The silence was killing her, but she refused to beg him for his attention. She didn’t want to seem pressed, so she settled into her seat and watched block after block pass them by. With every mile they drove, she felt the opportunity to be in his space dwindling. When they pulled up to a modest, two-story home on the Northside, she noticed a girl waiting patiently for him as she leaned against his car. Morgan turned up her nose, as jealousy seared her. The girl’s beauty was typical: fat ass, slim waist, long weave…so on trend. There was nothing original about her. Old Build-A-Bear-ass bitch, Morgan thought, as she rolled her eyes, making no attempt to fix her face. Morgan knew she was hating. The girl was exactly the type that she would have expected Messiah to be attracted to. He probably had a collection of women that he alternated each day of the week. Morgan wanted to be the one he called on Sunday. His family. The one who dragged him to church to balance his sins and then fucked him on the same table they ate Sunday dinner on. A man gave his Sunday to the woman he loved. That’s why this thirst bucket is here on a Wednesday. Ol’ hump-day-ass bitch, Morgan thought. She chuckled at that. With my hating-ass. Damn, why couldn’t God give me an ass like that?

Messiah put the car in park and then climbed out. Morgan followed suit, as the bobble-head girl with the weave bounced over to the car.

“Hey, babe,” she cooed. Morgan almost gagged, she was so sick. She knew the girl was putting on, staking claim, as she wrapped her arms around Messiah’s neck and planted a deep kiss on his lips. He pulled back, slightly, not one for public affection. He rubbed his lips with his thumb, before licking his lips.

He turned to Morgan. “Umm… Morgan, this is Shayna. Shayna, this is Morgan.”

Morgan waved, and the girl returned with a dry, “Hey.”

“Thanks for the drop off,” Messiah said.

“Thank you for getting my car,” she signed.

“Car?” Messiah asked, as he mimicked her signs.

She nodded, with a meek smile. She noticed she always had his full attention when she signed. She appreciated the effort he put into understanding her.

“Aww...She’s deaf, right? That’s Benny Atkins’ daughter. I used to know her sister. Well, not know her, but I used to see her around. Everybody used to want to be like Raven Atkins back in the day,” the girl said, reminiscing.

Morgan was over this girl. She had just confirmed her groupie status. She was a hanger-on and Morgan had no interest in entertaining the conversation further.

Morgan frowned and lifted her hand, as she looked at Messiah as if to say, “Who is this bitch?”