Page 14 of What the Leos Burned (BLP Signs of Love #6)

“I’m not checking for Zay.”

“Mm-hmm. And I’m not checking for his arms in that tight-ass shirt. Girl, please.”

They both laughed quietly, but the tension lingered.

She hadn’t planned on facing this—him—so soon.

She hadn’t planned on feeling anything at all.

Yet, here she was, on a plane back to the very place it all started, sitting across from the only man who ever knew her fully and still let her walk away.

She grabbed her earbuds out her purse and placed them in before closing her eyes.

When she awoke, they had already landed in Detroit.

The sky was cloudy with the familiar weight of home that settled into Love’s chest. Malcolm led the group straight off the plane into more sprinter vans that drove them right to Chene Park, now the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre.

The same place Love had written into her book.

The same place where so much had started and ended.

As they stepped out of the vans, Deuce continued joking around, this time rambling about Detroit food.

“I need a corned beef sandwich, some chili cheese fries, and a Faygo. Y’all not real if y’all ain’t ever had red pop.”

Love laughed quietly. The nostalgia hit differently here.

As they stepped onto the amphitheater’s main platform, the cast spread out, touching the rails, snapping pictures, and talking amongst each other.

Malcolm clapped once and gained everyone’s attention. “This is where it happened. Feel it. See it. Make it more than just a set.”

Love stared at the white roof above, then looked around the amphitheater seats.

A small breeze rolled through the space and pushed her curls back.

Everything looked the same but felt different.

Heavier. The memory of her last time here weighed heavy on her as she recalled her time there with Zay—their late-night laughter that once echoed throughout the space, their fingers intertwined, his music blasting through his speakers, and the promises that were made under the stars that never made it past sunrise.

Tears began to pool in her eyes as her thoughts consumed her.

She held her head down and silently exited the amphitheater and walked the pathway toward the edge of the waterfront.

The chill from the wind kissed her cheeks as the tears fell.

What is wrong with me? It’s been years! Pull it together .

She was unaware that Zay was standing near the opposite side with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

He was out there to avoid the rest of the crew, as his emotions weighed heavily on him as well.

The thought of being in this space with the only woman who ever held his heart was too much.

He eyed her carefully as she walked to the rails, placed her hands on them, and overlooked the water.

He noticed the way her fingers gripped the railing like she might fall apart otherwise.

He slowly crossed the distance toward her. Each step was reluctant but certain, pulled by something deeper than logic.

Love didn’t hear him approach until the weight of his presence hovered close beside her. She jumped, startled, and placed her hands on her chest.

“Damn, Zay,” she snapped. “You scared me.”

“Didn’t mean to,” he murmured. “Saw you out here, so I just . . .”

She faced him but didn’t let go of the railing. “I didn’t see you walk out here.”

She turned back to the water. Zay glanced out as well, then at her profile, soft and tense beneath the cold light. “Never would’ve thought we’d be back here, huh?”

Love chuckled. “We didn’t have a choice. Work, remember?”

He exhaled. “Still, it’s weird being here again.”

She didn’t respond. He shifted closer. This time, his shoulder almost brushed hers. “This was our spot. Before you just . . . dipped.”

Love’s jaw clenched. She frowned then turned her head to him slowly, with narrow eyes. “You serious right now?”

“What you mean? You left.”

“You make it sound like I just vanished,” she snapped. “Like I walked away for no reason.”

He shrugged defensively. “I mean, that’s kind of what you did though. All I know is, one minute we were cool, and the next you were gone.”

“That’s crazy coming from Mr. Disappear-then-reappear himself. Hell, I thought you were a magician.”

He frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you were never really there to begin with. One foot in and one out. You just used music as the excuse.”

Zay’s mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out. She kept going.

“You were so wrapped up in the dream, in chasing everything else, you didn’t see me breaking,” she snapped.

“I was just a kid, Prin. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.”

“So was I,” she replied as her tone softened. “But I still showed up. For you. I rooted for you. Even when you stopped rooting for us .”

Zay looked down. His jaw tightened, and his emotions rippled through his expression. Regret. Anger. Shame.

“I didn’t know how to love you right back then,” he admitted quietly. “I wanted to. I just . . . didn’t know how.”

Love’s eyes met his. She took a deep breath. “And I got tired of bleeding to teach you.”

The wind breezed softly between them. For a few moments, all they could hear was the city behind the water and the ache between their breaths.

He stepped back slightly and rubbed his hand down his face. “The last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt you, Prin.”

“Well, you did,” she shot back quick. Their eyes met, and a few moments passed between them.

She then lowered her eyes, took a deep breath, and lightened her tone and expression to something more serious.

“It happened a long time ago. There’s no need to keep going on about it.

Life went on. We both got what we were looking for, right? It’s fine.”

She forced a smile. Zay looked at her with something soft behind his eyes, something that bordered on longing. Before he could say anything else, they were interrupted by a voice shouting across the distance.

“Y’all ’bout ready?” Deuce’s voice rang out and dragged them both back to the present. “We trying to make it to the coney before all the baby mamas get off work!”

Laughter broke from the rest of the cast. Love wiped her cheek with the sleeve of her jacket and turned away, blinking fast. She didn’t say a word, just turned and started walking.

Zay stood in place and watched her go. She left him standing there, without another word, just as she’d done before.