Love cost me EVERYTHING

Charity was used to coming out at night for Barry.

“What am I, a bat? I only see you at night,” Charity asked as she hopped into his black Infiniti, pulling the door shut behind her.

Barry let out a low laugh, one hand resting on the steering wheel.

“I handle shit during the day. My fault.”

Charity turned her head slowly and gave him a dry look.

“You always say that.”

“What?”

“‘I handle shit.’ That’s all I ever hear.” She folded her arms across her chest. “You disappear all day, pop up around midnight talking about you miss me, then expect me to jump in the car.”

Barry glanced over at her. “You did jump in the car.”

“Don’t get smart.”

He smirked, but it faded when he noticed she wasn’t joking.

“You know my life ain’t regular, Charity.”

“And you think mine is?” she shot back. “I got work in the morning. I got responsibilities. I can’t keep sneaking around like I’m your little after-hours hobby.”

Barry tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“It ain’t like that.”

“Then what is it?” she asked. “Because I don’t know if I’m your girl or your night shift.”

Silence filled the car.

The usual playful comeback never came from Barry.

Instead, he stared through the windshield before finally speaking.

“You really think that’s how I see you?”

Charity shrugged, looking out the passenger window.

“I think people make time for what matters to them.”

Barry exhaled heavily.

“You matter, Charity.”

“Then let me exist in your daylight too.”

For the first time that night, Barry didn’t have an excuse ready.

The engine idled as the city lights reflected across the windshield.

“Come with me tomorrow,” he said quietly.

Charity looked back at him, suspicion written all over her face.

“Tomorrow? During the day?”

Barry nodded once.

“Yeah. But if I’m bringing you into my daytime world…” He paused before looking over at her. “You gotta understand, you might not like everything you see.”

Charity studied his expression. The joking, smooth-talking version of Barry was gone.

“What exactly do you do during the day, Barry?”

He shifted the car into drive.

“You still wanna know?” he asked.

Charity swallowed hard.

“Ask me again when you hear the answer.”

Barry pulled away from the curb, the black Infiniti gliding through the quiet streets.

Charity kept her eyes on him.

“You not about to do that mysterious act with me,” she said. “Either tell me or don’t.”

Barry kept his attention on the road.

“It ain’t an act.”

“Then talk.”

He let out a breath through his nose before reaching into the center console. He pulled out a pack of gum and tossed it in her lap.

“You always chewing my head off. Here.”

Charity stared at the gum before looking back at him.

“Barry.”

His jaw tightened.

“I do collections.”

“Collections?” she repeated. “Like bills?”

He didn’t answer right away.

“People owe money.”

“And?”

“And I make sure they pay.”

The car fell silent.

Charity slowly turned in her seat to face him.

“You breaking kneecaps?”

Barry laughed once, but there wasn’t much humor in it.

“It don’t always get there.”

“But sometimes it does?”

He glanced at her.

“Sometimes people only understand certain languages.”

Charity looked away, processing what he wasn’t saying just as much as what he was.

“So all this time…” she trailed off. “You out here collecting debts for who?”

Barry drummed his fingers against the steering wheel.

“The less you know about that, the better.”

“See, that’s exactly the problem.” Charity shook her head. “You ask me to trust you while keeping me in the dark.”

“You think I like it?” Barry snapped before catching himself. “I’m trying to protect you.”

“Protect me from what? The truth?”

Barry didn’t answer.

A few minutes later, he pulled into an empty parking lot overlooking the water. The city skyline shimmered in the distance.

He killed the engine.

“I grew up fast,” Barry said quietly. “My moms worked herself to death trying to keep the lights on. By sixteen, I was making money however I could.”

Charity listened without interrupting.

“It started small,” he continued. “Running errands. Delivering messages. Then people started trusting me with bigger jobs.”

“And now?”

“Now I can’t just walk away.”

Charity studied his face. The confidence he usually wore like expensive cologne had cracked.

“You ever think about getting out?”

“Every day.”

“Then why don’t you?”

Barry finally looked at her.

“You think it’s that easy? Men I know tried to leave. Some disappeared. Some ended up in prison.”

He paused.

“And some ended up in graves.”

Charity’s stomach twisted.

“You should’ve told me.”

“I know.”

“You don’t get to decide what risks I can handle, Barry.”

“I wasn’t trying to control you.”

“Then what?”

He stared at her for a long moment.

“I didn’t want you looking at me different.”

Charity’s eyes softened.

“I already am.”

Barry looked down at his hands.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

Charity reached over, placing her hand over his.

“I didn’t say it was all bad.”

He looked up at her.

“But I need honesty if you want this to work,” she said firmly. “I can’t keep being your midnight girlfriend while you hide the rest of your life from me.”

Barry squeezed her hand.

“You really staying after hearing all this?”

Charity let out a small sigh.

“I’m staying long enough to see if the man I care about is serious about changing.”

Before Barry could respond, his phone lit up against the dashboard.

One name flashed across the screen.

Malik.

Barry’s expression immediately darkened.

He declined the call.

The phone rang again.

And again.

Charity glanced between him and the screen.

“You should answer it.”

Barry hesitated before picking up.

“What?” he barked.

The voice on the other end was loud enough for Charity to hear.

“We got a problem. Darnell’s little brother talking to the police. And somebody gave them your name.”

Barry went completely still.

Charity felt her blood run cold.

Slowly, Barry turned to look at her.

“…Looks like tomorrow just got a lot more complicated.”

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