Page 20 of You Deserve Good Things

I swear, my heart ain’t even caught up yet.

It was still doing backflips like a damn cheerleader with no chill, cartwheeling through every memory, every promise, every kiss that led up to last night.

I was still tryna wrap my head around the fact that this man—Jacory James, my first love, my forever flame, the one who had me twisted tighter than my bonnet in the middle of a hurricane—was now my fiancé.

Fiancé. That word sounded too light, too casual, too flimsy for what we had.

Because what we had, it was divine design.

It was bigger than butterflies. Stronger than storms. Slicker than fate.

We weren’t just in love; we were tethered.

Spirit-to-spirit. Soul-to-soul. What we had was holy, hood, and hella real.

The night still played in my mind like a Spike Lee joint shot in slow motion.

The candles flickered like stars whispering yes.

The music floated through the air like it was made just for us.

The skyline lit up behind him, and when Jacory dropped to one knee?

Whew. My knees damn near buckled. Not ’cause I was surprised, but ’cause I knew. I knew this was my moment. Our moment.

And the way his voice wrapped around me, low, deep, sweet like strawberries dipped in white chocolate? I felt like I had been caught in a time loop, one where every version of me always chose him.

And listen, for once, I didn’t hesitate. I said yes like my soul already had the answer long before my mouth did.

So yeah, . . . I was gone for this man. I always had been, and I always would be.

But if I thought I was gonna have a peaceful night to process that life-changing moment, I was dead wrong.

The moment we walked through my parents’ front door, the house erupted like a firework factory in the Fourth Ward.

My mama, Mama Shari, was already in full Southern mama mode. She was crying, fanning herself with a paper towel, and rocking like she was catching the Holy Ghost.

“My baby gon’ be a wife! Lord Jesus, I need a drink! And where is my good wig!”

My bestie and sister, Daniale—that heffa was grinning like she was the one who just got the ring, dancing in a circle like we were at a second line.

“Damn, Yaya! You really gon’ be Mrs. James out here! Mrs. J to the A to the M—bitch, you got a whole husband! I’m so happy for you, sister!”

Chase was posted on the couch like he been waiting years to finally say, “This man has officially put my little sister on lock. ’Bout damn time. I love this for my day ones, real shit.”

I laughed, high off love and pure chaos.

Jacory pulled me in by the waist, strong hands gripping like he was scared I might float away.

“Yeah, she is mine now. You niggas gon’ have to deal with it.”

I rolled my eyes, smirking. “I have been yours, Jacory. You’re just late to the party.”

He leaned in close, lips brushing my ear, voice syrup thick.

“I know, baby. But now the whole world gotta respect it.”

My whole body shivered like the A/C hit me wrong. Goddamn, this man was lethal.

Daniale flopped on the couch, crossing her legs like she ran the damn family. “So, we doing this wedding big, or are we keeping it intimate and low-key? How you feeling, sis? It’s yo’ world. I just want to make sure it happens the way you dreamed it would.”

Shari wiped her eyes again, sniffling.

“Big, baby. My child ain’t been through hell for nothing. This gon’ be the wedding of the century. I need fireworks, white doves, and somebody singing Tamia live.”

Chase snorted. “Nigga, I just wanna know how much I gotta pay for this tux before I get hit with a GoFundMe link.”

Jacory waved him off like a fly. “Don’t worry about the price. Just make sure you don’t look ugly in the pictures.”

Chase sat up. “Nigga, I been finer than you since before puberty. Don’t let this lil’ engagement make you delusional out here.”

Daniale sipped her wine like it was tea. “Y’all swear y’all some heartthrobs. Meanwhile, it’s me and Shaniya carryin’ this whole aesthetic.”

I grinned. “I mean . . . my man is fine, so?—”

Jacory smirked, kissing my temple. “Damn right, baby. Tell these peasants the truth. Let ’em know your taste is immaculate.”

Chase grabbed a pillow and launched it across the room. Jacory caught it one-handed, smooth as hell.

“You mad, lil’ bro?”

“Nah,” Chase said, smirking. “I just can’t believe your commitment-phobic ass about to say vows.”

Daniale jumped in, laughing. “Right! Jacory ‘I’ll Never Settle’ James really out here picking color palettes and floral arrangements.”

I laughed so hard I snorted.

But even through the jokes, the love was loud. The kind you could feel vibrating off the walls.

Later that night, after the giggles died down, after Mama called every cousin in the damn family tree, and after Daniale declared herself co-maid of honor whether I liked it or not . . . it was just us. Me and Jacory. My fiancé. My forever.

I was sitting on the bed, still staring at the ring like it might dissolve if I blinked too hard.

That diamond sparkled like it knew it had just changed my whole life.

Jacory sat down beside me, his energy warm, grounded, solid.

He was always the calm after my chaos. His arm slid around my waist like it had always belonged there.

“Are you happy, baby?” he asked, his voice low, pounding loud like thunder vibrating in my bones.

I turned to him, studied him like he was the North Star, and I had just found my way home. I traced his jaw, slow, tender, grateful.

“I have been nothing but happy since the moment I saw you again,” I whispered.

His grip tightened, eyes softening with something deep, something rooted in realness.

“Then you gon’ be happy forever, my love,” he murmured, kissing my fingers, then my wrist, then my lips—each one slower than the last, like he was trying to memorize me with his mouth.

My breath caught.

I pulled back slightly, smirking. “You really about to be my husband, huh?”

He gave me that slow, deadly-ass grin, the one that always made my knees buckle like a folding chair at a cookout.

“Damn right, baby.”

I bit my lip, heat rushing low in my belly. “I really like the sound of that.”

His hand slid down my spine, pullin’ me right into his lap, his voice dropping to a whisper so sinful it shoulda come with a parental advisory sticker.

“Then you gon’ really love the way it feels , Mrs. James.”

I shivered. This man was something else. I knew I wasn’t just his fiancée. I was his forever, and that was everything I ever needed.