Page 77 of You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

Milan whistled. “Whoo, chile, you do not wanna hear the half of it. They are some foul-mouthed motherfuckers.”

“Damn.”

“It don’t matter. You don’t really give a fuck what they think about you, do you?”

“Nah, I guess not.” Feyi wiped at her eyes. “How’s it going with you and your ex?”

“Yo, she got us in couples therapy. Shit is wild.”

A laugh bubbled out. “You? Talking about your feelings?”

Milan laughed as well. “Ay, we all gotta grow, gotta keep up. It’s the only way to build a better life, feel me? At least that’s what she tells me. I just … I don’t wanna lose her again over some dumb shit. Life is too fucking short.”

“That’s a word.”

“Yeah. We gon’ be all right. I gotta head to group with the kids, but text me if you need to talk, aight?”

“I will, and thank you, Milan.”

“It ain’t no thing. You deserve to be happy, Feyi. Catch you later.”

Feyi hung up and shook her head. Of all the weird things to happen. She closed up the studio and started walking through the gardens, into the citrus orchard. Alim had a collection of finger lime trees that had started fruiting, and Feyi hoped that she’d be able to try one of them before she had to head back to New York. She still hadn’t talked to Alim about that yet, but surely he could feel it, too, the way the time here was ending, the way life had to move on, continue. She didn’t know if he would come with her, or if she’d go back first and he’d join later, or if they were even going to try long distance, but Feyi knew she had to step out of the bubble. Go back to her apartment, go back to Joy. Go visit her parents. See if the rest of the world had held up.

She was about to return to the house when she saw Alim walking over a small hill, toward the orchard. Feyi waved to him and Alim waved back, his face breaking into a gentle smile. She ran up to him and kissed his cheek. “Where are you coming from? I thought you were in town.”

“Nasir wanted to talk. We walked around the grounds a bit.”

“That’s good, right? How did it go?”

Alim looked thoughtful. “Not too terribly. He did ask if this thing with you was my way of exacting revenge for how they reacted to Devon.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, he’s still struggling to make sense of it. But at least now he’s trying.” Alim glanced over at her. “I think it might help if he spoke to you, actually.”

“Really? You think he’d be down for that?”

“By tomorrow, who knows? But today he seemed like he could listen a little. Not a lot, but more than before.”

Feyi looked over the hill. “Where did you leave him?”

“By the gazebo. He’s always loved that spot. He has to walk back here to get his car, though, you could catch him then.”

“Nah, it’s okay. I’ll go find him.” Feyi stroked her thumb over Alim’s jawline. “I’ll see you back at the house.”

“Of course.” He kissed her mouth lightly and she felt him watching as she walked away, until the slope of the hill took her out of sight.

The gazebo was visible in the distance if you looked hard enough through the trees at the right angle, and Feyi took her time walking over, thinking of what she’d say to Nasir, wondering what he’d say to her. They hadn’t spoken since that charged afternoon in Denlis’s office, and Feyi had been surprised at how much she missed just having him around, as a friend, the ease they’d had. When she came up to the gazebo, Nasir was perched on a railing looking out over the mountain, one leg dangling down. He didn’t seem all that surprised to see her.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey, yourself.” She posted up at the entrance to the gazebo, at the top of the steps, leaving a healthy distance between the two of them. Nasir noted her caution and leaned his head against one of the posts.

“I’m not gonna wild out again, don’t worry.”

“You mean like at the museum or that first time at the house?”

Nasir looked almost ashamed of himself. “I shouldn’t have treated you like that,” he said, his voice grudging. “I’ve been meaning to apologize.”