Page 29 of Juliet's Echo

Mega nodded slowly. "That makes sense. This thing runs so smoothly you can't even tell whether the engine is on or not."

"Nobody asked you," I signed, hitting him with the stinkiest look I could conjure.

Psalm chinned toward my phone. "Call old man Echo and have him unlock it."

"Echo does not have the security information on my vehicle," I said sharply, both hands on my hips.

"Yeah, okay, bratty ass. That man probably knows your tire pressure," he laughed.

"He do too," said messy one and two, in unison — and a little too enthusiastically might I add.

I sucked my teeth and pulled out my phone. "Fine. I'll call my father."

Small chuckles escaped from the three people irritating me the most right now.

"What's up, baby girl?" My father answered on the second ring.

"Daddy, my Jeep won't start. It was fine when I parked but now I don't know what's happening."

"Ju-Ju, did you forget to turn it off?" my mother asked from the background.

"Probably — you know how you both are," my father responded to her. She popped him with what sounded like a stack of papers.

Psalm looked away, clearly fighting back a smile.

"Can you unlock it, Daddy?"

And then, because the universe had a personal vendetta against me, he said — "Call Echo. He has access to unlock it remotely."

Why, Juliet. Why did you put your father on speaker?

Yahya slapped the door handle. Mega bent over laughing. Psalm closed his eyes for half a second like he needed a moment to collect himself before the laugh got loose.

I wanted to evaporate.

"You want me to call him for you?" my father offered.

"I got it, Daddy."

"Baby girl—"

"It's cool, Daddy. I got it."

He chuckled. "Aight. Call me back if you need anything. Love you."

"Love you too," I smiled, ending the call.

There was always a quiet reassurance behind my father's words. Like he was simply designed to make me feel settled. That peace lasted approximately four seconds before Psalm — still maddeningly calm, by the way — hit me with a look that saidsooooo?

"What?" I said.

"You gonna call him or not?"

"Yeah, when I'm ready. Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"I sure do," he said, climbing out of my car. He turned toward the windshield. "Y'all want to ride with me?"

My two former best friends did not even hesitate.