"You didn't hear me jus' say best?" Tech looked at him weirdly. Ari thought the same thing but didn't want to be the one to say anything.

"We gotta go, It was nice meetin' ya " She smiled before pushing the buggy past the man and leaving out the aisle.

"Why you ain' get his number or gave him yours? This is what I've been preparin' you fa' best" Tech nudges her a little.

She chuckled and shrugged "I'on know. He was cute but I'on know" She sighed.

"It's cause Bullet, you like him," Tech said, making her look over at him confused as to how he knew that.

"H-How— You can tell Ari. You have ta' be slow ta' not see it. The way y'all be hugged up together, the way you be lookin' at him" Tech said, she twisted her lips to the side. She didn't know it was so obvious now that it just made her want to distance herself from him even more.

"Why don't you jus' tell him?" He asked while they waited in the self-checkout line.

"You know that saying where some people are better off just friends? That's what we are. I'm not tryna get embarrassed either" She said. Ari just knew in her soul nobody was fine and single without having something on the side. Even though Makai never said it, she found it hard to believe that he didn't.

"How are you gon' get embarrassed?" He asked.

"You mean to tell me you don't know yo' boy prolly gettin' his cake too?" She turned to him and raised her brow. He didn't say anything back "Exactly. I'm not finna get embarrassed by the first person I ever liked. That's dead" She shrugged.

Tech started laughing "I didn't even say nun, you jus' assumin'. Don't let yo' overthinkin' get ta' you so much, it stops you from being happy" He advised before grabbing the buggy and going to an open check-out line.

Ari sighed, she hated liking people. It was too much.

_________________

"If she didn't want me ta' beat his ass, why talk to him?" Jae asked as he passed the blunt to Lu

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"If she didn't want me ta' beat his ass, why talk to him?" Jae asked as he passed the blunt to Lu.

Tech started laughing "Nigga what? You can't jus' go around beatin' folks cause they talkin' ta' Kassy" ManMan shook his head.

"Why not? That's her problem. She kno' how I get down" Jae scoffed.

"That ain' yo' girl nigga. You can't be doin' that" ManMan said, taking the blunt from Lu when he passed it.

Jae sucked his teeth and waved him off "Yes she is. I'm jus' givin' ha' some healin' time or whatever she asked for" He shrugged.

"And y'all be talkin' 'bout me? These two niggas are worst than me" Tech laughed, pointing to Jae and Makai.

"Nah Bullet ass be tryna shoot niggas that be tryna talk ta' Ari" Lu chuckled, Makai looked up from his phone when he heard his name and Ari's name.

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