Every Kind of Way

33.

"Duke!" she shouted once she was inside. "Jeremiah!"

All her things clanked and clashed as she set them down on the kitchen bar before entering her living room. Her questions were answered the moment she came across he and his girlfriend slowly waking up on the couch. Of course, she thought to herself. Ever since he got his license he was on the road nonstop to get to his girlfriend. He was back and forth from Jupiter to Miami every weekend. Asha was happy the drive was only a hour because he never hesitated to jump on the interstate, especially knowing he could stay at her house.

"Did y'all even go to school?" she watched them separate and rub over their eyes.

"It was early release." Jeremiah laid back down once he realized it was his sister waking them up. "What you cooking? I took some meat out."

"You're so greedy." his girlfriend Nautica shook her head. "Hi Asha."

"Hey hun. You're spending the night tonight?"

"No, I have ACTs in the morning. I am staying for dinner tho. I already know my grandma not cooking."

"Okay." Asha turned for the foyer to get to the staircase.

"What are you cooking!?" Jeremiah called after her.

"Don't you know how to cook? I have somewhere to be tonight. And y'all know the deal, do not come up my stairs in none of these rooms. Stay right there in the living room."

"Oh, you late." he mumbled under his breath.

Asha paused, "What was that? Do not make me cockblock forreal forreal. I don't want any nieces or nephews from you for another five to eight years."

"I keep my peterwacker in a suit and tie. And we don't even do it like that, chill."

"You shouldn't be having sex to begin with but I'm happy you keep a condom on. Just keep it out of my house. You have a car."

"Oh nah, Bug. I can't do my thang the way I want to in a car. You forgot I'm damn near seven foot."

That was a shocker to everyone in the family, to see Jeremiah sprout the way he had. It seemed like the moment he hit fourteen he wouldn't stop growing and the taller he got, the more weight he shed. He was now 6'8 and slim which led to him quitting football and he had no interest of playing basketball. Therefore, he tuned more into his academics and was dual enrolled in high school and college. By time he graduated high school next year he'd be a junior in college.

"Leave me alone, Duke." she walked up the stairs to her bedroom. That was her way of letting him continue to handle his business when she was away from the house.

He was very open with her about his personal life and at times she could admit to not wanting to hear it. But she rather know too much than be in the dark. She could actually say she knew him as a person outside of being her little brother. It also allowed her to know where he was when her parents didn't because he shared his location with her and usually checked in with her. Even when he wasn't in Miami. He liked her knowing where he was incase anything ever happened. She appreciated that.

"You have a gift waiting on you!" he hollered as she disappeared to the second floor.

She opened the door to her bedroom to blue roses and a small gift bag sitting on her ottoman, "Oooh."

She took a whiff of the flowers then grabbed the card to read the note and find out the sender:

I'm excited to see you tonight. The gift is simply something to make the coldest in the city a little colder.

- Your boy.

A smile graced her lips as she tapped her teeth with her nail, reading over the words. She placed the card down and reached in the gift bag for the velvet box inside. Resting in the box when she popped it open was a white gold Miami cuban link bracelet.