Page 31

M y date with Bo last night was nothing short of magical.

I was still floating, caught in the warmth of the memories we created.

The way he looked at me like I was the only woman in the world had me in a daze.

It wasn’t just the luxury of the evening, although it was all unforgettable.

It was him. The way that man always listened.

The way he touched me, spoke to me, and held me like I was something sacred.

No man had ever catered to me the way Bo did. The gifts and money spent were nice, but his presence was enough. He saw me—truly saw me—and it stirred something deep in my spirit. In the short time we’ve known each other, he’s given me more than Josh had done in the numerous year I was with him.

Peace. Passion. Protection. All three were wrapped in that rough, commanding presence that made me feel safe and desired all at once.

And now, lying in my bed, I couldn’t stop smiling.

My body still aches in the best way from the night before, and my heart feels light.

It was rare, this feeling. And I wasn’t about to take it for granted.

It was Sunday, so I knew Bo was going to be at the gun range for a few hours. Today, I was going to have a spa day and then do some shopping. Then tonight, I’ll cook Bo a nice dinner where I’m going to tell him about the baby.

I prayed he would be as happy as I was, although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.

At first, the news shook me. Fear and excitement was tangled up in a knot in my chest for days which is why I didn’t tell him immediately.

But the more I sat with it, the more peace settled over me.

My mama always said, “God don’t make mistakes. ” And now, I believed her.

Looking back, I remember how hard I tried with Josh.

In the beginning, we wanted a baby and tried for one, but it never happened.

We had month after month of disappointments until I finally gave up.

Now, I realized that God was protecting me because bringing life into the world with that man would’ve been a lifetime of chaos.

Bo, though—Bo was different. He moved with purpose, loved with depth, and had a protective manner where I felt safe with him—mind, body, and soul.

I stepped out of bed, joy humming through my body as I padded across the floor.

After a long shower and slipping into something cute but casual, I grabbed my bag and headed out the door.

My nail and pedicure appointment was in an hour, and I wasn’t about to be late because I also planned to ask them to squeeze me in for a facial and massage.

By the time I left the spa, I felt brand new. The prenatal massage had worked out every ounce of tension in my back, and the facial left my skin glowing. Even the white polish on my toes gave me a little extra pep in my step.

Now, I was headed to meet my mama for a late lunch. I needed her energy today. I wasn’t ready to tell her that I was pregnant yet because I wanted to tell Bo first. Although my girls knew already, he would be next before anyone else.

I pulled into the small bistro my mom loved.

It was a cozy little spot tucked between a bookstore and an art gallery in Harlem.

It was quiet, intimate, and smelled like rosemary and fresh bread every time you walked in.

She was already there, sitting by the window in her usual soft pink cardigan, flipping through a church bulletin. Classic Mama.

“Hey, baby!” She smiled, standing to hug me. Her embrace was warm and grounding, like home. “You look good. Spa day treating you right?”

I slid into the seat across from her. “Mm-hmm. I feel brand new, mama. That massage changed my life.”

She laughed lightly, then gave me that look. It was the look she always did when she knew something was up, where one brow slightly arched up while the other dived down. “You glowing, girl. And not just spa-day glowing. What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing. I’m good, Mama. And for the first time in a long time, I feel great.” I cheesed like a Cheshire cat.

“As you should. You got rid of that old baggage,” she said, and I knew she was speaking of Josh. “Bo treating my baby right, huh?”

“Yes, he is! Mama, I’m in love with that man. He has been nothing short of amazing. Even before we made things official and when I didn’t deserve it, he was good to me.”

“I’m happy for you, sweetheart. So… y’all living together now? You haven’t been back to my house. And what are you going to do about the house you and Josh shared? Your name on that deed, Olivia.”

“Well, I don’t know yet. Bo hasn't asked me to officially move in with him. And Josh can keep that house, Mama. My name was never on the deed. He lied.”

“What! Are you serious?” she damn near shouted, her eyes wide.

I found out a year ago that Josh lied about a lot of stuff.

One day, I was cleaning up and throwing away old papers that I found in our closet when I came across an old shoe box.

Inside was the deed to the house. Not seeing my name on the deed wasn’t the only shocking part; this nigga had a half-of-million-dollar life insurance policy on me.

“Yes. But it worked out for me. I don’t need or want anything from that house. I already started rebuilding my wardrobe. All that’s there is bad memories.”

My mother reached across the table and grabbed ahold of my hand, giving me a small smile that said all that needed to be said.

We spent the rest of lunch laughing and talking about anything and everything.

My mind went to Bo. I prayed that he and his mother could work things out.

I liked Ms. Zora, and I wanted to continue building a relationship with her before the baby arrived.

After spending some much-needed, soul-soothing time with my mother, I left the bistro feeling lighter than I had in weeks. With a grin tugging at the corner of my lips, I slid into my car and headed to the grocery store.

I grabbed fresh salmon, asparagus, a few ingredients for my signature lemon herb sauce, and a peach pie.

I was placing the last bag into the trunk, humming softly to myself, when an unexpected chill crept down my spine.

That heavy, invisible weight of being watched entered my space.

My body stiffened as a strange feeling came across me.

I paused and slowly turned to scan the parking lot. That’s when I heard it, or rather, him.

“I told you I was coming for you, bitch,” Josh spoke coldly.

My heart slammed against my ribs as panic surged through me. I spun, trying to face him fully, but before I could react, a sharp, jarring pain exploded across the side of my head. The world tilted, and my vision blurred before everything faded to darkness.

When I came to, it was pitch black. My breath caught in my throat as I opened my eyes, only to realize I couldn’t see a damn thing.

Darkness wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket.

My head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing at my temple.

I could feel a sticky wetness on my face that let me know that I was bleeding.

I tried to move, but something hard was pressed against my shoulder. Panic clawed its way up my throat when the realization hit me that this crazy-ass nigga had me in a trunk. I felt us moving and the cars honking as I was driven to God knows where.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them away, forcing myself to breathe through the rising hysteria. I couldn’t lose it. Not now.

My hands fumbled in the dark, searching for any kind of latch, seam, or anything to help me escape.

My fingers scraped over carpeting, then metal before I felt the straps of my crossbody bag.

I yanked it toward me, hands trembling as I fumbled with the zipper.

My pulse thundered in my ears as I reached inside and felt the familiar shape of my phone.

A sob of relief escaped my lips as I pulled it free, clutching it like a lifeline.

I punched in my passcode, desperate to call for help when suddenly, the car slowed to a stop.

My heart dropped into my stomach when I heard the driver’s side door open before closing.

I froze. My breath hitched, and I clutched the phone to my chest, praying whoever was out there couldn’t hear my ragged breathing.

With shaking fingers, I opened my call log and tapped Bo’s name.

“Please, please, baby… pick up,” I whispered through sobs, barely able to get the words out. Tears streamed down my face as I strained to listen, praying to hear his voice over the line.

“Hey, beautiful. Have you made it home yet?”

“Bo! Baby, please help me,” I cried in a whisper, my voice cracking under the weight of panic.

“It’s Josh! He has me! I don’t know where we are.

Please—” I barely got the words out before I heard the trunk pop.

Panic surged through my body like a live wire.

I flung the phone backward into the darkness just as Bo’s voice broke through, screaming my name, echoing in my ears like a promise screamed through a tunnel.

Light slashed through the trunk. Josh loomed like a nightmare made into flesh. His expression was grim, his eyes too calm—calm in the way a storm is right before it breaks.

“Sleeping beauty’s up,” he muttered. “Time to go.”

Before I could react, his hand shot inside the trunk, fingers gripping my hair. Pain exploded across my scalp as he yanked me forward. My knees scraped the metal edge of the trunk, but I bit back a scream.

“Josh, why are you doing this? Just let me go,” my voice cracked. I took the time to look around, and I realized that I was still in Freeport.

“Because you forgot who the fuck I am. You think I would just let you leave me after everything I’ve done for you, you ungrateful bitch!

” He yanked harder on my hair, jerking my head back.

“Then you go and fuck some nigga, giving away my pussy. Yeah… you about to pay. But right now, I’m going to get some of that good pussy.

A nigga backed up.” He ran his tongue down the side of my face, making me want to puke.

“Fuck you, nigga! You will never touch me again!” I spit in his face, which only made him more angry.

Josh went to raise his hand to hit me, but I pivoted hard on my heel and drove my knee up with everything I had. He let out a strangled grunt, folding forward as the air whooshed from his lungs. His hands flew to his groin.

I didn’t wait to see him hit the ground.

I took off down the driveway but was snatched back and pushed to the ground hard, and the wind was knocked out of me.

Gasping, I looked up, squinting into the sunlight that crowned the silhouette above me.

The unidentified man stared evilly at me, and my heart sank.

And just like that, the hope I’d been clinging to bled out of me.