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Later that evening, I was still reeling from what had happened in the conference room with Solomon. I hadn’t been able to shake the way his hands felt on me, the way his voice had dipped low when he said my name, the way I almost lost myself in him before I managed to pull back. I was glad my son had given me a reprieve and had been sleeping since I’d picked him up from Naomi.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.

Cassius was here to pick up his son for the weekend.

I opened the door, and there he was, standing there with that familiar cocky smirk that never quite reached his eyes. His eyes traveled behind me, and I could tell he was expecting someone else—probably Solomon.

“Where’s Mr. Rico Suave?” Cassius asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Cassius, don’t start,” I said, already tired of his attitude.

He threw his hands up, like he was surrendering. “My bad.”

I stepped aside, offering him a seat. He looked around the room, probably noticing the changes I’d made since we broke up. It was subtle, but everything felt more like me now—calmer, more grounded.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, I finally gathered the courage to ask what had been on my mind for a while. “Cassius... did you treat me the way you did because of me, or was it because of you?”

He frowned, clearly not expecting that question. “Why ask me stupid shit like that, Angel? It was all me, and you know it. I’ve been spinning since my parents passed. Naomi and Jonas have been telling me to get help for a long time now. It took losing you and having a child to even consider it.”

For the first time since I met him, I knew his words were true. They were heavy and full of the kind of honesty I wasn’t used to hearing from him. I could see it in his eyes—regret, maybe even some shame. It was like he was finally owning up to the mess he’d made of us.

I thought about it for a moment, letting his words sink in. Naomi had been trying to convince me that it wasn’t my fault, that everything that went wrong between Cassius and me was because of him. But I needed to hear it from him, to know if I had played a part in our demise before I even considered being with Solomon.

“Thank you,” I finally said, feeling a strange sense of closure washing over me.

He looked at me, confused. “For what?”

“For telling me the truth,” I replied, giving him a small, tired smile. “Can you lock up when you leave? I have somewhere I need to be.”

Cassius nodded, still looking a bit lost in his thoughts. He watched as I walked over to the rocker where Ekon was sleeping. I leaned down and kissed his forehead, inhaling his baby scent. This was what mattered now—not Cassius, not the past. I left Cassius behind, both literally and figuratively, as I walked out the door.

As I turned to leave, Cassius called after me, but I didn’t stop.

I got in my car and drove. The closer I got, the more the nerves kicked in, the more I felt that thing in my chest tightening, like I was on the edge of something big, something that could change everything.

When I pulled up to Solomon’s house, I didn’t even take a second to hesitate. I got out of the car and walked straight up to the door, knocking frantically like my life depended on it. My hands were trembling, and I could feel the adrenaline surging through my veins.

Solomon opened the door, and for a second, we just looked at each other, the air between us thick with everything that had gone unsaid. His eyes were intense, dark, and they made me feel like I was on fire, like the world had narrowed down to just this moment, just this decision.

“I want to try,” I said, my voice shaky, my eyes searching his for any sign of hesitation.

Solomon’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smile, and without a word, he reached out, pulling me inside the house, closing the door behind us.