SHE (Book #1)

12

***Malachi POV***

My lungs feel like they are about to collapse, but I continue to run. I continue to increase the speed on the treadmill, though my legs are about to give out. I let the muscle ache spread throughout my body before stopping to catch my breath. I lay on the gym floor and heave for air.

"What's got you so worked up this time," I hear Cole say from the weightlifting bench.

I try to even my breathing before responding, "She is fucking playing with me, dude,"

He walks over to hand me a bottle of water, which I down in record time. Cole stands there smiling at me in the most obnoxious way, "You like her, don't you?" he teases, raising his brows.

I roll my eyes, "Absolutely not, man. She is so hard-headed, always asking for explanations on things that make sense," I get up from the ground, "Do you know how many times I flirted with her? How many times I smirked, checked her out, stared and looked away, and even get super close to the point where there was no room for Jesus?"

He starts cracking up, "Damn, she is not falling for any of your tricks," he doubles over in laughter, as I huff out a breath of anger.

"You know what she did? She said she wants the friendship you and I have. What woman just wants to be friends with me?!"

Cole puts up his hand as his laugh turns into a silent wheezing one, "Bruh, give me a chance to breathe. You're so adorable when you are mad,"

I throw my towel at him.
I am going through a real identity crisis.
Tempest has me questioning myself, my charms, and my looks.

At least she is still falling for the friendship scenario. At least I can get something from her this way. My father has been on my ass about not putting enough effort into this. About how my future will get taken from underneath me if I don't focus.

I am worried he will try to harm her.
I am not worried for her, but I am worried about the problem it will cause within the Moore household if she gets hurt in a gruesome way.
Not to mention how horribly consequential it could be for this family if my father gets caught.

I get myself cleaned up and head back to my apartment. I don't live at the family house. I got sick and tired of hearing my parents argue about me. My mother wants me to pursue my dreams while my father wants me to pursue his dreams. However, in the end, they still love each other. My father cares deeply for my mother and she cares deeply for him... I am just a fault in their love.

I enter my kitchen and make some brunch, hoping it will help calm my nerves. I can't help but think back to last night.
I didn't mean for our hands to touch, but when they did I felt so... warm. So electrified. I've been touched by women before, in many ways more than one, but this one... this one harmless and innocent touch had cut my circulation completely. Watching her eyes scatter all over my face, pause at my lips, then look back at my eyes. I really thought she would pull an unexpected move.

But she didn't.

She even left in a hurry too.
Like Cinderella and Prince Charming.

However, I made her promise to meet me tonight again. same place. same time. With this on my mind, I am hoping the day flies by. I have to be at the office with my father and attend a meeting for the next delivery of drugs. My shoe store is a delivery point, an easy cover. The backroom is stocked with many grams of cocaine in shoeboxes, waiting to be transferred to the underground distribution complex.

The first time I saw Tempest, I thought she was a buyer. Her all-black outfit and serious demeanor had me fooled. Come to find out, she is possibly going to be ruling the underground drug trafficking system.