Page 20 of Obsessive Love

FABLE

I paced the floor between the bed and where Pyrite slept on the floor.

Sometime during our conversation, he’d fallen asleep.

I didn’t mind it because talking to him while I worked through my recipe ideas was calming.

Usually, I hated being around people while I worked, but something about being near Pyrite calmed me.

I would never admit it to him, but his presence calmed me.

The round, oversized clock on the wall opposite the bed told me it was nearing two am, yet I wasn’t tired.

I was amped at the thought of being able to get back into the kitchen.

When I’d come downstairs earlier with Pyrite, the last thing I expected was to have to bake, but the second my hands touched the ingredients, I knew I was going to kill it.

There was no chance that my plan wouldn’t work.

I was getting out of here and putting my brand in millions of people’s reach that I would never have been able to in the past. It was a win-win for both of us.

And as soon as I got out of here, I was going to find Javien Sr. and Jr. and pray that Pyrite hadn’t killed them yet so that I can beat their asses one last time for putting me in this situation.

I grabbed a blanket from the bed and covered Pyrite. His smart mouth ass didn’t deserve for me to be nice to him, but I couldn’t help it. I sat back on the floor, grabbed my notebook, and continued working. I had a million ideas that I wanted to jot down.

“Lay down, Fable,” Pyrite said lowly. His voice was laced with sleep, and his eyes were closed. “Those notebooks will be here in the morning for you to occupy your time.”

“I’m not tired,” I said, then yawned.

Pyrite chuckled and slowly opened his eyes to look up at me. “Yeah, you are, but you're being stubborn. Lay down, get some rest.” I looked over at the bed, wondering how comfortable it was. “Ain't nobody ever laid on that mattress, and Zane custom-built everything here.”

“Who’s Zane?” I asked as I looked around. The bedroom set was beautiful, and knowing it was custom-made made me appreciate it even more.

“She builds shit,” he answered, then wiped his hands over his face. “Been knowing her for years, met her through Xoey plus twelve.”

“Shit, at this point, who doesn’t she know?” I laughed softly. “Does she call Zane her bestie, too?”

“Yeah,” Pyrite chuckled. “She does.”

“Figures,” I laughed as I started cleaning up my stuff.

Once I was done, I looked over to see that Pyrite had fallen asleep again.

He lightly snored, and I couldn’t help but enjoy the peaceful look on his handsome face.

I stood, put everything on the dresser, turned off the lights, walked over to the bed, and climbed in.

Instantly, I relaxed and loved the softness of the mattress.

I pulled the comforter back, adjusted the pillows, and closed my eyes.

The feel of an arm wrapped around my middle and a warmth on my back was what I woke up to. The sun was missing from the sky, and the rain beat against the large bay window in the room. I stared at the rain as it raced down the glass.

“You’re not asleep, are you?” Pyrite asked, and I shook my head.

When he got in bed, I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t going to think about why he’d decided to go there.

I could feel his hard dick nestled between my ass cheeks, and I bit into my bottom lip when I felt it jump. “Tell me about your childhood.”

“What do you want to know?” The sound of thunder rumbled, and then lightning flashed. I loved a good thunderstorm.

“Whatever you want to tell me.” He was so tall that his chin rested on my bun, and my feet stopped at his shins. “Don’t matter if it's good, bad, funny, or indifferent.”

“Umm,” I thought about it, then decided on something easy. “I hated being in the kitchen as a kid.”

“Legit?”

“Yep,” I answered with a nod.

“Who got you in there then?” he pulled me closer to him and rested his hand on my stomach, just under my breast. The action didn’t seem to be sexual, but it still caused goosebumps to rise on my skin. “Don’t tell me some nigga.”

“No,” I laughed. “I got in trouble when I was thirteen, and Javien Sr. told my mama to stick me in the kitchen as punishment.”

“So, he was active in your life as a kid?”

“No,” I sighed. “Not unless my mama was giving him money or pussy.”

“Damn,” he sighed, and I could feel him shake his head. “I hate that for you.”

“It’s life.” I shrugged. “When I was younger, it bothered me, but then I realized what kind of nigga Javien Sr. was, and I realized I dodged a bullet.”

“Was he active in your siblings’ lives?”

“Just Javien Jr.,” I answered. “I met him when I was fifteen and couldn’t stand his ass even then.”

“What about your sister?”

“Melissa and I share a sperm donor, but we aren’t sisters,” I said, shaking my head. “We met a few years ago; Javien Sr. dragged her into Story Time so proud that she’d linked with the plan to have her meet one of Javien Jr.’s friends.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“He wanted us to fuck one, get pregnant and blackmail them,” I informed him. “Melissa’s dumb ass was down for it.”

“I take it y’all aren’t close?”

“Fuck no, I’ve seen that girl maybe four times, and each time we were about to come to blows within five minutes of being in each other's presence.”

“Cool,” he laughed. “Good to know.”

“Why?” I sighed as I continued to watch raindrops slide down the window. “Did she get her hooks in you?”

“Hell no!” he quickly answered. “She’s dead.”

“If you expect me to be sad or shed a tear, it won’t happen,” I told him. “We shared a sperm donor, that’s all.”

“Alright.” He kissed the top of my head and settled into the bed. “Now, tell me something else.”

“My favorite colors are purple and blue.”

“That’s obvious,” he laughed. “I’ve seen your house.” He stretched his long legs and pushed his dick into my ass. I bit into my bottom lip at the heavy feeling. “How did you end up with them damn birds?”

“Yamari,” I answered as I reached above my head, grabbed a pillow that wasn’t being used, and put it between my knees. “She brought me Starburst ten years ago as a congratulations for graduating from college. I researched and realized they do better as a pair, so I bought Watermelon.”

“Which one is which?”

“The disrespectful one is Starburst,” I answered with a laugh. “Watermelon is the calm one. She lets him show out and watches. I’m pretty sure she questions life at least twice daily.”

“Who taught him to call folks bitch niggas?”

“Me, but it was by accident,” I said, and he kissed his teeth.

“I doubt that shit was an accident,” he chuckled. “You got a disrespectful ass mouth at times.”

“True, but I didn’t mean to teach him to say it. If you want to be honest, he only says it to you because he likes you.”

“Man, what?” he questioned. “That nigga mean to me because he likes me?”

“Yep.” I nodded. “If Starburst doesn’t like you, he steers clear; if he does, he annoys you.

Watermelon is the complete opposite.” I pushed the covers back and tried to climb out of the bed, but Pyrite locked his arms around me tighter.

“I have to pee.” He hesitated for a second, then released me.

I wanted it back the second his arm was no longer around me.

Instead of thinking too hard, I climbed out of bed and went to the ensuite.

After using the bathroom and taking care of my hygiene, including brushing my teeth, I returned to the room.

I stopped when I noticed the bed was empty and Pyrite was gone.

I grabbed one of my notebooks from the dresser and the colored pencils and climbed back into bed.

I wanted to jot down a few more recipe ideas.

I knew enough about each sport that Pyrite owned to know that I would need a lot of options.

I was so lost in my own little world that I hadn’t realized how much time had passed until the room door opened, and Pyrite walked in carrying two bowls.

“You hungry?” he asked, then pushed the door closed. My stomach growled, and he smirked. “I’m going to take that as a yes.”

“I am,” I nodded. “What did you make?”

“Just something simple, a grilled chicken Caesar salad.” He handed me a bowl, and instantly, my mouth watered at the sight and smell. He climbed back into the bed and leaned against the headboard. “Alright, so where were we?”

“Talking about Starburst and Watermelon,” I said after I did a quick prayer. I mixed up my salad, ensuring the chicken was evenly spread around the bowl.

“Yeah, bitch ass nigga,” he said, nodding. “Watermelon doesn’t bother me. She’s cool.”

“She’s always been mean compared to Starburst.” I took a bite of my salad and moaned softly. It was good. “I’m surprised she let you leave the house with her.”

“She was cool,” he laughed. “I think she only bit my driver twice.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I covered my mouth with my hand so he couldn’t see the food in my mouth. “Was he hurt?”

“Nah, just pissed,” he answered with a shrug. “He swore that she was defending Starburst because I had his ass balled up.”

I pointed my fork at him and narrowed my eyes. “How the fuck did you ball up my bird?”

“Got some twine and wrapped his ass up,” he said with a shrug.

“Don’t do it again.”

“Can’t promise you shit like that,” he replied, then went back to eating. “So, what’s your game plan for today?”

“Really, Pyrite?” I sighed and rolled my eyes. “You’re asking me this like I’m not locked in this damn house.”

“Where do you want to go, Fable?” he chuckled as he ate. He shook his head before I could respond. “And before you ask, don’t say back to Texas because that’s not happening.”

“I need to look at the space at the arena,” I replied, and he nodded. “I know you insist on renovating the front, but I still need to see the space to know exactly what kind of appliances I need to order.”

“Just make me a list after you see the space,” he dismissively said. “All that other shit you are talking about ain’t worth repeating.”

“Pyrite,” I sighed and shook my head.

“Fable,” he mimicked. “Just do what I’m asking.”

“What time can we leave?” I asked instead of going back and forth with him.

I wasn’t about to allow myself to be in the same predicament as Javien Sr. and Jr. and owe him money.

To get out of this situation with my life, I needed to be mindful of everything he bought.

I’d go into debt with the bank before I allowed myself to owe him a dime.

He looked at his watch and then up at me. “After we eat.”

I nodded, then went back to eating. A plan was already formulated in my mind.

Two hours later, we pulled into Stone Arena's parking garage. I’d been to a few arenas but never one like this. The players, coaches, and staff were all parked in this area, but I was surprised by how heavy the security patrol was.

Pyrite got out of the car, rounded it, and came to open my door.

To the outside world, we probably looked like a loving couple; unfortunately, we both knew the truth.

“My office is on the top floor, along with Hood, Yeti, and a few of the coaches,” Pyrite said as he shut the door and took my hand.

He interlaced our fingers, and we fell into step as we approached the garage.

“You need a keycard or a palm scan to get there.”

The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside. Using his free hand, Pyrite scanned his hand, and we started to move.

“Okay,” I said because I had no clue why he was telling me this. Knowing that information didn’t matter because I didn’t plan to be here long enough for it. “Wait, who is Hood and Yeti? And why are they important enough to have an office on the top floor?”

“Hood is the team doctor,” he answered with a slight laugh. “We’ve been friends for years. You’ll like him.”

“And Yeti, should I know who he is?”

“Head of security.” He glanced over at me and smirked. “You’ll know who he is as soon as you see his big ass.”

“Oh, so you have private security?” I asked. The elevator doors opened, and we stepped off. The hallway was busy with people moving; everyone we passed spoke to Pyrite or gave him nonverbal acknowledgment. We rounded a corner and walked down a long hallway with jerseys hung on the wall.

“Yeah,” he answered, then stopped at a door. He scanned his palm, turned the handle, and opened the door. “This is my office.”

Pyrite’s office was massive but so inviting.

Like his home, the main color scheme was black with tan accents.

A large tan desk that was at least ten feet long, with a large leather wingback chair set in front of an all-glass wall.

To the right of the desk was a wall full of books, and to the left was a wall full of awards and pictures.

In front of his desk was a tan leather sectional couch, a plush rug, a glass coffee table, and a big-screen TV mounted on the wall.

“You need plants,” I said as I walked around. Something about having real plants in a room always brought it to life for me. Every room in my house had plants, including my bathroom.

“Like?” he closed his office door and walked to his desk.

“Pothos,” I answered as I looked around the office. “In that corner, so they won’t have direct sunlight.” I pointed to a corner of the room and nodded. “And maybe a birdcage.”

“For the fuck what?” he asked as he sat at his desk. “Starburst or Watermelon will be here.”

“Get your own bird,” I answered with a shrug and tried not to laugh. “You’re doing good with them, and I bet you’ll miss having them around once we're gone.”

“Doubt it,” he chuckled and shook his head. “Doubt all that shit you just said heavily.”

Even though my end goal was to leave, something bothered me about the way he was so dismissive about my leaving.