“I’ve got it bad, Cousin. I’ve been sad all day, and that one text erased all of my anxiety,” I admitted.
“I think it’s sweet. I’m happy for you, Cousin. Happiness looks good on you. Just don’t fuck it up by being stubborn.”
“I’ll try. I can’t make any promises. He said he isn’t going anywhere, but I’ve got to get my shit together before I mess it up.”
“You’ve got this. All you have to do is let that man love you. It might not be easy, but keep trying anyway. I love you, Cousin. You’ve always been one of my favorite people, and I want you to have all the success in the world. Promise me that you won’t let our trauma stunt your growth. You have too much to offer the world, Boogie.” Shaylyn placed her hand over mine.
“I love you, too, and I promise. I want you to do the same. Life may not have dealt us the best hand, but we can still come out of this on top.” An eerie feeling swept over me, but I pushed it to the back of my mind.
We finished Shaylyn’s hair around four in the morning, and I crawled into her bed while she went into the bathroom to wash her hair. She said she was going to take a bath first and then finish in the shower. I tried to stay awake, but after I heard the bath water running, I eventually dozed off.
In my dreams, I was falling from the sky and couldn’t stop. It caused me to jump out of my sleep.
My chest heaved up and down as I looked around the room. It took a couple of seconds for me to realize where I was. I panicked for a split second but settled down when it settled in that I was still at Shaylyn’s house. I looked over on the other side of the bed, and she wasn’t there. It struck me as odd, but I brushed it off, thinking she must have fallen asleep in the living room or something.
My hand slid across the sheet as I searched for my phone. Once I located it, I saw it was a little after eight. Even though I had only been asleep for a few hours, I didn’t feel groggy. In fact, there was an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I checked my messages. I smiled when I noticed Essex sent a message.
Essex: Hurry up and bring your ass home. A nigga can’t sleep for shit.
I thought about calling him because I knew he was probably working out, but I decided to wait until I went home. Noodle was with Aunt Pam and wouldn’t be home for another day. It would give us time to spend alone together. My bladder was full, so I got up to go to the bathroom.
The moment my feet touched the carpet, my body froze. The carpet swished under my feet as water rose to my ankles. When I looked at the bathroom door, my legs almost gave out on me. The last memory that came to mind was Shaylyn turning on the bath water before I fell asleep. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me as I held my phone with shaky hands.
“Shay!” I yelled out.
Silence.
“No. No, this can’t be happening. She wouldn’t do this,” I whispered to myself as I pressed Shane’s contact. He answered on the second ring.
“What’s up, Cuzzo? You still at Shay’s house?”
“Shane,” I sniveled, barely able to speak. I stepped closer to the bathroom door, afraid of what was on the other side.
“What’s wrong?”
Silence loomed over us as I cried. My hand trembled as I twisted the handle. When I realized it was locked, I panicked.
“No, no, no. Please, no,” I pleaded, banging on the door even though I knew no one would answer.
“Boogie, what’s going on?” Shane barked into the phone. My forehead was pressed against the door while I sobbed and screamed uncontrollably.
“I’m on my way!” I heard him yell, but I couldn’t even form the words to respond. Instead, I slid down on the floor and broke down. Shane must have been close by because I heard him bust through the door. I cried even harder when I saw the distressed look on his face.
“What happened?”
His eyes shifted between me and the door. When he looked down and saw the water under his shoes, his shoulders dropped.
“S-She’s in there. I-I went to sleep last night, but I don’t think she—”
I couldn’t even bring myself to speak on the fact that Shaylyn more than likely never left the bathroom last night.
“Move! Move now!” Shane shouted as he rammed his body into the door. It took a couple of tries before he was finally able to get it open. The piercing cry he let out shattered the rest of my already broken heart.
“What the fuck, Shay! Fuck!”
I probably should have stayed where I was, but I needed to see her. My mind wouldn’t allow me to believe it was real until I laid eyes on her myself. Standing up, I took a deep breath then walked inside. The floor was completely covered in water, but none of that mattered as I raced over to the bathtub. She looked so peaceful it almost seemed as if she was sleeping, but her purple lips confirmed my worst nightmare.