kid, I wouldn't react well. I still haven't fully processed it, my full body is cringing just thinking about how Sabrina got him to impregnate her and now their seed is apart of the world, waiting for a father.

Chris was supposed to be the father of my child first just as I was supposed to be the only mother of all of his children.

Sabrina has taken another thing from me.

And curse Chris for being the good man he is because all he's ever wanted is to be a father— and a good one, at that.

Moisture rolls down my cheeks as I stare into the mirror ahead of me. In it, I stand there picturing what I'll look like in the dress, but don't actually put it on. I can't. I won't.

Was I even really ready for a wedding, I ask in my head.
I mean, maybe we rushed into things?

There I go again, making excuses. The truth is there is no excusing this. Not this time.

More than anything, I just miss Chris and hope he's okay.

My phone suddenly rings. Being this late, I'm surprised that anyone is even calling. None of my friends or family have wanted anything to do with me lately. I think they call it giving me space.

Anyway, it's past one in the morning, so whoever it is, better be dying.

Tossing my dress onto the bed, I down my third glass of wine before walking across the room. I was hoping the phone would stop ringing but it didn't.

"Okay, already, I'm coming. Damn." I growl, getting annoyed at the sound of the 'Marimba' ringtone.

With a 'humph' I rip my phone off of the charger and put it to my ear, having answered the call.

"Hello." I speak first, wiping my top lip.

I clear my throat and listen.

"Hello, Miss Bennett? I'm calling from the Port Ember police department. . ."

Originally, I wanted to call Lee and ask if he could bail Chris out but he said he doesn't have that type of money because it's "all tied up in different accounts" and that even if I sent it to him, he wouldn't be able to get that much cash out so soon.

So, I hopped on the first flight I saw. Less than four hours later, here I am: back in Hell.

Port Ember is better than I left it. That's not saying much, though, all of the city looks pretty - that's the appeal. It's the people who make it such a travesty.

As I wait on the sidewalk with my luggage, I'm struck with memories of first arriving here.

I remember feeling like this was our fresh start. And for a while it was.

I remember such promises of calling this city my home, wanting to raise a family here even. What a joke.

Most of all, I remember that this is where Sabrina is from, and Beck. I recall all of the hell they put us through. My God, the torment. I mean, I've only been back here for ten minutes and I'm looking over my shoulder again.

Beep! Beep!

"No one ever taught you how to catch a taxi?" A warmly familiar voice snaps me out of my head.

He gets out and the car door slams behind him.

"LEE!" I exclaim my greeting as he approaches me with open arms.

"Oh, Blondie," he groans, squeezing the life out of my body. "I missed you, girl."

I look over his athletic physique and notice all of the physical changes he's made since the last time we were together. He's gotten a hair cut, I like this on him. He's always sort of looked like that actor, Darren Barnet, but even more so now with this trim and muscles.

Lee and I have never been the closest, only ever becoming cool because of my relationship with Izzy and his with Chris, but seeing him always feels like a dopamine boost.

"Welcome home, girl." He says, pushing me towards what looks like a brand new Maserati.

I raise my eyebrow at Lee inquisitively as he goes around the sports car to get in the driver's seat.

He stands over the car and laughs at me. "2024 Maserati GranTurismo. Nice, right?"

"What did Izzy have to say about this?" I ask him once I sit in the passenger seat.

Lee pops his shoulder nonchalantly. "She got a mommy makeover."

I nod my head, finally understanding. "That's why you couldn't bail your friend out of jail, huh?"

Lee chuckles, clicking his seatbelt.

Again, my eyebrow arches.

Lee cheekily admits, "Yeah."

"Mhm." I mumble, holding on for dear life as he pulls off.

✕

"Jabari, what do you mean you won't help me?!" I scoff angrily. My expressive eyebrows furrow with my raging emotions.

"He ain't my friend." Jabari spits, looking down at me like he wishes I would get off of his stoop already but I'm not going anywhere.

"Can you back up for me real quick?" His tone shifts to a more polite one as he gestures me to step backward with his hands.

I carefully inch away from the door and he slams it right in my face.

"I-" I can't even say anything. My lips spread apart as my mouth makes an 'o' to display my complete shock.

I look over my shoulder at Lee who's standing at the base of the stoop with his arms folded.

"I told you he wouldn't help." Lee rubs it in.

I bang my fist on the door only to get a "go away" warning.

"It's too early in the morning for this shit, Morgan." Is Jabari's excuse now.

I look at my phone. "It's six— nine in the morning." I lie through my teeth.

It is six AM, but better early than never, right?

"Jabari, come on. You know Chris would do anything for you." I talk to him through the low window that I remember is off of the living room.

"Respectfully, Mo," he talks on the other side, "leave his ass in jail. Him getting out ain't gone do any of us any good."

"How dare you, Jabari?" I retort, shaking my head at my once so-called brother.

He closes the curtains so I can no longer peek inside of his home and that's it.

I sulk away from the window and join Lee at the car.

"We don't need him, Morgan." Lee tries to make me feel better.

"What did you want any of us for, anyway?" He wonders.

I hunch my shoulders. "Support, I guess." I make up.

With my head hanging down, I get in the car and let out a deep sigh.

Honestly, Lee is right. What did I want them to go with me for anyway? I'm only bailing Christopher out of jail; I have the money. I guess I did want them there for support, but selfishly, it's because I didn't want to be the first person Chris sees when he's freed. There's a lot to unpack with the note he left, and knowing him, he won't be ready to face me, yet. I know I'm giving him too much grace again, but spending a night in jail isn't fun and I don't know the circumstances which landed him there so I won't him to be able to process things. I don't know the state he's in.

I— I'm scared, okay? This is a lot, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing or how he ended up back here of all places. I just can't shake the feeling that Sabrina is behind this and maybe this is all some type of setup.

✕

"Ready?" Lee asks me once we're outside of the jail.

I nod my head, standing in the parking lot.

The two of us head towards the sidewalk.

"Yerrrrr!" The very New York call makes me turn my head.

It's Jabari. He comes jogging towards us in a Nike tech.

Lee daps him up once he approaches. They grin at each other then look down at me.

My eyes roll. "What made you change your mind?" I question his intentions with folded arms.

Jabari, with his tongue in his cheek, stalls for an answer.
After hesitating, he says, "That's my dog. I know if you needed me then this might be serious and I've always been there for y'all, I'm not gonna stop now."

I don't dignify him with so much as a smile or second look. Instead, I flip the hair over my shoulder and enter the jail before the two Great Value Avengers.

It's a bit of process before Chris is set free, but I give the ten percent of the bond for my fiancées public intoxication fine, then we're assured he'll be out in a moment.

Jabari yawns for, like, the sixteenth time. "Man, we couldn't have waited 'til noon to bail his ass out?"

"Please tell me what you have better to do." I snarl, not picking my chin up from the palm of my hand as I lazily sit on the bench in the front of the jail.

Lee chuckles at us both as he paces along the sidewalk. "This is taking forever, though. I'm gonna call Izzy and check on Kai."

"I say let's leave his ass, maybe he don't wanna be free." Jabari comments, walking towards the car.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I yell after him, sitting up.

Jabari stops and flails his arms. "The last time I saw Chris, I punched him. You think he gon' be happy to see my black ass?"

I suck my teeth, just letting him go because I can't bring myself to care anymore.

Suddenly, the doors open and Chris comes stumbling outside, escorted by an officer who just pushes him with one hand, the other is on the baton on their hip.

"Oh my God..." I mutter, springing onto my feet to help. Lee comes running, too.

"Miss Bennett?" The officer confirms my identity.

"Yes, that's me. Thank you so much." I say as I'm handed Chris's belongings.

My face turns up when a rank smell hits mine and Lee's noses.

"Oh-" I gag, stepping back.

"That's your fiancé here, pretty boy threw up all over himself. Have fun with that, he's all yours." The woman officer shoved him at Lee's body.

Jabari darts over, helping Lee keep Chris's body up.

"Yo, is he okay?" JB barks at the woman, demanding an answer.

She cackles. "He's fine, just coming down. We tried to give him some water and crackers but he refused."

"What's this on his arm, he was in the hospital?" I angrily ask the woman, mad they didn't mention this before.

"Oh, yeah," she says so matter-of-factly. "Apparently he went on a bender, took some bad shit and overdosed. They got him to the hospital but he got out and went on another rampage."

"Rampage?!" My eyes buck.

"That's when we found him, drunk and causing a scene outside of a bar, he was actually asking for you, Ms.Bennett." Officer Fontaine lets me know.

I tear my eyes off of her and notice Lee and Jabari's judgmental glares.
I know they won't let Chris live this one down. . .

"Help me get him to the car." I boss the boys, leading the way.

Lee looks at me like I have three heads. "He's not going in my Maserati."

✕

"I can't believe he got in my Maserati." Lee grumbles to himself for the millionth time this whole car ride. If I didn't think Jabari would ditch his body somewhere, I would've put Chris in his truck.

I continue spraying Lee's musky cologne from the backseat and poking my head out of the window every once in a while to get fresh air.

Chris smells like a sewer, it's so bad.

I sat in the back with him in case he got sick or woke up and needed support, but I can hardly touch him, his clothes are covered in puke.

The car comes to a stop finally. It wasn't a lengthy ride at all, only it felt like it because I couldn't breathe back here.

Lee quickly helps himself out of the driver's seat and runs around to help Chris and myself out of his precious car.

Jabari runs up to his front door to unlock it and then comes to help Lee with Chris's body.

"Morgan?" Chris wakes up and I'm the first person he sees.

He repeatedly blinks his eyes open and then looks all around.

"What the hell happened? Lee?" He croaks, voice nearly gone.

Lee laughs as he helps his friend to the steps.
"Yeah, man, it's me." He jokes.

"Ho-ly shit." Chris sounds pained as he tries to laugh.

Once inside, they sit Chris on the couch and he rubs his eyes. When they open, Chris lasers his focus on Jabari.

"What is this guy doing here?" Chris asks with a darkened tone.

"You mean my house or around you?" Jabari tests him.

Chris struggles but stands and walks towards JB, wagging his finger.

"I mean, what the fuck are you doing in my face-" Chris talks before stumbling to the side and catching himself.

Hands on his knees, he's bent over like he's about to get sick and Lee, JB, and I all hurriedly back away.

Chris breathes deeply and then wills himself to stand upright. He blinks slowly and then looks at the three of us standing in a circle around him.

"Now, what the fuck were you saying?" Chris asks Jabari.

Jabari just throws his hands up like he's innocent, not wanting any problems.

"Chris, I think you should calm down." I speak up.

"I think he should shower." Lee coughs, trying to lighten the mood. Agreed.

"Where's the bathroom?" I ask Jabari.

He doesn't look happy. Rolling his eyes, Jabari just points out back.

✕

"OKAY! ENOUGH! MORGAN, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Chris hollers.

"What? I can't— I can't hear you." I pretend, shouting over the blasting water.

"GODDAMN IT! I'M GONNA DROWN, WOMAN!" He screams, trying to fight off the water.

I cue Lee at the outdoor faucet to turn the pressure down and he chuckles, obliging.

"Fuck." Chris hisses, wiping his eyes.

"Enjoying the view?" Chris barks at Lee as he covers his junk with his hands as best he can.

Lee pushes the sunglasses over his hairline and nods his head. "Sure am." He teases.

"I bet you are, gay bitch." Chris snarls.

I gesture with my fingers for Chris to turn around so I can get his backside clean.

"I think I can go inside and use the shower now," he talks through gritted teeth. "Like a human."

"I don't think so." Jabari appears suddenly to disagree.

Chris's body tenses up, physically reacting to seeing Jabari.

He breathed heavily, chest puffing. "The fuck do you want?"

Jabari stands before Chris and looks him up and down.
"You should be thanking me, I got your white ass some clothes." Jabari scoffs, throwing the outfit down on the picnic table.

"Thank you for shit." Chris seethes.

Once Jabari walks away, I blast Chris with the hose again.

"JESUS CHRIST!" He yells, squeezing his butt cheeks.

I laugh, making sure I get them good, too.

9:34 am

"—Thanks again, JB. We'll leave as soon as he gets out of the bathroom."

"You don't have to," he says.

I tilt my head at him. "Yes we do, you two clearly still hate each other."

Jabari smacks his thick lips. "I don't hate Chris, he's just a dumb ass."

"Chris isn't dumb, but you, on the other hand..."

Jabari straightens his face and I pop an eyebrow, making him crack a laugh.

"You right," he admits, nudging me.

"Where's Jas?" I wonder.

Jabari shrugs. "Haven't seen her."

"I thought she came back with you?"

He shakes his head, dark lips puckered. "After I came that day and took her, she told me she ain't want shit to do with me."

"I'm confused." I say my thoughts out loud.

Jabari laughs. "Me too. She said she wanted me to fight for her which I did, but she said it wasn't enough."

"So, I guess you're still getting a divorce?"

Jabari raises the blunt he's rolling and gives a sarcastic "cheers!"

"What about you and Chris, think he can come back from this?" Jabari asks me.

Letting out a deep breath, I get ready to answer.
"I-" but I'm cut off.

It's Chris and Lee, coming stomping down the stairs.

"The clothes fit?" Asks Jabari.

Chris looks down at the grey sweatpants, plain black hoodie, and Nike sneakers.

"I'm wearing them, aren't I?" He remarks smartly, making Jabari suck his teeth in annoyance.

I know Chris still loves Jabari because he bothered to reply even if it was snarky. If Chris didn't fuck with JB at all, he wouldn't even be in this house.

Lee pats Chris's back and moves around his body.
First he daps up JB, then he gives me a hug.

"Morgan, that was Izzy on the phone; she said hi. And, yes, I told her to kiss the baby for you." Lee makes me smile.

I hug him back. "Thanks for everything today."

"No problem, I'll catch up with you later. Chris, Jabari, don't fight: fuck it out." He leaves with that.

I watch Chris and Jabari challenge each other with a stare down.

"What you wanna do, Chris?" Jabari sighs, putting his weed down.

Chris looks at him, intrigued. "You and me both know those are fighting words."

"Do what you gotta do." Jabari says, standing up from the stool.

"I'm not going to hit you in your house so you can call the cops."

"Scared to go back to jail? You know I ain't no rat."

Chris sarcastically laughs. "I just don't want to get blood all over this cheap ass furniture."

Jabari smirks, keeping his hands tucked in the pockets of his joggers. "We can go outside."

Chris chuckles. "You sound eager to get your ass beat."

Jabari shrugs. He says, "Whatever it takes for this to be over with."

Chris nods his head slowly then leads the way outside.

Jabari follows.

"I—" I am at a loss for words.

Hopping off the stool, I chase them. "Is this really happening? Wait!"