He Was Already There

Imani POV

After Jalen leaves, we decide to hit Avalanche tonight, and I already know it’s a bad idea. “Girl, we are so happy you’re back,” Harmony says, throwing herself across my bed.

I smile to myself. It feels forced. The truth is, I’m not really happy to be back. Being back means having to face him, and I don’t think I ever stopped running from that. And that thought won’t leave me alone.

“What are you wearing?” Alani asks, walking in and putting her earrings in. I pull out a pink jumpsuit with the back out. I slip on some pink Balenciaga sneakers, fluff my curls out, and apply some gloss. I put in the studs Zion got me for my 16th birthday before I knew who he really was. My fingers linger on them for a second too long , remembering the last time he put them in my hand like it meant something. “Bitch, you look good. We outside tonight,” Sky says, passing me the blunt. I take a few pulls before passing it to Alani. The smoke burns, but it doesn’t settle anything. “Okay, let’s go. Ty already texted me saying it’s a zoo in there tonight.”

My phone rings, and although I’m happy, I frown at the name. Of course. King Carter, Zion’s younger brother and my only real guy best friend. “Yes, King?” I say, my heart already racing. Too fast. Too loud. If he’s calling, it’s for Zion. That’s the thing about friends with King—there’s nothing he won’t tell Zion. His loyalty is never with me, and I can’t afford to get trapped in that world. “How is it I hear you came home from your brother and not you?” he says, feigning hurt. I roll my eyes. “I’m surprised your brother didn’t tell you. He probably knew before I even landed,” I say, the weight of my words settling heavy on my chest. Because he always knows. I’ve never been out of his reach. “Well, he didn’t. What you doing tonight? I want to see you,” he says. Nope, he probably has this call bugged. Wouldn’t put it past him. “It’s a girls’ night tonight,” I reply. “Damn, Mani. Okay, I’ll see you around,” he says, hanging up.

A chill runs through me, and I try to swallow the knot in my throat. It doesn’t go down. It’s fine; he won’t find out… even though he’s never needed to be told anything before. That’s what I keep telling myself. “We ready?” I ask, shocked by the steadiness of my voice. I don’t feel steady. “Yeah, let’s go,” Harmony says, rolling off my bed.

When we walk out the door, the feeling of being watched slams into me in full force. Like stepping into the same feeling I had the night I ran from him, like he’s already somewhere close.. I look up and down the street, but I don’t see anyone out of place. That doesn’t mean anything. We all get in the car and drive to the club.

When we arrive, we can hear the music on the street, and the line is wrapped around the block. The bass is already thumping through the pavement under my feet. We park and get out, walking straight to the front of the line. “Oh shit, Imani, when did you come back?” Tyler, the bouncer at the door, says. “Damn, they already got you outside,” he says, laughing. “Oh, we’re celebrating me being home after 4 years,” I reply. Like this is something to celebrate. “Okay, well go ahead. Enjoy yourselves, ladies,” he says as we walk in.

The lights are flashing blue and white, and the music is loud—I can feel the bass in my chest, vibrating through me. This is what I need. Normal. Fun. Something that doesn’t feel like that night, like the way everything changed when I saw who he really was. We walk to the bar the moment we step inside. I look around and don’t see anyone I know or anyone connected to Zion. No one obvious. That doesn’t mean he’s not here. “Eight shots of Henny, please,” I say to the bartender.

I turn around to face the dancefloor while we wait for the shots. It’s packed, bodies moving, heat rising, and the energy is everything I need right now. It almost works. Almost. I look to the left, and my heart drops.

King. How?

No text. No warning. Just like that night, things happening before I could catch up.

I turn back to the bar and grip its edge. Hard. My fingers tightening around it. “You okay, Mani?” Alani asks. I just nod. Too quick. Too fake. The bartender puts the shots in front of us, and I down mine back to back, hoping the burn will slow my thoughts down before I start thinking like I did that night, and ease my fear. It spreads through my chest—but the fear stays. “Can I have two more?” I say. He pours them out, and I throw them back. The burn eases the tension in my shoulders. A little. Not enough.

“You look like you’re running from something,” a smooth voice says next to me.

I turn and see a light-skinned guy standing there, tattoos peeking out from his shirt. Grey eyes. Tall, built. “maybe I am,” I say. My voice comes out steadier than I feel. He nods and smiles as if he understands everything about me now. He doesn’t. Not even close. “Want to dance?” he asks.

I roll my shoulders. “Sure,” I say, trying to ignore the hairs on the back of my neck rising from feeling like I’m being followed. Like I’ve already been found. He grabs my hand; it’s soft and warm, and he pulls me onto the dancefloor.

Before we even start dancing, That same feeling creeps up my spine, the one I felt right before everything went wrong that night.

Then I feel it. Eyes on me. Heavy unmoving and locked on me.

I follow the feeling and see, in the office over the dancefloor, looking right at me—

Zion. Not moving. Not reacting. Just watching me, like he already knew where I would be standing

My hands start shaking. Worse this time.

The guy notices. “Hey, you okay?” he asks, searching my face.

“Yeah, just distract me,” I reply. Please.

He follows my gaze for a moment, then locks eyes on Zion. He nods once, then looks back at me and pulls me further onto the dancefloor.

“So you’re running from somebody, not something,” he says,

and I freeze.

Because I already know, Zion isn’t just watching me.

He’s waiting....for me.

Like he’s been waiting since the night I ran.

Like coming back here didn’t change anything,

it just put me right back where he expected me to be.