get a fucking grip.

And quickly.

Last night the thought of kissing Ayoluwa had flitted briefly through his mind and the fact that he had even considered the action was making Joshua start to panic.

He should not be catching feelings for someone like her.

The only thing that the two had in common was they were both from Los Angeles and that was it.

Everything was turning topsy tursy for him and he needed to turn it right side up.

Ayoluwa was still upstairs in the bedroom, probably playing guitar while Joshua sat at the kitchen table, his phone propped against a silver napkin holder.

His arms were folded and his forehead was pressed against the cold glass.

The ringing of his phone in front of him caused Joshua to groan and pick his head up.

On his cell phone was an incoming FaceTime call from Jalen.

"I can't deal with this nigga and his perfect relationship right now." Joshua muttered as he hit the red button.

But then Jalen called again making Joshua scrunch his eyebrows then answered the call, "Hello?"

Jalen was clearly on a beach with a row of palm trees behind him, "What's good?"

Joshua leaned back in his chair a little with a chuckle, "Nothing."

Joshua didn't understand why Jalen was calling especially since the last time they had spoken, Jalen was rushing to get off the phone.

Jalen sighed, "Look, I'm not trying to lose any friends over my girl but I need you to chill out about Lani, bruh."

Joshua rolled his eyes, "It's not about her, bruh. It's just about how you can't do anything witho-."

"Lovebug, pass me that water bottle?" Noelani's voice came through in the background.

"Yeah, here." Jalen responded.

Joshua sighed as soon as Jalen's eyes were back on the screen, "You see what I mean?"

Jalen glanced at Noelani then back at the phone screen, "I mean... I do but at the same time, the minute me and her get back to California, I'm gonna be busy with basketball and she's gonna be busy with school... We're not gonna have much time for each other and it's kinda freaking me out."

A new thought occurred to Joshua.

Maybe, just maybe, Joshua and Jalen were sharing the same fears about the future but with different responses.

Jalen was going all in with his new girlfriend while Joshua had done the exact opposite, he had made sure that there was no one who could possibly hold Joshua from venturing forward.

"I didn't... I didn't think about that." Joshua admitted.

Ayoluwa walked by in an orange bikini top and shorts, interrupting his thoughts making Joshua lean back a little to watch her past him.

"Where are you going?" Joshua asked.

"Swimming." Then Ayoluwa paused and turned back to him, "Would you maybe wanna come?"

"Would I wanna what?" Joshua blinked at the question trying to make sure he had heard her right.

"Swimming? Would you wanna go swimming with me?" Ayoluwa repeated, "If not, I-I get it."

What the fuck is this girl doing to me?

"Yeah, he does!" Jalen yelled from his end of the FaceTime.

Joshua gave him a look which only caused the other boy to snicker.

Joshua turned back to Ayoluwa, "Uh, yeah, sure."

She nodded, opened the back door, stepped out, then closed the back door behind her.

"Josh.." Joshua could faintly hear Jalen call to him.

But Ayoluwa was unbuttoning her shorts to leave them behind on the deck.

Joshua continued to watch through the back screen door as Ayoluwa stepped out of her denim shorts, rested them on the ledge then she strolled off to the pier.

"Gup. Gup. Yo, Josh!"

Joshua flickered his eyes back to his phone, a little annoyed that Jalen had interrupted his leering, "What?"

"Why you looking at her like that, bruh?" Jalen laughed, "Giving heart eyes like shit."

"Um, no I'm not." Joshua lied.

"Yeah, aight." Jalen laughed again.

"I gotta go," Joshua replied in a hurried tone.

"Okay." Then Jalen hung up the phone first.

Joshua changed into a pair of navy blue swim trunks, took off his shirt then joined Ayoluwa outside.

Ayoluwa was sitting on the pier, her feet skimming the water.

She looked up and smiled when Joshua's shadow crossed her skull, "Hey."

"You didn't have to wait for me." Joshua said as he sat down next to her, dipping his ankles into the crystal clear lake.

Ayoluwa shrugged, "It's fine. Swimming alone is beginning to get boring."

Joshua plucked at the beads around her waist, "What do these mean?"

"Well, each color is something different. White for spiritual energy. Blue for peace. Brown for endurance and yellow for joy." She explained, "But they're mainly there because I think they look cool."

Joshua nodded in agreement, "They do look pretty good."

Then he bit his tongue.

Why the hell did I say that?

Ayoluwa kept her eyes on the water then stood, "I'm gonna get in."

Joshua watched silently as Ayoluwa walked back to the middle of the pier, broke into a run and then did a cannonball into the water, her locs floating around her.

The water splashed Joshua's bare chest a bit as he chuckled at Ayoluwa's dramatics.

She resurfaced and then brushed back her hair, "Come on."

Joshua shook his head, "Nah. Fish pee in that lake, I'm good."

Ayoluwa rolled her eyes then stuck her hand up to him, "Help me up then."

Joshua took her hand and then Ayoluwa gripped his with both of her hands, pulling him into the water.

The lake wasn't as cold as he was expecting but when he resurfaced, Joshua was still half annoyed, "Really?"

"Yep!" Ayoluwa giggled.

And just like that, Joshua wasn't annoyed anymore.

"I have a question," Ayoluwa treaded closer to him.

"What's up?"

She hesitated then, "Do you really believe that relationships aren't for you? Like you'd never date anyone?"

Joshua raised a brow, "I mean, have you ever seen me with a girlfriend?"

Ayoluwa shook her head.

"They're... Okay. I guess," Joshua continued, "I'm just not in a rush. I haven't met anyone who would make me wanna act all lovey dovey and shit for her."

"So if you did..." Ayoluwa trailed off, "Then what?"

Her eyes flickered from the sun's reflection on the water then back to Joshua's face.

Joshua blinked a couple of times as he looked at her, "Then I would reconsider."

And then there was it again.

That rush of nerves, the longing to touch her.

To see how Ayoluwa would respond, Joshua moved near her.

Ayoluwa moved a couple of inches closer and then the sound of a boat starting on the other side of the lake surprised the pair enough for them to jump back from each other.

"Uh," Joshua drifted back a few more feet, "We forgot towels, I'll be back."

Then he was out of the lake was it was made out of lava.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

don't be too mad at me!!

I'm building tension😭😭

vote & comment, porfa!