35. Relic

Chapter thirty-five

Relic

I t was bizarre being on this side of a police-involved situation. The police were polite, checked on me to make sure I was okay, handed me water to drink, and they were patient as I explained what happened. They also did a great job comforting everyone else, especially Lev. One police officer sat on the ground next to Lev, talking to him until the ambulance arrived.

Demarius and I sat on the curb of the sidewalk to the school and watched the scene unfold. Mrs. Collins and Zuri were deep in conversation with one police officer or another, then they talked to some woman in dress clothes who I heard someone say was from child protective services. My gut twisted, but what else could anyone do?

Melanie and Macie sat on the opened back of an ambulance as the paramedics checked them out. Melanie's mom showed less than two minutes after everything happened, arriving early to wait for therapy to be over. She stood by Melanie's side, arms lovingly wrapped around her daughter's shoulders. Macie's mom showed quickly. Then, a few minutes later, another guy and some bouncer of a man with a shit ton of tattoos descended upon the scene. Macie's mom stayed by Macie's side as the two other men talked to a police officer, Mrs. Collins, and the social worker.

"This is messed up," I mumbled.

"You can say that again," Demarius said. "My mom and dad are on their way. They asked if you had anyone to call." He peeked at me like he hated asking, but the question was fair.

"I'm okay." I wasn't. The walls were closing in and I couldn't breathe. "Lyra wouldn't be much help in a situation like this." Odds were she'd make it worse, or she would be with her mystery boyfriend and wouldn't answer her phone.

"You need an adult to help you through. Make sure all the right questions are asked."

My neck tensed with anger, and I rolled it. Demarius was attempting to be helpful, but it was just plain pissing me off.

"What I'm saying," he continued, "is that my parents offered to navigate this for you, and what I'm also saying is that you should let them help."

"Fine." If they wanted to help, let 'em. It wasn't like I was being arrested this time.

"Probation?" Demarius asked with no judgement.

"Yeah." I took a drink from the water bottle the police gave me. "I stole five dollars from a car parked in front of the entrance to a police substation."

"Five dollars? In front of a police substation?"

"You can buy a lot with five dollars."

"You're shitting me."

I wasn't, and because I considered Demarius a friend, I told him the truth. "My dad is part of a gang, and he went to prison a few years back for dealing. I knew when Dad got out there'd be a lot of heat in my household again. I had a feeling that heat would mean pressure for me to join and to become a dealer myself. So I thought, what if I get caught stealing in such a stupid, dumbass situation that even the drug dealers wouldn't want me working for them?"

"That's brilliant."

"It wasn't. Caused more problems for me than I already had. The gang saw through me and my plotting ways, and now I have a gun to my head forcing me to deal. Without the money for finding Macie's carjackers, I don't know how to get my family out of this alive."

Demarius studied me, then he said, "We'll figure it out."

Yeah, I wish we could.

Macie hopped off the back of the ambulance, said something to her mom, and then walked over to us. Demarius and I stood, and I gave Macie a once over, searching for any signs that the bastard hurt her, but I didn't see anything other than that damned hollow look in her eyes—the one people got when trauma was too much to process. "You okay?"

She gave a shrug. "I think so. How are the two of you?"

"We're good," I answered, looking over Macie's shoulder at the heated gaze her male entourage was giving me.

"Relic is fast," Demarius said. "I almost didn't catch him."

Macie peeked at me. "Are you mad at me for telling?"

Mad? She saved my ass. While I was sure some good lawyer could have gotten me off, I didn't even have a bad lawyer on retainer. "If I got involved, that could have been a shit show for me." Because I didn't want to discuss it anymore, I said, "What's going on over there?"

"They're taking Lev to the hospital and social services is involved now."

"Are they going to send Lev home with his Mom?" Demarius asked.

"I'm only overhearing conversations," she answered, "but it doesn't sound like it."

"Macie," called the tattoo bouncer man. She looked at him, he gave her a chin lift, and then took off in a custom Mustang from the nineties.

"Who's that?" And don't say your dad.

"That's Isaiah. Ariel's dad and my dad's best friend. He's like an uncle to me."

I could see him being Ariel's dad.

"He and his wife are certified for emergency foster care placement. I guess he knows Mrs. Collins and the social worker. He and the social worker are going to the hospital. If they decide to pull Lev from his home, Isaiah's going to try to have him placed at his house. Which, by the way, is next door to mine, so I hope that works."

"Me, too." Demarius walked toward a car pulling into the lot. "I'll be right back. My parents are here."

Macie gestured to the curb. "Sit with me?"

I did and she sat close enough that her knee and shoulder touched mine. The contact was the first breath of air I'd had since this whole shit show started. I looked her over again, concerned I had missed something before. "Did he hurt you?"

"No more than being shot twice in the chest," she answered bluntly and honestly. Macie lightly bumped her knee against mine. "Are you okay? And I'm not just talking about all of this. There was something wrong before it all went downhill."

What could I say to her? That Camila, Lyra and, I had been shot at? That if I didn't work for Eric that he refused to protect us in some turf war? "I wish I could date you right."

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. "I have no idea what that means."

"I wish I could be the guy who picked you up at the front door in his own car, brought you flowers, took you to dinner and a movie, then kissed you at the end of the night." I wished I had a normal life. I wished my father wasn't a drug dealing, gang-joining addict. I wished I had parents who gave a damn, gave me a curfew and were up my ass to score good grades and to pick a college. I wish I could be a fraction of the man she deserved.

"I don't want or need any of that."

"Point is, I can't ever offer you anything more than what I do now, and let's be honest, I don't offer much. My life is going nowhere fast."

Macie weaved her arm around mine, locking us together. I closed my eyes with the peace her touch created, and I wished that for five minutes the world wasn't so damn complicated.

"What's going on, Relic?" she whispered against my shoulder.

Truth? I would miss her so much it would hurt. "My life is about to get dangerous, and I don't want you to be a part of that." I didn't want to be a part of it either.

I could feel her studying me as I stared at the ants moving on the pavement. Finally, she said, "Is the pressure to join the gang too much?"

I gave a nod as that was the easiest way to answer.

"Are they threatening you?" she asked. "Your sisters?"

I nodded again, and her hold on my hand tightened as if she believed she could save me from destruction. "Don't join them. We'll uncover the carjackers, and you'll have the money."

She said it as if the choice was as simple as turning down a glass of water. I met her eyes so she could understand. "I'm all out of time and options."

Devastation ravaged her face. Pain in my chest at her expression and I glanced away, cursing myself for falling for her, hating myself more for allowing her to fall for me. "We shouldn't see each other anymore. I'm going down a road I don't want you part of."

Macie flinched yet kept herself tight to me. "You can't break up with me."

I lifted a questioning brow. "How's that?"

She gave me a sad lift of her lips. "Because we were never together to begin with. I'm not your girlfriend. You're not my boyfriend. We're two people who need each other to get to and from work and who occasionally kiss, remember?"

My heart twisted. "You've always been more to me."

"No labels," Macie said. "You can't break up with anything that doesn't have a label. You still need a job, right? Which means you still need a ride. Nothing changes between us."

"I can't take that risk."

"Then come home with me. Bring Camila. Stay with me until we figure it out."

I could never abandon Lyra. Plus… "Your parents hate me."

"They don't know you."

"I'm not the dream every parent wants for their kid. I'm the nightmare."

Macie's lips trembled as if she were fighting tears. "Please. Come home with me, okay? If anything, just for today. I don't want to be alone waiting to see what happens with Lev, and I don't want you to join the gang. Not today."

"It doesn't matter if it's today or tomorrow or—"

"Not today," she cut me off with force. "Come home with me. Please."

Her pleas cut through me, and even though agreeing would only delay the inevitable, I gave in. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll come home with you."

Macie tackled me in a hug, and I wrapped my arms around her, allowing myself this one moment in heaven. I'd allow the stall, if only for today, to give myself the opportunity to soak up all that I had to lose, to give myself as many sweet memories of Macie as possible before I had to enter hell and let her go for good.