It's been a month since the Caprice court case was declared a mistrial. It's also been a month since Magenta left for her retreat. In that time, Genesis has been focused on himself. That includes finalizing ending his management company with Kross, so he can move on to his next venture.

He's also been attending anger management weekly trying to get it done as part of his court stipulations. At first Gee didn't think he needed it. He felt like his anger is way more under control than it was in his younger days.

After a couple meetings he now realizes he does need it. It's helping. They get to the root of the anger and how you react to it. It's not just about making sure you're not given it as a court order again. It helps that Gee's open-minded to the process. He knows a few people who need it.

Gee speaks as a circle of men listen to him, "With women, especially your girl, sometimes you say, 'You're overreacting,' or 'You're too sensitive' when they have temper tantrums." A couple of them chuckle. "But sometimes, I wish I could be like that. I wish I could scream and cry at the smallest inconvenience. That I could have an emotional breakdown because someone hurt my feelings or was insensitive or shit, they didn't feed me. I wish I could overreact and it cost me nothing."

The anger management therapist nods and adds, "As a black man with a criminal record I think our overreacting looks different. We take it too far and end up here. We have to find others ways to let out our 'over reactions.' That's why you're here, even if it's not by choice." He looks at a 19-year-old who sits lazily slumped like he wants to be anywhere but here.

He motions for Gee to keep talking. "I've been thinking about a lot lately. Like, with my little brother being in jail. Also, I've been thinking about my friend who was killed when I was 18. I think about him a lot. That shit wasn't really for him. He shouldn't have went out like that. I feel like sometimes people do stuff to people around me to hurt me, which is self-centered..."

He continues, "You go through something and everything circles back. You always think about the bad. So I'm angry all the time. You can be smiling and having fun, then feel like you shouldn't. The fuck I'm having fun for when my niggas dead or in jail? I have everything to smile about. I'm blessed. I made it out."

"When you were 18 what did that anger look like?" the counselor asks hoping the younger ones will relate.

"I was doing dumb shit after that. I'm selling drugs, not caring about anything. Meanwhile, I gotta whole scholarship for school. And I see my brother going through the same thing after our Daddy died. And I get where he's coming from. He's 18 and lost. Being in the streets and coming from where I'm from I've lost a lot of people. But my Daddy dying was the biggest heartbreak."

"Does your anger look different now than it did at 18?"

He furrows his eyebrows. "It's a silent anger. I have more responsibilities than at 18. I grieve on my own time 'cause I still have businesses, gotta work, pay my bills, and take care of my people. I kinda isolate myself, get it out, then come back so I can be the man I'm supposed to be."

"But does that work? You gotta let it out. Who do you go to? Is there someone you can talk to about these feelings?"

Gee thinks about Magenta. "My girl -ex girl," he catches himself with a confused face not even knowing what to consider her anymore. "-she can understand, but as a man... You're supposed to be strong. Or she has her own shit going on and you feel like hers is deeper."

He says that knowing Gen feels that way too sometimes. As humans we feel like there's always someone going through worse, so you rather suffer in silence.

A man in his thirties nods his head then speaks, "How am I gonna be able to be there for my girl if I can't even do that for myself though? For anybody? So what do you do?"

"Shit, my girl just moved out a week ago saying I drink too much. Drinking is why I'm here," one admits. "I'm no good for any woman when I got my own shit I'm dealing with."

Gee is in the meeting another 30 minutes before it wraps up. While walking to his car his phone rings. Seeing an unsaved number on his screen he still answers it. "Hello?"

"Is this Gee Wilson from Made Men Management."

"This is he. Who is this?"

"I'm Gina from Interscope Records. I'm calling on behalf of our artist, Caprice, who's also signed to your management company. I've been trying to get in contact with his manager, Kross Knight, to no avail. We need to speak about the final details of Caprice's studio album set to be released in a month's time."

"He's in jail, I believe," Gee answers nonchalantly getting in his car. He hasn't heard that Kross was released and that's good on him.

"Jail?"

"Yup. Y'all are just gonna have to figure it out without a manager."

"You can't step in as Kross' replacement?"

"Nope, I can't. He's not my artist. I'm not privy to any plans they made for the album. Also, heads up... The company will be dissolving in a matter of weeks. Might wanna start looking for new management. Have a good day," he hangs up.

While awaiting re-trial, Caprice was sent back to county jail to serve his sentence for his harassment charge. The judge is allowing Caprice to release his new album while in jail, but ruled that a gag order pertaining to the case would remain in effect.

The release had been pushed back too long and the label's losing money. As long as the case isn't spoken about in phone interviews with the media or in songs, Caprice is good. Rappers have put out albums behind bars all the time.

It's his debut album, so that's a splash into the game. Some deem Caprice cancelled before the verdict. Others will support sighting innocent until proven guilty. Then there's the people in between only listening and buying because of the controversy. Gee can see him selling a lot of albums or flopping terribly.

Either way he doesn't care nor will Gee take the credit for it. He made his stance on working with Caprice very clear from the beginning unlike Kross and Destin.

Caprice was also recently sued by a woman in a civil case along with the employees in his team. That includes his bodyguard, his female assistant, and Javari. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent hiring. The woman claims Caprice's employees and friends find women to bring to him that he ends up assaulting. She's suing for money, while Magenta wants him in jail.

Regardless, it's another case showing a potential pattern of behavior. Maybe more women will start coming forward.

Leaving anger management, Gee decides to pull up to Pandora's boutique to talk to her. Walking into the store it's back to how it looked before Caprice's people came and tore it up. It's back open and running for business.

Seeing him come in Pandora greets him as Gee sits in the sitting area of the store. "Have you talked to Kross since he got booked?"

P immediately starts laughing. "Once. I told him it's too hard and I don't think I can hold him down not knowing what's going to happen," she uses her fake weepy voice. "I used the excuses I held a nigga down before and he still did me dirty. I told him we can still be cool, but I can't be in a relationship with him. He got mad and said I'm just tryna be outside being a hoe. Hung up, haven't talked to him since."

"He didn't suspect you?"

"He didn't say anything. If he does I know the repercussions. You know how it go. Yeah I'm on'at. Wassup? What you gon' do about it?" She swings her arms like a nigga. "All I know is I'm F-R-E-E, fuck nigga free!" She does a little dance causing one of the shoppers to join in rapping the lyrics.

Gee laughs then saying, "A nigga get caught with a silencer they're gonna assume you're a professional murderer. That's not some keep a gun for self-defense. That looks like intentional, premeditated murder if you have one of those."

"You ain't lyin'. I don't get guys like Kross. The niggas I know would never say or do the shit he did. I've had enough rodeos to know most men are more loyal to their homies. He displays that kinda disloyalty he can't possibly do shit for me. I'm too real for that."

Gee sighs. "I could be mad that I really made this nigga an entrepreneur. I provided an opportunity and gave him an ownership stake. Keeping him in his place would've been better for me. You live and you learn."

"How you gonna love someone you don't see the good in or that can't love themselves? I can't lay down with a nigga knowing he's a snake. I gotta be able to see the good in you. I'll leave a nigga if he has a flaw I can't get wit'. Every time Kross got an attitude his first response was saying he's going to kill or setup someone. He's a lunatic. The thing that flustrated me about him-"

Gee can't help cutting her off. "What? Did you mix flustered and frustrated together?"

"And did," she doesn't correct herself. He laughs as she keeps going, "As I was saying... The nigga tried to treat me like a lame bitch. I'm tit for tat. You do me, I do you. Tuh! You thought I was going to take that lying down... Bitch, I been riding dick."

Gee only looks at her in bewilderment. He can see why she's Gen's best friend. "That's Kross for you."

"At the same time, I feel like you guys can still work it out. You know, no need for violence. I feel like this is all a miscommunication that can be cleared up with a conversation," P nods like she believes what she's saying.

Gee busts out laughing. "I know you're not trying to play mediator? It's too late for that."

Pandora smacks her lips reorganizing things on a rack. "You just come here to talk? You need to buy somethin', help clean a dressing room, fold some shit. Somethin', nigga," she says bluntly. "We got some new pieces you can buy my girl, Gen," she suggests.

Truthfully, Gee came because he needed someone to talk to. Magenta's at her retreat, Seven's still in jail, and he hasn't been talking to Choice and Cortlen lately. He took a break from the entire Thomas family. Since him and Gen got close again, they've been everyday fixtures in his life. Even if it's only a text or Facetime.

"Ehh," he says with uncertainty.

"Have you talked to her since she left?"

"Nah. Have you?"

"Hell yeah. Had to make sure she didn't get tricked or scammed. She could've thought it's a retreat, but it's really a cult with a bunch of white people who treat this white man as God. Whole time he's some freaky-deaky psychopath taking advantage of the women getting them pregnant and abusing them. Now he has 30 kids and– You're not gonna stop me?" She rambles.

"I tuned out at cult."

"You're no fun. Magenta would've been adding details to the story. Basically, she didn't sound held against her will when we talked."

He chuckles. "Glad to hear that," he breathes out of his nose. "I'm gonna get out of here," he stands.

"Nigga, buy something!" Pandora reiterates with the roll of her neck. Gee looks around grabbing a lip-gloss from a bowl. "That's it? Cheap ass nigga. Whatever. Get in line."

"Oh, naw," Gee looks at the line of three people as her employee checks them out. "For one thing?"

"You can always buy more," P smiles.

Before Gee knows it he's offering to pay for the items of the woman who's ahead of him. It was a nice gesture, but she turned it into something else. "You should let me wear one of your chains," she tries to flirt.

"My girlfriend don't play like that. She'll beat yo ass." Saying it was second nature. It deflates the woman's bubble, but she thanks him for buying her stuff. "I'll see you," Gee says ready to leave.

"You said girlfriend," Pandora gives him a weird smile.

"Huh?"

"To the lady.."

"Did I?" He shrugs as if it's no big deal before leaving.

Talking to Pandora made him realize how long he's gone without speaking to Cortlen or Choice. Especially considering what Choice is going through with his wife. He feels bad and wants to check on them.

After talking to Cort, he goes to where they're currently at which is the hospital. Knocking on the open door, Gee enters the room. Chandrika's in the bed hooked up to a bunch of wires as Choice sits at her side. He daps both brothers before taking a seat. Choice has clearly been stressing the last couple of weeks.

"Have the police come around trying to talk to you?" Gee asks as they engage in conversation.

Choice points at some black thing on the sink counter. "They put a tracker on my car. The police found it on the scene."

Picking it up to look at it he asks, "They? Who is they?"

"Big Bleak," Cortlen answers. "That's who did this. His people."

Gee looks at ChaCha who's asleep, but she doesn't look like she's doing well at all. Some people with brain hemorrhages recover completely. Even after Chandrika having surgery and treatment, death's still a possibility. Brain bleeds can be life-threatening and cause brain damage. Even if she recovers she may have to deal with physical and mental disability for the rest of her life.

She's already experiencing seizures. ChaCha was in the rehabilitation stage after surgery, but after a seizure she had to come back to the hospital.

"What do you wanna do?" Gee asks Choice.

"I don't know," he shakes his head. "Her mama was visiting and asking me how and why... I don't know what to tell her. I can't tell her I've been back on that street shit. Especially when I moved so smart back then and never involved myself with the violence."

"You try not to revert to your old ways, but niggas always take it dere," Cortlen shakes his head.

"I literally let Fade make me like him. I'm thirty...Thirty. With a successful business making millions. What the fuck are we really doin'?" Choice rests his face on Chandrika's hand that he's been holding. When he closes his eyes he can see Fade's dead body after shooting him. Hot tears rush out of his eyes before he can catch them. "He was my friend. I ki-" he can't even say it.

His emotions are drastically different from when it first happened. Choice acted like he didn't care and that Breon meant nothing to him. Now it's all weighing on him. The guilt.

"You loved him and that's okay," Cort assures his brother. "We grew up together. Been through everything with one another. I watched you lose trust in people after you fell out with him. It hurts. That's coo."

Gee thinks about his own situation with Kross. Is it worth it?

"This isn't me anymore. I've graduated from this," Choice expresses.

"I've spent more time locked up then in the outside world. And I'm not tryna go back," Cortlen agrees. "We can't keep doing this."

After leaving the hospital, Gee's on his way home until his phone rings. Seeing it's his flower lady, Consuela, he answers since he's been missing her calls. "I've been calling you, sir. You haven't been coming in to get your weekly bouquet.."

"Oh, I've been busy," he gives the excuse.

Clearly, she doesn't buy it. "Don't tell me you and your special lady broke up?"

Not giving a straight up answer he responds, "I'll come get 'em." Even if he has no use for them, she's so nice he'll come pay for them and give her the business.

Sitting in a stark room, Kross sits at a table that he's handcuffed to. When a detective enters he groans rubbing over his face. "I thought we already went through this."

"We're giving you another opportunity to take a plea deal considering your bond was denied. If I was you, I'd take it considering all the evidence we have against you after this indictment."

"And what's that?" Kross plays dumb wanting to see what they have.

After Kross was arrested by the Houston PD and Federal Officers he's facing state and federal charges. Those include possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, lying on federal paperwork, solicitation of murder for her, criminal conspiracy, and first-degree murder.

"For starters, the gun Breon "Fade" Granbury used to 'kill himself' was registered to you. Did you sell it to him?"

"What? Sell it to him? I'ma felon. I can't legally get a registered weapon," he looks confused.

"That's why you were charged with making a false statement on a governmental form. You lied  while purchasing the firearm by saying you're not a felon."

"I'm not stupid enough to go into a gun store, fill out paperwork, and leave a paper trail just to get a gun," Kross shakes his head.

"Let's make it plain... We think you hired a hit on both the drug courier and Fade. We already have proof of you meeting up with Fade on several occasions, so you know him."

Kross rubs his forehead. He did meet up with him a few times. They were gonna try and work together to go against Gee, Seven, Choice, and Cortlen. He was going to ask what drug courier, but remembers the trouble Seven got into. They're pinning it on him. "What else?"

"Fade was involved in a drive-by a couple months ago. We have proof you ordered the hit and paid the shooters $25,000 to do it, but they missed. Fade walked away with only some grazes."

He sighs because he knew helping Gee handle that would bite him in the ass later. He had nothing to prove it was Gee who ordered the hit. Gee did it that way on purpose. He didn't have a text, phone call, or money order to show it was Gee. Everything was done in person. No trace. Clean. Gee also never had direct contact with the shooters. Only Kross.

Kross laughs shaking his head. This is his karma, especially after the stunt he pulled with the contracts for Caprice's case. He's half the reason the trial had to be thrown out for a new one.

He had been working with Caprice to help him win the case the entire time. Even though Kross acted like he didn't know who Magenta was back in November, he did. This was a scheme from the beginning.

Kross paid the guy at CBS to 'accidently' leak Gen's name. Those contracts were also altered from the originals. He was promised money, managing a popular artist, and job opportunities if he helped get Caprice off the hook.

There were too many people in his way, so it backfired. He didn't account for the fact Gee still cared about her so much. He was constantly in the way at every turn. Alsp, it didn't help that Magenta never folded or stopped seeking justice.

The detective keeps going. "The job wasn't finished. Fade didn't die, so you wanted him gone indefinitely. You decided to do it yourself. You went to that cemetery that night. Fade was murdered. Upon further investigation we think it was carried out by someone skilled enough to make it look like a suicide. We know it was you. He didn't kill himself."

"I didn't kill nobody."

"The gun found on Fade was registered to you. Then the gun used in the killing of the drug courier was found in your house under the bed. You can take a plea deal now, take it to trial, or point us in the direction of who actually did it..."

The detective slides a piece of paper and pen. Kross thinks about how Destin hasn't been answering his phone calls nor his expensive, high-profile lawyers who have a winning record. Without them he's in a jam. They got him off on most of his old charges, but now he doesn't have them.

He looks at it then shakes his head. He could easily point his finger at Gee for the hit on Fade. He could even point out Seven being the accomplice on the drug courier being killed. Instead he says, "I'm good," and slides the paper back across the cold metal table.

He feels like he's going to regret this decision, but he'll give Gee his props. He outsmarted him at his own game.

While Kross is being returned to his cell in a Houston county jail, a man's being taken from his in a Bastrop federal prison. Entering a visiting room full of loved ones here to see inmates, the man at 6'2" wears a healthy weight acquired from decades behind bars.

Sitting at a table awaiting her father's arrival, Magenta has a peaceful glow to her. After a month long stay at a Mental Health and Wellness Retreat getting her mind right, she felt like it was time to finally talk to him.

She spent weeks in seclusion with ten others trying to strengthen the 4 pillars of wellness: physical, spiritual, emotional, and social. she finally feels in a good enough space to have the overdue conversation. It feels like the last thing she needs to truly be on the path to healing.

That's if everything goes accordingly on this visit...

Gen has a short flashback to being in this same visiting room when she was a child. Her earliest childhood memory was when she was three. Her mother took her and her siblings to visit De'Mario and she threw a tantrum nearly the entire time.

De'Mario better known as Dump has been a prisoner at Bastrop FCI for drug trafficking. Her father was always a myth to her. She's heard many stories about him. The man in his fifties has been inside since his late twenties.

He saw his daughter in the news and it prompted him to reach out. To see your child plastered on tv because she's in a high profile rape case as the victim broke his heart. He realizes he failed his children..

His daughters because they never grew up with a man around to know how they should be treated. Nor could he protect them. One looks for love in wrong places with self-esteem issues and the other doesn't think she deserves real love at all.

For his son's they grew up to do the same illegal things that got him in prison. They followed in his footsteps living a life of crime. He didn't set a good example.

De'Mario stands over the visiting table in awe looking at his daughter before sitting. He hasn't seen her in person since she was about 8. That was the last time her mother forced her to visit him.

She doesn't know what to do or say as she takes in all of his features. "You look just like me. I apologize," he lets out a chuckle resting his arms on the table.

"I haven't done bad with this face," she gives a small smile. She looks at another prisoner in the distance who's being introduced to a baby that can't be that old.

"I'm glad you came to see me. I know it was petty what I did when you tried before. I know you have a lot going on right now. I read the court transcripts. How are you since the mistrial?" De'Mario asks as she studies his face.

"Getting my mind right. A lot has fallen apart due to this case, but I'm ready to get it all back and then some."

"You're brave."

The statement makes her pause and shake her head. "I don't think I'm brave. The truth is inconvenient. I've inconvenienced myself and everyone else."

"I beg to differ. We don't really get people convicted of rape in federal, but we get sex traffickers. That shit is always about power. You were basically attacked over and over again. That night, by the media, then by Caprice and all his friends who harassed you after. That's bravery to speak up."

Instead of arguing Magenta gives a small smile accepting it. Continuing to talk to her father, she realizes that prison must've helped him change. They say it never actually reforms anyone, but she thinks it's all about perspective.

"I was officially diagnosed with c-PTSD," she makes the revelation. He's the first person she decided to tell after the discovery.

Even though Magenta was the one who gave her therapist permission to go on the stand, she felt like she couldn't trust her anymore. Maybe she hoped the woman would say she can't answer some of the questions because that was always an option due to confidentiality. Gen decided to start going to someone new and already she feels like this one's better.

"What's that?"

"Complex post-traumatic stress disorder," she sighs. "It's related to a series of traumatic events over time or one prolonged event. It's more long-lasting and extreme than PTSD."

Gen remembers the counselor mentioning it at the group meetings she went to. She didn't really think too much about it. But it makes sense...

After the assault she's always on high alert from hyperarousal. She lost trust in herself and others. Not being able to sleep, the flashbacks, nightmares, or being easily startled and triggered. She's had difficulty regulating her emotions with intense highs and lows.

Even the thoughts of suicide. She didn't register herself as suicidal, more so she found living so exhausting and terrible she didn't want to exist anymore.

Most of all her relationship issues. It explains her difficulties with trusting and interacting with the closest people to her. For 6 months she's been setup and conned by people left and right. It's understandable not to trust anyone, but you can't live like that forever.

Her ways of coping haven't been healthy because she resorted to self-harm or lashing out at minor things. They were attempts to gain control, but it didn't work.

She knows she's not the only one dealing with it. She's just taking the steps to fix it by going to therapy.

She could be a walking billboard for c-PTSD as her trauma has only stacked up from her childhood. It began with exposure to violence, having incarcerated family members, housing instability, and growing up in an unsafe environment.

Then in adulthood she dealt with multiple toxic relationships. Gen had to recognize she was still being mentally, emotionally, and physically abused regardless of the fact she didn't take it lying down.

She's only been in two relationships before her attempt with Gee... Both were abusive in some way. Noah – her first and longest relationship – was a narcissist. She always had to mimic his most disgusting behaviors back at him to defend herself.

And even now that they're broken up he's still attempting to mind fuck her. His testimony was a last stitch effort at mentally abusing her.

Caleb hit and pushed her on several occasions and she fought back, but it doesn't mean she wasn't abused. She felt because she stood up for herself she wasn't a victim.

This sexual assault was the first time she labeled herself a victim and she got comfortable in that spot. She didn't know how to heal herself and bounce back.

She forced herself to forget things instead of truly unpacking them. She feels like an emotional black hole sucking people in because she can't get enough, so she keeps a wall up or drains others. No in between.

Magenta was raised to downplay her struggles because that's what her family was taught. Now it's about breaking the cycle of generational curses.

She's still confused on how she ended up in certain spaces or positions. The root is an absence of love and emotional neglect.

Now that she can see what isn't normal in her upbringing and adulthood, it's time to really change. She decided not to go the medication route, but there's other treatments her therapist suggested.

After telling her father about her diagnosis it lead to a deep conversation. De'Mario himself took advantage of the resources provided in prison, which included counseling. He could relate to Gen because that pain came from multiple generations.

She listens to her father speak, "I was an instrument to the destruction of my own neighborhood, my family, myself. I owe it to myself to right my wrongs and that starts with my own children. If you would've came to visit me when you tried those years ago, we'd probably be arguing. I know you've expressed that you thought I was selfish. I would've told you I sacrificed my freedom to take care of my family. There's no accountability in that. I need to rebuild everything I destroyed including my family."

Gen nods. "I appreciate your effort. I see it." She has so many people around her that she knows love her, but this is doing something for her they could never. She can't explain it. "How much longer are you in here?"

"You just made 26. I went up the road when you were two. That's 24 years and I was sentenced to 30, so 6 years," he does the math.

"Well, I'll be visiting again. You can call and write me too."

"I'd like that," he gives a smile. They both stand and hug as long as they can without security making a big deal out of it. Magenta didn't even realize how much she needed this.

A Couple Days Later...

After staying a few days at her mother's house in Dallas, Magenta finally found her way back to Houston after more than a month away. She took some time to get rest, now it's time to go back to her regular scheduled program.

That includes being around her friends. She hasn't seen Pandora since the trial and she came back at the perfect time. Pandora's finally ready for the grand opening of her second location of her clothing store in Miami. To celebrate, she's having a dinner in Houston, but it's also a farewell dinner. Once she opens the store in Florida, she's going to stay awhile to get it up and running smoothly with her new employees.

Magenta exits her vehicle taking a present from the trunk. Going into the restaurant she's met with the group of women invited to the outing. Her eyes land on the person of the night, Pandora...

"Is that my bitch lookin' good?" The pair hug tightly filled with giddy excitement. Pandora's the only person she consistently talked to outside of her family. "What's going on in there though?" She looks in P's dress at her boobs that're sitting up nicely.

"You can get a little peak. Just a little," she leans forward to let Gen look. She hugs Pandora again resting her head on them. P gives her a couple seconds before saying jokingly, "That's it, bitch!"

"I can't help myself. They're just sayin' hello!" They laugh.

"What's going on back there, though?" She coerces Magenta to spin before squeezes her friend's ass. "She was sitting down on that big butt," she raps the Lil Wayne lyrics.

"But I was still staring at the titties though," Gen finishes it.

Realizing they're loud they both calm down as Magenta proceeds to greet the other women. A waitress shows them to their table. Once they're all seated and have drinks, Pandora's sister proposes a toast.

"First, I wanna say I'm so proud of you. New contract, new deals, new opportunities. A new store location. New condo in another area code. My sister so blessed and beautiful," Sasha, hypes her up with a drink raised.

Gen gives a soft smile wishing she had that, but it's nice to see. She hasn't spoken to her sister since the trial. She's conflicted on the testimony Felicity gave. It was nice she took off her rose-colored glasses for Caprice finally. At the same time, Felicity makes it obvious that if he never ended things or publicly humiliated her, they probably would be back together.

Felicity's testimony was out of spite. Magenta fought so hard to believed, so she doesn't want to call her sister a liar. She does have doubts that Caprice ever put a hand on her sister. She does think Tink was manipulated and mentally abused by him though.

Her sister admitted she believes Caprice is capable of rape. That says something. Also, Felicity doesn't deserve an award for doing the right thing. It doesn't make Magenta feel like all is forgiven and forgotten.

She also doesn't know how to feel about her sister potentially being pregnant by her assaulter. She can't even stomach the thought of it...

Withdrawing from her thoughts, Gen smiles as they clink glasses for the toast. Beginning to look over the menus, they're barely into the dinner when Colby makes a pop up. Approaching the table he holds a bouquet of roses.

"We love the energy!" Their friend, Glow, snaps as Pandora and Jux kiss.

Some would say Jux is crazy for sticking around when Pandora was in a 'relationship' with Kross. But from the beginning he knew what it was. He benefited from her using him too, so he didn't mind. Who would be mad if you get a new Macbook and PS5 out of it?

"I know this is a whole ladies night," he waves over the table. "I just came to give you these. I'll see you later," he dismisses himself.

"Y'all are so cute. He's much better than Toucan Sam," Gen makes them both laugh as Pandora takes a picture of them. "Are you two together now?"

She shrugs. "We're figuring things out. No rush. Are you and Gee still together?" Gen mimics her shrug from earlier.

"Let's not talk about that," she flags her hand off.

Pandora scoots closer to her in the booth. "We took our emotional hiatus now it's time to be best friends again. I got a lot of shit I need to catch you up on," she wears a smirk. The other women are busy having jovial conversation as they lean into only each other.

"We need some ground rules and boundaries between us two first. For your benefit..." She suggests.

"Oh, I know. No lies ever. No keeping secrets. No holding our tongue to save the others feelings. Especially if it's going to build up and cause friction. We let stuff build and build then next thing you know you don't even like the other person," P states.

"Exactly. We're good?"

"Forever that," they both give small smiles.

"Now spill the tea," Gen says with excitement.

"Girlll, did you see?"

"What?"

"Noah's engaged." The declaration makes Gen's eyebrows raise. "I know we don't keep up with exes, but I was shocked. All the shit he was doing. Acting bitter 'cause you ended it. Only for the nigga to propose to someone else less than a year after the breakup..." P shakes her head.

After 3 years of dating and 10 years knowing one another, it should've been a slap in the face. All she can think is she dodged a bullet. It's not like he didn't want to propose. He bought a ring and all. Gen just didn't want to marry him.

"I saw, but I'm not even surprised," she looks at the picture of Noah and his new fiancée that Pandora pulled up on her phone. It's some blue-eyed, blond-haired white girl. Her smile seems so fake it's scary. A picture perfect Stepford wife type.

"Was she in the picture before?"

"Nah, I don't think so. She seems more his speed, more his type. Sometimes I don't know why he was with me. He acted like I couldn't do anything right. Almost like he hated me." She brushes it off adding, "Hey, I wish him love, light, and happiness. I hope their marriage is beautiful."

"Look at that growth girl. I'm glad to see it."

"I'm glad to see you with your second location. Your ass about to be turning up in Miami and getting to the bag."

"And my deposit was put down by someone else? Oh, I'm on. I have my own money, but when you don't have to spend your own," Pandora chuckles referring to Kross. "Got that lick back for my friend."

"He said he was going to make my life a living hell. Well, karma spun the block on that ass. Thank you," they tap glasses before each taking a sip.

"His ass is right up in that cell with no bond. That's what he gets. He was dick riding Destin and white man left him out to dry. He was so eager to take down a female."

"Niggas are certified cheerleaders. Poppin' ass and waving pom pom's for dudes you really wanna dick suck. That pussy get wet to be in drama and they start acting like a female," Gen rolls her eyes.

"Talk your shit, friend!" They both laugh turning their attention to the waitress bringing their appetizers.

She doesn't feel bad for Kross at all. He thought he was gonna snake his way to the top. Really the record labels used and abused him as a tool. He wasn't able to ensure Caprice's charges were dropped, so now they have no use for him.

After the dinner, Magenta decided to call it a night instead of going to the club with them. She realizes now that she was doing all that partying and clubbing before to try and escape her problems.

Before going home, she stops at the grocery store to get a couple things. In those items she gets a bundle of sunflowers just to brighten up her home. She hasn't had a bouquet in awhile.

Arriving at her townhome, Gen winds down for the night. After taking a bath and changing into her pajamas, she goes downstairs. She turns on the tv then goes to the kitchen. She grabs a clear, clean vase filling it with tap water. Under running water she makes sure to cut one inch off the stems before placing them in the vase.

Seeing an alert on her phone for her Ring camera, Gen checks it. It's notifying her motion was detected at her front door. She checks the camera seeing a male figure at her doorstep. It only takes her a second to realize it's Gee. He sits something on her welcome mat about to go on his way.

Wanting to catch him before he leaves, Gen jogs down the entrance hallway swinging the door open. Hearing it Gee stops in his tracks turning around. "I didn't know you were back," he says awkwardly stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I just got back a few days ago. I was going to call you." She looks down to see what he was dropping off and it's a bouquet of sunflowers. "Great minds think alike. I just bought myself some," she points backwards.

"My flower lady was beginning to wonder," he explains as they both struggle to figure out what to say or do.

"You wanna come inside? I was about to watch and episode of All American: Homecoming. You watch that?"

"Nah, but I can."

She picks up the flowers and motions for him to come inside. "Thanks by the way," she yells behind him as he goes down the hall. She looks at the yellow blossoms sighing to herself before locking her door.

She adds the news flowers to her vase, while playing the first episode. When she does sit down they sit on opposite ends of the couch. The distance between them feels miles apart. They get through a couple episodes in silence only commenting on the show.

"Damon and Simone remind me of us back in college," Gee does a breathy laugh wiping over his face.

"With a little Cam and Keisha sprinkled in." Gee grabs the remote stopping it from going to the next episode. It makes Gen lean against her knee that she has pulled up to lean her face on it.

"Are we-" They start at the same time. "You go," he motions to her.

"I was going to ask if we're still together..."

"I guess we should've talked about that before you left."

"Yeah," she chuckles lightly.

"You've been talking to anyone?" Gee tilts his head to the side.

"As in romantically?"

"Yeah," he says in a duh voice.

"The only person I've been talking to is a therapist. I was at an alpaca retreat with ten other people," she laughs.

"And? You could've met someone in 4 weeks. Y'all had beds, so you could fuck."

"No," she shakes her head fighting a snicker. "Look," Magenta unlocks her phone to show him a picture of Alpacas. "I was busy doing Alpaca petting, meditating, yoga, and enjoying plant-based food."

"It was disgusting, huh?"

"I was hungry as hell," she admits with a giggle. "I also learned organic farming. Ya girl learned a couple skills I can use when we get our ranch."

"You still wanna do that?" He asks. Mainly because the talks about the future stopped as they focused on the present.

"If you do," she gets a little unsure now assuming he doesn't.

He shrugs answering, "It depends, I guess. You went to see the lady?"

"I went to see the lady," she lets a laugh slip. "You started anger management, right?" He nods. "How's it going?"

"It's enlightening... I think our problem was once we started dating and got into a relationship, we forgot about being friends. We forgot everything we've been through together and individually. We talked about learning and re-learning each other. Something got lost along the way," Gee speaks transparently.

"I agree. We said we weren't going to rush, but I think we still did. In the sense that we expected the other person to be okay just because we're there for one another. That everything will be okay and all our problems will go away as long as we have each other. And that's not true."

Magenta remembers what one of the retreat counselors told them...

When it comes to how friction's handled within a relationship, it's like a seesaw. There's two people in a relationship who sit facing each other at the ends of the seesaw. At any given time, both people are making decisions, some consciously and some not. On how to conduct themselves, how to communicate, how much they'll attend to what each other needs or wants, and whether the relationship justifies keeping it going.

You rate the ride on three things: How safe do you feel? Is the ride fun? If you want a break would your partner help you get off and wait for you to come back? On a seesaw sometimes one person can get bored, scared, or be having the time of their life. Meantime, the other feels the complete opposite.

You can also experience on a seesaw two people teetering at the perfect rhythm and speed. It's because they trusted each other. Even if one person gets off they both know they'll get back on together again.

That's what they're going through... Before they were seesawing with one person bouncing around not having fun at all while the other laughs incessantly having too much fun to care. Now they need to get on the same page.

"I missed you," Gen confesses only hoping the sentiment is reciprocated.

"I missed you too. We'll figure this out."

The moment of peace and assurance doesn't last too long. It's interrupted by Magenta's phone ringing. Seeing her brother's name on the screen she answers, "Hello?" The other day she checked on him and visited Chandrika in the hospital. She can only pray it's not something bad.

Gen can't even make out what her brother's saying as he talks a mile a minute. "Slow down, Dodi. I can't understand what you're saying- What?"

"She's dead!" She hears that loud and clear as silence falls around her...

_________

Gee's anger management?

Choice not wanting to retaliate? Should Gee feel the same about Kross?

The police pinning Fade's death on Kross?

Gen visiting her father in prison? Being diagnosed with c-PTSD?

Chandrika dying? Do you think that'll change Choice's stance?

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