Page 16 of Certified Pressure 2

Moss Point

“ S issy, can you read me a story?” Zurie asked.

I smiled at her and reached on the nightstand for one of her books that I’ve read a thousand times.

The cover was bent at the edges, and some of the pages had tape holding them together, but it was her favorite, so I didn’t care.

I slid in beside her under the thin blanket, and she snuggled up to me right away, warm and small, with her little arm wrapped around mine.

Her hair smelled like coconut grease from earlier, and I could feel her breathing slow down before I even opened the first page.

I started reading in a soft voice, putting extra into the characters just to make her laugh.

She giggled at the funny parts, covering her mouth like she was trying not to be too loud, and the sound made me smile even though my mind was heavy.

I didn’t want her to feel any of the weight I was carrying, so I just read until her giggles turned into yawns and her head rested against my forearm.

By the time I finished the story, her eyes were closed and she was gone.

I sat there for a while, holding her and looking down at her face.

Being back in this old apartment was the last thing I wanted, but being with her made it worth it.

The walls were still stained, the floor still creaked, and the smell of mildew still lingered no matter how much bleach I used, but at least I didn’t have to worry about whether or not she was safe.

At least I could watch her sleep and know she wasn’t going to have another spell like she did at the park.

It was bittersweet, because while I hated being back here, I loved knowing that my little sister was right next to me.

Still, my chest ached because I missed Pressure.

It had only been three days, but it felt like three years.

Every night I laid here staring at the ceiling wondering what Pressure was doing, if he was missing me or if he had fallen harder for Kashmere or his ex.

I hated that I thought about it so much, but I couldn’t stop myself.

The more I tried to push it out of my head the more it pulled at me.

Me and Kashmere had walked into this together.

We had a plan when we got ourselves ready and went shopping for clothes to take to the mansion, and we promised to look out for each other.

Now she wasn’t here and everything we talked about had fallen apart.

I was left wondering if she had even cared about the plan at all or if she had just been playing her own game from the start.

Eventually, I slid out of the bed as carefully as I could so I wouldn’t wake Zurie. I kissed her forehead before I left the room and went into the bathroom.

The water took a minute before it warmed up, and when I stepped in, I felt like the steam was trying to drown out the smell of rust and mold.

I leaned against the wall, letting the water run down my back, and stared at the black stains curling around the tub.

My stomach turned just looking at it. Sometimes I felt like I couldn’t breathe in here.

Still, I whispered to myself that it wasn’t forever.

I thought about the resumes I sent out, and how badly I wanted one of those calls to come through.

The pediatric clinic receptionist position, the office assistant job at the insurance firm, even the cashier role at that little bookstore downtown—I would take anything if it meant I could move me and Zurie into something better.

I couldn’t let myself believe we’d be stuck here forever.

I washed quick and pulled my hair up into a ponytail, then slipped into one of my oversized shirts that hung loose against me. As I stepped out of the bathroom, I felt a little lighter just from being clean. I was headed toward the backroom when I heard knocking at the door.

At first, I froze.

Then, I grabbed my phone from the counter and glanced at the screen.

It had just turned 11:00 PM. My first thought was my father.

I figured he must have been drunk again, banging on the door just to come inside and start some more shit.

My stomach dropped because I didn’t want to deal with this shit tonight.

The knocking didn’t stop though. It came again, louder this time, like whoever it was had no intention of leaving until I opened the door. My chest tightened as I whispered to myself not to wake Zurie up.

I crept over and pressed my eye to the peephole, and my whole body froze.

It wasn’t my father.

It was Pressure.

My heart jumped so hard it made me grab the doorknob for balance.

My mind couldn’t process it fast enough, and before I knew it, I had the door open just enough to see him standing there, tall and dark against the weak light from the hallway.

My chest locked up and I panicked. I slammed the door shut and pressed my back against it, my breathing uneven and my palms flat against the wood like I could block out reality.

The last person I ever thought I’d see at my front door was him. My face burned with embarrassment because now he knew. He knew exactly where I lived, and he was standing outside this raggedy-ass apartment seeing all of it for himself.

“Pluto,” his voice rolled through the door, low and certain. “Open the door.”

I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “No.”

“Quit playin’.”

“Just go.” I clutched the front of my shirt so tight my knuckles hurt.

“Come outside then.”

“I can’t.”

“You gon’ make me stand out here all night?”

His tone carried something that made my knees weak, but my pride had me fighting back anyway.

We went back and forth until I couldn’t take it anymore, and finally, I unlocked the door and slipped out.

I pulled it shut behind me, folding my arms over my chest like I could hide everything I was feeling.

I tried to keep my eyes on the ground, but when I finally looked up, all I could do was stare.

He looked the same as always—broad shoulders stretching against his black tee, jewelry shining under the light, skin smooth and flawless. He was so safe and so damn sexy that for a second I forgot where I was. I forgot everything except him.

He didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward and pulled me into him like he couldn’t stand another second of distance between us.

My body melted before I could think, my arms wrapping tight around him like I’d been starving for his touch.

It felt like I could finally breathe again, and the hurt from the last three days broke loose inside of me.

He rubbed my back in slow, steady motions, kissing the top of my head first, then my forehead, then the side of my cheek.

When his hand slid under my chin, tilting my face up to his, I already knew I couldn’t fight it.

His lips brushed the corner of mine before finally claiming me fully, his tongue sliding into my mouth, kissing me like he wanted to make up for every single second we’d been apart.

I clung to him, letting myself drown in it until I had to pull back just to breathe. When I looked into his eyes, everything I’d been holding back came rushing out.

“Ride with me,” he said.

My mind went straight to Zurie, asleep in the next room. I didn’t want to leave her, but the way he was looking at me made it impossible to say no.

“Zurie is sleep,” I whispered. “I can’t be gone too long.”

“That’s cool,” he replied, brushing his thumb across my lip while he stared at me.

I grabbed my keys, my slippers, locked the door behind me, and slid my hand into his. We walked side by side through the cracked parking lot, our fingers laced tight, and in that moment, it felt like those three painful days apart had never happened at all.

While riding with Pressure, I couldn’t help but stare down at our hands.

His gun sat on his lap while his right hand gripped mine.

He drove with his left, his hand wrapped around the wheel with ease, and every now and then he rubbed his thumb across my skin so soft that it sent a wave of chills through my whole body.

Then he lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against my fingers.

His mouth was warm and damp, and it was the kind of touch that made me forget the rest of the world existed.

The rental smelled just like him—weed, money, and cologne all mixed into one scent that had me dizzy in the passenger seat.

I never thought I’d be here again, riding across town with him, feeling his presence so close after nights of missing him until my chest ached.

I couldn’t believe he had really come back for me.

A part of me wanted to ask how he even knew where to find me, but I already knew the answer.

I was the one who gave my real address when I signed up to be one of his Diamonds, never thinking it would get this far.

Never thinking I’d fall for him this hard.

Never imagining he would come find me at my front door.

I leaned against the seat, my eyes tracing over his thick beard as he drove, the glow from the dashboard highlighting the tattoos running down his arm.

I thought about how different this felt compared to the first time I saw him.

Back then, he was a Prince in his mansion, a man who could never belong to me, and now here he was driving through the city with my hand in his, kissing my fingers like he couldn’t let me go.

Pressure didn’t say much as he rode, and he didn’t have to. His silence spoke just as loud as words, and the small ways he touched me told me everything I needed to know. He kept driving until he pulled into the lot of a restaurant that sat lit up with neon lights.

My stomach dropped as I looked down at my oversized shirt and plain leggings. “If I would’ve known we were coming here, I would’ve changed,” I mumbled with a frown, pulling at my shirt like I could make it look like more.