Page 20 of Rose

“No. I don’t even want to know,” she said, cutting her eyes at Kyre. “That shit was wild. I don’t need to meet my stalker.”

Kyre burst out laughing. “Bitch, he is not a stalker.”

“Yet somehow, this man knew where I was, what I looked like, and my damn name,” Ahzii deadpanned. “That sounds real healthy.”

Kyre couldn’t help it—she was bent over laughing now, shaking her head. “Okay, yes , it was giving stalker. But it was Savior.”

Ahzii’s smile vanished. She blinked.

“The scary barber cape man?”

Kyre doubled over laughing. “Bitch! Stop calling him that!”

“But that’s what he was wearing when I met him! That whole Dracula-ass getup.”

Still chuckling, Kyre nodded. “Yes. Him.”

Ahzii rolled her eyes so hard they might’ve gotten stuck. She remembered him— clearly .

That intense stare outside the barbershop, the way he looked like he’d snap that man’s neck on the spot for her.

The way he grabbed her, held her like he wasn’t going to let the world touch her again.

The way his arms wrapped around her, firm but careful, and how his breath hit her neck—cool, calming.

She’d fought him.

But somewhere in between the panic and the adrenaline, his voice had slipped into her ears. Whispering. Reassuring.

Soothing in a way she didn’t want to admit she still remembered.

“Okay… so Savior’s a stalker,” she said flatly, as if repeating it made it law.

Kyre rolled her eyes right back. “He is not a stalker. He was just trying to cheer you up. Sarai’s his little sister, and she told me he wanted to do something for you. He was there when that shit outside happened. He saw how shaken you were. He just wanted to make your day better.”

“Yeah… well, he could’ve sent a card or something. Maybe not tracked me down like Liam Neeson in Taken .” Ahzii said, walking over to clean her station before her next appointment. “It was sweet, yeah. But also? Crazy as hell.”

Kyre grinned. “I still think it was sweet.”

And maybe it was —at least to someone who hadn’t built the last year protecting the cracked pieces of their heart.

But for Ahzii?

Sweet didn’t always feel safe.

“What was sweet?”

A’Mazi’s raspy voice cut through the room as he stepped in, cool and calm like always—but his presence carried weight.

Kyre lit up like her crush had just walked in the room.

“Nothing,” Ahzii said quickly, as she tried to wave him off. “Mind your business.”

“Lose the attitude, Shug .” A’Mazi chuckled, then turned serious. “I apologize for scaring you, but that nigga deserved that ass-whooping.”

Ahzii scowled. “You could’ve ended up in prison, Maz. You were about to kill that man.”

“Then I guess God was on that nigga’s side,” he replied without a shred of remorse.

Ahzii rolled her eyes. There was no changing his mind when it came to her. That protective streak ran too deep.

Kyre chimed in, a little reluctantly. “I really hate to agree with a man—even my own man—but Zii… Maz isn’t wrong. That dude disrespected you. He violated you. He deserved every hit, and let’s be real, I would have got my man out in an hour anyway.”

Ahzii shot her a look. “First, you side with my stalker. Now this? I miss when a bitch used to be on my side.”

Kyre flipped her off with a grin. “Still on your side, hoe.”

“Wait… stalker ?” A’Mazi cut in, his mood shifting instantly, jaw clenching as he mugged them both.

“Calm down, baby.” Kyre put a hand on his chest. “There’s no stalker. ”

She turned back to Ahzii. “And I’m always riding for you. You know I got in his ass already. But you can’t fault Maz for doing what he’s been doing since y’all came into this world—protecting you.”

Ahzii exhaled, defeated. “I hate when a bitch is right sometimes.”

They all chuckled, tension giving way to warmth.

A’Mazi stepped forward, wrapped his arms around his sister, and kissed the top of her head.

“Love you, sis,” he murmured against her hair.

Ahzii closed her eyes at the comfort. “Love you too, Boobie.”

He smiled at that— Boobie. She hadn’t called him that since they were kids.

For a while, the three of them just chilled, talking and laughing like the world outside didn’t exist.

But soon enough, Kyre had to get back to work, A’Mazi had clients waiting, and Ahzii’s next appointment walked through the door.

Reality resumed. But the love in that moment lingered just a little longer.

The day slipped by in a blur.

Now alone in her office, Ahzii was supposed to be going over paperwork—but the sketch pad in her lap had other plans.

She’d been lost in it for hours, shading, refining, breathing life into a portrait she’d started months ago but never found the strength to finish. She only worked on it in pieces, in quiet moments when the grief didn’t feel like it would swallow her whole.

It was Willow.

Or at least, the vision of what she imagined Willow might look like now.

A perfect blend of her and William—his thoughtful eyes, her full lips, their shared smile.

A child of their love, eternalized in graphite and emotion.

Every detail held meaning. Every line felt like a prayer.

She couldn’t rush it. Wouldn’t. Because in some small way, as long as the drawing wasn’t finished, Willow still existed somewhere.

This was her tether. Her daughter wasn’t here in the physical—but she lived in Ahzii’s dreams, and now, in this fragile sketch.

But her thoughts wouldn’t stay still.

Now that she knew Savior was the one behind the flowers and the donation, her mind refused to quiet down.

She didn’t know him. He wasn’t part of her world. He was just a handsome face tied to a chilling presence—a man who moved like danger and protection all at once.

And yet… he’d unraveled her. Not with words. Not with promises. But with a gesture that reached places inside her she thought had gone numb.

Her phone buzzed against the desk, snapping her out of her trance. She glanced at the screen.

Kiyan.

Ahzii sighed. She owed him an apology. She’d gone off on him without cause, and the least she could do was own it. She swiped to answer, pressing the phone to her ear.

“Hey,” she said softly, chewing the end of her pencil, silently praying he wasn’t still mad.

“Is it safe?”

His playful tone made her chuckle.

If nothing else, Kiyan always knew how to lighten the mood. That was one thing she liked about him—he didn’t take much personally.

“Yes,” she smiled, “and I want to apologize for last night. I was wrong. I should’ve asked questions instead of blacking out on you.”

“You don’t owe me an apology,” he said, his voice lower now, more sincere.

“I just wanted to make sure you ’ re good.

You were pissed, and… I could hear you crying through the phone.

As much as I’d love to be the one doing shit like that for you—” he chuckled softly, “—and yeah, I felt a way that another dude beat me to it… I’m honestly glad it wasn’t me, the way you cussed my ass out. ”

Ahzii sighed, hating how exposed she’d let herself become. She never wanted Kiyan to see her like that.

Still, she chose not to deflect. Not to ice him out.

“Yeah, but I’m okay. Just… been stressed.”

Half-truth.

“Well,” his voice dropped, velvet and temptation, “how about I help relieve some of that stress? I just got home. I’d love to see you.”

Ahzii rolled her eyes, but the smile that tugged at her lips betrayed her.

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t need the escape.

The flashbacks were getting worse. Sleep was barely a concept. And this thing with Savior—this unraveling from someone she didn’t even know—had left her feeling off-center and raw.

“Hello?”

Kiyan’s voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

Ahzii smirked, already annoyed at how soft she sounded before. She cleared her throat and leaned fully into the truth.

“You really gotta chill with all that mushy shit you be saying,” she said flatly. “I’m only coming because I miss the dick.”

Kiyan’s laugh rumbled through the phone. “Good,” he said smoothly. “That’s exactly what I planned on making you do. Cum. ”

She rolled her eyes, even as a small laugh slipped out.

“So corny,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I’m on the way.”

She grabbed her purse and keys, slinging her hoodie on as she left her office. A’Mazi was still around, finishing up in his room, so she paused to say goodbye.

Then she stepped out into the night, her mind quieter than it had been in days.

She didn’t need answers right now. She didn’t want to think about Savior, or the portrait of Willow she couldn’t finish, or the ache in her chest that never fully went away.

Tonight, she just needed an escape.

And sometimes, a good fuck was the only kind of silence she could find.

???

Ahzii rode Kiyan’s dick like her body had something to prove. His head tilted back, mouth open, eyes fluttering as low groans escaped his throat. He looked absolutely hooked —like every grind, every clench had him floating .

When her orgasm hit, it came hard and fast. She moaned, breath shaky, legs trembling as she milked every second of it.

“ Fuck ...” Kiyan groaned, cumming into the condom as his hands gripped her thighs.

She barely gave him time to catch his breath before sliding off and climbing out of bed.

He lay there, chest rising and falling, clearly still high off the moment.

But Ahzii didn’t speak. Didn’t look back. She grabbed her clothes in silence, slipping into the bathroom before he could flip the lights on and see the scars carved across her skin—memories she refused to share with him.

She cleaned up, pulled her hoodie over her head, and came back out to find Kiyan scrolling his phone in bed like nothing happened.

It was creeping up on two a.m.

Normally, she would've been out the door by now. But tonight… she didn’t have it in her. The thought of going home to silence felt heavier than usual.

“Heading out?” he asked without looking up, already expecting her to dip.

“No,” she said softly, tugging at the sleeves of her hoodie. “Don’t feel like driving home… if that’s okay with you?”