"I WANT YOU TO MOVE IN WITH ME AND JADA," CHARLES ANNOUNCED as soon as I had taken a seat in his home office. It was a bit on the small side but still huge with bookcases that were ceiling to floor and a big brown desk, Macbook on top of it. I raise my eyebrows at him. That boy best be playing. 

"I'm sorry what now?"

He gives me a look. "Niyah you know I only want the best for you right? I want you to move in."

"Charles I've only been here for a week and a half. I have my own home and my own job. I don't need to move in with you," I reply. 

"What job Aniyah? We both know it's not even close to a job. And your home is in one of the worst areas ever. I don't want you there."

"Fine then, I'll get a new home. And as far as I'm concerned as long as it makes money, it's a job. You can't just come into my life and order me around," I say, raising my voice a bit. 

"What about your dreams you had? To go to college and get your degree? To make clothes and be a famous brand and start your own business. "

I snort. "Well, it's not so easy to follow your dreams when your brother leaves you after your parents die. Did you forget that part?"

I see him cringe but he straightens himself up so quickly you would hardly believe he did. "I want to make it up to you. I know I was dumb and stupid and it wasn't easy for you at all to leave you like that. But can you at least forgive me for that?"

His eyes are pleading, something I've rarely seen him do. "I have to go somewhere today. Don't wait for me, "I reply and get up from the chair, take my purse and leave the office. Jada's waiting near the entryway rearranging the shoes and hanging the coats back into the closet. She smiles when she sees me.

"You going somewhere?'

Ignoring her, I grab my brown wrap coat and I'm about to leave the house when I feel Jada hugging me. I freeze in my spot and glance down at her petite frame wrapped around me, my eyes beginning to water. It had been so long since I had gotten a hug. My mind flashed back to Mom hugging little me when I cried and Dad lifting me up in the air making me squeal. Wiping my tears away and releasing myself from Jada, I rush out the door and invite the breeze to come onto my face while I walk with only one destination in mind. Home. I open up my phone and open up Uber, ordering my ride and putting in the directions I want to go to. The driver is by the name of Sarah. She's only a few minutes away, so I stand, leaning against the tree while I think about what Charles had said. But can you at least forgive me? Forgive me? The words echoed in my brain, getting louder and louder until I'm squeezing my eyes shut. I couldn't. I just couldn't forgive him.

"Uber for Aniyah?", a lady in a white Toyota asks. I nod and open the door to get in. The heat of the car reaches me instantly and I close the door shut and buckle up my seatbelt. She smiles at me in the review mirror. We're soon leaving the neighborhood and she turns up the radio and soon the car is filling up with music. Christian music. I let out an audible sigh which she notices.

"You all right back there?" she asks, her face filled with concern.

"Could you turn down the music? I'm not a fan of Christian music."

She lowers the music and I go back into my solitary silence until she decides to speak up again. "Forgive me for asking but why aren't you a fan? I mean to me, worshipping God is one of my favorite things to do."

Why couldn't people just leave me alone? "Look, unlike some people, I don't believe in that happy-sappy stuff that you guys believe in okay? That whole God thing is just an honest waste of time especially when all that God is is just cruel. Now can you leave me alone," I shout. She flinches and I feel guilt rise inside of me. It wasn't her fault at all. The background still plays music as we drive further now and end up in a traffic jam which slows us down. I listen to the constant beeps of the cars around us as the song moves to another one.

When I'm up when I'm down (uh, huh)
When the wolves come around (tell me)
When my feet hit the ground
I just need, I just need You
On my darkest days (uh, huh)
When I'm losing faith (tell me)
No, it ain't gon' change
I just need, I just need You
Lord, I need You
Yeah, I just need You

"Sorry for lashing out at you like that. I'm just not in the mood today, "I mutter. Sarah nods in understatement.

"We all have our rough days and I'm not mad at you for that. I should stop butting my business into others though but why don't you believe in God? From the way you stated it, it seems like you have experience," she asks.

I rub my hands onto my forehead. "I don't want to talk about that right now."

"It's all right."

The rest of the ride is fairly decent with Sarah chatting for the both of us and the music playing from one song to another, the station she'd put seemed to be a Christian one. I was still distracted by Charles's words and decided to silence my phone and shove the thoughts at the back of my head. For now.

XXX

Unlike the fancy neighborhood Charles had been living in, my home seemed far off. The apartment building was old and sketchy and break-ins and gunfire were common in these areas. Sarah gave me a concerned and also questionable look when I said we'd arrived.

"This area is really dangerous. You want me to accompany you?" she asks. I shrug her concern off and after saying our byes, I head into the apartment building and up the stairs, the thin walls revealing the secrets of everyone here.

"How could you have cheated on me with him? Why would you do that?"

"Boy if you don't get your behind here I will whoop you so hard-"

"You still didn't pay the rent yet Mike?"

Ladies and gentlemen, my neighbors, that had enough drama that put Netflix to shame. After finally reaching my floor, I notice a piece of paper taped onto the scraped brown door. EVICTION NOTICE. Ripping it off, I get my key out of my purse and walk in. The smell of dust reaches my nose and I cough it off. Besides the dust from not cleaning, nothing had changed at all. The apartment I had rented was an ancient studio one with an old kitchen and a fridge that hardly worked. I glance at the eviction notice and scan over the rent price which I had missed even before Charles came. $6,029. I groan in frustration and open my phone up to see 11 missed calls from Charles and 1 text from Jada. I open Jada's, knowing I would get a sense of calm from her.

Jada: Philippians 4:19 says, And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. He will take care of you whether you decide to move in with us or not. I believe that God will provide for you no matter what choice you make.

Goosebumps go over my skin as I read and re-read the verse. My mind goes back to the church sermon from last Thursday. I shut off my phone and close my eyes. I was too tired to think about anything at that point. Closing my eyes, I black out and let sleep overtake me.

Song Credit: TobyMac 'I Just Need You'

So should she move in with Charles?

Quit her job?

Also thoughts on Jada's verse?

I'm trying not to add too much in each chapter otherwise it would be a very short book

Click the star and comment people and I'll see you in chapter 5.