PROMISE: A Labor Day Novella

AKIL MITCHELL

Labor Day 2023

You ever have one of those moments where the world slows to a crawl, where the bass of the music pumping around you feels like it's thumping underwater, and you swear everyone around can see your heartbeat trying to break through your chest? That’s where I was—right there on that damn rooftop, standing in the middle of the Labor Day party my boys and I had thrown together. Red Solo Cup in one hand, the last bite of a burger in the other, my eyes locked onto her like she was the last thing worth seeing in the city of Westonberry.

It wasn’t like one of those missions from when I was in the army, crouched in the dirt with my rifle loaded, ready to put a target down. This was a whole different kind of hunt. I wasn’t aiming to take a life; I was trying to get mine back with a woman I’d let slip through my fingers. Blame it on my never-ending shifts at the firehouse or her grinding away at her tech job—one of those apps everyone’s addicted to these days, the kind that keeps you scrolling and swiping so much you forget how to look somebody in the eye and talk to ‘em in real life.

We’d had a couple months worth of dates, and things were good—hell, things were real good—but she was always jetting off somewhere before we could make anything official, and I was always buried under a pile of alarms and smoke. We kept saying we'd catch up, pick up where we left off, but weeks stretched into months, and she ghosted me like a bad memory. And now, here she was, posted up on my rooftop, drinking my drinks, eating my food, laughing with her girls, looking so damn good it hurt to breathe.

Jade. Even her name was sharp and smooth at the same time. She was a dark-skinned dream with curves that could turn a straight road into a rollercoaster. She had this thick, compact frame that could barely be contained, her hair spilling around her shoulders in a braided curly style that made her look like she stepped out of a mural painted by the gods themselves. Gold hoops catching the light, jeans that held on to every dip and curve, a cropped top hugging her in all the right ways, and a pair of fresh dunks on her feet—she was dressed down, but she was shutting the whole damn party down.

Before she showed up, I was making the rounds, playing the host, keeping folks happy, tossing a few flirty smiles at the women who came through. But now? Now, I was a man on a mission. She wasn’t leaving this rooftop until she understood that tonight wasn’t gonna be like the others. Tonight, she was mine.

“Ain’t that Shorty you was talkin’ to a while back?” Shamar’s voice cut through my thoughts as he slid up beside me, a fork in his hand from manning the grill. He had that look on his face—the one that said he already knew the answer but wanted to hear me say it out loud.

“You peeped that too, huh?” I replied, my eyes never leaving Jade. I remembered he’d met her once before, when we ran into him while I was taking her out to that little jazz club downtown.

“That’s wild she’s up in the crib like this,” he said, his brow lifting just enough to show he was impressed.

“She ain’t never been here,” I told him, my voice low, almost like I was sharing a secret with the universe itself. “She don’t even know what she walked into,” I added, chewing the last bite of my burger like it was the final thought I needed to swallow before making my move.

There was a storm brewing inside me—equal parts heat and hunger. And tonight, Jade was about to find out exactly what happens when you stumble into a lion’s den without realizing whose territory you're in.

I set my cup down and made a straight shot for Jade, cutting through the crowd like a heat-seeking missile locked on its target. She was posted up with a group of women, laughing and sipping her drink, looking like she didn’t have a care in the world. I liked seeing her like that—loose, relaxed, enjoying herself.

“Jade,” I called out, my voice carrying over the music as I stepped up in front of her. She damn near jumped when she looked up and saw me bearing down on her, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Akil?” she asked, her voice all honey and smoke, like she was tasting my name on her lips.

“What’s good, stranger?” I leaned against the wall in front of her, playing it cool, flashing a slow grin that I knew always got her.

“Who’s this?” one of her homegirls chimed in, grinning from ear to ear. She was a pretty caramel thing with braids like Jade’s, but my focus was razor-sharp on the woman in front of me.

“I’m Akil,” I said, turning on the charm as I extended my hand. “Welcome to my home, I hope you’re enjoying the party.” She took my hand, shaking it with a smile that told me she was feeling the vibe.

Jade was smiling too, trying to keep it together but giggling like she couldn’t help herself.

“This your house?” she asked, eyebrows raised, genuinely surprised.

“Yeah, that’s right. You just roll up in people’s houses, drinking their drinks and eating their food, not even knowing who’s throwing the party?” I teased, letting the words hang in the air for a beat. “Especially after ghosting them, too?”

“Damn!” one of her friends blurted out, eyes wide, like I’d just spilled the tea all over this rooftop. Jade’s mouth fell open, caught between a laugh and a glare, trying to decide if she wanted to play like she had a little attitude or not.

“I don’t know what y’all got going on here, but this feels like some unfinished business we don’t need to be a part of,” another one of her friends said. I didn’t even bother looking to see who said it—I was locked in on Jade, and she was locked right back on me, her eyes narrowing like she was trying to find the perfect comeback to hit me with.

But I wasn’t giving her any time to get comfortable, not tonight.

“Yeah, we do have some unfinished business,” I announced, my eyes boring down into Jade's. Her whole posture shifted—arms folding tight across her chest, that guarded look slipping over her face like she was bracing for impact.

Jade looked a little unsettled, her usual confidence wobbling just a bit. “It wasn’t like that, Akil,” she muttered, her voice quieter than before.

“Oh yeah? Then what was it like?” I shot back, leaning in just enough to let her know I wasn’t playing. A playful smirk pulled at my lips, but my eyes told a different story—I wanted answers.

“Yeah, Jade, tell us!” one of her girls chimed in, all up in the mix until another friend pulled her away, dragging the rest of the crew with her, leaving just me and Jade standing there. The air between us was thick, a slow burn that had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

“I didn’t know this was your place,” she said, softer now, almost like she was trying to explain herself.

I cocked my head, taking her in. “Would you have come if you knew it was?”

“No,” she admitted, not even hesitating.

“Oh, word?” I said, caught off guard by her honesty. Didn’t expect her to be that blunt.

“That came out wrong,” she backpedaled, her eyes darting away for a second.

“Seems like you keep trippin’ over your words tonight, Jade.” I let that hang between us, a challenge in my tone. “What’s up? Why’d you stop responding to me?”

Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw something raw in them—something real. She opened her mouth like she had something to say, then closed it, chewing on whatever words were hanging on the tip of her tongue. I could see the battle she was having, whether to come clean or throw up that wall again. And damn it if I wasn’t ready for whatever came out next, ‘cause I wasn’t letting this night end with more questions than answers.

She shifted her weight, took a breath, and finally let the words spill out. “Look, Akil, I didn’t mean to ghost you. It’s just... things got complicated, alright?”

I stepped closer, closing the gap between us, my voice dropping low so only she could hear. “Complicated how? 'Cause last I checked, things were goin' pretty good.”

She rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. “Good? You mean those few late-night dates between your shifts and my flights? C’mon, you know that wasn’t enough for either of us.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Maybe. But it was somethin'.” I gestured to the party around us, the crowd oblivious to the tension crackling between us like live wires. “Now you just gonna show up at my spot, lookin’ like that, and act like we don’t have history?”

She bit her bottom lip, a nervous habit I remembered from those nights we’d spent together, sharing stories and more in the dim light of whatever bar or jazz club we found ourselves in.

“I didn’t know, alright? I was just here to have a good time with my girls. I didn’t think I’d be facing an interrogation.”

“Interrogation?” I laughed softly, leaning in until our noses were almost touching. “Nah, this ain’t that. This is me wanting to know why you dropped what we were building, Jade. You owe me that much.”

She held my gaze, her eyes narrowing as if weighing whether I was worth the truth or not. Finally, she sighed, a long breath that seemed to carry all the things left unsaid. “Alright. You wanna know the truth, Akil? You scared me.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Scared you? How?”

“You’re... intense. You know that?” She looked down, fidgeting with her drink. “I needed space to figure out what I wanted. And I guess...I just ran.”

I nodded, letting her words sink in. I hadn’t expected that. “I get it. I’m a lot. But that’s cause I was clear about what I wanted, and that’s you, Jade.”

She looked up, her lips parting like she wanted to say something, but I didn’t let her. I stepped in closer, my body brushing against hers, my voice a rough whisper against her ear. “So tell me now—what do you want?”

For a moment, she didn’t move, didn’t breathe. Then, like a dam breaking, she leaned in, her lips a breath away from mine. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but something tells me I shouldn’t run.”

That was all I needed to hear. My hand found her waist, pulling her against me, feeling the warmth of her body through that tight little crop top she wore. Her breath hitched, and I could feel her heart pounding against my chest. I didn’t give her a chance to rethink it; I kissed her, deep and slow, tasting the doubt and the desire all mixed up together. She melted into me, her hands sliding up my arms, nails digging in just enough to let me know she was right there with me.

The world around us faded, the music, the laughter, the clinking of bottles—it all fell away. It was just me and Jade, tangled up in the middle of a rooftop party, the city lights blurring into a hazy backdrop. She pulled back just enough to catch her breath, her eyes searching mine, still unsure but no longer scared.

“What now?” she whispered, her lips brushing against mine.

I grinned, my thumb tracing her jawline. “Now? Now we see if you’re really done running.”

JADE ALEXANDER

I didn’t want to be here. It had been three long months since the layoff—three months of sitting in my apartment, sulking on my couch, staring at the ceiling like it held the answers to my life unraveling. Who was I without my job? So much of my identity was stitched into the fabric of my career, and now that it was ripped away, I felt naked, exposed, and like I didn’t even know myself anymore.

It didn’t help that despite all the degrees, certificates, and "highly qualified" labels people had slapped on me over the years, my phone had become the fertile ground of rejection emails.

“There’s a Labor Day party happening tonight, and it’s supposed to be a good one. We’re going!” Leena's voice crackled over the phone earlier today while I soaked in the tub, mentally prepping to climb into bed early with some comfort food and a True Crime Netflix show I’d probably seen a dozen times already.

I rolled my eyes so hard I swear I saw the back of my skull. “You sound like we’re still in high school. I’m about to be thirty-eight, Leena. No job, no prospects. Maybe I should focus on fixing that instead of partying.”

There was a pause on the line, the kind that told me she was gearing up for one of her “come to Jesus” moments. “Girl, the fact that you keep obsessing over what’s gone wrong is exactly why nothing's going right. You ain’t living, Jade. You ain’t having fun. You’re holed up in that tiny-ass over priced apartment, hiding like the world gives a damn about Jade the Techie when the real star is Jade, the woman.”

Damn. She always did know how to hit me where it hurt.

“Well, damn…tell me how you really feel,” I shot back with all the sarcasm I could muster.

Leena wasn’t having it. “I’m picking you up in an hour, and your ass better be ready,” she snapped, hanging up before I could get another word in.

I groaned and stared at my closet like it was mocking me. I yanked out a pair of jeans and a crop top, something comfortable and safe because I wasn’t trying to impress anybody tonight. I didn't even want to go. My heart wasn't in it—until I found myself face to face with the man who had faded out of my life.

It wasn't like I ghosted him for real. We were both busy, caught up in our own worlds, and things just faded. That’s what I kept telling myself, anyway. Besides, what was the point in letting things get serious? Even if they did, he’d just break my heart eventually. All relationships ended the same way: someone left, and someone got hurt.

Sure, he’d made time for me—more than most guys. Texted me throughout the day, checked in like he actually cared, called late at night just to hear my voice, sent flowers to my hotel rooms when I traveled for work. But I’d convinced myself it wasn’t real. Couldn’t be. Besides, my focus was climbing the corporate ladder, not getting tangled up in some fling that could derail everything I’d worked so hard for.

But seeing him now, with that crooked smile that once made my knees weak, my chest tightened with an emotion I wasn’t ready to name.

“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice barely rising above the pulsing beat of the music as he guided me through the crowd, his hand wrapped firmly around mine. I tilted my head up to look at him, my heart doing that annoying flutter thing it always did when he was close.

Damn, he was fine—like mocha chocolate sculpted by the gods themselves. Tight curls framed his face, and that neatly trimmed goatee gave him the kind of rugged edge that would make anyone's heart skip a beat. Broad shoulders, arms that looked like they’d been chiseled in a gym, and that chest... yeah, very much the firefighter-on-a-calendar type. He was dressed in a matching green linen short set that clung to all the right places, and some Gucci slides that somehow looked both casual and expensive.

“For some privacy,” he replied, his deep voice rolling over me like thunder. “So we don’t have to be screaming over this damn music.”

He helped me down a set of narrow stairs, his grip on my hand steady, reassuring. We slipped through the back door of the house and into the kitchen, where the air was thick with the mouthwatering scent of jerk chicken and barbecue ribs. Platters of food were lined up on the counters, ready to be carried up to the rooftop, but the house was empty. Everyone was on the roof.

He kept hold of my hand, his touch firm yet gentle, as he led me through a dimly lit hallway to what I guessed was the primary bedroom. My pulse quickened when he closed the door behind us and turned the lock with a soft click that seemed to echo in the quiet room. The sounds of the party faded, replaced by the distant hum of the city outside.

“Not trying to kidnap you or anything,” he said with a half-smile, his deep voice soft but carrying that familiar rumble. “But with all these people coming in and out of my house, I don’t want anyone wandering into my room while we’re trying to talk.”

I nodded, my eyes darting around the room—large, with a king-sized bed, dark wood furniture, and a low glow from a single lamp in the corner. It felt like him—warm, masculine, with just enough chaos to make it interesting. And right now, the only thing more interesting than this room was the man standing in front of me, still holding my hand like he wasn’t quite ready to let go.

“We have privacy… what did you want to talk about?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, even though my heart was racing like it was trying to win a marathon.

He leaned back against the door, crossing his arms over that solid chest of his, eyes never leaving mine. “What’s up with you, Jade? For real. What’s been going on since the last time I saw you?”

“Not much,” I lied, my voice sounding steadier than I felt. The truth was, my whole damn world had been flipped upside down since the last time we were face to face like this. My job was gone, and my confidence had disappeared right along with it. But here I was, playing it cool, pretending like everything was just peachy when inside, I felt like I was standing on shaky ground. “You?”

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over that broad chest, his eyes never leaving mine. “Still a fireman, still tryna be your man…”

“Ooop!” The sound slipped out of me before I could catch it, a combo of surprise and disbelief. My eyes widened, and I felt a rush of heat crawl up my neck. I wasn’t prepared for that level of honesty, for how straightforward he was being.

Akil’s lips curled into a slow, knowing grin, clearly enjoying the way he’d caught me off guard. “What?,” he asked, his voice dropping lower, more serious. “I’ve been wanting you, Jade. You know that.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again, unsure of what to say. My mind was scrambling to keep up with my racing heart. “I mean, I didn’t know you were trying to be that bold tonight,” I managed to say, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

He chuckled, the sound deep and warm. “Baby, life’s too short to be anything but bold.”

I laughed, a nervous kind of laugh that felt like it was pulled from deep inside. “Okay, fireman. I see you.”

He cocked his head slightly, studying me like he could see straight through my bullshit. “You seeing somebody?” His voice was casual, but his eyes sharpened, waiting for a tell.

I couldn’t help it—I laughed. The kind of laugh that comes from somewhere deep, half bitter, half amused. Seeing somebody? I hadn’t looked at a man sideways since him, not even in the five months we’d drifted apart. Hell, work had been my man, and now that was gone too.

“No,” I chuckled, the sound slipping out before I could stop it.

A slow, knowing grin spread across his face, and he took a step closer.

“Good,” he said, voice dropping low, almost a growl. “So when I eat your pussy from the back tonight, until you’re coming down my throat, I won’t have some fool tryna see about you that I’ll have to set straight, right?”

My breath caught in my throat, and I felt my knees go weak. I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry as his words hung heavy in the air between us, daring me to back down, daring me to say something to break this tension that was thick enough to cut.

I tried to find my voice, but it felt like it had packed up and left the room. His eyes were on me, dark and intense, waiting. I could feel the heat rising from where his gaze lingered, and I shifted on my feet, unsure if I was trying to get closer to him or back away.

“Shit,” I finally managed to say, but the words came out softer than I intended, almost a whisper.

He didn’t move, but his grin widened, showing just a hint of teeth. “I’m not playing anymore games with you, Jade.”

The air between us buzzed with an unspoken tension, caution and simmering desire that had been building for too long. We’d had late-night dates where conversation flowed and our touches lingered, flirty messages that made me blush, and texts that hinted at what we both wanted but never crossed the line. Despite the pull between us, Akil had been patient—more than any man I’d known. He seemed to understand I needed time, his dark, hungry gaze often lingering, his touch sending shivers through me. But he never pushed, like he was waiting for the moment I’d finally be ready to let my guard down and surrender to what was inevitable between us.

And now, with the space between us closing, his presence pulling me in like a magnet, I felt that patience running out—along with my own.

“You say that but, you never came and got me,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. But instead of backing down, he took another step forward, closing the distance between us.

“I just let you do your thing, chase your dreams, climb that ladder. But I never stopped thinking about you, Jade. And I knew when the time was ready, you’d come back to me.” His voice was low, a rumble that sent shivers down my spine. “I’m still here. And I know you still want this.”

His words sent a rush of heat through me, and I felt my defenses cracking, crumbling like an old wall that couldn’t hold back the flood anymore. “And what if I’m not that same woman you knew? What if I want different things now?”

“Then tell me what you want,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that felt like it could burn. “Right now. In this room. With me.”

I took a slow step toward him, closing the gap between us until I could feel the heat radiating off his skin, his scent—clean, masculine, like cedarwood and something else I couldn’t name—filling my senses. I tilted my head up, my lips just inches from his ear.

A low growl rumbled from his chest, and in a swift motion, his lips crashed into mine, hungry, desperate, like he’d been starving for this moment. His hands gripped my ass, pulling me flush against him, and I could feel every hard muscle, every heartbeat that pounded against mine.

And just like that, the floodgates opened, and there was no more holding back.

AKIL MITCHELL

“Tell me you want me as bad as I want you, Jade,” I growled, my voice low and thick as I held her chin between my fingers. My lips trailed from her mouth to her cheeks, then down to her neck, tasting the salt of her skin. She smelled like jasmine and something sweet, like danger wrapped in desire.

“Akil…” she breathed, her voice barely a whisper, her body trembling against mine.

“Tell me,” I demanded, my words more than just a request—they were a command.

“I want you,” she moaned, her head falling back, giving me more of that soft, chocolate skin to kiss. I took my time, letting my mouth linger on the front of her neck, feeling the rapid beat of her pulse under my lips.

But I could feel it—something heavy pressing down on her.

“You’re stressed about something... hiding something from me,” I murmured against her skin, kissing my way down to her shoulders, feeling the tension knotting beneath her surface. My lips moved with purpose, trying to coax the truth out of her as much as I was trying to make her melt.

She hesitated, her breath coming out in shallow gasps. “I... I lost my job,” she whimpered, her voice breaking like a thin sheet of glass. My hand slid up to her throat, not squeezing, just holding, making her feel the weight of me there.

I froze, pulling back to look at her, my eyes searching hers. Those beautiful, defiant eyes were clouded with something I hadn’t seen in them before—shame. She’d always worn her ambition like armor, always so damn proud of what she’d built, even when she put it ahead of me. Seeing her like this, raw and stripped bare of her usual confidence, hit me hard.

“Jade…” I murmured, my grip on her throat softening, my thumb tracing the line of her jaw. I could see how much it hurt her, how deep that cut went. This wasn’t just about losing a paycheck; it was like a piece of her had been ripped away. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Her eyes welled up, and she bit her lip, trying to keep it together. “Because... it felt like failing. And you... you wouldn’t understand. You’re always so damn sure of yourself, so certain.”

“Maybe.” I nodded slowly, my thumb brushing away a tear that slipped down her cheek. “But I know what it’s like to lose somethin' that feels like it’s part of who you are.” I leaned in, pressing my forehead against hers, my breath mingling with hers.

“Jade,” I said, my hand sliding under her chin, tilting her face back up to mine. I wanted her to see that I meant every word. “At the core of all this—whatever this is—we were building a friendship, if nothing else. You don’t have to be embarrassed around me. We’ve talked about damn near everything, shared parts of ourselves most people never see. You don’t have to front for me, not now, not ever. You’re not ruining anything by being real with me. If shit sucks, just say that.”

She let out a shaky breath, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. “It fucking sucks,” she finally said, her voice trembling but strong enough to cut through the noise in my head.

“Damn right it does,” I replied, pulling her closer until our foreheads touched, grounding her in the moment. “But it doesn’t have to suck alone.”

She gave a small nod, and I could feel her letting go, just a little. Her walls weren’t down, not yet, but there were cracks in the armor, and I’d be damned if I wasn’t the one to help her break through.

“I don’t know how to let someone in like this,” she whispered, her voice raw.

“You don’t have to know how,” I murmured, brushing my lips against her temple. “Just gotta let it happen.”

For a second, we stood there in the dim light of my bedroom, the heavy bass from the rooftop party above us thumping through the floor like a distant heartbeat. The music and laughter were muffled, like they were coming from another world, one we didn’t care to be a part of right now. Her body was warm against mine, her breath falling in slow, measured waves, like she was trying to steady herself, trying to convince herself that letting me in wasn’t a mistake.

“Use me to take the pain away, Jade,” I murmured, guiding her hand to the bulge growing in my jeans, feeling her fingers curl around me, hesitant but curious. “Let me make you feel good, huh? At least for tonight?” I asked, my voice low and rough, as I cupped her face, planting soft, tender kisses along her cheeks, down to the corner of her lips. “You trust me to help you do that?”

Her eyes fluttered closed, the tension in her shoulders easing bit by bit. She needed this—needed to let go, to feel something other than the weight she’d been carrying. And there wasn’t a damn thing I wanted more than to be the one to help her find that release.

“I trust you,” she whispered, her voice so soft it barely made it past her lips, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip like she was holding on to her last bit of control.

I smiled, a slow, hungry grin, and walked her over to the dresser, positioning her in front of the mirror. I stood behind her, my hands firm on her hips as we both stared into our reflections. The room was dim, shadows dancing around us, but the glow from the street lamps outside sliced through the blinds just enough for us to see each other, see the need building in her eyes.

“You see that beautiful woman right there?” I said, holding her chin, making her look at herself. “She’s more than her job, more than a title, more than some number on a corporate spreadsheet.” My right hand slipped free to roam over her curves, squeezing and caressing her body like it was a precious thing I wanted to savor. “This woman is smart, funny, kind…loves belting out Jagged Edge in the car even though she sounds like a damn rooster getting strangled.”

“Akil…” she laughed, the sound breaking through the tension like a knife through butter, her eyes darting between our reflections, her cheeks flushed.

“Yeah, you know it’s true,” I teased, my hands slipping under her shirt, fingertips grazing her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. “But that’s what I love about you, Jade. You don’t have to be perfect with me. You just gotta be you.”

She leaned back against me, her head resting on my shoulder, her breath coming faster now, and I could feel her body relaxing, the walls she kept so damn high starting to crumble.

“The reason I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you has nothing to do with how you earned a living. It’s about your soul—your aura. Your intellect, your humor, your heart, your good taste, your thoughtfulness. You’re a good person, Jade, and you’re still you, with or without that career,” I said, my hands slipping under her crop top, finding their way into her bra, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my palms.

"Oh my goodness," she breathed, like she was trying to steady herself against the rush of emotions flooding through her.

“It’s time to let it go and make room for what’s next,” I continued, lifting the top over her head and tossing it aside. I reached behind her to unfasten her bra, my voice steady, almost hypnotic. “You’re about to be blessed with more than you ever thought you lost. You know that, right?” I murmured as her bra fell to the floor, and I cupped her breasts, feeling her body respond to my touch.

She let out a long, shaky exhale, her head falling back against my shoulder, eyes fluttering shut. She was letting go, surrendering to the moment, and I could feel it in every breath she took.

“You believe me, Jade?” I asked, holding her breasts with my left hand while my right hand moved lower, starting to unbutton her jeans with deliberate slowness.

“What are you doing to me?” she breathed, her voice catching, her body arching back into mine.

“Do you believe me, Jade?” I asked again, my voice a low rumble against her ear, my fingers brushing against the waistband of her jeans, ready to push her over the edge she so desperately needed to cross.

Her breath hitched, and I could see the struggle in her expression, the battle between wanting to keep her guard up and needing to let herself be vulnerable.

"Yes," she finally whispered, her voice breaking, her hands gripping my arms like I was the only thing keeping her grounded.

“Good,” I whispered, my lips grazing the curve of her neck, the heat of her skin feeding the hunger building inside me. “Kick those sneakers off so I can get you outta these jeans.”

She did as I said, one shoe after the other hitting the floor, and I didn’t waste a second. I kissed her shoulders, her neck, tasting the soft curve of her skin as I peeled her jeans down, letting them pool around her ankles before she stepped out of them. Finally, she was down to just her panties, her body trembling slightly under my touch, and I stayed behind her, my eyes and hands roaming, taking her in like a man starved.

Having her in my hands like this, her body pressed up against mine, that ass backed up against me—shit, I had to remind myself to breathe. I’m surprised I didn’t nut on myself right there. Jade Alexander needed to be arrested for how thick she was, she was breaking some kind of law just by having a body like this.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, Jade,” I murmured against her ear, letting my breath tickle her skin. I watched her reflection in the mirror, the way her chest rose and fell. “Did you miss me?” I asked, my hand slipping into the front of her panties, my fingers brushing against that slick heat.

“Yes,” she breathed, her voice shaky, and I felt her body shudder as I slid a finger inside her, then two as she parted her legs wider for me, finding her already soaking wet, ready for me.

“I see,” I groaned, biting her ear just enough to make her gasp, her body pressing back into mine. “Not seeing you for so long… I couldn’t let you slip away again. I needed to feel you, be inside you,” I said, my finger circling that sensitive bundle of nerves, teasing her, pulling her deeper into the moment. “You needed me, too. Didn’t you?”

Jade bit down on her lip, her eyes squeezing shut as she tried to hold back, tried to keep control, but I could feel her unraveling. Her body was responding to me, her hips moving with each touch, chasing that nut I knew she needed, her breath coming in soft, desperate gasps.

“Don’t hold back,” I whispered, my voice thick with desire. “Let me hear you, Jade. Let me know how bad you need this.”

Jade’s breath hitched, her body arching against me, hips rolling to meet the rhythm of my hand. She was biting her lip so hard I thought she might draw blood, but I wasn’t about to let her hide those sounds from me. Not tonight.

“C’mon, Jade,” I coaxed, pressing my lips to her ear, my fingers moving in slow, deliberate circles, teasing her just enough to drive her wild. “I want to hear you. I want to hear how much you’ve been missing me.”

A soft moan escaped her lips, and her eyes fluttered open, locking onto mine in the mirror. Her pupils were blown wide, her chest rising and falling faster now, that beautiful mouth of hers parting to let out another shaky breath. She was right there, caught between holding on and letting go, and I was gonna make damn sure she chose the latter.

“That’s it, baby,” I whispered, kissing her neck, feeling the heat radiating off her skin. I slipped another finger inside her, feeling her tighten around me, her body trembling with every move as I slipped her panties down. “I want you to forget everything else—your job, your worries, all of it. Right now, it’s just us. Just this.”

She let out a ragged breath, her head falling back against my shoulder, her eyes slipping shut as she started to lose herself in the sensation. “Oh, God, Akil…” she moaned, her voice a sweet, desperate plea that sent a jolt of electricity straight through me.

“That’s my girl,” I growled, my teeth grazing the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, my hand working her faster now, pushing her closer to the edge. “You feel that? That’s all you, Jade. Let go. Don’t fight it.”

Her legs began to shake, and I could feel her clenching around my hand, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. She was right there, teetering on the brink, and I knew just how to push her over. My thumb pressed against her clit, rubbing slow, tight circles, and I felt her whole body tense up like a bowstring about to snap.

“Akil, I—” she choked out, her voice breaking, her body arching back as her release crashed over her like a wave. She cried out, her nails digging into my arms, her hips bucking against my hand as she rode out the storm.

“Yeah, that’s it, baby,” I murmured, holding her tight, my hand still moving, drawing out every last bit of pleasure from her. “Let it all out. Don’t hold anything back.”

When her body finally started to relax, her breaths coming in ragged, uneven bursts, I slowed my hand, my lips brushing against her ear.

“You good?” I asked, my voice softer now, a hint of a smile tugging at my lips.

She nodded weakly, still trying to catch her breath, her eyes half-lidded and dazed. “Yeah… yeah, I’m good,” she whispered, a small, satisfied smile spreading across her lips.

“Good,” I said, my voice low and rough with promise as I backed away from her and sat on the bed. “Now bring that pretty pussy over here. ’Cause we’re just getting started.”

JADE ALEXANDER.

“Oh shit! This is my song! Turn it up!” I squealed as “Promise” by Jagged Edge flowed through the speakers in Akil’s truck.

He chuckled, glancing over at me with a smile that made my heart skip a beat. “This your song?”

“I love Jagged Edge! Oh my God! ‘Cause why did they look like rappers but sing like that? Best of both worlds!” I gushed, my voice full of excitement. They’d been my favorite R&B group since high school, and the thrill of hearing them never faded.

As the beat settled in, I found myself lost in the lyrics, eyes closed, my head tilting back as the wind from the open window played with my hair. We were headed out to some museum he insisted I needed to see, but right now, all that mattered was this song. God, I loved this song. Men didn’t sing like this anymore—with so much emotion, so much raw feeling. The lyrics, their voices, it all reached deep inside me. I was so wrapped up in it that I started performing like I was on stage, belting out the words with everything I had.

When I finally opened my eyes, still caught in the music's spell, I caught Akil’s gaze. His expression was unreadable.

“You think I sound bad?” I asked, caught between embarrassment and defensiveness, wondering if I’d taken it too far.

“What? Nah, you’re killin’ it,” he said, a grin tugging at his lips as he turned the volume up even higher. “Go on, earn that Grammy, baby!”

I laughed, feeling a spark of confidence flare up, and I let go, singing my heart out.

We went out three more times after that, and every single time, as soon as we pulled off, he’d put that song on. Without fail, he’d encourage me to sing my heart out, to let loose in a way I hadn’t with anyone else in a long time. Those dates became my favorites—moments where I felt like I could drop my mask, where I wasn’t Jade, the overachiever or the perfectionist.

But that was exactly what made me pull back from Akil in the first place—I realized he was truly seeing me. Not the surface-level version I showed the world, but the real me. He had this way of helping me to just be, to drop my guard and exist in the moment. It was like he could disarm me with a single look or a few simple words, and that scared the hell out of me. And now, here I was, in his bedroom, after he’d done it again—made me feel safe enough to let down my defenses, only to turn around and strip them away completely.

However off-key I might’ve sounded belting out Jagged Edge in his truck, it was nothing compared to the sounds coming out of my mouth now. He had me bent over the bed, his mouth working me over from behind, his thumb pressed against my ass. I was so damn grateful for the party going on upstairs, drowning out the noises I was making. Because if it wasn’t for that loud-ass music and the hum of conversation above us, there was no way the entire neighborhood wouldn’t have heard me falling apart, piece by piece, under his touch.

He let out a low, throaty groan as his hand came down hard on my ass, the sharp sting of it sending a jolt through me that only made me wetter. I buried my face in his pillow, my teeth sinking into the fabric to muffle a moan, my mind spinning with equal parts enjoyment and disbelief. How the hell did I end up here, when just hours ago, I’d planned to be in my own bed, curled up with the remote in one hand and a glass of wine in the other?

But here I was, my body betraying me, giving in to every delicious sensation he pulled out of me with his hands, his mouth, his voice. It was like every carefully constructed wall I’d put up around myself had been stripped away, leaving me bare, vulnerable, and so damn open to him. And the crazy part? I wasn’t sure I wanted it any other way.

Another smack landed on my ass, harder this time, and I bit down on his pillow even deeper, a muffled cry escaping me. My skin burned where his hand had connected, but it was the kind of burn that fed the heat building between my legs. I could feel him behind me—his breath hot against my skin, his low groans vibrating through me like a second heartbeat. My body responded to him like it knew him, like it had been waiting for this exact moment.

“Damn, Jade,” he muttered, his voice rough with need, “You taste so good. I could stay right here all night.”

The words sent a fresh wave of desire coursing through me, and I arched my back, pushing myself against his mouth, his fingers—whatever I could reach, desperate for more. His thumb pressed harder against my ass, and I was already so close, my whole body trembling on the edge.

How did he know exactly how to touch me? How to play my body like he’d memorized every note? I’d dated men who’d never bothered to learn what made me tick, never cared to see the parts of me that weren’t easy or convenient. But Akil was different. He didn’t just want the version of me I showed to the world—he wanted it all. And the way he was worshipping me now, his tongue stroking against me with a hunger that bordered on reverence, I knew he wasn’t going to stop until I fell apart completely.

And I was so damn close to doing just that.

I tried to hold back, to keep some semblance of control, but he wasn't having it. His free hand gripped my hip, holding me in place, and I could feel the tension coiling tighter and tighter in my belly. I was right on the edge, teetering between wanting to give in and trying to hold on.

“Let it go, Jade,” he whispered against my skin, his voice thick with authority and something deeper, something that told me he wasn’t asking.

And with that, everything inside me shattered. My body bucked, pleasure crashing through me in waves, and I cried out, my voice ragged and raw, echoing off the walls. My legs shook, my fingers clutching his sheets like a lifeline as he took everything I gave him, not stopping, not letting up, until I was spent, collapsed against the bed, breathless and trembling.

He pulled back slowly, his breath ragged like mine. With a playful bite on my butt cheeks, he slapped each one, his eyes dark and satisfied.

“Still think I don’t know how to touch you?” he murmured, a smug smile tugging at his lips.

I let out a breathless laugh, still catching my breath, my body humming with the aftershocks.

“No,” I panted, my voice barely a whisper. “I think you know exactly what you’re doing.”

I felt him shift behind me, his arm reaching over to the nightstand. The soft rustle of a drawer opening caught my ear, and when I turned my head, I saw the unmistakable glint of a gold foil packet in his hand.

“I hope you don’t think that’s it,” he said, his voice low and teasing, but there was a hunger beneath it that sent a shiver down my spine. I watched as he tore the condom wrapper open with his teeth, his eyes never leaving mine. “Get back up on those knees. I need that ass back in the air.”

“Akil, my legs are dead,” I giggled, breathless from everything he’d already done to me.

“Fine,” he chuckled, his grin widening as he leaned over and flipped me onto my back with an effortless strength that made my heart race all over again. Before I could even process the movement, he grabbed my legs and threw them over his shoulders, his fingers digging into my thighs just enough to send a delicious thrill through me.

I glanced down between us, and my breath hitched at the sight of his thickness as he rolled the condom on, fully hard and ready. Damn. I’d felt it against me before, but seeing it like this was a different story.

He noticed my eyes widen, a deep chuckle rumbling from his chest. “You ain’t scared of nothing, Jade,” he said, his voice warm with amusement, but there was a challenge in his tone, too. “You’re ready for me. Been ready.”

The heat in his gaze matched the fire building inside me, and any hint of doubt evaporated. My body already knew what it wanted, had been craving this, craving him, for longer than I cared to admit. I bit my bottom lip and nodded, my breath coming fast, my heart thundering in my chest.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” I whispered, my voice almost lost beneath the steady thrum of the music upstairs.

Akil’s expression grew serious, his eyes locking onto mine with that intensity that always seemed to see right through me. “Jade, if we do this, ain’t no coming back… I’m not letting you slip away again,” he warned, his voice low but firm. “You understand what you’re signing up for, right?”

I could feel the weight of his words settle between us. He wasn’t just talking about tonight; he was talking about everything that might come after.

“Do you understand what you’re signing up for?” I shot back, raising an eyebrow.

His lips curled into a slow, teasing grin. “Yeah, more Jagged Edge karaoke.”

I rolled my eyes, feigning an attitude. “Kiss my ass, Akil.”

“Been doing that all night,” he said with a sly smirk.

I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension between us easing into something softer, more familiar. As I looked at him, I felt a pang of something deep in my chest—a mixture of longing and regret. I really had missed him. It was a shame I hadn’t allowed myself to feel it until now.

“What you thinking about?” he asked, his tone gentle, like he was genuinely curious about what was going on in my head.

“Nothing,” I lied, trying to shrug it off.

“Liar,” he countered, his grin widening.

“Whatever,” I muttered, but there was no heat behind it.

“You thinking about how things might change after I slide up in you and rearrange your organs?” he teased, his voice dropping an octave, dark and playful. “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle so you can at least get back to the party afterward.”

“You’re so cocky,” I chuckled, shaking my head at him.

He leaned in closer, his eyes dark with desire, his lips just inches from mine. “I am,” he murmured, his breath warm against my skin. “Let me show you…”

And then he kissed me. Not the slow, tentative kind of kiss we’d exchanged in the past, but something deeper, more demanding. His lips claimed mine with a hunger that sent a spark straight through me, igniting every nerve ending. His tongue traced the seam of my mouth, coaxing it open, and I melted into him, my hands sliding up his shoulders, pulling him closer.

The heat between us flared, and before I knew it, he was pressing me back against the bed, his body covering mine, solid and warm. His hands moved with purpose, one slipping under my thigh to hitch my leg higher up his side, the other cradling the back of my neck as if to anchor me to him.

I moaned against his lips, my fingers digging into his back, urging him on. He pulled back just enough to whisper against my mouth, “Can I have you, Jade?”

“Yeah,” I breathed, my voice trembling with a mix of anticipation and need.

Akil’s eyes darkened with a fierce intensity as he positioned himself at my entrance, taking his time, teasing me with just the tip until I was writhing beneath him, desperate for more. When he finally pushed in, a slow, deliberate motion, a gasp escaped my lips. He filled me inch by inch, stretching me in a way that was equal parts pleasure and sweet, delicious pain.

I grabbed onto his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as he began to move, each thrust deep and measured, building a rhythm that had my whole body tightening with need. The way he looked at me, like he was savoring every moment, every reaction—it was overwhelming. He wasn’t just fucking me; he was consuming me, taking his time to make sure I felt every inch, every ounce of his desire.

“Fuucckkk,” I groaned, my eyes rolling back as he found my spot.

“There it is,” he growled, his voice thick with pleasure, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. “Damn, Jade… you were worth the wait.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and I moaned, my hips rising to meet his, the sensation of him driving deeper pulling me closer to the edge. This wasn’t just physical—it was something more, something that felt like it had been building for far longer than tonight.

“Don’t stop,” I gasped, my head falling back, surrendering to the way he took me, the way he made me feel. “Please, Akil…don’t stop.”

And he didn’t.

Akil’s rhythm picked up, each thrust deeper, more purposeful, like he was trying to prove something—to me, to himself, or maybe to both of us. My body responded to every move, every delicious stroke that sent a ripple of pleasure through me, making it impossible to think about anything else but the way he felt inside me, stretching me, filling me completely.

“That’s what it’s like when you stop running, Jade. When you let someone in. When you let me in.”, he murmured against my ear, his voice a dark, sultry rasp.

I didn’t have the breath to answer. My head was spinning, my body trembling, caught somewhere between ecstasy and surrender. He was right. I had been running, but now, with him pressing against me, inside me, all I could feel was a need to hold on tighter, to let him in even deeper.

His lips found my neck, his teeth grazing my skin, and I gasped, arching into him. His hand moved from my thigh to my hip, gripping me with a possessive strength that only made me want him more. Every thrust pushed me higher, closer to the edge, my moans mixing with his ragged breaths as the world narrowed down to this moment—just the two of us and the heat building between us.

“Akil… oh, God…” I could barely get the words out. My nails raked down his back as he hit that spot inside me that made my vision blur, that sweet spot that sent me spiraling into a freefall I knew I wouldn’t come back from easily.

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look into my eyes, his face etched with something I hadn’t seen before. “Come on, Jade,” he whispered, his lips hovering over mine, “Let go for me.”

It wasn’t just a request; it was a command. And as his hips drove into me harder, faster, his thumb brushing over my clit, I felt my body coil tight, teetering on the brink. He knew exactly what he was doing, exactly how to break me apart and put me back together.

“Fuck, Akil!” I cried out, my body arching off the bed as my climax slammed into me, a wave of pleasure so intense it was almost blinding. I clenched around him, my muscles tightening as I came undone, every moan, every breath ripping out of me like I’d been holding it in for far too long.

“Good girl,” he growled, his thrusts growing more erratic, deeper, like he was chasing his own release. His face buried in the crook of my neck, his breath hot against my skin, and with one last powerful thrust, he groaned low and deep, his body shuddering against mine as he found his own release.

For a moment, we just lay there, tangled up in each other, both of us catching our breath. The music from the party upstairs was still pounding through the ceiling, but in this room, it felt like we were in our own little world, suspended in time.

He finally lifted his head, his lips brushing over mine in a gentle, lingering kiss that was almost too tender after the raw intensity of what just happened. “Still think I’m too cocky?” he asked, a lazy grin spreading across his face.

I laughed softly, feeling my heartbeat begin to slow, my body still humming with the afterglow. “Maybe just the right amount,” I teased, brushing a damp curl away from his forehead.

He chuckled and kissed me again, deeper this time, as if to remind me that this wasn’t just a one-time thing, that this was just the beginning of something neither of us could fully define yet. And as I melted into him, I realized maybe that was okay. Maybe it was okay to not have all the answers, to not know exactly what was next, as long as I had someone willing to figure it out with me.

“So,” he murmured against my lips, “How about after the party, you stay a little longer? I’m thinking we keep our private party going with some more Jagged Edge and whatever else you’ve got on that playlist of yours.”

I smiled, my heart warming at the thought. “Yeah, Akil. I think I’d like that.”

And for the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel the need to run. I just wanted to stay, to see where this could go, and maybe—just maybe—let myself fall.

AKIL MITCHELL

I was feeling good. Hell, better than good. Jade’s pussy had been the best damn meal at this party, and I’d licked the plate clean until I was full. And when I busted that nut, I came so damn hard I thought I’d gone deaf for a second—world went quiet, like I’d floated right out of my body. But the real win of the night? Jade agreed to stay after, once the crowd thinned out, when I wasn’t playing host and the bass wasn’t rattling the ceiling above us.

The sex was one thing, and damn, that shit was phenomenal—she tasted and felt like warm apple pie, all heat and comfort, something you want to savor slow and never let go of. But this wasn’t just about what we could do to each other between the sheets. Nah, we needed to figure out what we were really doing, what this was gonna be. When I said I wanted her, I meant all of her—not just that body that could make a man lose his damn mind, but her heart, her trust, her faith in us. I wanted every piece of her she’d been too scared to give before.

And I knew that conversation was coming as soon as this rooftop cleared out. Just me and her, face to face, laying it all on the table, no half-stepping. I couldn’t fucking wait. I was ready to see if she was all in, ‘cause I sure as hell was.

“Where you been, man?” Calvin asked, sliding up next to me as I sat in a corner nursing a cup of Hennessy, my eyes locked on Jade across the room. She was back with her girls, probably filling them in on what went down downstairs—or maybe not. She always liked to play it cool, keep her good girl image intact. But she looked well-fucked, and I’d bet my last dollar they’d already noticed and were grilling her about it.

“Looks like my man had some business to handle,” Shamar chimed in with a knowing smirk, his gaze drifting over to where Jade stood.

“That’s you?” Calvin asked, eyebrows shooting up.

“Used to talk. Gonna figure it out once I get all you motherfuckers outta here,” I chuckled, tossing my Solo cup in the trash with a grin still plastered on my face. I could still taste her on my lips, feel the heat of her skin on my fingertips. And that grin? It got wider just thinking about what was coming next—what Jade and I would get into once this place was cleared out and we could get real.

“That’s a lot of woman right there,” Calvin chimed in, giving me a sideways look. “You sure you can handle all that?”

I let out a laugh, shaking my head. “I’m a Big Dog, stop playing with me, boy,” I shot back, my chest puffed up a bit.

We all busted out laughing, that good kind of laugh that hits you deep and makes your shoulders relax. The kind that reminds you you’re with your people.

“Plus, I’m tryna do more than just handle those curves,” I said, letting my voice drop a notch. “She’s a good woman, period. Got that spirit, that vibe. I know this could be something real if she’s open to it. Like I said, we ‘bout to put it on the table like grown folk and see what’s up.”

Calvin nodded, his face shifting from joking to serious. “I feel you, man.”

“We’ll see where it goes, but I got a good feeling about this.”, I said.

And I meant it. Jade was different, and I was ready to lay it all out, see if she was ready to do the same.

I leaned back, watching as Jade laughed with her girls, her eyes flicking over to me every now and then, her lips curling up like she had a secret. And maybe she did. But whatever it was, I was gonna get it out of her tonight. No more running, no more dodging. We were gonna lay it all out. And if it ended with her in my bed again, so be it.

“Better wrap this shit up by 9:30,” I muttered under my breath. “I got plans for the rest of the night.”

Calvin laughed, clapping me on the back. “A’ight, a’ight. Handle your business.”

“Oh, I will,” I said, my eyes locked on Jade, a wicked smile tugging at my lips. “I definitely will.”

“My boy Ak, got Labor Day jumpin’ like it’s the Fourth of July!” a familiar voice rang out behind me, slicing through the noise of the crowd.

I turned, and there he was—Marcus, swaggering through the crowd like he owned the place. Marcus, the slick-talking lawyer I’d met a few times at community events. Always dressed sharp, always talking too damn much but overall, he was cool people.

“Marcus, what’s good?” I said, dapping him up, pulling him in for a quick hug.

“Ain’t shit, man,” he said, slapping my back before pulling away, his eyes scanning the crowd like a hawk. Then he froze, his grin turning razor-sharp as he spotted something—or someone. “I know that ain’t who I think it is.”

I followed his line of sight, my gut twisting as he was looking in Jade’s direction. He had to be looking at someone else in her crew. She’d told me straight up there wasn’t any man I had to worry about. She wouldn’t lie about that, right? But before I could even piece it together, Marcus was already moving, cutting through people like a hot knife through butter, heading straight for Jade.

My chest tightened as I watched him slide up next to her. Jade's face dropped the second she saw him. That smile I loved to see faded like a candle snuffed out by a gust of wind. I didn’t like that one bit. My whole body went on high alert like a siren had gone off in my head. Something wasn’t right.

I pushed through the crowd, my eyes locked on them. Marcus was leaning in, talking low, but I could see the way Jade’s shoulders tensed up, the way her eyes darted around like she was looking for an escape route.

“Nah, not tonight,” I muttered under my breath, stepping up next to them. I slid my hand around Jade’s waist, pulling her close. “Yo, everything good over here?”

Marcus turned to me, a fake-ass smile plastered on his face. “Oh yeah, man, just catching up. Didn’t know Jade would be here. Small world, huh?”

“Yeah, real small,” I said, my eyes flicking to Jade. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, and I could see the fire burning in her eyes. She wasn’t okay. Not by a long shot. “You two know each other?”

“Unfortunately,” Jade muttered, her voice tight and low, like she was trying to keep from spitting fire.

Marcus’s grin slipped just a bit, but he kept it on, the way a snake shows its fangs right before it strikes.

“We go way back, don’t we, Jade?” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Surprised to see you out and about like this, thought you’d still be laying low after… you know, everything.”

Jade’s eyes narrowed into slits, her whole body going rigid. “Whatever you think you know about me, Marcus, you can keep it to yourself,” she snapped, her voice steady but edged with ice. “We’re done. Been done. So why don’t you move on and leave me the hell alone?”

Marcus chuckled, a low, mean sound. “Move on? See, that’s your problem, Jade. You think you can just walk away and leave people in your dust. You forget who was there for you when nobody else was. And this is how you repay me? Throwing me away like I’m trash?”

I could feel the tension rolling off her, and I was about two seconds away from breaking this dude’s jaw. “Yo, Marcus,” I said, stepping in closer, my voice dropping low and heavy like a storm about to break. “This conversation is over. Whatever problem you got with Jade, you can take it up with me.” I shifted, moving Jade behind me, my body blocking his path as I stepped right up in his face.

His grin twisted into a sneer, that fake smile slipping away to show the bitterness underneath. “What, you think you’re her savior now?” he shot back, his eyes narrowing like he was looking for a fight. “Think you’re gonna swoop in and be her hero? You don’t know shit about her, man. You don’t know what she did.”

“I don’t care what she did. You not gon’ be at my party getting in no woman’s face,” I said, my voice low but clear, cutting through the noise like a blade. “That shit don’t fly around here.”

“I’ll talk to her however the fuck I—”

Before he could even finish that thought, my fist was in his chest, shoving him back so hard he stumbled, knocking into a table behind him. Glasses and bottles rattled, a few spilling over, and the crowd around us started to press in, the energy shifting from festive to tense in a heartbeat. “I said, that’s enough,” I growled, every word vibrating in my throat, the bass from the music thumping like a war drum in my ears, matching the pounding of my pulse.

Marcus caught his balance, his face twisting into a snarl as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes were locked on mine, dark and furious, like he was ready to explode. “Man, fuck you,” he spat, his voice laced with venom. Then, without a second of hesitation, he swung at me, his fist coming in fast and wild.

I saw it coming a mile away—telegraphed like an amateur. I ducked to the side just in time, feeling the air rush past my cheek as his punch whiffed through empty space. I came back up quick, adrenaline firing through my veins, and delivered a clean right hook to his jaw that sent him stumbling back again. The crowd erupted—some people yelling, some trying to pull us apart, but I wasn’t done yet. Not when this dude thought he could come here, disrespect my space, and talk to Jade any kind of way.

He staggered, wiping at his split lip with a shaky hand, his eyes wild now, filled with something that looked a lot like fear mixed with rage. He wasn’t expecting me to hit back, wasn’t expecting me to stand up to his bullshit. “You wanna go, huh?” he hissed, trying to play it tough, but I could see the crack in his facade.

“Damn right,” I said, stepping forward, my voice steady, my body ready for whatever he had left.

Before he could make another move, my boys were in between us—Calvin, Shamar, Tone—all of ‘em stepping up, pushing us apart, hands up like they were tryna keep the peace.

“Yo, chill, chill!” Shamar shouted, gripping my shoulder tight. “This ain’t the time, Akil. Not here, man. Not tonight.”

I was breathing hard, my chest rising and falling, but I knew he was right.

“Get him the fuck outta here,” I said, my voice calmer now, but the threat still there, simmering. “Before I really lose my patience.”

“You think you’re gonna change her? She ain’t worth the trouble, man,” Marcus sneered, trying to shake off the hit. With a final glare in my direction, he turned and started shoving his way through the crowd, the tension slowly beginning to release as he disappeared from sight.

I turned back to Jade, her eyes locked on mine.

“You good?” I asked.

She nodded, her grip tight in mine, like she needed that anchor. “Yeah,” she said, her voice steadying. “I am now.”

I nodded back, my chest still heaving

“I’m sorry, Akil,” she said, her voice trembling.

“This ain’t on you,” I said, my thumb brushing her cheek, trying to soothe the storm I saw in her eyes. “But we gotta talk about this. About him, bout everything.”

She took a deep breath, nodding as she followed my lead through the crowd. People were staring, whispering, phones still out, but I wasn’t worried about them. My mind was on what just went down and what the hell it meant. I could feel the heat crawling up my neck, anger and confusion twisting my gut.

When we got to a quieter spot by the stairs, away from the noise and prying eyes, I turned to her, the words coming out sharper than I intended.

“This is a pattern, Jade. I ain’t the first, am I?” I asked, my voice low but laced with frustration. “’Cause what Marcus said sounds a lot like the same shit you pulled on me. You got a habit of ghosting when things get real?”

She looked at me, eyes wide, lips parting to speak, but I kept going, the anger bubbling up now. “If that’s the game you’re gonna keep playing—” I paused, trying to gather myself, but the frustration was right there at the surface, ready to spill over. “I’m not tryin’ to get played, Jade. Not again.”

“I—” she started, but I cut her off, shaking my head.

“Nah, let me finish,” I said, my voice steady but hard. “You dipped out on me when things were good. Now I find out you did the same to him? And who knows who else? If you got cold feet, just say that. But don’t keep dragging people through your mess, making them think they got a shot when you’re already halfway out the door.”

Her face flushed, eyes narrowing like she was caught between shame and anger. “It’s not like that, Akil,” she said, her voice shaking a little. “You don’t understand.”

“Then help me understand,” I shot back. “’Cause right now, it feels like I’m just another stop on this merry-go-round you got goin’. You think that shit’s fair?”

She looked away, biting her lip like she was trying to find the right words. I could see her struggling, but I needed something real from her. I needed to know if she was all in or just playing me like she might have played Marcus. The silence stretched between us, thick with everything unsaid.

She took a shaky breath, glancing away for a moment like she was pulling herself together. I could see it in her eyes—this wasn’t easy for her to talk about, but I needed to hear it. I needed to know what was really going on inside her head.

“When I met Marcus, I thought he was this solid, dependable guy. The type that knew what he wanted and went after it. But it didn’t take long for that to change. He was controlling—always had to have the upper hand, always needed me to fit into his idea of what a ‘good woman’ was. If I didn’t, he’d find a way to make me feel small, like I wasn’t enough or I was too much. You know the type,” she said, her voice steady but her eyes filled with hurt, like she was back in that place with him, feeling every sting of his words all over again.

I nodded, my jaw tightening. I knew exactly the type.

“He’d get jealous over stupid shit—me hanging with my girls, working late, even talking to the wrong people at work. And when he wasn’t criticizing me, he’d go cold, act like I didn’t even exist. It was like walking on eggshells, always waiting for the next explosion, the next silent treatment. And after a while, I started thinking maybe I was the problem, you know? That maybe if I just changed a little bit more, if I just did things his way, he’d be happy. I’d be enough.”

She paused, her voice catching, and I could see the weight of those memories pressing down on her. “And when it didn’t work, when I realized he was never gonna change, I left. But even then, I carried all that shit with me, that fear of not being enough or being too much for the next man.”

I felt my chest tighten hearing that, the anger simmering just below the surface. “And then you met me,” I said quietly, piecing it together.

She nodded, looking back up at me, her eyes softer now but still guarded. “Yeah, a few months later, there you were. And you were everything he wasn’t—kind, real, straight-up about what you wanted. But, Akil, I was scared. I didn’t know how to handle feeling something good after all that bullshit. I thought, what if it’s just another trick? What if I let my guard down again, only to be treated like that all over? So yeah, I ran. I pushed you away before you could push me.”

She took another deep breath, her shoulders relaxing like she’d finally let go of some of that weight. “But it wasn’t because I didn’t care about you. I did, more than I wanted to admit. And that scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know how to trust what I was feeling, didn’t know if I could trust you, or even trust myself, to not fall into the same trap again.”

I reached out, my hand finding hers, squeezing gently. “You’re not in that place anymore, Jade. And I’m not him. I don’t want to control you or make you feel like you gotta be anything but who you are.”

She nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek, but she didn’t bother wiping it away. “I know that now,” she whispered. “I know it in my heart, but it’s taken me a minute to really believe it. You’ve been patient with me, more than I deserved. And I want this, Akil.”

I felt some of the tension in my chest ease up, but I wasn’t all the way there yet. “You done running now?” I asked, searching her face for the truth. “’Cause I’m telling you, Jade, I’m not here for games. I’m here for something real.”

She nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. “I’m done, Akil. I promise you that.”

I watched her, waiting to see if she’d break, but she held my gaze steady, no flinching, no looking away. Maybe she meant it this time. And maybe I was ready to see where this went. But I needed her to know one thing.

“This is your last chance,” I said, my voice firm but not unkind. “You run again, I’m not chasin’ after you. You feel me?”

“Yes,” she whispered, stepping closer, her hand reaching for mine. “I don’t wanna run anymore.”

I watched her eyes, searching for that flicker of doubt, that moment where she’d flinch or pull back, but it wasn’t there. For the first time since all this started, she looked steady—like she’d finally made up her mind. I felt her fingers slip into mine, a small but deliberate move that spoke louder than any words.

“All right,” I said, my voice softer now, the edge starting to wear off. “Then let’s start over.”

The tension in my shoulders eased a little, the adrenaline from earlier still humming in my veins but slowing down. I took a deep breath, glancing back at the party. The music was still pumping, folks had gone back to doing their thing, but I could still feel the heat of eyes on us, like they were waiting to see how this played out.

“Look,” I said, turning back to her, “we don’t gotta figure everything out tonight. But we can start somewhere. You good with that?”

She smiled—small, but real. “Yeah, I’m good with that.”

I leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead, feeling her body relax against mine, the tension finally melting away. We walked back through the crowd, her hand still in mine, and I could feel that shift between us—like we were both ready to let go of whatever bullshit had been weighing us down. As we headed down the stairs, leaving the rooftop party behind, I felt like maybe we were stepping into something new.

No more running, no more guessing. Just us, figuring it out, one step at a time.

And that? That felt like a damn good place to start.

JADE ALEXANDER

8 Months Later…

Another day, another damn job rejection staring back at me from my inbox. No, scratch that—three rejections today. I stared at the screen, my eyes skimming over the canned, impersonal lines that I'd practically memorized by now: “We regret to inform you...” “While we were impressed with your qualifications...” “We’ve decided to move forward with another candidate...”

I let out a long breath, leaning back in my chair, feeling the familiar weight settle into my chest. Each rejection was like a small jab, another reminder that no matter how hard I tried, no matter how perfectly I tailored my cover letters or how meticulously I updated my resume, I still wasn't good enough—or at least, that’s what it felt like. The job market was ruthless, like a game rigged against me, and I was tired of losing.

The day stretched out in front of me, empty and unforgiving, and I couldn’t help but feel the sting of disappointment burrow deeper. It was like my inbox had become a graveyard for every hope I’d tried to nurture, every opportunity I’d dared to imagine. And I was running out of ways to convince myself that something better was on the horizon.

The smell of garlic and onions sizzling in the pan filled the kitchen, mixing with the low hum of music playing from my phone. I stood at the stove, stirring the pasta sauce with a lazy rhythm, my mind still stuck on those rejection emails. I tried to shake off the weight of it, tried to focus on the aroma of the sauce instead, but the sting of another lost opportunity clung to me like the steam rising from the pot.

I heard the front door open and then close with a familiar thud. A small smile tugged at my lips despite myself. Akil was home. His heavy footsteps moved through the hallway, and within seconds, he was behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist, his lips pressing a soft kiss to my neck.

“Hey, beautiful,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Hey yourself,” I replied, leaning back into his warmth, letting him hold me there for a moment. I’d gotten used to this—him coming home, wrapping me up like he needed to make sure I was still here, that I hadn’t disappeared while he was away. I guess in a way, it was his way of reassuring himself that this wasn’t just a dream, that I really was living here with him now.

Yeah, living together. That had happened fast. Too fast, maybe, if I let myself think too hard about it. But when my lease was ending, and I still didn’t have a new job in sight, Akil didn’t even hesitate. “Just move in with me,” he’d said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. “Why dip into your savings for rent and utilities every month when I’ve got a whole house and more than enough room? Let’s make this easy.”

So I did. I packed up my one-bedroom apartment and moved into his place, a cozy spot with mismatched furniture, soft blankets, and walls that already held so much of his life. And honestly? I hadn’t minded it, not really. I’d settled into the rhythm of being a stay-at-home girlfriend—cooking dinners, handling the laundry, keeping the place neat. It wasn’t so bad, having this kind of stability, this kind of... comfort.

But being the girlfriend of a firefighter wasn’t like those Instagram posts where everything is all smiles and staged breakfasts. It was a different kind of rhythm—one that came with its own set of highs and lows. When Akil left for his shifts, sometimes for twenty-four hours at a stretch, there was always a part of me that braced for the worst. I’d wake up in the middle of the night to the emptiness beside me and wonder if he was safe, if he was running into a burning building, or pulling someone from a wreck. My imagination could be a cruel thing, painting vivid pictures of all the ways things could go wrong.

When he came home, it was like the sun coming up after a long, restless night. The house would fill with his energy, his presence—a mix of sweat, smoke, and the scent of the soap he used at the firehouse. I’d have dinner ready, sometimes breakfast, something warm and hearty, something that felt like home after hours spent in the chaos of his job. Sometimes he’d be exhausted, his eyes shadowed with fatigue, and I’d guide him to the couch, where he’d collapse, half-asleep, while I rubbed his shoulders or ran my fingers through his hair.

Other times, he’d come in wired, still riding the adrenaline high of a rescue or a call that got his heart pumping. On those nights, he'd pull me close the moment he walked through the door, his hands roaming over my body like he needed to remind himself that I was here, that he had something solid and real to come back to. And those moments, I loved—the ones where I could see how much he needed me, how much he appreciated the home I’d made for us.

But it wasn’t always easy. The anxiety of his job bled into our lives in ways I hadn’t expected. There were times I’d go a whole day barely able to focus on anything else, checking my phone compulsively, waiting for a text, a call—anything to let me know he was okay. And when he did call, the relief that flooded through me was almost enough to make me feel guilty. I never wanted to be that kind of woman—the one whose whole world revolved around a man. I wanted my own life, my own goals. I missed the buzz of an office, the feeling of getting lost in a project, of earning a paycheck that was all mine.

Still, there was a strange comfort in it all, in the way our lives were starting to knit together like this. I liked the quiet moments after he’d showered and slipped into clean clothes, the two of us sitting on the couch, his head in my lap, talking about everything and nothing. I liked knowing that, for now, I could be here for him, that I could be his safe place after all the chaos he faced out there.

Deep down though, sometimes I felt like I was losing a part of myself. I hadn’t meant to slip so easily into the role of a stay-at-home girlfriend to a firefighter. It wasn’t a bad life, but it wasn’t enough. I missed my career—the sense of purpose, the hustle, the feeling of achieving something beyond these four walls. I wanted to be more than just the woman waiting for him to come home. As much as I enjoyed caring for him, I needed to feel like I was moving forward, using my mind for more than recipes and reorganizing the kitchen.

“Smells good in here,” Akil said, peeking over my shoulder at the sauce bubbling in the pan. “You spoil me, you know that?”

I laughed softly, but there was a tightness in my chest that I couldn’t quite ease. “Well, one of us has to work hard around here,” I teased, trying to keep my tone light, though there was an edge to it.

He turned me around to face him, his brow furrowing slightly as he studied my face. “What’s up?” he asked, his voice softening. “You okay?”

I sighed, biting my lip as I debated how much to say. “I’m fine… just another couple of rejection emails today. The usual. You know how it is for me.”

He nodded, his hand coming up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin. “I know it’s rough, babe. But something’s gonna come through. You’re too damn talented for it not to.”

I wanted to believe him. God, I did. But I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d lost my edge, if I’d gotten too comfortable. And the scariest part? I didn’t know if I wanted to go back to who I was or if I wanted to figure out who I could be now—with him.

“Come here,” Akil said, his voice low and soothing as he pulled me closer by the waist, turning me to face him. My forehead pressed against his chest, and I melted into his warmth, inhaling the familiar scent of him—clean, earthy, and comforting. His arms wrapped around me, strong and steady, grounding me in a way only he could. “You’re putting so much pressure on yourself, baby, but you know I got you.”

“I know you do,” I admitted, my voice muffled against his shirt. And I did know it. Akil had made me feel more welcome and comfortable here than I’d ever imagined possible. He never once asked me to cook or clean or do any of the things I’d taken on. That was all me, trying to feel like I was contributing, like I wasn’t just some freeloader lying around all day, moping and watching TV. But it was hard to ignore the restlessness bubbling inside me, this need to do something—anything that made me feel like myself again.

Most days, I felt like I was just going through the motions. My friends were all at work, caught up in meetings, deadlines, and happy hours I couldn’t join because I was too busy feeling stuck. And the women who weren’t at work were stay-at-home moms juggling kids, playdates, and mom groups. As much as I appreciated them, I wasn’t exactly trying to spend my afternoons babysitting someone else’s kids.

“I really wanted you to take this time to figure out life beyond your past role, baby,” Akil continued, his voice a steady rumble against my ear. “Explore your hobbies. Rest. Because eventually, something’s gonna come together. I know it will.”

“But when?” I asked, the frustration seeping into my voice despite my best efforts to stay calm. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. I was lucky to have him, lucky to have this space to breathe, but it felt like time was slipping through my fingers, and I had nothing to show for it.

“We don’t have control over that,” he said softly, his arms tightening around me as if he could shield me from my own worries. He kissed the top of my head, lingering there for a moment. “But I do know you’re amazing. And whatever’s meant for you, it’s making it’s way to you…even if it feels like it’s crawling as slow as molasses.”

I closed my eyes, letting his words sink in, feeling the steady beat of his heart against my cheek. He always knew how to say the right things, how to make me feel seen, even when I was at my lowest. But I also knew that no matter how much he believed in me, no matter how much he held me up, I had to find my own way back to myself.

“I just don’t want to feel like I’m wasting time,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I don’t want to get too comfortable and wake up one day realizing I’ve lost who I am.”

“You’re not gonna lose yourself, Jade,” he assured me, his hand stroking my back gently. “You’re just in a different season. And seasons change.”

I nodded against his chest, swallowing down the uncertainty that still lingered. Maybe he was right—maybe I needed to see this as a season, a temporary state, rather than a trap I’d fallen into. And maybe, just maybe, I needed to trust that I could weather this storm and come out stronger on the other side.

“And while you’re going through this transition, just let me take care of you. Aight?” Akil said, his tone gentle but firm, his hands squeezing my waist to ground me. “I wanna do this for you. Trust your man.”

I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath until I let it out in a slow, shaky exhale. My chest loosened just a bit, like I’d been carrying a weight I didn’t know was there. His words settled around me like a warm blanket on a cold night, comforting but also exposing just how much I’d been struggling to keep it together.

“How did I get so lucky to find you?” I asked, my voice breaking into a chuckle that quickly turned into a sob, my tears spilling over as I tried to keep my composure. It wasn’t just a question; it was disbelief, gratitude, and every ounce of fear I’d been holding onto. The kind of fear that comes from realizing how much someone means to you and how much you have to lose.

Akil brushed a tear away with his thumb, his eyes steady and full of that quiet strength I loved so much.

“Just know I’m here now, and I ain’t going nowhere,” he said, his voice a steady beat in the chaos of my mind. “No matter what happens at work or out there, I’m always coming back home to you. I promise.”

“Word to Jagged Edge?” I asked with a chuckle, glancing up at him.

“Word to Jagged Edge,” he repeated with a smile, our little saying whenever we made a promise—an homage to my favorite song by them, “Promise.”

I felt the sincerity in his words, the weight of that promise, and it broke something open inside me. I’d always been so independent, so determined to handle everything on my own, but Akil made it feel okay to lean on him, to let someone in fully. It was a kind of love I wasn’t used to—steady, unwavering, the kind that didn’t just flare up and burn out but kept on burning, slow and constant.

“Thank you,” I murmured, lifting my head to look into his eyes. My voice was raw with emotion, but there was a warmth spreading in my chest, a glimmer of hope I hadn’t felt in a while. “For always being here. For believing in me.”

He smiled, a soft, lopsided grin that made my heart squeeze. “I believe in us, Jade. I believe in you. So just let me hold you down while you figure things out, okay?”

I nodded, a few more tears slipping free, but this time, they were softer, less heavy. “Okay,” I whispered, leaning up to press my lips to his, feeling the steadiness of his heartbeat against mine.

And in that moment, I realized that maybe this was what I needed—a safe place to land, a partner who didn’t just love the best parts of me but was willing to stand by me through the uncertain ones too. Maybe, just maybe, I could let myself believe that it was enough.

AKIL MITCHELL

Labor Day 2024

A lot can change in a year. Hell, I’m living proof of that. Standing here on my rooftop, looking out at the mix of familiar faces—my family, Jade’s family, our friends all blending together under the late summer sun—I can’t help but think about where we were this time last year. I remember that party like it was yesterday—the heat, the tension, the way everything with Jade felt like it was hanging in the balance. And now? Now it’s a different kind of heat, a different kind of energy. The kind that feels like home.

I knew from the moment I took her hand after all that mess with Marcus that I was all in. ‘Cause I didn’t care what happened between them or what he was accusing her of. None of that mattered to me. She was perfect for me, and I was ready to go to bat for her against anybody, in front of everybody. Whatever came before me was just that—before. What I needed was everything on the table, no secrets, no bullshit, so I knew what I was getting into as we moved forward. And once I had that, I was willing to go the distance.

I wasn’t just bringing her into my space; we were creating something new together. A home. A life. It wasn’t just about sharing a bed; it was about building a foundation, brick by brick. And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good to wake up next to her every damn morning, to feel her body tucked in against mine, to come home after a long shift, tired as hell, and see her smile light up the whole damn room. The way her eyes sparkled when she saw me walk through the door, like she’d been waiting for me all day—that’s a feeling I’ll never get tired of.

She made this place feel alive. More than just four walls. She brought warmth, laughter, and a little chaos that kept things interesting. And even on those days when we didn’t see eye to eye, when our differences clashed like thunderheads, I never doubted for a second that this was where I was supposed to be—right here with her, building something real. Something that could weather any storm.

We weren’t perfect. We both had our scars, our baggage. But we were figuring it out together, and that’s what mattered. She’d spent so much time holding back, worried about getting hurt again, but every day she was letting me in a little more, and I was right there, ready to catch her if she ever needed it.

And man, that’s the kind of thing you can’t fake. The kind of thing that makes you think about forever, about all the mornings and nights still to come. And every time I think about that, I know I’d choose this—choose her—over and over again.

But damn, losing her job rocked her in ways I don’t think even she fully understood at first. She’s always been so damn proud of her work, always pushing herself, always reaching. But when that rug got pulled out from under her, I saw her doubt herself in a way I never thought she would. She’d look in the mirror some mornings and I’d see it—the question in her eyes, that little flicker of uncertainty like she was trying to figure out who she was without that title, that job. Imposter syndrome, she called it. I called it bullshit.

I spent a lot of nights just listening, holding her close when she needed it, talking her through the bullshit when she started second-guessing herself. I’d remind her of everything she’s capable of, of all the things that make her more than any damn job ever could. I’d watch her slowly start to believe it again, piece by piece, and damn if that didn’t make me feel like we were really building something solid. Like maybe, for the first time, she was starting to see herself the way I see her.

Now, here we are, a year later, and I swear she’s more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her. Happier, too. She’s been pivoting, plotting her next move like the powerhouse she is. She’s joined a run club and does Pilates now, says it clears her head and keeps her focused. She’s even started doing pottery—who knew that would be her thing? But she loves it, gets lost in it. And the cook book club? She hosts it up here on the roof once a month, invites her girls over, and they spend the evening cooking and sipping wine, laughing like they don’t got a care in the world. It’s beautiful to see her like that, unburdened, like she’s finally letting herself breathe again.

And me? I’ve been grinding too. Moving up at the firehouse, finally got that lieutenant position I’ve been eyeing for a minute. It’s more responsibility, more hours sometimes, but I’m up for it. My crew’s solid, and I’m proud of the work we do. And when I come home, I got something to look forward to. Someone to look forward to.

I glance over at Jade now, her laughter floating over the sound of the music, her smile wide and free. She’s in the middle of a conversation with my sister and her mother, hands moving as she talks, that light back in her eyes. She’s in her element, and it’s like she’s finally found her footing again. Seeing her like this? Makes all the tough conversations, all the nights spent talking her through her doubts, worth it.

Today, we’re hosting another Labor Day party, but this time it’s got a whole different vibe. Both our families are here—my momma laughing with her pops, her brothers chopping it up with my cousins. My boys are manning the grill with her uncle, and her girls are mingling, everybody mixing it up like they’ve been doing this forever. It’s loud, it’s crowded, and it’s perfect.

I catch Jade’s eye across the way, and she shoots me a smile that hits me right in the chest, like she’s saying without saying it that this—this right here—is exactly where she wants to be. I give her a nod, lifting my beer in her direction, and she does the same, a silent toast to all the shit we’ve come through to get here.

This is it. This is what I signed up for. The ups, the downs, all the in-betweens. I wouldn’t trade a second of it. We ain’t perfect—nobody is—but we’re real. And that’s enough for me.

I cleared my throat and tapped my glass bottle with a fork, the sound cutting through the hum of conversations and the bass-heavy beat pumping from the speakers.

“Can I have everyone’s attention?” I called out, my voice carrying across the rooftop. My cousin Tone, manning the DJ booth, saw my signal and turned the music down to a low murmur. The crowd began to quiet, all eyes shifting my way.

I glanced over to Jade, holding my hand out to her. She looked up, eyes bright, and damn near skipped over to me like a giddy schoolgirl. That smile on her face—it was the kind of smile that could light up a whole damn city block. She grabbed my hand, her grip warm and steady, and I felt that familiar surge of pride swell in my chest.

“I just wanted to thank everyone for coming out tonight,” I began, looking around at the crowd—our crowd. “Me and Jade are real happy to spend Labor Day with all of you. Hope y’all are loving the food, the drinks, and the good vibes. I know I’m enjoying seeing all our families mingling, getting to know each other, mixing it up.”

Jade squeezed my hand, and I glanced at her, catching that look in her eye that made my heart beat a little faster. The one that said she was right there with me, every step of the way.

“And that’s especially important because, everyone here… is family,” I continued, my voice steady and strong. “We’ve all been through some things, but we’ve come together today, and that means everything to us. Jade and I, we’ve built something here—a home, a life—and it wouldn’t be complete without y’all being a part of it.”

A few people raised their glasses, nodding in agreement, and I saw my momma wiping at her eyes, trying to play it off like the tears weren’t real. Jade’s mom was next to her, giving her a knowing look, both of them probably whispering about us. And that was fine. That was more than fine.

“So here’s to family,” I said, raising my glass, feeling the weight of this moment. “To the people who hold us down, who lift us up, and who make this life we’re building together feel like home.”

The rooftop erupted in cheers, glasses clinking together, and I leaned down to kiss Jade’s forehead, feeling her melt into me like she always did. She looked up at me, her eyes shining, and I knew right then and there—we were exactly where we were supposed to be.

“Thank you, everyone,” Jade said, her voice soft but strong, like she’d found her footing. “This past year has been a journey, but it’s one we couldn’t have done without all of you. Here’s to more love, more laughs, and more moments like this.”

“Here’s to us,” I added, my arm around her waist, pulling her closer. “And here’s to all the good that’s still to come.”

And with that, we raised our glasses, and I knew we’d just set the tone for everything that came next.

As everyone cheered and took their sips, I felt Jade’s hand tighten in mine, her body leaning into me. I looked down at her, that smile still on her lips, but I could see the question in her eyes. She thought the speech was over. Little did she know, I wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.

I cleared my throat again, this time not needing a glass to tap to get their attention. The vibe was still up, everyone still riding the high of good food, good company, and even better vibes. I took a deep breath, feeling the nerves hit me for the first time all night. This was it. The moment I’d been planning for weeks, maybe even months in the back of my mind.

“Uh, hold up, everybody,” I said, my voice strong but a little shaky. Jade looked at me, eyebrows raised, curiosity lighting up her face. “I got one more thing I wanna say.”

The crowd started to quiet down again, the laughter simmering into a soft murmur of anticipation. I could feel all eyes on me, but the only pair that mattered were right next to me—Jade’s big brown eyes, wide and wondering. I turned to face her fully, taking both her hands in mine, the world around us fading into a blur of faces and lights.

“Jade,” I started, my voice a little hoarse, “this past year with you has been everything I knew I needed. When we reconnected last Labor Day, right here on this rooftop, I knew right then that I wasn’t about to let you slip away again. You came into my life like a storm—turned everything upside down in the best possible way. And since then, we’ve been through it all. The ups, the downs, the late-night talks, the doubts, the laughs, the tears. But through all of that, I knew one thing—I never wanted to face any of it without you by my side.”

Jade’s lips parted, her breath catching, and I could see the surprise, love, and maybe even a little fear in her eyes. Her hands were starting to tremble in mine, and I squeezed them tighter, letting her know I was right there with her.

“I’ve watched you rebuild yourself from the ground up, find your strength, and lean into the person you were always meant to be. And I know you’ve had to face down some demons along the way. But you did it, Jade. You came out shining. And that’s one of the reasons I love you.”

There were a few audible gasps from the crowd now, the energy shifting from surprise to realization. Jade’s eyes were starting to fill with tears, her mouth trembling as she tried to hold it together. But I wasn’t done.

“You’re my best friend, my partner, my heart,” I continued, dropping to one knee in front of her. There were more gasps now, murmurs spreading like wildfire. I pulled a small, velvet box from my pocket, opening it to reveal a ring that caught the light just right, shining like the future I saw every time I looked at her. “And there’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you.”

The world seemed to hold its breath. Jade’s eyes went wide, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. She covered her mouth with her hand, looking down at me like she couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Jade,” I said, my voice steady now, filled with every bit of love and certainty I had in me, “will you marry me?”

For a second, she just stared, like her brain was trying to catch up with her heart. And then, she nodded, her voice breaking as she whispered, “Yes… Yes, Akil, yes!”

I slipped the ring onto her finger, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. I stood up, pulling her into my arms as the crowd erupted into cheers, whistles, and shouts of joy. I could hear my momma crying, could feel my boys slapping me on the back, but all that mattered was Jade in my arms, her face buried in my neck, her tears mixing with laughter as she held me tight.

She pulled back just enough to look up at me, her eyes shining with tears, her smile wider than I’d ever seen. “I can’t believe you just did that,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

I chuckled, leaning in to kiss her softly, feeling the whole world fall away in that moment. “Believe it, baby,” I whispered against her lips. “This is just the beginning.”

We kissed, slow and deep, as the city lights sparkled around us, our families and friends cheering us on. And right then, I knew we had just stepped into forever—hand in hand, heart to heart, ready for whatever came next.

As I kissed Jade, feeling her lips soft and warm against mine, I heard the crowd still cheering around us. My heart was racing, and my whole body felt light, like I was floating. When I pulled back, Jade's eyes were full of love, surprise, and something else—something that looked a lot like forever.

“Yo, Tone!” I shouted over the cheers, laughing, still holding Jade close. “Hit that track, man!”

Tone flashed a big grin, raising his hand in a salute. “You got it, cuz!” he hollered back, his fingers flying over the turntables. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, the music changed. The first sweet notes of "Promise" by Jagged Edge flowed through the speakers, smooth and slow, like the song was made just for this moment.

The crowd quieted down, and a few knowing chuckles and "Awwws" rippled through the group. Jade's eyes went wide, and she laughed, her face lighting up with a mixture of embarrassment and joy. “No, you didn’t,” she said, playfully smacking my chest, her cheeks flushing.

I grinned down at her, pulling her closer, our bodies moving in rhythm with the music, like we were the only two people on that rooftop. “You know I did,” I whispered, leaning my forehead against hers. The moment felt heavy and light all at once. “This is our song, right?”

She gave me that look—the one that’s all mischief and fire. “You want me to perform for everyone, babe?” she joked, her eyes dancing with laughter.

“Nah, baby,” I shot back with a grin, my voice dropping low so only she could hear. “Those screams are just for me.”

She laughed, that sweet sound spilling out of her, and she gave me a playful tap on the chest. “You’re a mess,” she said, shaking her head, still laughing, but I could see the blush creeping up her cheeks.

“Yeah, but you love it,” I teased, wrapping my arms tighter around her waist, feeling the warmth of her body against mine. And as she settled back into me, her head resting on my shoulder, I knew she did. And that was everything.

The lyrics started to fill the air, that smooth, soulful melody wrapping around us like a blanket. Jade’s arms slid up around my neck, her body melting into mine as we swayed to the rhythm. The rooftop around us seemed to fade, and it was just me and her, holding on tight, our hearts beating as one.

We danced, slow and close, my hands resting on the small of her back, hers locked around my neck. I could feel her heartbeat against my chest, could see the love in her eyes, and I knew this was one of those moments—the kind you look back on fifty years from now and still get that same damn feeling like it’s brand new.

“I promise that I will never leave” the lyrics crooned through the speakers, and I mouthed the words right along, my voice low but sincere. “And everything will be alright.”

Jade bit her lip, her eyes glistening with fresh tears, and I could see the emotion welling up again. “I love you, Akil,” she whispered, her voice soft and full, like she was pouring her whole heart out in those three words.

“I love you too, Jade,” I said back, my voice rough with all the feelings I didn’t know how to put into words. “Always.”

The rooftop seemed to fade away, and all I could see was her—my future, my everything. Our families started to join in, some couples swaying with the music, others clapping along, but all I cared about was the woman in my arms and the life we were about to build together.

As the song carried on, I held her close, our foreheads touching, feeling like I was the luckiest man in the world. And in that moment, with the promise of tomorrow on my lips and the woman I loved in my arms, I knew we were right where we were meant to be.

A future full of love, a life full of promise. That was us. That was forever.

The end…or is it?

© 2024 J.T. Westonberry. All rights reserved. This chapter is a work of fiction and is protected under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. No part of this chapter may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, J.T. Westonberry, and Urban Love Stories. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.