“Whatever this is that you’re doing? You don’t do the girlfriend thing, so what is this? I just don’t understand this level of generosity. We’re not having sex, you barely know me, but you want to do all this nice stuff for me. What are we calling it?”

“You need a definition for it?” Ethic asked.

“It would be nice to just know,” she responded, genuinely confused.

“Let’s call it friendship,” Ethic replied.

She smiled, and to his surprise it reached her eyes, brightening them, briefly, before they went dark again. “Okay, but just so you know… I’m the type of friend that’ll slap hoes for trying to be your friend too. I’m jealous and I’m selfish, Ethic.”

Ethic laughed aloud, something he rarely did; something that only his past loves, Raven and YaYa, had made him do before. “Noted.”

Ethic drove away, headed to Bella’s school. It was where he had been on his way to when he got the call from Redneck Larry. He hadn’t meant to drop everything for Alani. She was making the car a much bigger deal than what it was. Sixty thousand was nothing for him - just a drop in a bucket of money. When he had purchased it with cash, he told himself that he owed her. He had taken something from her that no amount of charity could replace. She didn’t know that he was trying to ease his guilt, and he liked to think that was his only motive, but every time he was in her presence he just felt healed. Alani made him feel like a whole man, like she had the power to glue his fragmented heart back together. When he left her, the hurt reverted all over again; and as he pulled away from the college campus, he felt her energy fade from the car. The greater the distance between them, the less he felt her. This was a dangerous game he was playing, being this close to two murders he had committed. He would have to tread lightly, his freedom and his future depended on it.

Ethic arrived at the school and stepped out of the car, his determined strides filled with anxiety, as he headed directly to the front office. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Bella, sitting slouched in the chair, her arms folded across her school uniform.

“Hey, baby girl. What’s going on?” he asked.

“Mr. Okafor. Welcome.” He turned toward the voice to see the principal standing behind the countertop. “I’d like to speak with you and Bella in my office.”

He felt blindsided, as he looked to his daughter, searching her face for answers. She wouldn’t look him in the eyes, but she hopped up from her seat and followed the principal into her office.