Luxe by Ashley Antoinette Page A

could practically hear her soft voice in his ear as he read it again to himself. He had no paper, no pencil. Even the smallest things in prison were a luxury. His mother was the only person he would expect to fill his commissary, but he would never fix his mouth to ask her. She had worked hard day in and out to take care of him and his younger siblings. He wouldn’t take a dollar from her, not to finance a jail stint. He would never burden her in that way.
    He folded the letter in his hands and tucked it beneath the tattered mattress. It had fueled him to hear from Bleu, but he knew that even if he had an envelope or a pen to reply, he wouldn’t. His silence would be her only reply. For her own good, it was best if she stayed away … far away.
    *   *   *
    Bleu winced as she gently cleansed her incision site with warm water. It was a gruesome sight and would leave an equally hideous scar. It would forever remind her of the day that she had almost died. Without warning the bathroom door opened, and China came stumbling in. Bleu quickly grabbed her robe and tried to cover herself, but not before China caught a glimpse of her.
    â€œOh my God. What happened to you?” she asked.
    Bleu tied her robe tightly at the waist. “It looks worse than it is. Don’t worry about it.” It was a blatant lie and they both knew it. Bleu grabbed her toothbrush out of the holder as suddenly the door opened again, and a dark-skinned girl with jet-black hair entered. “Apparently, nobody knocks around here,” Bleu said.
    â€œDon’t worry about it. You’ll get used to it,” the girl said. She was gorgeous. Skin the color of hot chocolate and legs as long as stilts. She was the model type, flawless in her panties and bra, as she walked around without shame.
    â€œI’m Aysha,” she introduced herself. She was the first friendly face Bleu had encountered and Bleu returned Aysha’s smile as she replied, “Bleu.”
    Aysha turned to China and said, “So much for your solo room, huh?”
    â€œI guess so,” China replied. China folded her arms as she eyed Bleu curiously. She pointed her finger. “How’d you get that?” China asked, motioning to the wound on Bleu’s back that was far from healed.
    â€œI told you it’s nothing,” Bleu insisted.
    â€œYeah, that type of stitch isn’t nothing!” China shot back.
    â€œWhat are you, a doctor?” Bleu shot back defensively as her brows dipped low. She walked back into her dorm room, and the other girls followed her.
    â€œShe’s pre-med,” Aysha informed Bleu.
    â€œAnd I know enough to know that that wound is serious. You have to take care of it. It’s not a small scrape. If you don’t make sure it’s clean, it’ll get infected. Let me see it,” China said.
    â€œWhat?” Bleu replied.
    China stormed over to her and snatched the belt off of her robe, causing Bleu to clutch it, keeping it together with her hands.
    China gave her a look, and Bleu sighed, realizing that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Bleu revealed herself and Aysha covered her mouth in shock.
    â€œWhat happened to you?” she asked with worry, sympathy filling her gaze.
    Bleu’s body was healing, but it left gruesome bubble scars behind. They were purple, and the stitches that kept everything together made her look like Frankenstein. She knew it was ugly. It had taken weeks for her to get used to looking at the aftermath. It was hard on the eyes. The bullet had left a physical scar that she would carry for life, not to mention the mental one.
    â€œI was shot. That’s why I didn’t start the term on time,” Bleu admitted quietly, almost whispering.
    Aysha shook her head as she frowned. “Damn, girl, somebody fucked you up,” she said. “You sure you’re even ready to be here?”
    Bleu chuckled a little bit as her eyes