DETERMINATION | Book One

C H A P T E R 1

C H A P T E R

O N E

     Ahmad sat behind his desk looking at a few of his tattoo designs he drew the following night. Examining the drawings he bit his lip wondering if they really met his taste and liking.

Ahmad was his own biggest critic, something he could have drew could be amazing but in his mind he break it down piece by piece and find ways to hate it.

In his head he knew he could have done better work but he also knew one of his clients would like it either way.

Shrugging the thoughts off and pushing them to back of his mind, he placed the drawings back into his folder neatly, then stood up from his desk to go open up his shop for the day.

Leaving out his office he played with the keys in his hands bobbing his head to an unknown tune, making noises with his mouth completely oblivious to his workers being there already.

They all respected and loved Ahmad like family, but they also worried about him a lot too. All he did was work, he didn't go out much .. well scratch that he didn't go out at all. He stayed to himself, never let anyone inside that mind of his and was real quiet and closed off. He laughed here and there, made a joke or two but that's about it.

You got nothing else from him, a smile was really rare so people never knew if he was upset or not and even if he was .. you wouldn't know.

He came off mean because of the way he looked and the natural mug that rested on his face but once you got to be around him you saw he wasn't mean at all, unless you got him to that point but nobody ever has.

Some people even think he's crazy because of the looks he gives people and how he can easily read folks before they can even utter a word. It was something he picked up on as a kid.

But no one truly knew that Ahmad was like this all for a reason.

Growing up he came in contact with a lot of people. He instantly knew who the real and fake were by the vibes he got, in a way he felt he was blessed with a gift since he could sense a person's true intentions before they revealed them.

That was until .. he met this special young lady.

Chanel..

She was the only person he let in, which in his mind was the biggest mistake he could've ever made. But it was like he couldn't read her, everything felt authentic to him when it came to her. He gave this girl his heart, he opened up to her .. he trusted her. He felt the two were going to be forever but that dream ended when she broke the trust and his heart.

The words "I love you," left her lips so easily as if she meant them but sadly she didn't. She saw Ahmad as a meal ticket, she knew first glance he was going to be somebody and wanted to hop on that train. But what she failed to realize was that Ahmad would have done anything to keep her happy, he would've gave her his last breath if he had too.

But she was in the relationship for all the wrong reasons, she was using him for his money, looks and status. Ahmad was known around the neighborhood because he played football and was pretty good at it. She loved that about him too, plus she loved braggin' to folks about how he was her man and her man only but was creepin' on the low with his bestfriend..