The Frequency Of Compulsion/GXG/ Grip The Series: Book One

ELEVEN

K E E Y A

The accumulated sounds of the gym danced around me as I moved to lay back on the weight bench once again. Sweat ran from my hairline down the sides of my face as I situated my arms on the bar with a deep collecting breath.

"I knew your ass was gon start without us," Jerome's voice suddenly stated, and I shifted my gaze to find him placing his bottle down with Loyal behind him grabbing a foam roller.

"You both late," I told him before lifting the weight from its resting place and bringing it down to my chest before pushing back up, repeating the sequence.

"That's why I knew," He voiced and I smiled as I continued my movements, each rep controlled, slow and precise while I took practiced breaths to aid them. "Push day?"

"Yeah," I groaned out, and he nodded as he moved over to Loyal, leaving me to perform my ten and re-rack the weight. "Y'all working in with me?"

"How deep in are you?" Loyal asked, rolling out while Jerome did some basic scratches.

"I got one more set of this with the hundreds then I'm going one fifty for 3 sets,"

"No, you go on ahead, I got next,"

"Aitte," I told him as I leaned forward to grab my water bottle, popping the top open before taking down some much needed sips, while he walked away from Jerome and I to another machine.

"So how was yesterday?" Jerome asked suddenly, but I knew the thought of asking wasn't sudden. He was waiting for Loyal to leave to bring it up outta respect for whatever I was gon say. "I seen you and Compulsion leave for a lil bit,"

"I had weed and she wanted weed, we just smoked," I told him as I closed my water bottle and placed it down by the weight bench, gaining a nod from him.

"She ain't feeling you?"

"We not talking bout that right now," I told him as I laid back down, preparing my hands.

"She ain't feeling you," He repeated in a more statement-like manner with a sound of amusement traveling with the words, and I simply lifted the weights once again to begin my final set of hundreds. "Loyal tried look out for you,"

"It's not that she ain't feeling me, she just...Ion know," I pushed out under the pressure the weight had on my voice.

"I can see you interested though," He voiced as he continued to stretch. "You not the weed sharing type,"

"I am interested,"

"Imma be praying for you then," He joked and I fought back a laugh as I looked his way while continuing my set. "I'm working in with you. Imma do one set of the hundreds and go straight into the one fifty, I jogged here so my body warm enough,"

"Hmm," I accepted as I did my final three and returned the weight to the weight bench.

"You know sumn though, I never thought I'd see you wanting to date a stripper," He commented as I sat up.

"What that mean?"

"Not on no judgement type shit, I mean like you lowkey a protective ass motherfucker," He clarified with a smile and I laughed as I stood up so he could take my place on the bench.

"Imma be good if it get there,"

"Shit," He said in disbelief as he sat on the bench. "Look I believe you will try, but—not on no disrespectful shit—Compulsion fine as fuck, weed ain't gon be enough to keep you calm enough from stepping out of character with motherfuckers,"

"Imma be good,"

"You sound like you tryna convince yourself," He said as he laid back and took hold of the bar with his eyes on me.

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L E A N A

The setting sun released its glowing reflection into the glass before me to create a warm hue, while the light wind that had been present all day ran its hand across the pieces of my exposed skin. After placing all my time in creating clothes for the girls and at the club all week, this was a much needed break.

I needed this. Just to sit in my sister's backyard with her and mom for our catch up sessions. I hadn't gotten a chance to slow down all week, the closest thing I had to a break was that smoke session with Keys, and that wasn't much.

"You look tired," My mom pointed out, and the sound of her voice had me lifting my eyes from the empty plate before me to plant it on her frowning face.

"I am," I confirmed as the smell of the well-seasoned meat that my brother-in-law, Franklin, was preparing only a few steps away on the grill continued to tease my hunger.

"You wanna sleep here tonight?" I heard my sister ask hopefully, and I smiled with a look back to see her walking over with a sleeping Jabri in her hold.

"No, I rather drive back today than tomorrow," I mumbled, allowing my eyes to follow her as she sat down around the fire pit with us, keeping Jabari pressed against her.

"You seeing anyone?" My mother inquired, suddenly and the routine question had my gaze returning to her with a suppressed eyeroll. Her eyes that were focused on her grandson had me knowing that his presence was what prompted this lil tradition.

I should've went and stayed with Frank.

"No,"

"You need to find you a wife and give me some grandkids before I die," She stated on cue and I sighed as I leaned further back into the white wooden chair I was seated in.

"Stop talking like that," I told her while fighting back the irritation that never failed to arrive in me when she spilled affirmations of death upon herself. "And you got yourself a grandkid right here,"

"Where is the one girl I saw you with last time?" She questioned while ignoring my previous statement and the emotions they traveled with.

"Who?"

"The one with the long braids," She expressed, lifting a hand from the arm of the chair she was in to brush down fly aways of her slowly graying hair with her palm. "And she has a lisp,"

"I don't know who you talking about," I responded with a frown as my search through my mind for a face came up empty.

"Yes you do," She persisted with a wave of her hand in my direction, earning a small snicker from my sister who was mostly focused on her phone. "And she got the big feet,"

"Michelle?" I asked while sounding unsure since it was simply a guess on my part.

"Yeah her," She confirmed with a smile.

"She's not a lesbian,"

"Well you need to find somebody, you can't just be alone forever,"

"I don't need a relationship to be happy,"

"As much as you think you don't need no love you do," She started before looking over to my sister, who was now kissing my nephew's head. "Because trust me I thought the same, just date, you never know what will happen,"

But it wasn't that easy.

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