Page 35 of Falling Into Gravity

Aku was on ten—sweating,sliding, and mouthing every bar like she wrote the lyrics herself. The DJ spun all her favorite hood classics, and her body moved like it had been waiting for this moment. She’d yet to even sit down—moving through the section, throwing her ass in a circle while rapping hardcore lyrics like she was a nigga and had indeed lived the life they so eloquently painted in their music. Good thing her hair had been trained because the sleekness of the bob wouldn’t stand a chance when it came to her and dancing.

Ahvi wasn’t much of a dancer, but she threw her hands up whenever the beat dropped. Let a track from the trenches play, and she was rapping right along with Aku because shehadlived the life. But when a Lunar song came on, she danced different. Slow, sexy, and proud. Because that was her man and his voice made her feel like she was floating.

Lunar noticed too. He leaned back in the corner of their booth with a drink in his hand, but his eyes never left Ahvi. The kind of eyes that said“yeah, she mine, and I dare you to forget it.”

Bu caught it, his blunt perched between his fingers while a grin tugged at the side of his mouth. “Nigga, she ain’t gon’ disappear,” he said, dragging on the blunt before blowing smoke out slow.

Lunar smirked, his dimples digging into his face. “Just gotta keep eyes on her. Last time I blinked, nigga stole my girl.”

“Aye!” Bu’s head snapped back as he let out one of them deep, guttural laughs that came from the soul. “You my young nigga. I love you like a brother—but that’s mywifenow.”

Pimp cackled so hard he almost choked on his drink. “Little Lunar, he said ‘wife now.’ Will Smith-ass nigga. ‘Keep my woman’s name out your muthafuckin’ mouth!’”

Devonte hollered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Y’all stupid.”

The energy was infectious. The kind of laughter that made your stomach hurt and your soul feel light. Everybody in that section had earned their joy. Built themselves up from pain, from loss, from ashes even. So now when they laughed like that? It hit different.

Before Bu could clap back, Noodle appeared like magic, easing herself between his legs like she belonged there, because she did. She ain’t say nothing. Bu wrapped his arms around her waist without a second thought, planting a kiss on her shoulder as she leaned into him. That kind of love didn’t scream—it whispered and still made the world shut up.

Ahvi followed suit, curling into Lunar’s lap. Their bodies meshed together perfectly. Like even when they wasn’t doing nothing, they were still in sync.

Aku sucked her teeth playfully. “So this what we doin’ now? Boo’d up and boring?”

Pimp leaned forward with fake offense. “Boring?” His eyes sat low and his dreads were freshly retwisted and hanging down his back. Pimp looked like he was loved properly.

She gave him the side-eye. “You used to let me sit on your lap and play in your hair.”

He chuckled. “I got a grown-ass man now…”

“Don’t nobody care,” she mumbled under her breath, pretending to give Devonte the stink eye.

“But maybe,” Pimp drawled, tilting his head toward the front of the section, “you ain’t gotta be lonely tonight.”

Aku’s brow lifted, confused—until her eyes landed onhim.

Devin walked in like he was the headliner. Hairline crisp, chain swinging, and that cocky grin on his face that she hated, now that he wasn’t hers to fawn over. Her chest tightened, her feet stilled, and her breath hitched just enough for everyone to notice.

The audacity.

Aku blinked then cut her eyes toward Bu. “You?” Her eyes pointed.

Bu threw his hands up, backpedaling like a guilty little boy. “On God, I ain’t invite him!”

“Then who did?” she snapped, her eyes scanning the section like she was tryna catch the traitor.

“I thought you might wanna talk to the nigga,” Pimp offered casually, sipping his drink.

“Oh, you thought wrong,” Aku muttered, turning her attention back to Devin, who was already headed in her direction, a calm smile playing on his lips like he hadn’t broken her into pieces she still hadn’t picked up.

He stepped to her slow, like he knew better than to rush her. “Aku.”

She didn’t respond at first. Just looked at him—really looked at him—and hated how fine he still was. That was the problem. Devin had the kind of pretty that made you forget how much he hurt you.

“What you doin’ here, Devin?”

“Came to see you,” he said like it was simple. Like it didn’t carry weight…like the air hadn’t shifted, the second he walked in and laid his eyes on her.

She folded her arms, tilting her head. “You coulda sent a text, or a carrier pigeon, ornothin’.” Her almond eyes bucked, ready to cuss his ass out.

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