FULL CIRCLE

23.

🎶 Now playing: There Will Be No Crying by Cleo Sol.

Justine turned viciously from her track of walking after hearing the words that had left Ms Maya's mouth. She and Antonio were just about to enter the store for the day when Justine heard her say she's going to the police with the footage. It was by pure coincidence that she made it to work shortly after them and not as if she had been following them.

Walking back in the opposite direction, she pressed Morris' number immediately, "Look, we have a bigger problem." She paced quickly, at this point making her way to the warehouse.

"What, Justine?" Morris replied irritably. It's all Justine got out of him lately. He wanted her out a while ago but she knew too much.

"Uh... there's evidence. Ms Maya really knows what's up."

"Get here immediately."

~

"She knows it's me. She has everything figured out and she's about to go to the police. Antonio's probably willing to turn witness if it goes that far..."

After a long pause that had Justine shaking in her boots, Morris finally spoke, "You said the girl's name is Reign... right?" A smirk followed his question.

Devon placed his gun behind his jacket, preparing himself to execute the plan they had worked tirelessly to acquire information for. "Toscana. Works at the practice. Pretty brown skin, fine and fit as hell..." his bottom lip tucked in between his teeth.

"Devon please," Justine raised her hand at him. "No funny business. Please don't hurt her."

Morris let out a dry laugh, "Come on J, cold feet? That's unlike you, especially as the mastermind behind this beautiful plan. It's on by the way, we're going ahead."

"That's a copy, big M." Devon replied as he walked out.

Justine's eyes wandered with his footsteps before she scurried towards him. "Devon!"

"Relax baby. I'll be innocuous... you're lucky she fine. Imma just scare her a little bit." As usual, his hand was slapped away by Justine out of his habit of softly groping her face. Or attempting rather.

~

Antonio had spent half an hour pacing back and forth outside the store arguing with Lee about speaking to Reign.

"Lee please! She threatened to get a restraining order against me if I kept showing up at her doorstep. I really need to speak to her and fix my mess. Can you at least get her to come and talk to me?"

"Oh please Antonio, you already know I don't like you so why would I conspire with you against my home girl? You went back to your curly head crook and you want me to help you? Oh no, baby." Lee sassed over the phone, eventually hanging up.

Antonio cursed under his breath before Ms Maya walked out to come stand with him, people watching as they usually did when standing outside. "See how she didn't show up today? She knows we're onto her." She said, referring to Justine.

"Reign's still not talking to me." He responded as he tugged on his facial hair.

"She broke up with you, and to be honest I don't blame her..."

"Ma please alright? I messed up, you got it. I just need this shit to be over," he got interrupted by a light pop behind his head.

"I think we have everything need, Antonio..." Ms Maya's slick glare locked into his orbs. He nodded slowly in agreement.

"We'll head there after closing down."

Later that night...

Wiping a tear from her face was the bitter ending to Reign's long visit to the beach. There she sat quietly with the presence of indistinct chatters of people passing by, her inconsistent sobs and a shared playlist with Antonio being accompanied the ocean's light swooshes as it exuded memorable songs in her ears. Riley had gone back home for work; they'd been keeping contact on the phone but it was getting scarcer each day.

She also didn't have the energy to face Lee other than at work. She needed space and time to think about her circumstance, how she would make it work, how she would finish her practicals and the rest of her studies all while tending to a growing baby in her belly.

She had already been through so much in life that this was one more obstacle she was uncertain whether she'd make it out. She stood up from the blanket and shook it to clear it of the soft sand before throwing it into her tote bag. She pulled her hoodie over her head, wiping her flushed face before walking back home. She had sat in her spot for so long that she didn't notice how dark it had become.

Walking back home was slower than usual but she picked up her pace once she noticed a car cruising down the road. As if everything took place in an instant, Devon, with his identity hidden by a ski mask, trudged towards Reign and picked her up, making her scream coarsely. He covered her mouth and chucked her into the black vehicle.