His mouth splits into a wide grin. “Bro, only you would get sappy during a superhero movie. The Joker just blew up a damn hospital and you whispering sweet nothings to me.”

He pinches my sides and I swat his arm. “Boy, shut up. I changed my mind. You’re okay out of ten.”

He chortles. “Okay out of ten. What the fuck does that even mean?”

“You heard me. You aight.”

“Oooh, I’m just aight now? Okay. Talk your shit.”

“I always do.”

While he laughs at my smartass commentary, I take a moment to just bask in him. In that smile that I probably won’t see aimed at me ever again after today. I know what I have to do. I take a look at the clock on my nightstand. Eleven p.m. Eleven hours until our lives change forever.

The next day, I’m standing in front of my building. The atmosphere is eerily quiet. It’s a Saturday so there aren’t a lot of people around. Everyone is most likely recovering from whatever party they went to last night. The door creaks behind me, forcing my attention to the two students walking out. I recognize the girl from my Business Communications class. Her purple passion twists stop just below her shoulders, making her golden-brown skin pop. I don’t know the handsome guy with the close-cut fade she’s with, but judging by the way their hands are intertwined I’m willing to bet he’s her man. She catches me watching her and acknowledges me with a head nod before leading her man off in the direction of the dining hall.

Watching their hands until they’re out of my line of sight, my heart pangs thinking about Kai. He’s at his part-time job at H-E-B, completely unaware that I’m about to upend our entire relationship. I’m a coward. Coach Naughton encouraged me to stand in my power, but the moment my dad threatened Kai, I gave it all to him.

My dad’s Escalade EXT pulls up in front of my building right on time, leaving no room for more intrusive thoughts. I hop onto the leather seats and slam the door shut, earning me a glare. No words are spoken on the way to wherever the fuck he’s taking me. They aren’t needed. He said all he had to say yesterday and I lost my voice.