FULL CIRCLE

O9.

🎶 Now playing: Rolling Stone by Brent Faiyaz.

"I messed up, I messed up!" Justine hysterically screamed after budging into the warehouse. "Where's Morris?" She questioned after seeing Devon leaning against the dark oak desk.

"Out there fixing whatever mess you got us into. How could you slip up like that, J?" He yelled over her sobs. "Do you know what could happen if this whole operation blows up? Someone is definitely onto us."

Justine offered to take less stock and even pay cuts after Devon instructed her to lay low. Of course she wasn't willing to compromise her ability to buy designer and take care of her family for a minor slip up.

Ms Maya had been on and off calls, trying to secure a lawyer for Antonio after his father suggested they wait until morning to see him. Ms Maya could only hope that his plan would get him out because he was the last person to be guilty of the crime he had been accused of.

Roman let himself in and walked in on Ms Maya scratching off a name on her list, or at least he assumed. "Hey mama..." he spoke with his head hanging low.

Ms Maya looked up at him to hug him, "Hi baby, how is he? Is he alright?" She questioned with great concern. Roman shook his head, "Didn't say anything the whole time. We need to get him out of there, we need to find out who did this."

"Antonio will be fine, this whole thing will blow over soon." Morris walked into the house and straight past them.

The morning after...

If all went well according to Morris' plan, Antonio would be a free man as he should. He was sitting across Devon, who'd appeared bright and early to brief him, which he found random and awkward. "Did Morris send you to come fulfil his fatherly duties?" He bluntly asked.

"Ant man... I don't even know what to say. All I know is that your father will get you out," Devon tried to be as sincere as possible as Antonio kept still in the holding cell. "So they found two?"

Devon sighed after Antonio's long silence. He was basically ignoring him. "I don't know why you're here Devon but this is a little too convenient considering all this stock Morris has offered to buy. You ain't gotta tell me anything, but this is not going to get in the way of my dreams. Trust." He spoke softly with his eyes still gazing into space.

"Everybody knows your father. That weight could've been planted by the delivery guys for all we know... this kind of stuff happens to people like him." Devon tried convincing him as hands remained firm on the bar cells. Antonio finally looked at him, shook his head once again before looking away.

~

Ms Maya rolled her eyes and huffed in agitation as Justine walked into the closed store. Ms Maya had been mopping the floors. "What is it, Justine?"

"No one showed up today?" She softly asked as she studied the empty shop. "I told them to take the day off, and as for you? You should be fired by now but the only thing keeping you here is Antonio's soft spot for you. What have you done to him, have you poisoned him?" She rudely asked in defence of someone she took as her very own son.

Justine let out a small gasp, "Ms Maya I don't know what you're insinuating but-"

Ms Maya walked closer to her, "You're a distraction. We all know you don't love him. Whatever convenience he brings into your life won't last much longer." Her tone remained firm and steady. Justine pressed her lips together, nodding at the clear disapproval Ms Maya had just expressed. She slowly backed away before walking out.

~

"Toscana, patient file please!" One of the dentists yelled out, making Lee nudge her friend to snap her out of her trance. "Reign!" She said before pointing towards the waiting doctor. Reign awkwardly cleared her throat before completing the request.

Lee waited for Doctor Wood to walk off before speaking up, "Girl, get it together. Rent, your semester tests, you. Those are all the things you should be focusing on, not Antonio." Lee advised. Reign looked up at her after capturing something into the computer. "You're right, but I don't know, I genuinely can't stop thinking about him."

"Just stop. Simple."

Reign shrugged Lee off to get her off her case, even though her mind wandered. She couldn't bring herself to go see him, to ask about him, and that was probably for good reason. However, her heart had already decided what it wanted, even though her mind told her it wouldn't be logical.

~

"Antonio Mills," an officer unlocked the cell bar. "You're a free man, all charges against you have been dropped." Antonio's eyes got wide as he gladly walked off without looking back. Ms Maya stood outside happily waiting. She pulled him into a reassuring hug as Morris leaned against the car. "Your father took care of everything."

"My bad for all that inventory. Someone probably took it as a chance to make us look bad. We'll lay low for a bit." He continued. All Antonio did was give him a long stare before getting inside the car. "That's all you have to say..." Antonio softly spoke to himself and chuckled dryly, feigning for one of Ms Maya's hot meals and a hot shower.

The drive home was silent of course, with Antonio deep in thought; a usual habit, but this time around he couldn't shake off the bad feeling he had. Two illegal guns? His father's handsome investments into something he was vocal about not supporting? Something was definitely off and he was going to find out, whether he liked it or not.

~

"Do you have a minute?" Roman asked Reign as she sighed and put her notepad down. "Did Antonio send you? I made it clear that I didn't want to see him."

She was at her usual spot at the beach when Roman ended up coming in order to speak to her. "I know things are a bit complicated between you guys... but New Artist Joint is this Friday and we've secured a spot. He'll be performing and obviously I'll be on the sound. I think it would mean the world to him if you were there, especially after what he's been through..." he explained, going on about the annual night show for new artists to showcase their talents. It had finally made its way to their small town and Roman made sure to grab that opportunity with both hands.

"Antonio strung me along and said a whole bunch of sweet nothings all while he had a girlfriend, I like Tone but I don't need any drama in my life, I've been through it already."

Roman joked, hoping to soften her up, "Tone?" He laughed, making Reign roll her eyes. "Shut up..."

"I can't speak on his previous relationship with J, but give my boy a chance, see how it goes... and you can do that by showing up. Please?" He pleaded.

"I'll see. You can leave now, I have a Bioethics and Health Law paper to study for." She shrugged him off as he stood up. "Friday night Reign. I'm counting on you!"

~