Every Kind of Way

19.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Asha asked, touching her arm. Victoria gave her a single shoulder shrug which meant she wasn't up for talking about it. "Where's Zeek?"

"Over there with Sanchez and his dad and please let him stay over there. He's getting on my nerves."

"Oh, that's what's wrong. Here have some of my drank." Asha offered a few sips of her drink. Toria grabbed the cup and took a long sip then handed the cup back. "It's not bad is it?"

"No, he's just aggravating the hell out of me right now. I need like ten minutes to myself. He likes to be allll under me when we're together."

"Girl if you don't let that man love up on you!" Asha pushed on Toria's shoulder.

"I do most of the time but right now I need a lil space."

Asha nodded and rested her elbow on the table. She looked out at the dance floor to see her grandparents had gotten up to dance together. She smiled at how gentle her grandaddy was being with grandma. "They're so cute."

"Nana and grandad? They are. I wish my grandparents were like that. They be wanting each other's head if the other one breathe a little too loud." Toria scoffed.

Asha laughed because it was true. Victoria's grandparents acted like they hated each other. Asha drunk more of her drink as she casually scrolled her social media to pass a little time. She was pulled out of her phone when Victoria tapped her then pointed beside her. Sanchez had walked up with his hand out, asking for a dance. She took a second to take in the current song — Brian McKnight's Back At One. She placed her hand in his and pushed herself up from her chair. The floor started to clear out just a little, giving them room to join.

Asha loosely put her arms around his neck and he placed his hands on her back, sure to keep them high up, but it didn't matter because he still held her pretty close. "You mad with me?"

"Should I be?" she asked back.

"You haven't said much to me since I said keep it low. Was that not the answer you wanted?"

She sighed, "No, not really, but if that's what you want then so be it. I just don't know why you feel like you have to talk to my parents. We knew each other first."

"Techn–"

"Don't even." she gave him a dull look which made him smile. "It doesn't effect them if we're dating. This is our business and no one else's. If they do find a problem with it then that's for them to deal with not us."

"You got all the answers huh?"

"No, but I know how I feel and what I want. No one can change that but you."

"Not even that Trequan nigga?" Asha pulled her neck back a little but he was serious. "He had you showing all 32 that night and was comfortable enough to tell you to call him in my face."

"Took you long enough to stop acting like it didn't bother you. I wasn't lying when I said I told him where I want to be. We said exclusive so that's what we are."

He said nothing.

"You don't believe me?"

"He still in your phone?"

"He got deleted the next morning. What you want to see it too? I have no reason to lie to you."

"I was just asking, Asha."

"Has your latest friend been deleted since we're asking?"

"Blocked on everything. Nobody tryna hide you. I just wanna talk to your people cause they invited me in their family so I gotta show some form of respect. That's just me. Respect first."