Page 196 of Scandalous Contract

“Fine,” I muttered. “I won’t call. I won’t show up. I won’t kidnap her. But what if she reaches out to me?”

“Make her earn your love back,” Raz said. “You’re a good man. You're worth the effort.”

“Yes,” Bryce added. “And you went through a lot trying to win her heart. It’s time for her to do the same. Stay strong. Let her show you she’s not going to run off at the first sign of trouble.”

“You’ve got this,” Cas told me. “Men have to hold firm or women will run all over us.”

I nodded, mentally jotting down everything they told me. Then, one by one, their phones buzzed.

Bryce was the first to stand. “Tati’s blowing me up. I gotta go pick her, her mom, and my mom up and take them shopping for shoes. They all have closets full of shoes, but they need more because the shoes they already have aren’t wedding shoes or something like that.”

“I thought you wore the pants in your relationship,” I told him.

“I do. But Tati wears the lingerie, and lingerie trumps pants. I’m out.”

This motherfucker!

Cas smirked. “I just got a text, too. Meka’s hangry. If I don’t get her and Denver some tacos, I’m sleeping outside tonight.”

“What happened to holding firm so women don’t run all over you?” I asked Cas.

“Meka has little feet. So when she runs all over me, it doesn’t hurt. I’ll see you all later.”

This motherfucker!

Raz stood last, pulling on his jacket. “I’ve got a tux fitting, I can’t be late for.”

“You’re a good man, she should be okay with you being a little late, right?” I asked. “Plus, you’re the don.”

Raz chuckled. “I’m the don. But even the don has to bow down to his queen. I’ll call you later. Oh, and Monique said I'd better fix things with you and Stefanie before the wedding. She wants to meet your girl. So, make her earn your love. But do it before the wedding.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Most importantly, follow your heart, little cousin. If she’s the one, and you’re happy, that’s all that matters.” Raz clapped me on the shoulder and left.

I sat there alone, staring at my phone again, wondering if five liked posts were a beginning or just a tease. I guess I’d soon find out. But it better not take too fucking long because kidnapping her ass was still on the table.

***

STEFANIE

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IHAD NEVER BEEN THEone to chase a man. But Julian was different. He was worth every ounce of vulnerability I could muster. It was my turn to fight for him. And he was making me work for it. But that was okay because I was willing to put in the work.

I sent roses to his office with a note that read:Missing you. - S.A.

I got no response. But that was okay. I wasn’t going to give up. I called him all the time. Though the calls went straight to voicemail, I didn’t get discouraged. Julian was worth fighting for. And fight for him, I would.

I texted:"Thinking about you."No reply. No problem. That night, I slipped into his shirt, the one he left behind, and snapped a selfie of me biting my lip and sent it with the caption:"Goodnight, handsome."Still nothing. But that was okay, too.

Days passed. Each morning, I sent a message:"Woke up thinking about you."

Each night:"Dreaming of you."

I poured my heart into every word, hoping he'd feel the sincerity, the longing. Nothing was working. But I didn’t let it bring me down. Then, I got bold. I posted a photo of us to social media, one from a rare candid moment, his arm around me, both of us laughing.

The caption read:He makes me smile even when I don't want to. He makes me feel loved, even when I'm at my lowest. I love this man with everything in me.I tagged him in the post. The first comment was from India:You two are so cute together. #Approved.