Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0)(34)

The way she feel against me . . . it’s driving me outta my mind. “I could be careful—”

“If you pull out before you—”

We spoke at the same time. Our eyes lock, and, goddamn, I want her bad.

“Do you wanna do this?” I ask.

Lisa bite her lip. “Yeah. Do you?”

I never wanted anything more in my life. “Yeah.”

Lisa pull me back down and kiss my neck. “Then be careful.”

That’s all I need to hear.





Part 2


Growth





Twelve


Damn. That was wild.

Me and Lisa lying in her bed, all sweaty and panting. We went at it for hours. A’ight, an hour. A’ight, a’ight, more like fifteen, twenty, ten minutes. Either way, I did the damn thing.

This was the first time we ever had sex without protection. I see what the homies mean, it do feel different. I was careful though, just like I said I’d be.

I brush Lisa’s hair back and kiss her forehead. Your boy made her sweat them baby hairs out. Hell yeah. “Damn, I missed you.”

She cuddle up against me. “I can’t lie, I missed you too.”

“I could tell, the way you were screaming.”

Lisa smack my chest. “You play too much!”

I smirk. She can’t deny the truth.

I close my eyes. Lying here with Lisa, there ain’t no gunshots. There ain’t no dead cousins. There’s only us.

Till a car hum into the driveway.

Lisa sit straight up. “Oh, shit! My momma!”

Shit!

We jump outta bed. Lisa throw on a T-shirt and shorts, and I throw on my pants. Damn, wait, my boxers. Gotta put on my boxers.

The front door open. “I’m home,” Ms. Montgomery call out. “Come help me get these groceries out the car.”

Shit, shit, shit.

Lisa shove me toward her window and push me halfway outta it. “Go!” she hiss, then holler, “Be there in a minute, Momma!”

“Wait,” I say, straddling the ledge. “I love you. See you later this week?” I lean over to get a kiss.

Lisa step back, biting her bottom lip. “I . . . I’m sorry about Dre.”

Hold up. Did she— Is she swerving me? “Lisa—”

She give me a slight nudge, and I hit the grass in her backyard. Lisa close the window behind me and let her momma know she coming.

I glance around. I can’t go out the front gate or Ms. Montgomery gon’ see me. Can’t go down the driveway, she’ll see me. I climb over their fence and into the yard behind theirs. A Rottweiler charge at me, and I almost piss myself. Thank God a chain hold it back. I go out the gate, hauling ass down the street.

It’s the next day, and I don’t understand what went down with Lisa.

I thought we was cool again. I mean damn, she let me hit. Told me she missed me. I tell her I love her and try to make plans, and she push me out the window? I tried to call her once I got home, but she still got my number blocked.

Girls confusing as hell, man. I almost called Dre to get his advice. He always know how to help me with Lisa.

Then I remembered.

Life without him won’t ever be normal.

I’m working in Mr. Wyatt’s store today. Usually I’m off on Sundays, but Mr. Wyatt’s nephew, Jamal, couldn’t come in today, and I told Mr. Wyatt I could. I gotta do something to keep Dre outta my head. Plus, let’s be real, your boy need the money. I hate to think how my check gon’ look after a week off from work.

Ma agreed to watch Seven for me. Said she’d love some time with her Man-Man. I bet she need a distraction, and babies good at helping you forget death. Probably ’cause they so new.

Mr. Wyatt got a long list to keep me busy. First I gotta mop the floors, and then he want me to restock the shelves. After that I’ll put his sales posters in the windows. He running a special on pork chops and turnip greens. Once that’s done, he say he got a whole ’nother list for me.

Meanwhile, he out on the sidewalk with Mr. Lewis and Mr. Reuben. Mr. Reuben own the barbecue joint across the street. The three of them laughing and talking like they ain’t got businesses to run. I guess that’s how it go when you the boss. Other people do the hard work, and you hang with your homies. Shit, I’m tryna get like them.

I dip the mop into the bucket and slap it onto the floor. I mopped all the aisles, and now I’m in the back, near the office. Mr. Wyatt want the floors to shine so bright you can see your reflection.

The phone ring in the office. I put down the Wet Floor sign, so why I dash toward his office like I don’t know it’s slippery? Almost bust my ass.

And it’s the wrong damn number. The lady catch an attitude when I tell her this ain’t the Church’s Chicken on Magnolia. Hope she get bubble guts. I start to put the phone down, but I stop.

I bet Lisa ain’t blocked the number to the store.

I see the sidewalk real good from here. Mr. Wyatt busy running his mouth with his friends. He won’t notice me using his office phone.

I quickly dial Lisa’s number. Oh, hell yeah, the phone ring. She didn’t block my work number. It ring again and again and then—

“Hello?”

Gah-lee. It’s Ms. Montgomery.