Page 168 of When a Soul Cries

“I’m holding her, Kai. It ain’t rocket science.”

“Nah. You doing entirely too good.”

His eyes narrowed. “Sit your ass down.”

I ignored him and started pacing slowly in front of the couch because the memory had fully clicked into place now.

“That’s the baby from the gas station.”

Rome’s hand stopped against her back.

“What gas station?”

“The night Mama had us running around behind her groceries.” I turned toward him. “I stopped for gas. Remember I told you about that girl I met?”

He stared at me for a moment before recognition finally crossed his face. “The one you wouldn’t shut the fuck up about?”

I frowned. “I didn’t keep talking about her.”

“You definitely did.”

“That ain’t the point.” I waved him off. “The point is, that baby was in the back seat of her car. Sick too. She was rushing her to the doctor.”

Rome’s expression changed slightly.

Before he could say anything, a woman’s voice drifted from somewhere deeper inside the house.

I couldn’t make out the words.

But something about the sound made me stop pacing.

My head slowly turned toward the kitchen.

There it was again.

A woman talking.

Another woman answered her, but it was the first voice that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I knew that damn voice.

I slowly turned back toward Rome.

The nigga was already watching me.

And judging by the tired expression settling across his face, he knew I was about to start some more shit.

“I thought your ass said you met a girl at the grocery store named Sol.”

Rome closed his eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Bruh, not right now.”

My mouth dropped open.

“Not right now?” I repeated, pointing toward the kitchen. “Nigga, I know for a fact that’s the same baby that was in the back seat that night.”

“Kai—”

“And now I’m hearing voices I recognize in your kitchen?” I took another step toward him. “I know you not fucking with my girl.”