It was moments like these Morgan wished she had the confidence to use her voice. She hadn’t tried to speak since she was five years old. She still remembered the flush of embarrassment that filled her when her kindergarten classmates had laughed at the way her voice sounded. She hadn’t spoken since that day. Hundreds of thousands of dollars had been poured into surgeries and therapy to help restore her hearing. First, her father, and then Ethic had poured money into different, innovative technology over the years. They had done all they could to help her, but the fact that she couldn’t hear herself made her afraid to allow anyone else to hear her speak as well. She didn’t want her words to come out jumbled or awkward. She didn’t want her tone to sound weird or to highlight her handicap; so instead of saying something flirty to this god of a man in front of her, she rolled her eyes and smirked. She snatched the bottle back and he pointed a stern finger in her face. “Don’t play with me,” he said.

All I want to do is play with you, she thought. She handed over the bottle and threw up two fingers to her friends, as Messiah led the way out the party. She knew Ethic had sent him. He had a way of tracking her down that made her feel like she wore a leash. Morgan just wanted to live her own life. She didn’t care if she fucked it up, as long as she had the freedom to make her own choices. She desperately wanted to fly free.

“You gon’ make a nigga have to body something out here,” Messiah said. “Got your stomach and shit all out. Why the fuck your shorts so small, man? You ain’t got to carry it like that. That face is enough to get you all that attention you’re begging for.”

So, he does think I’m pretty, she thought. Morgan didn’t miss the insult that accompanied the compliment, but she would accept anything if it was coming from him. If he was passing out baby daddy passes and food stamp cards, I’d be first in line. That thought made her laugh aloud.

“Now I’m funny, huh? Got me up in here, pulling you out of clubs and shit. How’d you get in anyway, with your young-ass,” Messiah said, a small smirk playing at the side of his lips. He was too stubborn to reveal a full smile, but the way his mouth tugged upward at one corner was the sexiest thing Morgan had ever seen.

She shrugged, knowing he didn’t know sign language, so there was no need for her to try to respond.