Page 28 of Rose

Breakfast was amazing, and Ahzii couldn’t thank her family enough.

The love, the laughter, the warmth—it filled every corner of her home, easing some of the ache that had weighed her down all morning.

Sincere and Sarai blended right in, vibing effortlessly with everyone.

Sincere was calm and cool, and Sarai? Sass, style, and shade with grace.

Honestly, Ahzii couldn’t wrap her head around how they were related to Savior’s crazy ass.

Clearly, they hadn’t been raised in the same house.

Had to be different upbringings—because nothing about them screamed unhinged.

Bianca was on her third embarrassing story about the twins, making everyone cry laughing. When Sincere apologized for forgetting to mention that the cookies he brought were edibles, Bianca laughed so hard she nearly cried again.

“I knew , baby,” she grinned, waving him off, catching everyone off guard.

Bianca didn’t make a habit of getting high around her kids, but she wasn’t new to the game either. Apparently, college Bianca had wild edible stories, and today? She was clearly back in her element.

Sarai stood, tapping her mimosa glass for attention.

“I just want to say Happy Birthday to both Ahzii and Mazi.” She smiled, raising her glass.

“Mazi, even though I’ve known you longer and you’re like another brother to me, I’m mad that you didn’t tell me you had a bad-ass sister who clearly wins the ‘better-looking twin’ award. ”

Mazi flipped her off, and everyone laughed.

“And Ahzii…” Sarai turned to her with warmth in her eyes. “I know we haven’t known each other that long, but in a short time, I already see us becoming really close—maybe even closer in the future.”

She winked.

The table went quiet for a second, everyone catching the energy—everyone except her and Kyre, who exchanged knowing glances like they had a secret.

“I have a gift for you,” Sarai added, disappearing into the living room to grab a bag.

“Damn, what about me? It’s my birthday too,” A’Mazi called out, feigning hurt.

“Take that up with your bestie right there,” Sarai shot back, nodding toward Sincere, making the table laugh.

“You know I got you, bro,” Sin replied casually.

“This is from me… and someone else. Forgot their name that fast,” she added with a smirk.

“Sure you did,” Ahzii said with a laugh, eyeing her suspiciously.

She reached into the bag and pulled out an orange Hermès purse.

“That’s from me,” Sarai said, proud.

“Aww, this is cute. Thank you, Ray,” Ahzii said, hugging her.

Then she reached into the bag again and pulled out a velvet jewelry box. Inside: an 18k rose gold Van Cleef bracelet, laced with deep red stones.

“Ouu... somebody got taste !” Bianca’s high-ass blurted, chewing on bacon as the table laughed.

“And who exactly is that someone ?” A’Mazi asked, his protectiveness kicking in.

“Put these in.” Sarai handed Ahzii a pair of AirPods, ignoring the question.

Ahzii looked at them, confused, but took them anyway. She slid them in as Sarai pressed play on her phone.

A voice she swore she didn’t want to hear ever again echoed softly in her ears.

Savior.

“Happy Birthday, Allure. I know you not fucking with a nigga… but you know I don’t give a fuck. I respected your wishes by staying far away from you… for now ,” he said, his voice cool, low, and just arrogant enough to make her smirk.

“Now respect mine—and accept my gift. Enjoy your day, Gorgeous.”

The message ended. And even though she tried to fight it, she smiled. That damn man.

“Tell them I said thank you—and it’s still fuck them, ” Ahzii said with a smirk as she pulled the AirPods out.

“Shugga, I’m high not deaf. Watch that language,” Bianca scolded, stabbing a piece of pancake with her fork.

“Sorry, Ma,” Ahzii said through a laugh.

Everyone went back to eating and talking, but something in the air had shifted.

The joy lingered. The grief hadn’t disappeared—it was still tucked deep in her chest—but today didn’t feel as heavy.

No, she wasn’t spending her birthday with her husband or her daughter.

But she was surrounded by people who loved her, who showed up for her, who carried her when she couldn’t stand on her own.

And for now, that was enough.

After breakfast, Sarai and Kyre took Ahzii to get her nails and feet done, followed by a little shopping.

When they returned home, the smell of Bianca’s lunch was already filling the air.

A’Mazi and Sincere had disappeared earlier to do whatever "guy stuff" consisted of and were back in time to eat. Since A’Mazi had closed the shop for the day, Ahzii didn’t have an excuse to turn down Kiyan’s invitation for her birthday dinner.

Truthfully, if it wasn’t for the two cookies she ate earlier that had her high and loose-limbed, and the chorus of women in her life—including her own mama—encouraging her to go, she would’ve declined without hesitation.

Everyone else was going to the club later, and partying wasn’t in her spirit this year.

So dinner with Kiyan felt like the lesser of two evils compared to sitting in her thoughts alone at home.

The black dress she slipped into hugged her frame just right, ending just above her knee and draping over her curves like it was made for her.

Her black YSL heels elevated her tall frame, and she kept her boho bun from earlier, just tightened and retouched for polish.

As she adjusted her necklace in the mirror, Sarai stood behind her, eyeing her with a grin.

“Bitch, you bad,” Sarai gassed her up. “I see why my brother want every inch of this ass.”

Ahzii cut her a look in the mirror. “Wassup with your brother for real?” she asked, dead serious. “I keep telling his crazy ass to leave me alone and he refuses. He doesn’t know me, but acts obsessed.”

Sarai shrugged, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. “I’d be lying if I said Savior acts like this with every woman he meets. Truth is, I’ve never seen my brother act like this over any woman.”

She paused, and Ahzii turned from the mirror, listening as she clipped on her bracelet.

“He grew up different than us. Where me and Sin had freedom to live, love, and mess up, Savior was raised on survival. Our dad didn’t raise him—he trained him. Turned him into a weapon instead of a person. My mom just followed behind my dad’s lead.”

Ahzii felt her chest tighten, her fingers slowing as she absorbed that.

“Savior didn’t get to choose not to love,” Sarai continued. “He was never allowed to. No vulnerability, no softness, no feelings. Any woman he dealt with was just a warm body, something temporary. It was all he knew. He was taught to protect, kill, and never feel .”

Ahzii stood quiet, the jewelry in her hand forgotten as her mind spun. That kind of upbringing… it explained the guardedness, the intensity. It explained him.

“I chose not to love because of my family,” Sarai said, softer now. “But Savior? He never even had the option. So when I watch him go out of his mind for you—doing shit that don’t make no logical sense—it trips me out too. But it also shows me my brother has a heart.”

Sarai smiled faintly. “Even if it’s buried under ten layers of crazy. You make him feel something he never got to experience. I know it’s overwhelming... and maybe even dangerous sometimes. But it’s real.”

Ahzii didn’t respond right away. She just stood there in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection but not really seeing it. Her mind drifted to Savior’s kiss, his voice in her ear, the way his hands gripped her like she was the only thing tethering him to earth.

And then back to William.

She didn’t know what to do with all of this. But what she did know was that no one had ever looked at her the way Savior did—except one man.

And he was gone.

“He know he could just express that with words instead of stalking, killing, and doing all this other crazy shit, right?” Ahzii asked, side-eyeing Sarai as she slid on a bracelet.

Sarai and Kyre both chuckled.

“My brother was born unhinged, so that’s not shocking.

But as wild as it is, that’s his version of expressing feelings.

The stalking, the killing, the obsession—it’s all he’s ever known,” Sarai said with a shrug.

“But don’t get it twisted, he does have a heart.

He just expresses it in real ‘Netflix doc’ ways. ”

“Girl, what?” Ahzii blinked at her like she needed evaluation now.

“I’m serious! You saw it at my restaurant, and again during breakfast. Don’t count him out just because he’d rather kill to show you how he feels instead of sliding in the DMs like a normal man.”

“Yeah, cause that ’ s the bar now,” Kyre muttered.

Sarai just grinned. “Look, I usually don’t co-sign my brothers talking to my friends, but technically he met you first. So I don’t even get a vote.

Plus…” she smiled mischievously. “I’m kinda rooting for y’all.

I’ve never seen my brother in love before, and I’m dying to see what that even looks like. ”

Kyre and Ahzii stared at her like she was now the one off her rocker.

“You literally just convinced her to go out with Kiyan, and now you’re hyping up your brother being in love with her?” Kyre said, sitting up on the bed. “I don’t think she should go anymore. That’s a suicide mission. ”

Sarai laughed. “Girl, she’s single. Until Savior steps correct and locks it down , she can do whatever she wants. Yeah, he’s unhinged, but he’s still a man. Let her have options.”

“Options?” Ahzii echoed, already taking off her heels. “He already broke into Kiyan ’ s house and said he’d shoot him in his basketball knees if I kept fucking him. I’m not about to test this nigga with a whole date.”

Sarai cracked up. “You was just talking big shit the other day, remember? ‘I don’t care what he say, he can’t tell me who I can and can’t mess with,’” she said, mocking her.

“Don’t do me,” Ahzii muttered, slipping her foot out of the second heel.