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He didn’t push. Instead, he leaned back in his seat, studying me like he could see straight through the walls I was trying to hold up. Then he asked, “You wanna go get a drink?”

The way his eyes locked on mine made my breath hitch. Myskin felt hot under my coat. I tried to swallow it down, but the air between us was electric and daring me to say yes.

I finally exhaled. “Can we… drink inside? I don’t really feel like doing much. I just wanna chill.”

His lips curved into a slow grin. “Say less.”

I nodded, trying to steady my hands as I reached for the door handle. My pulse was going wild, but I couldn’t stop myself. The thought of being alone in that house another night was unbearable. At least Priest would fill the silence.

PRIEST

Solae and I were kicked back on her couch. A Netflix movie was watching us. The bottle between us was half gone. Our glasses were sweating on her coffee table.

It felt good to just be here with no mask on and no performance. With most women, I had to be Priest, the nigga with money, cars, and respect in the streets. They wanted the dinners in fancy restaurants, VIP sections, bottles poppin’. That was the cost for their time. But Solae just wanted to sit in her living room with a drink, wearing comfort clothes, looking at ease in her own space.

Still, I could see something heavy in her eyes. There was some distress she couldn’t hide even with that pretty smile. I leaned back, studying her face in the glow from the TV before asking, “So, what happened with your man?”

She tried to front. “What makes you think something happened to him?”

She had to awkwardly smile at that herself because she knew it was obvious.

But I entertained her anyway. “I’m in your crib on Christmas, and he’s not here.”

She looked away, toward the window.

“What happened?” I pressed gently.

“The usual.” She sighed. “Can’t keep his dick in his pants.”

“You caught him up?”

“Yeeeep.” When she slowly drawled out that answer, I could hear the anger she was feeling.

I shook my head. “That’s whack.”

She replied with a short, bitter laugh. “Humph. That’s an understatement.”

“Can I ask what happened?”

She froze for a second, then let out a breath, like she’d been holding it in too long. Her eyes stayed on the rim of her glass as she spoke. “I had a gut feeling. So, I followed it straight to another woman’s house.” As she shook her head, a bitter laugh escaped. “Turns out, he didn’t just have another woman. He had another baby. And he has her thinking I’m just some crazy, hateful baby mama who can’t let go.”

Her voice cracked on the last word, and seeing her hurt made me feel a rage I didn’t expect.

“I feel blindsided. Like everything I thought I knew was a lie. And I was loyal. I’ve beensoloyal for years. I never gave him a reason to think I wasn’t down. And he still—” Her words trailed off, but the hurt in her eyes said the rest.

I set my glass down and leaned closer, making sure she saw the truth in my eyes. “Listen to me. You’re a good woman. Better than most. He doesn’t deserve you.”

She blinked fast, like she was trying not to cry.

“You deserve better than lies and games, Solae. Any man lucky enough to have you should be thanking God every damn day, not disrespecting you.”

She looked at me, and I held her gaze. Inside, I was exploding. Because sitting here, looking at the way her skin glowed even under the dim light and watching the strength in her eyes even while they watered, I couldn’t imagine a man being stupid enough to play with her feelings. I couldn’t imagine cheating on her, not when everything about her screamed home. And the thought that somebody had, that somebody had made her doubt herself like this had me ready to tear the city up looking for this goofy ass nigga.

She held my stare longer than before, and for the first time since I’d known her, she didn’t look away. Her sadness still lingered, but now there was lust and curiosity layered in her stare.

I moved closer, slowly. I wasn’t trying to rush. I let the space between us shrink on its own. Her lips parted and a shaky breath slipped out like she wasn’t even aware of it. I could smell her perfume now. It was soft, sweet, and warm, mixing with the scent of her skin.

“Solae…” I said her name like a question and a promise all at once.