white checkers piece diagonally.

Across the circular table in the kitchen sat Joshua, his still injured foot resting lightly in her lap from when she had changed the gauze.

He rubbed his chin in thought then moved his own black checkers piece.

"Hmm," Ayoluwa nodded approvingly, starting to mentally run through what moves she could make next.

Before she could push her piece across the board, Ayoluwa's phone vibrated with a text from her friend, Giovanni.

She quickly texted back then put her phone back on the glass table.

Joshua glanced at her phone then sat up in his chair, "Aight, so I have a question and don't get mad. It's curiosity not be trying to be an asshole, I swear."

She could feel her stomach clench up at the potential rudeness of the question.

This is when the other shoe is gonna drop.

Ayoluwa moved another piece, "Me getting mad depends on what the question is."

"Why are you only friends with guys? Like you might be the only girl I know with no other girls in their friend group?" Joshua asked, his gaze on her.

Ayoluwa relaxed her stiff position at how casual the question was.

"Um, I don't know. Everyone I'm around now has been around for a couple years. Girls at school didn't really like me because of them or they would act like they did to get to my friends so..." Ayoluwa shrugged.

"So just friends? With everyone?" Joshua took his turn.

Ayoluwa nodded, "It's all platonic. None of us have thought about doing anything."

"Please," Joshua scoffed, "They've thought about it."

Ayoluwa simply stared at him for a moment then moved a checkers piece, "No, they haven't. They all said that they haven't."

"Those guys you chill with? Bronny? Dior? They've all thought about it at least once." Joshua clarified.

"Okay, Bronny yeah, Shaqir maybe, but definitely not anyone else." Ayoluwa said, "They don't see me that way."

She pushed back a few of her locs so that they covered her back then readjusted herself in the chair.

"The one who's the most touchy feely is the one who thinks about it the most." Joshua replied in a matter of fact tone.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Ayoluwa rolled her eyes a little.

"It's your go." Joshua pointed out.

"I have a question for you and it's your turn not to get mad." Ayoluwa said.

Joshua gave her a curious look, prompting Ayoluwa to continue, "Karina? Out of everyone you chose Karina? You know she's a dumbass right?"

Joshua laughed, "She's not that bad. But then again, we didn't really talk while we were in the same room."

Ayoluwa scrunched up her nose in disgust, "Ew. Again, she's dumb."

Joshua shrugged, "She was good for the moment. And now that moment is over."

"So you're a hoe?" Ayoluwa prompted.

"What? No. It's just fun for both sides."

Ayoluwa shook her head, "Ion get how people live that way. Only hooking up and never committing."

At her words, Joshua let out an exaggerated sigh, simultaneously lulling his head back, "People live that way because it's fun. I'm young, the fuck I look like trying to settle down?"

Ayoluwa shook her head again, "It's your go. And there's nothing wrong with settling down! My grandparents were married for almost fifty years before my grandpa passed."

"Yeah and they probably got married in what? Their late twenties right?"

"Their late teens."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My grandma was seventeen and my grandpa was nineteen when they got married."

Joshua shook his head then moved his foot more firmly in her lap.

Ayoluwa shrugged and Joshua continued, "It'll be a cold day in hell before I take one of these clown ass girls serious. All of my friends wanna be simps and I refuse to be like them."

Ayoluwa raised her eyebrows, amused, "Can you elaborate?"

"Like my friend Jalen right. He dropped everything he had going back here just to move to Hawaii with her. Keep in mind, that her family lives there too, and that he's never been over there before right now. All for her. Doesn't it sound crazy?"

Ayoluwa smiled, "No, it sounds really romantic."

Joshua rolled his eyes and Ayoluwa kept going, "I want love like that. Scratch that, I want a kind of love that India.Arie talks about in The Truth."

Joshua blinked, "Who?"

Ayoluwa sighs, "Never mind. I forgot all you listen to is rap."

"No, explain. C'mon." Joshua nudged a piece forward on the board.

Ayoluwa gives him a once over then moves a piece, "India.Arie is one of my favorite singers ever and she has this love song called The Truth. And she talks about how her and her lover know each other so well that there's no way they weren't together in a past life."

She blows out a breath, "And if even if things don't work out and they do break up, she's knows she's a better woman now because she got to experience someone who just wanted to build her up. That's the kinda love that I want one day."

"Can you sing it for me?" Joshua asked softly.

"I'm not a radio, Josh." Ayoluwa groans.

"Please?" Joshua begs.

Ayoluwa straightens in her chair a little then sings, "Cause he is the truth, said he is so real, and I love the way that he makes feel and if I am a reflection of him, then I must be fly, because his light shines so bright, I wouldn't lie."

Joshua was giving her an expression so intense that it was sending chills down the length of her spine.

Ayoluwa coughed a little then broke the eye contact, "Or... Or something like that. It's um, your turn."

Once Joshua looked away, Ayoluwa glanced at the koi fish tattooed around her ankle, praying that her face wasn't as hot as she felt inside.

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