Page 28 of Ghetto Heartstrings

“I know, and it’s fucked up,” he said, shaking his head. “Like, people would really rather harm themselves or overdose, just to take the pain away… just too pussy to deal with life itself…some shit fucks with you then deal with it, but goddamn you live to see another day.”

“Bugg… I just want you to know that I forgive you for everything that happened, baby girl. We’ve had some good and crazy times together.

I really pray and hope that you’ve found that peace and that happy place you so badly needed.

I hope your soul dwells with the Lord forever.

” She had her moment to say goodbye and speak her peace.

After she spoke, she just stood there while staring.

Bugg’s hair was hanging softly down her face, and she looked peaceful, all dressed up in a silk, soft pink pajama set.

Her makeup was done perfectly, and her hands were crossed in front of her, with pink polish gracing her nails. They’d done a really good job on her.

Her throat was on fire, as she stared at Brody walking in with his black Ray Ban shades covering both his eyes.

Even from a distance, she knew from the aura that his body gave off, he’d been crying or at least shed a tear or two, but what confused her the most was why, as she wondered what the fuck he was doing there.

He was alone, which wasn’t unusual, but that was beside the point.

How did he know the face of the empty body that once bared a soul lying in the casket?

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as she bit down on her bottom lip to contain from saying anything or making herself discoverable.

Looking down at her little Michael Kors bag, she eased her iPhone out and silenced it, not wanting to get caught in case it rung.

She needed Brody to hurry up and say what he was going to say.

As if he could read her mind, Brook’Lynn watched with glued eyes and a racing heart as he removed his shades, exposing his bloodshot eyes.

The crisp suit he wore complemented him well and the glow from the lights showed how handsome he really was.

But underneath all of that, Brody had his own secrets.

He was a different kind of man; the life he lived forced him to hide what lies beneath.

Now, he was staring into a casket wondering if this was a part of his punishment…

was this how it was supposed to happen? The person he was looking at was too young to be lying there.

The last child that he would ever have laid lifelessly in the casket in front of him.

His heart tugged at him as he made sure his gun was tucked in the small of his waist before he spoke.

Brook’Lynn knew that what she’d been impatiently waiting for was coming. She’d been scrunched down there for five minutes, waiting for him to say something so she could get the fuck out of there. She prayed like hell that Wise didn’t come in looking for her and fuck this all up.

Snapping her out of her thoughts were his first words, his first sentence, his true thoughts, causing Brook’Lynn to go weak in the joints.

“I should’ve been there; I should’ve done more than what I had in order to make sure that all of my kids were straight because I’m the one that demanded you be brought into this world.

Now, I’m sitting here looking at my baby girl, my flesh and blood dead and never coming back because I wasn’t there.

” He wiped a tear. Never did he imagine he’d bury one of his kids before he made it right with them all, he always thought he had time.

“I love you just like I loved you the day you came into this world, baby girl. May your soul rest in heaven, princess.” He bent down to kiss her cold cheek.

It wasn’t how he said it; it was what he said that had her in tears and on the brink of passing out. “You fucking liar… you’s a fucking liar,” she involuntarily mumbled as the color drained from her skin. She wanted to collapse right there; she couldn’t take much more.

Brody briefly snapped out of his moment and immediately grabbed his gun. He thought he was alone, but the voice told him otherwise. “Who the fuck is there?” he asked, looking into the casket one last time as he squinted his eyes while scanning.

Brook’Lynn used one hand to cover her own mouth, mad at herself from not being able to control her loose tongue.

The beads of sweat trickled down her forehead; she wanted to gag.

How was it that she was suddenly scared of a man she’d been around her entire life?

Life wasn’t always what it seemed and the people you thought you knew everything about always turned out to be the most crooked ones.

Would he shoot me? she wondered, although she hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

She went from hoping that Wise wouldn’t walk in, to now praying that he did.

Closing her eyes tight, hoping that this shit was some kind of sick joke, she took slow deep breaths and counted backwards. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…

Without a caring bone in her body, she came out of hiding with her gun now aimed right at Brody.

The tears blurred her vision as her heart ripped into shreds…

could she do it? Could she really kill this man?

He deserved to die. How dare she find out the way she’d found out that she wasn’t saying goodbye to a girl she knew…

she was saying goodbye to her baby sister.

Fuck what Bugg had done, that shit could’ve been forgiven, but the life of a sister was something she’d never get back…

. this was all Brody’s fault. Pull the trigger Brook’Lynn!

Her mind kept telling her. Just pull the fucking trigger!