Work drags by. Juliana and Shay walk in and out of the room, shuffling papers as they go about their days, while DeShaun types away on his computer. They’re all busier than usual lately, because our normal banter has taken a nosedive. As much as I don’t want to believe that they might be judging some of my latest escapades with Nas, that’s the vibe I’m getting, but I try not to let myself think about it too much. I’m already starting to feel like everything has been swept up in a whirlwind, and the last thing I need is my friends getting sick of me while I figure all of this out. In the week since DeShaun told them all about the fundraiser, they’ve been treating me like I’m an addict on the verge of relapse—watching me closely with looks of both disgust and worry on their faces, but none of them has said a word about it, which is strange. We’ve always talked about everything, but now I’m subjected to watching them whisper at their desks when I walk by, and as much as I want to say something, I’m too distracted to make a big deal out of it.

I submit my photos of a community picnic to the editor-in-chief at four-thirty before quietly leaving the office at five on the dot. I walk past Juliana and Shay, ignoring their stares as I make my way to my car, driving away before they can even make it out of the building. Once I’m at my apartment, I spend most of my time getting myself clean, making sure to put lotion on my knees just in case I have to wait for Sir for an extended period of time. Just thinking about the possibilities of what Nas has planned for tonight makes me tingle with excitement, and I eagerly hop back in my car without even stressing over the half an hour drive to Smyrna.

I arrive at Nas’s gate at seven fifty-seven and wait three minutes for the gate to open automatically. Once I’m in the house, my mind races as I walk through the luxury and make my way toward the basement steps. As I reach the kitchen, I think I hear something shuffling behind me, but when I turn around, I don’t find anything. I pause to frown for a second before shrugging it off and heading down the stairs.