HARDAWAY | trilogy

V2 - Chapter Twenty Nine.

𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀 𝐉𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐙

Sunny and slightly chilly first day of December. I run, my slip-on Vans kissing the concrete as I breathed steadily. My curly mane in a ponytail and whipped from side to side with my pace. I wore a hot-pink active mesh-lined windbreaker and athletic knit shorts, ribbed to my waist and high-rise. Trees lined the concrete pathway and ducks swam in the lake to the left side of me. Slowpoke I heard just as he dashed by me, leaving me further behind.

I chuckled lowly and swiftly increased my speed. I neared him, but he reached the wooden bench before me and hopped up and down in victory, shirtless in only light gray nike jogger pants and NMD Adidas Originals. Slowing down my pace, my heart throbbed in my chest and hands on my waist as I approached him. Sweat glistened over his toned biceps and chiseled abs.

"You cheated." I say getting my breathing pattern in tact.

"Sore loser," he slapped my behind before sitting on the bench.

"Track?" I asked as I sat beside him.

"Cross country. Soccer, football running back, basketball."

"Well you was just a sports playing mufucka huh?"

"Ain't have no choice. My Pop put us in all typ'a sports to keep us blinded by what was in front of our face."

"Oh, he was one of those father's?"

"Most definitely," he nodded his head. "Only person he really care bout is my li'l sister. Treat her like a princess. Us oldest three got threw into after school events or sports. If not those boxing or dumb-ass spelling bees; weird shit like that."

"Sound a little blessed. At least from my different life. My mother put her shit in front of our face; no blinders. Men after men, night and day." I released a deep breath, "Unloving herself and hated the daughters she brought into this world. You sound like you were a little neglected, but at least your mother genuinely loved you."

"My mother wasn't perfect either..." he confessed after a long pause, "She was alcoholic; a bad one. Plenty of times she damn near lost her badge but my Pop always found a way to get her job back. And my Pop. . . I just never found out why he is the way he is why he so disconnected in showing affection to his kids. He ain't have a Pop but my Grandma give the affection."

I shifted my body to face him more, "You ever asked him?"

"My brotha did. He don't talk bout his childhood."

"You should try and ask him again."

"If you've met my father, you would understand why I'm not."

"Eh, I've had enough of fucked-up parents."

He chuckled softly and looked at me. Biting lightly on his bottom lip, he pulled the zipper of my windbreaker down and revealed my mauve colored cut-out sports bra.

A smile tugged on my lips lightly, "What are you doing?"

"Just tryna see what's under here," he pulled the hem of my sports bra and it snapped back to my skin.