Page 28 of Cuffed By Your Love

By the time I got home, EJ was knocked out in the back seat. I carried him inside, laid him in bed, and brushed my hand over his curls. Kids slept like the world couldn’t touch them. That was what I wanted for Jonay, too, peace deep enough that she could finally close both eyes.

I sank onto the couch, elbows on my knees, palms pressed together like prayer. My mind wouldn’t shut off. I replayed the way her shoulders tensed, the way her eyes darted, the way her silence felt heavier than words.

Kam. Moonlight. All of it tied together. All of it pointed to the same storm.

And right then, I made a vow that settled deep in my chest like truth:

Jonay is more than just a woman I want. She’s my future wife. My reason to guard my purpose. My reminder that some things are worth bleeding for. If she can’t believe in her safety yet, I’ll believe enough for the both of us. Kam won’t touch her. He won’t steal her peace.

Because real men didn’t just show up when it was convenient. They stayed, they watched, they guarded quietly and consistently.

And that was what I intended to do for her. Always.

Grief was overwhelming,but betrayal felt petty. It whispered at you when you were trying to heal, resurfacing just as you were starting to laugh again, even bringing along receipts without any context. After the turmoil I had endured that week, I had every right to stay home, indulge in carbs I hadn’t earned, and ignore everyone who wasn’t on my emergency contact list.

It was one of those nights where everything felt like too much and not enough at the same time, the kind of night where you scrub your skin like you’re trying to make your soul glow again. Where the only things holding you together are a nice robe, a clay mask, and a hot-ass cup of ginger peach tea. I was sitting on the couch, my bonnet barely hanging on, my knees pulled up tomy chest, wrapped in a blanket like trauma was lurking in the vents.

I was grateful for Elias showing up like he did. I didn’t know how to say it without seeming… thirsty. He was just being a gentleman, right?

As I was lost in my thoughts, Jonell glided through the living room in her fuzzy slippers, a silk scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, and a pink wine tumbler in her hand as if she owned the place. Leila was right behind her with wine glasses and a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

“You texted him back, didn’t you?” she asked, referring to Elias’s “you good” text.

I didn’t even look up. “Can I breathe without being interrogated, damn, Twin A?”

“Barely,” she said, flopping next to me on the couch. “You breathe different now. All soft and mysterious, like your heart just got fresh braids.”

Leila started as well. “I mean, if he’s trying to see what’s up with ya, I don’t know what the issue is.” She poured wine into the glasses for the three of us and handed them to us.

I rolled my eyes and said, “It was just a check-in text.”

Jonell shot me a sideways glance, a grin spreading across her face.

“From Detective Fine Shyt?” she asked, playfully referring to Elias.

I felt my entire body tense up at her words and almost choked on my wine.

“Wait. How you know that’s his contact name?”

She held up my phone. “Girl, you left your messages open when you got up to pee. I saw that badge emoji and my spirit screamed.”

I snatched the phone from her and clutched it like it had nudes on it.

“It’s not like that,” I mumbled.

“But you want it to be,” she said, smiling like the Cheshire Cat.

I didn’t respond, because silence revealed more about someone than any receipts ever could.

“Look,” she said, sitting up straight, her voice softer now. “You don’t have to fall in love with the man. But stop punishing him for what Kam did.”

I flinched. Even when she was right, her words struck hard.

“He hasn’t earned my trust yet.”

“He isn’t trying to cash a check.” Leila tagged in like a wrestler. “He’s just asking to stand in the room without you slamming the door.”

I gazed into my glass of wine as if it held the answers I was seeking.