Page 43 of Obsessive Love

“Came to see you,” she shrugged. “I hadn’t heard from you in a few days and thought it was time for me to show up.” She sat at the foot of the bed. “What have you been up to?”

“I’ve been tied up.” I pulled at the cuffs to prove my point. “Your crazy ass friend tied me to the bed when the police brought me back.”

“Mrs. Diamond is going to beat his ass,” she laughed, then hopped off the bed. She dug into her pocket and then pulled out a key. “Like legit, Mrs. Diamond is going to go upside his head for this shit.”

“You have the key?” I asked as she uncuffed my leg.

“Girl, no,” she waved me off. “I have my own universal key.”

“Universal key?” I questioned her. “How the hell do you have that?”

“Be friends with a tech genius whose wife comes from a family of serial killers.” She shrugged, then walked to the other leg and released the cuff. I bent my legs, loving the feel of being free but also aware that I was sore as fuck.

“So he made you a key?”

“Yeah, my daddy paid him a lot of money to do it, too,” she nodded as she moved to uncuff my right arm.

“It took him a few days, but he showed up looking mean as hell one day.” She stopped walking around the bed to look at me.

“I’m pretty sure Cross pissed him off that day, and he threatened to kill her or something.

” She shrugged. “I don’t know the small details, just that they had a rough patch for a little while.

” She started walking. “Anyway, he dropped off the key, showed me how it worked, collected the payment from my daddy, and then left. I’ve kept it on me ever since.

” She uncuffed my left arm, and I jumped from the bed. “You feel better?”

“Yes.” I had on a pair of shorts and a sports bra, so I didn’t need clothes, but I also didn’t know what I was supposed to do next.

“I can’t believe he cuffed you to the bed,” Xoey giggled as she fell into the bed. She stopped laughing and looked at me with a concerned look. “Are these sheets clean?”

“He changed them before he left,” I nodded.

She laughed again and shook her head. “Yeah, I definitely have to tell Mrs. Diamond about this shit. She swore that her son was behaving.”

“She knows her son is crazy as hell,” I said, then closed my eyes. “She raised his ass.”

“She did, but I think she said the crazy shit comes from his daddy's side,” Xoey giggled. She pushed her locs from her face and shook her head. “They swear I’m not wrapped too tight, yet every time I turn around, one of these crazy ass friends of mine is going above and beyond for the women they love.”

“Pyrite doesn’t love me,” I said, shaking my head.

“What do you call cuffing you to the bed?” she questioned as she climbed out of the bed. “Because it sounds like love to me.”

Pyrite’s voice filled my mind, and I shook my head. He wasn’t in love with me; it was beyond that. It was an obsession.

I ran my hands through my hair and walked to the bathroom. Xoey was like a damn kid because she followed me, not caring that I may need a moment to myself. “Xoey, I have to pee,” I said as I walked to the private room.

“Go ahead, I can wait,” she said, then hopped onto the counter.

Instead of arguing with her, I went to the room, did what I had to do, then came out and washed my hands. I grabbed the brush from the counter, fixed my hair as best as possible, and then turned to face Xoey.

“Alright, what’s up?”

“What do you mean?” she asked with an innocent look.

“Why are you here?”

“I told you I came to check on you,” she said, shrugging. “I hadn’t heard from you, but I figured that was because you were busy preparing for the W’s press thing. It’s in a few days.”

“Fuck,” I sighed and ran my hands over my face. “I didn’t know it was that soon.”

“Girl, how long have you been locked up?” Xoey asked as she got off the sink. We walked into the bedroom, and I put on the slides at the end of the bed. “Since you went to the precinct to snitch on him.”

“You know about that?” I asked, and she nodded.

“How?” We left the room and headed to the kitchen.

I needed to check over my supplies to see what I needed.

Pyrite would have to go to the store to get everything, and I would spend tomorrow preparing it.

And the following day, baking my ass off.

Pyrite was not about to fuck up my reputation.

“I have a lot of jobs,” Xoey answered.

“You were the one Gift was talking to on the radio?” I narrowed my eyes at her, and she happily nodded. “You knew what was happening but didn’t help me?”

“Not exactly,” she said as he walked into the kitchen.

I grabbed my iPad from the counter and started my list at the pantry. “Then what exactly were you doing?”

“I was working,” she said, and I rolled my eyes. “And I took a call from Gift.” She stuck her head inside the pantry. “By the way, what does he look like?”

“You’ve never seen him?”

“Nope, I just got a description from Legacy. Is he cute?”

“I guess,” I shrugged. I wasn’t worried about Gift’s appearance when I was with him.

“What do you mean, you guess?” Xoey's face scrunched. “It’s a yes or no question.”

“I don’t remember what he looks like,” I replied. “I had other stuff I was focused on.”

“Oh yeah, like your man kidnapping you and shit,” she nodded.

“I get that, but damn, I’m trying to get a good description of him.

Legacy said he was cute, but I don’t trust that girl's attention to detail. She didn’t even realize that Hood has been in love with her for the last year. ” Xoey shook her head.

“What exactly does that have to do with me?” I asked with a serious expression. “I don’t even know these people.”

“You will,” she said with a smile. “The fellas are close and spend a lot of time together. It’s a lot of us, but there are groups within the big group.”

“What?”

Xoey walked into the pantry and looked around. “It’s hard to explain, like, it’s a lot of us, right?”

“Okay,” I said slowly, trying to understand her point.

“Think of us like this big tree. We are a unit, big on one band, one sound, but simultaneously have different branches. Some of us usually hang out with this group, while others hang out with another group. We live our lives, see each other when we can, and love one another, but I don’t think I’ve seen all of us in one room except for important things like funerals, weddings, birthday parties, etc. ”

“So you’re a family whose lives overlap, some more than others, but you aren’t all in each other’s business. And you only get together for family reunions, which may be the times you named.”

“Right,” Xoey nodded. “Just like that.”

“And that has to do with me, how?” I asked as I finished my list. I didn’t need as many things as I thought I would, which was a win for me.

“Because you’re a part of that family now,” she sighed and left the pantry. “You’re on the Stone branch; it's a part of the tree; it's solid.”

I started to tell her what she was saying was wrong, but instead, I shook my head and went to the fridge. “You hungry?”

“I’m starving,” Xoey said. “But I don’t cook.”

“That’s fine, Xoey,” I laughed as I looked to see what Pyrite had in there. I found a pack of chicken breast and a small bowl of chopped-up pineapple and pulled them out. “Have you ever had Hawaiian Chicken pineapple kababs?”

“No, but it sounds good,” Xoey said, shaking her head.

“Alright, so that’s what we’re going to make,” I said, closing the fridge.

“We?” Xoey questioned, and I nodded. “As in you and me?”

“Do you see anyone else here?”

She looked around, eyes big with wonder as she did so. “No.”

“Yes,” I countered as I washed my hands. “If you want to eat, you’re going to help.”

“I have never cooked a day in my life,” she said, shaking her head. “Listen, Bestie, and before I start, please understand that what I am saying is not being disrespectful but the truth.”

“Okay.”

“Some women, and men for that matter, are meant to be in the kitchen. You and Shaka are perfect examples of that. Y’all get down in here,” she explained.

“And some women and men aren’t. I’m in that second option.

I can kill with no problem, but cooking?

Oh no, ma’am, that’s where I draw the line.

” She poked at the pack of chicken and shook her head. “That is not my ministry.”

“It will be today,” I said. I walked behind her and grabbed her shoulders. “Now, wash your hands so we can start.”

“I don’t think Pyrite wants me in his kitchen.

” Even though she was putting up a bullshit fight, Xoey still washed her hands.

“We’ve been friends for years, and I have never done this at his house, like ever.

” She looked over her shoulder with a worried expression on her face. “I would rather kill someone for you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I laughed. “But until then, we are going to cook together.”

She finished washing her hands, and I handed her a paper towel. After she dried her hands, she turned off the water and threw the paper towel away. “What we are making isn’t even hard.”

“And neither is skinning someone alive, but I doubt you can do it,” she replied, and I shook my head. “Exactly, so how about we stay in our respective lanes?”

“No.”

She threw her hands in the air and dropped her head. “I don’t understand this friendship at all.”

“Join the club,” I laughed, bumping her with my hip. “Now, let’s get to work.”

I started preparing the food, and Xoey stood beside me, watching me closely. How she had survived this long without being able to cook was wild.

“Can I ask you a question?” I poured the seasoning I wanted to use on the chicken and passed the bowl to Xoey. She looked at me and then at the bowl, a confused expression on her face. “Use your hand to mix it.”

“Like touch it?” she asked, and I nodded. Her face twisted in disgust, and it took everything in me not to laugh at her expression as she touched the meat. “This shit is nasty.”

“You’ll get used to it.” I returned to the pantry to grab the brown sugar and set it on the counter.

“I come and go as I please,” she randomly said, and I looked at her in confusion. “You asked me what I was doing here, and that’s my answer.”

“You just randomly come over?” I clarified.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Pyrite said it's easier on his life if he just lets me be.”

“What’s up with y’all?” I couldn’t help but ask. Even though they never displayed affection beyond a brother-and-sister type relationship, I still had to ask.

A sneaky smile appeared on her face before her head dropped, and she laughed. “I enjoy Pyrite's company, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Okay,” I nodded. It wasn’t the answer I was looking for, but I had to respect her for speaking her truth. “Good to know.”

Xoey looked up and tilted her head to the side. “We are friends, nothing more, nothing less. I wouldn’t fuck on my friend’s nigga. What kind of weak shit is that?”

“So, he does have a girlfriend?”

“Yep,” Xoey answered, then pushed the bowl away from her and went back to wash her hands. “I expect them to be engaged by the end of the year, if not sooner.”

“Damn, it’s that serious?” I asked, and she nodded. My ears got hot, and I had to bite my cheek to avoid going off. Pyrite didn’t spend all his time with me like I did with him. He had a life that allowed him to come and go as he wanted. “He’s never mentioned her since I’ve been here.”

“Have you asked?” she replied, and I shook my head.

“Then that’s why. If you ask, he will tell you all about her.

He talks about her nonstop to me. Always with the questions.

” She shrugged. “I always have to tell him that he has to ask the questions, not me. We are friends; she’s his future wife, mother of his children, life partner. ”

“I’m happy you like them,” I lied. My eyes went to the spice bottle holding the citrus crumb. I grabbed it and poured it onto the chicken.

“What’s that?” Xoey asked.

“Something special for Pyrite,” I answered, and she nodded. “Now, tell me about this girlfriend.”

“Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m going to tell you just like I told Pyrite. If you want answers, ask the person who can tell you, but it is not me.”

“I will,” I said as I turned on the stove. The fact that Pyrite had declared his obsession with me earlier and that I was now finding out he had a girlfriend was comical.

“And beat his ass for cuffing you to the bed,” she suggested.

“Bitch nigga!” Starburst screeched as he flew into the kitchen and went to his cage.

“I swear I love that bird,” Xoey laughed. “He’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Starburst bobbed his head and flapped his wings. “Hi, beautiful,” he screeched. “Hi, beautiful.”

I watched as Pyrite entered the kitchen. His hair was braided in Pop Smoke braids, and he looked good as fuck. He looked up from his phone and gave me a smile that would’ve flooded my panties if I weren’t so mad.

“What’s good, baby?” he greeted me as he licked his sexy ass lips. “You miss me?”

“Something like that,” I replied. My eyes went to the citrus crumbs, and instead of beating his ass like I wanted to, I decided to make his life a living fucking hell. “You hungry?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “What are you cooking?”