Page 8

Lo huffed and stormed out of the kitchen.

Ada never listened to him. She always disregarded what he said and made decisions for him.

Yes, he was a teenager who hadn’t developed a sound mind quite yet, but Lo was sharp.

He wasn’t a dumb kid. Ada didn’t see that, which was why he was headed to his father’s office.

When he arrived, he knocked on the door and let himself inside.

Dax sat at his desk with the phone cradled between his shoulder and ear.

Raising his hand, he gestured for Lo to come farther inside.

Lo sat in the chair, watching his dad speak.

There was something so powerful about Dax that Lo enjoyed.

His words held much weight and when he spoke, there was so much authority that he’d even seen police officers follow his lead.

Lo knew his father was a big deal. Their lifestyle showcased that much.

A house this grand and a car for every day of the week was evidence of how much work Dax put in to sustain their way of life.

“Yeah, I’ll holla at him when I get there… no, don’t tell him shit. He’ll know once I handle his ass that he fucked up… listen, let me talk to my boy. Yep, bye.”

Dax finished his call then looked at Lo. There were so many similarities between them that people often told Ada that she had nothing to do with the procreation of Lo and Meco since they shared a striking resemblance to their father.

“You ready for the summer, Big Lo?” Dax smirked, calling him by his personal nickname.

“Yeah, but Ma trying to make me go to a summer camp when I want to chill. Can you talk to her?”

Dax’s brows furrowed immediately. “A summer camp? For what?”

“It’s some shit my teacher recommended. Meco told her about it and now she’s trying to make me go. I don't want to.”

Lo enjoyed speaking with his father because Dax allowed him to talk freely. He could curse and express whatever emotion that possessed him and he didn’t reprimand Lo for it.

“Then, you don't have to.”

Lo’s lips stretched into a grin. He knew Dax would make things happen. He always did. He was the only person who could override Ada’s demands with no pushback.

“Good looking out, Pops.”

Lo extended his hand and Dax shook it.

“You know I got you.” He stood and grabbed his suit jacket “I got some moves to make. You wanna ride with me?”

“Yeah,” he answered excitedly.

“A’ight, go see if Meco and Devyn want to come then meet me in the garage.”

Lo jolted out of his sleep, looking around into the darkness as the cool air blanketed his skin.

The chill from the central air caused his lips to shudder.

He was freezing but he wasn’t colder than the muscle beating inside his chest. His diaphragm heaved with fear as he looked to his left.

The sweetest face he’d ever laid eyes on slept so peacefully next to him.

For a moment, Lo had temporarily forgotten that he was married and now had a wife.

Lo swung his long legs off the bed and held his head in his hands.

Triggered would be the theme for the upcoming months of his life.

It always was whenever he saw his parents.

The nightmares would start, the cold sweats would consume him, and the thoughts of the past would flash throughout his mind.

This was the very reason why he hated seeing Ada and Dax.

They represented a part of him that he wanted to die.

He even tried starving out that tormented part of his mind only for it to intensify.

It was tortuous, especially when he didn’t have a remedy to heal the broken parts of him.

Lo got up and stalked toward the bathroom.

Shutting the door, he went to the sink and splashed warm water on his face.

He hoped the water would wash away the painful memories that plagued him like a sickness.

Yet, nothing happened. The excruciating recollections troubled him so badly that Lo didn’t see any hope.

There was no light in his life. Just darkness that continued to ingest him.

The saddest aspect of this situation was that Lo had no one to run to.

When he needed solace or even comfort, there was nobody who could soothe him.

Sometimes, all he needed was a hug or someone to tell him that he was still a normal guy.

He just wanted to be loved on. He needed compassion.

Someone to assure him that he wasn’t crazy and what happened in the past wasn’t his fault.

Lo wished he could convey how damaged he truly was.

His soul had been tampered with, evoking him to turn into this immoral being as a means to protect himself.

Once he realized he was unprotected, he started shielding himself.

Even Meco had to feel the guard he had placed before him because there was no one he could trust. Lo couldn’t let anyone in.

Not now when he was damaged beyond repair.

He didn’t even know why he had agreed to get married at this point.

What was he thinking? Bria would have to be placed in the category with everyone else.

She wasn’t special to him. She was just an obligation to fulfill.

Bria couldn’t be trusted either. Not when his scars had exceeded the third layer of skin.

The markings were on his heart. The wounds adorned his soul and no matter how much Lo pushed his past to the back of his mind, it remained in the forefront, reminding him how ravaged he truly was.