JOJO:


    “Yeah, no performances for us tonight and even tomorrow. It’s a day off, you’re free to do whatever you like!” Ashley repeated the same thing Bentley had sent to us through our emails, but louder and more excited.


    “Yeah, I heard that, Ash. I’m asking why? Why can’t we perform every day?” I questioned.


    She quirked a brow at me. Wey on my bed, side by side, her eyes fixed on her phone while I stared up at the ceiling, twirling my red hair around my fingers.


    “Why would you even want that?”


    “It’s nothing serious. I mean, I don’t like dancing naked in front of all those men, but I also need the money they throw at me. The first time I danced, I picked up three thousand dors.”


    I rolled and sat on my back, to find her gaze fixed on me, a brow corked in amusement.


    “My sister’s freaking tuition. In just one dance.”  I was a bit giddy, I must admit. I looked forward to my next performance.


    Ashley was going to say something, but my phone’s ringing tone stole the moment. I reached out for the phone under my pillow and checked the caller ID. I sprung up immediately I saw “Mel” disyed on my screen. Every iota ofziness crept out of my body.


    “Hey, baby! How are…”


    “JoJo. JoJo, you need toe home.” Mel’s broken voice sted from my phone’s speaker. My smile dropped in that instant. Cold sweat broke out of my skin. I struggled to keep my voice.


    “Home? Is… is something wrong Mel?” My worry wasced in my tone. I did nothing to hide it.


    “Your mother.”


    Two words, three sybles, yet powerful enough to send my mind and thoughts spiraling toward the edge of an unknown cliff. I heard Valerie sniff in the background.


    “Mel… what… what happened to her?” I struggled to keep my phone stered to my ears.


    “She had a cardiac arrest. They’re trying to revive her heart. The doctor… they… they said it’s terrible.”


    I did not understand the words that wereing out of her mouth.


    “What are you saying, Mel?” I was pacing about the room now.


    “She was alright when I left!”


    “I don’t know what happened, JoJo… They don’t know either. Please,e tomorrow, we need to go together. Valerie can’t…” She sniffed.


    “Valerie can’t do this alone.” She continued.


    My fragile heart shattered into tiny pieces. My sister needed me now, and I was not there. It pinched my conscience and twirled the strings of guilt tugging at my chest.


    “I’ll be there tonight,” I said to her.


    She sniffed and muttered.


    “We’ll see you.”


    I dropped my phone on the bed and got dressed immediately. I had to leave here, my whole world depended on me.


    I quickly searched for a matching glove, while my head and heart rejoiced at the ability to finally wear a decent dress. But, I couldn’t keep that happy thought in mind for three minutes. The urgency of my mother’s situation crept into my mind again.


    I locked my door and rushed to the elevator. With the way I dashed out like a maniac, people in the hallway gave way for me to walk through. The elevator was empty, thankfully.


    I got to the ground floor and began to walk briskly to the front door. Oblivious of what stood before me. I flung it open and took three steps forward. Only three steps, before my face, shed against a rock-hard chest.


    My teeth closed hard on my tongue from the impact of the sh. I could feel the metallic taste of blood on my tongue. I moved back, trying to control the dizziness, the small cubic room had begun to spin around me. A pair of big hands gripped my biceps, stopping me from shing back first against the ground.


    When I regained my stance, the image in front of me became clearer.


    d in a ck oversized hoodie and grey sweats, Harris stood before me. A wry smile stered on his face.


    “I’m sorry, are you okay?” He asked. Cold hands caressed my cheek. I pushed the hand away, shivering slightly from the contact.


    “What are you doing here?” I snapped.


    I didn’t have time for this. The universe knew I didn’t.


    “Wrong question to the wrong person, Jojo. What are YOU doing in a ce like this?”


    Fucker was trying to y with me.


    “Isn’t it obvious? I’m working. This is where I work, Harris… so why are you here?”


    “I came to look for you, JoJo. I came to take you out of here, you don’t belong in a ce like this.” He spoke softly. The sight was so pathetic; I could feel eyes staring at us. I pulled him by his right wrist and dragged him to a secluded corner.


    I had had enough.


    “Listen, Harris. You need to stick your goddamn nose out of my business. You are in no ce to tell me what’s good and what’s not.”


    I would have thought my sentence was stuck in his head, but his next statement came.


    “Is it your Aunt? I heard she chased you away from her house, I have a spare apartment. Let me help Jo…”


    His audacity only sparked the already rising temper within me. I tried to let the calming breeze blow my irritation away. Well, it didn’t.


    I feigned a smile, fake enough to let him know that I needed him to mind his business!


    “We do not need a house, but thank you very…”


    He clutched my right arm tight, causing my heart to jump out of my chest. His palm gripped my upper arms and I swallowed hard in response, throwing him a dead stare.


    “I don’t think you understand, Jojo. I have waited for you, all this while. And now, now I’ve finally found you. Why? Why do you think I would let you go, Jo? You… you are mine. I… I love you so much Jo, you need to be mine.”


    I was too focused on wriggling free from his arm to focus on how psychopathic his statement sounded. My small fights were to no avail.


    “Let me go, Harris!”


    I cried out, looking around. My eyes pleaded for a helper, a savior, but no one cast me a second nce or even a first. His scowl deepened, and his grip on my arm tightened.


    “Stop screaming Jojo.” He muttered, between clenched teeth. My stubborn eyes red back at him.


    “Leave me alone!”


    “Stop fucking screaming!”


    “Leave me the fuck alone!”


    He growled in anger and pushed me back with force.  I hit the wall behind me, and he put his arms over my head, sessfully trapping me. I regretted the second I thought it appropriate to hide us in this dark spot. How could I have forgotten this man was crazy?!


    He buried his face into my neck. And began nting unwanted kisses on the exposed areas, holding me down. I squirmed in an attempt to escape.


    Suddenly, it wasn’t Harris in front of me, but Mykel. Panic seized my chest, my right hand flew up to squeeze it.


    “Stop!” I cried out. But, he paid me no mind.


    “Kiss me. Just kiss me and I’ll let you leave.”  His voice was strained. I kept struggling in his arms, against his touch.


    His lips touched the other side of my neck, and his hot breath fanned my skin, causing my stomach to knot, and my skin to shrink against my bones.


    “Just kiss me, damn it! I love you so much. Why can’t you see that Jo? Why?”


    I could hear his voice, but all I felt and saw were Mykel’s hands on my throat and Papa’s hands on Mama’s throat.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I saw the blood, I heard the screams, and I saw her fight for her life like I did now. Everything blurred around me, the world was beginning to slow down.  I struggled and struggled until I heard the right hand of my glove rip open.


    I parted my lips, despite the restriction on my throat, and screamed as loud as I could into the night sky.


    “Stop screaming Jo!” He gnarled, breathing frantically.


    I did not stop, even when the birds of the night began to flee for their lives.


    With terrified eyes, his palm pressed against my mouth in a bid to shut me up.


    Then I heard hurried footsteps approaching us and as soon as they stopped, Harris was ripped off from me.