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

THIRTY-SEVEN

Imma just leave this here...

-

K E E Y A

The sound of rain whispered around me as I continued to drive with the cool air from the A/C circulating my car and Dantae next to me. The space was silent but not without sound since cars passing, dogs barking, and the music playing from the occasional shops we passed by danced along with the rain, but we weren't talking. This was our usual though, silence, the war conditioned us that way—left us that way. I probably understood his silence more than I did his words as a yawn left me, making my still lingering exhaustion clear as I pulled into the parking lot of the club.

The rain had been falling all morning, which meant puddles had gathered in certain areas in the parking lot, creating a mirror for the sky to look at itself, and drove through one distorting the image as I turned into my usual spot.

I ain't get nearly enough sleep for me to be up right now.

Yet still it was the most I had got in a long ass while, and I would've stayed asleep if I ain't have responsibilities to attend to. I had to make sure everything was set for tonight, camera checks, bar restock and all that stuff. Then Imma leave and come right back for my shift.

And the rain had me knowing shit was gon be hectic tonight.

Not only hectic but a huge mess to clean up after.

The rain also meant Pulsion wasn't gon come in today, but I wished she was coming in since I ain't hear from her since yesterday, and a part of me was worried that she still felt a way about the miscommunication we had, even though it ain't seem like it then but...it could be like that now especially if she has been dwelling in her mind about it. I was worried that shit pushed her back in h—

"I just got an email back from them people, I got the apartment," Dantae voiced suddenly from the passenger seat next to me as I placed the car in park, and it had me looking over to him after a step out of my mind.

"That's good, man," I told him with a genuine smile over the sound of the rain falling around us as he placed his phone away. "You tell Zane yet?"

"Nah, Imma move in first," He replied as I began sending my car seat back sum. "I might need a drive over there later,"

"I got you,"

"Thank you," He voiced, and I knew he was giving gratitude for more than just my offer to drive him, and I appreciated that. "You gon smoke sumn before coming in?"

"Yeah,"

"Aitte, Imma start making sure them cameras straight," He assured, and I nodded, watching as he pushed his gun into his waist before opening the door and getting out.

With only me now inside the car, I reached into the chest pocket on my button-down for my lighter and already rolled blunt.

This was sum shit I needed to get through today.

So with a place of the blunt between my lips and light of the exposed end, I took a pull.

INHALE

HOLD...

EXHALE

The second that smoke left my lips, so did half of the tension resting in my body, and it had me tossing my lighter between my legs as I stared forward at the raindrops falling against my windscreen before flowing down.

PIT

PAT

It was a soothing sound that reminded me of my childhood. From me imagining raindrops racing on my dad's car window, to how my grand-dad used to get me, whether I was free, busy, playing or sleeping—he would come get me and bring down to the cattle fields and we would sit with umbrellas over our heads just rain watching.