Page 62 of Justice II

“No.”

“Okay.”

“How did you find me?”

“I’ve been looking all over for you.”

He rubbed his thumb over the zipper on his bag. I could tell he wasn’t sure about how he was supposed to receive me.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

“I know.”

“If he finds out…”

“He won’t hear it from me,” I said sternly while looking at him.

The bus pulled away from the curb. Keenan turned toward the window again, but I could see him looking at my reflection.

I had spent so much time imagining this conversation. In my head, he threw his arms around me before I even got his name out. Now my baby was sitting beside me trying to figure out how much trouble loving me could get him into.

“Look at me, Keenan.”

He did.

“I missed you.”

His mouth tightened. I reached for his hand, and he let me take it.

“I missed you, too.”

That was all I needed. I pulled him toward me, awkwardly hugging him around his book bag. He held on to the back of my blouse.

My baby had grown up so much. He had my almond-shaped eyes, Roman’s Nubian-shaped nose but my deep brown complexion. I could sense his lack of the confidence I’d seen the other boys carry over the last few weeks.

If I saw it, Roman saw it too and was probably trying to beat confidence into him. Of course that wasn’t going to ever work.

My eyes filled immediately.

“Oh, baby.”

I kissed his cheek. He was so much taller than I remembered. His shoulders were broader, and even his voice had changed. I had missed all of that.

When he pulled back, he wiped his face with his sleeve.

“Don’t start crying,” I whispered, reaching into my purse for a tissue. “You know I’m gonna be worse.”

He gave me a small smile.

I handed him the tissue before taking one for myself.

“What happened to your eye?”

His smile disappeared.

“I got in a fight.”

“With who?”