Page 73 of Falling Into Gravity

“Aight,” Lunar chuckled. “Mad and pretty it is.”

When they pulled up to the spot—a tucked-off, high-ceiling club off La Brea with no sign and velvet ropes—they handed the keys to the valet and stepped into the line-less VIP entrance.

The bouncer looked up, nodded. “Yo, Bu already inside. Told me to let y’all through.”

The second they stepped into the club, the atmosphere shifted. Bass shook the walls just right. Dark-lit with velvet booths, gold lights crawling across the polished floors, and the bar glowing with top shelf liquor. The air smelled like good weed, money, and expensive perfume.

Bu was in the back corner posted in a booth, legs spread wide like royalty, arms resting across the seat like hewasthe couch. He wore a dark denim jacket over a crisp white tee, gold tooth catching the light every time he smirked and his red hat flipped backwards. Calm…unbothered…sharp-eyed.

He clocked them instantly and stood to hug Aku first.

“There go myfavoritecrybaby,” Bu laughed into her hair, voice warm and wrapped in that lazy southern drawl Noodle couldn’t get enough of.

“I know you missed me,” she teased, holding on a second longer than necessary. “The beach house boring without me.”

Bu shook his head. “It is quiet with my wife not there.”

Aku gushed, pinching his cheek. “Aww, Bu and Noodle,” her lashes fluttered, loving how good love looked on her people.

“Watch out,” Bu laughed, shaking her off him.

She pulled back with a grin and let Lunar step in for the dap-up and shoulder bump. Lunar’s love for Bu extended like they shared blood. Bu had that kind of presence—like he’d seen some shit and walked away wiser, not colder.

They slid into the section, sitting on the couch just catching the vibes. Aku in the middle, Lunar on one side, Bu on the other.

“You still love the chaos, huh?” Bu asked, eyeing her dress before sipping from his glass. “Blue dress,” he added with a playful gleam in his eyes.

Aku shrugged. “It’s not chaos, it’s called doing me.”

“Sounds like a Gemini.”

“I’m a Virgo like your wife.”

“Same thing.”

Lunar burst out laughing, leaning back and nodding. “He got you there.”

Aku rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. She was glowing—soft, oiled, glittered, and petty. Her lengthy legs were tightly crossed. Her lips still glossy…makeup and hair flawless like always. She checked her phone once. Eyes scanning Malik’s message from earlier and how she still hadn’t responded. To be petty, she went into the Plugged In app to post a pic with the caption: doing me on La Brea.

Lunar was all in her phone. “You wild, Aku.”

“I’m not. He just needs to know you don’t run out on a bitch like me. I am the table, the chairs, the food, the fuckin’ floor…I change lives,” she preached.

“Sounds like that nigga on the same time Ahvi was on…don’t know good shit that was placed at their feet because survival never gave them a lifeline like that, so shit feels devilish—like a trick.” Lunar leaned back, waving a bottle girl over.

Aku blinked, letting what Lunar said sink in. There wasn’t much time before Bu was also dropping gems in her lap.

“Let me tell you something, Aku,” Bu said, watching her carefully now, tone lowering like he was dropping a parable. “When a man got real love in his face, it scares the hell outta him, especially if he ain’t never had it clean before. Sometimes he runs not ‘cause he don’t want it—but ‘cause he don’t know what to do with it. That don’t meanyoustop shining.”

Aku blinked. “I’m still outside though,” she muttered, grabbing the drink Lunar ordered for her.

Bu grinned. “Then be outside with your chin up, not for no reaction, do it simply ‘cause your people raised you to glow.”

Slowly, her head bobbed, something flickering behind her eyes. She wasn’t crying. But something was cracking.

It was probably the way the men in her family always poured into their women…always showed up with something more thanjust advice—something that stayed with you, settled in your chest and made you stand taller. It was the way theysawyou, even when you were trying to hide behind your attitude, your silence, your pretty little distractions.

Bu wasn’t talking down to her. He wasn’t scolding or preaching to her because he didn’t like the color Malik wore. He was grounding her, reminding her of who she was…of where she came from, and that was the part that got to her the most.

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