“I love you too.” She lifted his hand and kissed it. She noticed that he was struggling to keep his eyes open. “You need to get some rest now. Go ahead and sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up, I promise.”

“Promise me you’ll be here every time I wake up.”

“I promise.”

* * *

A week later the hospital released Butta. From that point on, Arnessa cared for him daily with a little assistance from Lena and Kisa’s family. Arnessa rented a condo in the city’s trendy South End section, and once she learned her way around, she did pretty much everything for him alone. Besides cooking, cleaning, and administering medication, she made sure that Butta got to his doctor’s appointments, physical rehab, and therapy appointments. Arnessa was happy that she had chosen to adhere to Butta’s wishes and remain in Charlotte.

At times, caring for Butta was strenuous, but there was nothing else Arnessa would have rather been doing. She was away from the drama in New York, and the bond between Butta and her became stronger. Their love flourished, growing to heights that neither ever perceived possible. Although an exciting time for their relationship, it quickly became bittersweet for Arnessa.

About her third week there, she received an unnerving call from Cenise’s attorney, Mr. King. He called to inform her that he had reached an agreement with the solicitor’s office. Cenise would do one year in prison, six months on house arrest, followed by two years of probation. It was a very generous sentence, considering her offense and the state in which it took place. The downside was that Cenise had less than a week to turn herself in. Arnessa was under the assumption that Cenise had at least another four months before she would have to go to prison.

Why not me, God? Arnessa thought, standing in the doorway of Cenise’s bedroom and watching her blow-dry her hair. Inside, Arnessa was plagued with guilt and anger. She was so upset with herself for not protecting Cenise from the game and for the way she had treated Cenise in the previous months, Arnessa had been having a hard time eating and sleeping. On the other hand, Cenise was eating like a savage and sleeping like a baby. It was hard for Arnessa to understand.

Cenise caught a glimpse of Arnessa’s reflection in the mirror. She shut the dryer off and turned around, “What’s up, Ness? You need something?”

“No, I was just checking on you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Arnessa replied, wearing her worries on her face.

Cenise placed the dryer down on the dresser. She sat on the foot of the bed and motioned for Arnessa to have a seat by patting the space to her left. “I think it’s time for us to talk,” she said.