My Soft Spot

A/N: thank you to @jennakaoriiii for this request. i hope you enjoy! <3

“alright, awesome work!” your coach calls out, clapping his hands as you skate back toward the middle of the rink. “go take a drink and relax for a bit. i’m gonna work with ricky on his part and then we’ll meet back up to go over the duo choreo.”

you nod, taking deep breaths out of your mouth.

you’ve been ice skating for as long as you could remember.

from pretty much since you could walk, your parents brought you to the community frozen pond.

for your 4th birthday, you got your first pair of skates.

by the time you were 7, you’d been taking lessons every monday and friday after school at the local arena.

at 10, you were performing recitals for said arena.

and just recently, about two years ago, by the age of 29, you’ve officially gone professional.

truth be told, you don’t remember life without skating. and honestly, you don’t want to.

you accept his offer of double high fives and a quick hug before gliding back towards the entry, where your husband joe and daughter kaylina are sat, watching you with matching toothy grins.

“you looked beautiful my love,” joe compliments, holding out a hand and helping you off the ice before offering you a kiss.

you cup his bearded face with both hands, standing on the tips of your blades.

you thank him in between kisses, causing him to chuckle against your lips.

you pull away, brushing your nose lightly against his, and kneel down to your daughter’s 3’11 level.

“how do you skate like that, mommy?!” she asks with a heavy lisp, as a result of her two front teeth falling out two nights ago while munching on a pre-dinner fruit salad.

you smile softly, brushing stray curls out of her face. “lots of practice, sweet girl.”

“how much?” she asks curiously, watching as you take a seat on the bench and go to re-tighten your skates.

“well,” you begin, untying the multiple rows of laces. “i started when i was about four.”

she gasps dramatically, causing you and joe to both chuckle. “younger than me?!”

you nod, giggling softly. “that’s right. grandma and grandpa got me a teacher and i never stopped learning.”

“wow!” she exclaims. “i wish i could skate like you.”

your heart swells.

knowing that there’s a fantastic chance you’ll be able to do what your parents did, teach their daughter the art of figure skating, it brings you so much joy.

you chuckle again, stroking her cheek with your knuckle. “after my show, once i have enough time, i promise i’ll take you onto the ice with me. deal?”

she nods, jumping up and down with a squeal.

just as you’re finishing tying the second bow, the sound of someone skating over to the three of you gets closer, causing you to look up.

“heyyy!” you greet ricky, jumping up and wrapping him into a tight hug.

he greets you back with matching excitement and turns to your husband and daughter.

“ricky, this is my husband joe and daughter kaylina,” you begin to introduce everyone, interlocking fingers with your man. “guys, this is ricky. he’s my partner in the big showcase coming up.”

“hi, ricky!” your daughter acknowledges him cheerfully, causing him to chuckle.

“it’s so nice to meet you guys,” he says cheerily. “i’ve heard such good things.”

when joe does nothing but offer a quick nod, confusion comes over you.

normally, he’s incredibly outgoing and friendly around new people. why is he acting like this now?

you narrow your eyes, just for a quick second, before ricky clears his throat.

“well uh,” he begins nervously, turning to you. “i just wanted to relay a message from coach. we just finished up my choreo so we’re gonna start on ours in like fifteen-ish.”

you nod, putting on a smile to prevent making the situation any more awkward. “sounds good, thank you.”

you two share another hug before he flashes a half smile to your family and gets back in the rink, wasting no time skating away.

you watch him for a moment before turning back to joe, who’s already helping your daughter into her coat.

“leaving already?” you ask, unable to hide your disappointment.

joe doesn’t look up. instead, he just gives you a quick nod. “we’re gonna go start on dinner.”

you blink in confusion.

normally, he happily stays for your whole practice and you three drive home together as a family.

what’s happening?

“hey,” you say quietly, gently touching his forearm. “is everything okay?”

he looks into your eyes for a few moments before nodding again. “fine. i just wanna get a head-start on the food, that’s all.”

choosing not to push any further, you nod and look down at the rug beneath your feet.

“we’ll see you at home,” joe mutters, kissing the top of your head before walking away, hand in hand with your daughter.

“bye, mommy!” kaylina calls out, her little pink glove waving at you, before turning back around towards the door.

you stand there helpless, watching them until they’re out of sight.

“hey, everything alright?” your coach asks, placing a friendly hand on your back.

“y-yeah fine,” you reply, and you two head back onto the ice.

“mommy!” kaylina calls out, running down the flight of stairs near your front door.

you smile, squat down to her level, and wrap her in a tight hug, attacking her with kisses.

her giggles are like music to your ears, especially with how anxious you’ve been since joe walked out the way he did earlier.

“hi babygirl,” you greet her. “have you been good for daddy?”

she instantly nods, holding up a hot pink glittery crayon. “we colored and played barbies! but daddy had to stop because he’s making dinner.”

you give her a warm smile, nodding. “i’m sure the food will be done soon so we can play afterwards, okay?”

“okay!” she replies, wrapping her little arms around your neck.

you hug back tightly and pull away to give her a kiss on the cheek before she’s back up the stairs.

you watch until she’s out of sight, before the sound of a sink turning on snaps you back to reality and right towards the kitchen.

inside, joe is hard at work, washing and peeling some potatoes.

you walk over and place a loving hand on his back, causing him to look over.

“oh hey,” he greets you, focusing back on the task at hand. “didn’t even hear you come in.”

now he’s not even bothering to kiss you hello, despite not being able to get his hands off you the few times you’ve come home on your own before this.

something is definitely wrong.

you take a deep breath, dropping your hand and placing it in your jacket pocket.

“that’s weird, because you’re always damn near opening the door for me. not that i’m ever walking through it without you on nights that i have practice anyway.”

he stops in his tracks.

“wanna tell me what that was back there?” you continue, nodding towards the living room. “why you walked out and left me a nervous wreck for two hours thinking i did something wrong?”

he places the vegetables down, shuts the faucet, and looks down at you.

“what would you have done?” he asks, leaning against the sink.

you narrow your eyes. “what are you talking about?”

he shrugs, sticking out his bottom lip. “what would you have done if you had to find out, with zero warning ahead of time, that i was performing in my first professional show with a woman?”

any expression you had in that moment drops from shock.

you knew joe could be jealous sometimes, but to judge your professional relationship with someone he doesn’t even know? this is a new low.

“so that’s what this is all about?” you ask, crossing your arms over your chest.

when he doesn’t answer, you continue.

“you made me feel like a piece of shit, thinking i did something wrong, because you’re jealous that i’m working with someone who you didn’t even bother to get to know?”

“why should i bother? he was all fucking over you!”

the guy gave you a singular hug. he can’t be serious right now.

“oh, give me a break, joe! it was a hug.”

“so what?! who is he to touch what’s mine right in front of me?! not to mention i don’t even fucking know him!”

“you didn’t even give him a chance!”

“i don’t have to know him to know that he has a thing for you.”

you go to stand your ground even further, but nothing comes out. just the feeling of hot tears streaming down your face.

“you know what? fine.” you drop your car keys on the counter, hold up your hands, and turn to walk away.

he narrows his eyes. “fine what?”

“if you still don’t trust me two years into marriage, then fuck you. that’s what!” you call out, before practically running out of the room and darting upstairs.

it’s been over an hour.

you haven’t moved, haven’t taken a shower, haven’t even changed out of your practice outfit.

all you’ve been doing is sitting on the bathroom floor, back against the door, head in your knees, crying.

you told yourself he wasn’t worth it. that whatever the fuck he thought was going on between you and ricky would only be proven right if you didn’t defend yourself.

but nothing sounded more heartbreaking to you than your own husband not trusting you. and not just that, but doubting your loyalty towards him.

you lift your head and use the sleeve of your hoodie to wipe your tears before standing up.

in one stride, you grab the first pair of pajama shorts and oversized hoodie you can find out of your dresser, and head back to the bathroom.

within moments of the water hitting you, you feel instant relief. like a strong pair of arms are holding you and nothing could ever hurt you again.

god, you miss joe making you feel this way.

except, when you go to wash your lower half, that’s exactly what’s occurring.

two muscular, tattoo filled arms are wrapped around your waist.

you look out of the corner of your eye and begin to feel lips — his lips — feathering soft kisses down your neck and onto your shoulder.

you turn in his arms, your eyes beginning to sting all over again once they meet his.

they’re so full of guilt. so full of sorrow.

you can absolutely tell how regretful and sorry he is from his face alone, but you need to hear it.

“baby i…” he’s only said two words so far, but the rasp speaks volumes.

he only gets this way when he’s about to beg for forgiveness.

you’ve only heard it one other time, when he accidentally dropped the antique plate that your great grandma made as a wedding gift to you two before she passed away.

from the second you told him gravity is natural and forgave him, he got on his knees and ate you out until the sun came up the next morning.

“i need you to know how sorry i am,” he continues between shaky breaths, almost as if he’s trying to stop himself from bursting into tears at any moment. “i made an ass out of myself at the rink today. you were right, i had no right to act like that towards ricky and, especially you, when it was my first time meeting him. i just….panicked.”

the way you want to slap the shit out of him right now. but, being the understanding wife you are, you let him continue.

“the truth is, well i guess you know this already but, i’m fucking addicted to you. you’re my wife. fuck, you’re the mother of my child. and seeing a guy get that close to you it just….it triggered something in me. it’s like a protective switch went off.”

“i just wish you let me explain,” you exclaim, a singular tear rolling down your cheek. “i felt so bad about myself thinking i did something wrong from the second you left.”

he wipes your cheeks with his thumb and cups them, tears of his own filling his eyes now. “i know, baby. i know you did. and you didn’t deserve to feel like that. you never should again.”

you sniffle in response.

“i don’t know if you’ll ever forgive me, but i just needed you to know how sorry i am, sweetheart. and how much i love you and the life we have together. more than anything in this world.”

you watch on as he sinks to his knees and presses a kiss right below your belly before looking up at you.

you run your fingers through his long, black locks. “you know i can’t stay mad at you for too long, joe.”

he smiles, grabbing ahold of your hands and kissing the inside of your palms.

“i probably shouldn’t this soon but,” you continue, taking a moment to enjoy the hot water cascading into your curls and down your back. “i forgive you. and i love what we have too. so much.”

he lets out a sigh of relief before standing upright and grabbing your face, smashing his lips against yours.

you kiss back immediately, throwing your arms around his neck.

“up baby,” you hear him mumble into your throat, as he lightly taps your sides.

you do as he says and jump, wrapping your legs around his waist when he catches you.

the feeling of the cold tiles against your back sends a chill down your spine, causing you to quietly moan against his lips.

“already got you a moaning mess and i ain’t done shit yet,” he mumbles in between kisses below your ear.

the same man that was just on his knees apologizing to you is now right back to his cocky self? not on your watch.

you grab ahold of his face and turn it towards you. “you want me to go right back to hating you? shut the fuck up and fuck me.”

he stares at you in disbelief for a moment before licking his top lip and letting out a chuckle.

“you done lost your mind girl,” he teases, looking back up at you. “but i’ll let you have it tonight.”

you watch on as he lowers his hand to his rock hard member, eventually sliding the head up and down your folds.

you curse under your breath as he begins to enter you, his length reaching further and further inside your core.

“j-joe! wait!” you call out, digging your nails into his back.

he chuckles again, much darker this time. “nah, baby. you wanted this, now take it. all of it.”

tags: @uceyliyahh @christinabae @bebesobrielo @biancasreign @myamericannightmare @partypoison00 @li-da-savage @xbriexx @tribalchief2112 @isabella-2025 @chasssssworld @wrestlingprincess80 @amethyst09 @luvrgirl4roman @skyesthebomb @mselenalovebug @moxley99 @wooahmiri @romanreignshairdresser @fearlesschimera @esposadomd @voidstiles18 @bloodlineslut @sharmelasworld @caralinda0914 @justazzi @trippiexlove @fafomama @gabriella-15 @transparentphantomface @sualeo @yana3sworld @lovelyjay45 @lexisnicole25 @usocrazy @psilovey0u @nanamiismine @lovelikebuttahbaybee @dwill484 @jeysslut ♡

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Somehow, the car disappeared and we were flying through the air; which wasn't odd for me because I’d had more than a few dreams where I could fly. The difference? Whenever I’d be flying alone, I was usually doing so because something or someone was chasing me, and it was usually very dark. But, now, I didn't discern any danger and everything around us was shining so brightly. I’d also never been able to actually stay up. Whenever I’d stop flying, I would immediately start to float back down. That wasn't the case here. We stopped and were just suspended in the air with no effort. He laid me down on what felt the way I thought a cloud should feel, and, starting at the top of my head, he kissed my scars one by one. In some miraculous way, they all disappeared with a single touch of his lips. Amazed, I smiled and watched as he continued to make his way down my bare body. At first my nudity confused me, as did the lack of discomfort that came with it, but, when he reached my Love, I no longer cared. My grin slowly fell as he spread my legs and, without an ounce of hesitance, he began to spoil me with gentle kisses. I was stunned, but it never entered my mind to stop him. It felt right.

“Oh my... aaah,” I moaned softly, lacing my right hand with his left. It was almost like I could actually feel his tongue slipping around a part of me that only myself and Cam had ever touched. However, in this lucid illusion, I had no problem with that fact becoming fiction. Though I had moved past the initial shock, unfortunately, I could sense my sleep coming to an end. He started to fade away as my eyes softly fluttered open, but there was still someone between my legs. And it wasn't Michael. I looked down and Cam had my thighs stretched wide, one arm sunk into my stomach, licking the shit out of my pussy. I tried to get away, but my every pursuit was quickly shut down. Whenever he realized I was trying to escape his firm grasp, he licked faster, sucked harder, rubbed deeper. 

No matter how hard I fought, my body began to respond on its own, running toward the feeling. Before long, I had given away all control; my hips were in the air, and he was buried deep between my thighs. I gripped the couch with both hands in an attempt to avoid the floor. “Fuck,” I whined, so upset with myself. The betrayal reached a new level as I clenched around his fingers, having the most regrettable orgasm ever. I hated giving him the satisfaction that, even at a time like this, he still had the power to make me cum. My body fell into the cushions and I hid my face, embarrassed as I tried to catch my breath.

I don't know what the fuck he thought this was doing, because he hadn't swayed me whatsoever. I felt no different about things than I had before. He came up with tears in his eyes, apologizing and telling me how much he loved me. “You know I love you. With my whole heart, Jade. I'm sorry.” Seeing him cry shook me up a bit, I won't lie, but I was so far away from succumbing to his lies.

He came closer and laid his head on my chest. Not even the smallest part of me welcomed the contact, and I was not about to let this be over so easily. “It's not... that simple.” He looked up and I reached to turn on the lamp behind us. “Look what you've done to me.” Marks from his fingernails littered my neck, there were noticeable rug burns on my knee and both hips, blood lined my gums and the spaces between my teeth, and my face was so badly swollen that a small cut had formed at the corner of my mouth. 

“Oh my God.” He quietly examined every injury in the low light, running his fingers cautiously over the damage, frightened by my appearance. 

“This is love, Cam?”

“I'm so sorry, baby. I swear, I'm gonna work on being better. I don't wanna do stuff like this to you. I'ma get help.”

I didn't fall for any of that shit. Sadly, this was the routine. I'd get my ass beat, then I'd get fucked, next was the apology and last came the promise of counseling. A promise that he never kept. This was my life now. A life that I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams.

But Cameron wasn't always this way.

We had been together for seven years now, the first three being probably the most happy years of my adult life. He was always such a sweetheart. He'd call or text just to hear my voice or tell me he loved me, bring me flowers for no reason; you know, just little things to show me he cared. We would talk for hours about anything, and nobody could make me laugh as hard. We were just in tune with one another, inseparable even. But, shortly after the situation became a little more serious, after we moved in together, everything changed. Out of nowhere, he just flipped on me. All of the sweetness was replaced with constant anger. It started with him taking my car. To this day, I still have no idea what he did with it. Without a ride of my own, though, I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without him. But he somehow always found a way to accuse me of stepping outside of the relationship. Which I never understood. I made the decision to stick it out, thinking this behavior was only temporary. However, after four years had passed me by, I learned a major lesson; fun wasn’t the only thing that made time fly. Misery did it just as well. 

He moved us to Los Angeles from Atlanta about three and a half years ago for a chance at better career opportunities, he'd claimed. But, the more I thought about it, the more I believed there had been some malice behind his motives. I was taken so far away from my family, or anyone I knew for that matter, that I had no choice but to spend all of my time with him. I wasn’t even sure what it was that he did. He had a couple of degrees and he was working for some company before we came out here. Whatever he was doing now required him to leave home for months at a time, usually around two, and his salary was ridiculous. That was where my knowledge ended. I had my suspicions, but I knew better than to question him about anything. I'd just convinced myself that as long as the bills were kept current and we weren’t living on the street, everything was ok. He wasn't the least bit stingy either. He just made sure to monitor my transactions very closely. Shopping had become a way of life for me. It was basically my therapy.

Almost as soon as we got to Cali, he left for work. For a whole week, I stayed inside, afraid to leave the house. Not only was it a new scene for me, but I was deeply intimidated by the fact that I didn't know anyone in the entire state. Then one day, feeling unusually courageous, I just got an Uber. After a little convincing, along with some financial compensation, that lady drove me all over LA.

I met Mike that day.

I walked into this sneaker boutique just to look around and there he was, standing with four boxes beside him and still browsing.

I recall thinking he had a ridiculously pretty face with really smooth, caramel skin. His features were sharp, but there was an irresistible softness to them. A perfect mix of both. His hair was how he always wore it then; high and fluffy on top, faded at the sides. On this particular day, I could tell he'd just left the barbershop. He was very neatly groomed. The curls were freshly sponged and the lineup was entirely too crispy. As were his mustache and the beard adorning the box of his chin. He looked good. Likewise, he was dressed nicely in loose-fitting black skinnies and a black tee, both hugging his muscular frame perfectly. He was a tall, built specimen, which was just my type, but his beauty transcended everything even I thought I liked. I couldn't believe he was just walking around looking like that. His feet held a fresh pair of Bred 11s and I caught a small gold chain peeking from underneath his collar right before I turned to mind my own business. The only other accessories I'd been able to make out were a pair of clear rimless sunglasses, the tiniest hoop earrings, and a watch; all gold. The look was quite minimalist, but it worked. Long story short, he was extremely well put together... and so damn fine.

I still remember like it was yesterday.

“Um, I know it’s a lot, but can I get these in an 8?”

“Oh, no problem.” The associate, who had just been helping him, eagerly studied my selections. Her memory must've been outstanding, because I definitely would’ve had to take my phone out and snap a pic. “I'll be right back”.

I smiled, thanking her as I resumed my search. I wasn’t exactly interested in anything else, I was more so making the conscious effort to keep myself distracted. I had briefly considered taking a seat when, from the corner of my eye, I could see him starting to walk over. I immediately threw all of my attention to a pair of kicks in front of me. They weren't even cute, but that didn't matter at all. I just needed to conceal the fact that I had been checking him out something serious on the low.

“Hey,” he said, once he was standing next to me, his voice pleasantly silky. I turned to look up at him and he had the cutest grin on his face. I couldn't help but smile back. Plus he looked even better up close. He was breathtaking.

“Hey.”

“Um, so I don't mean to interrupt, and I don't wanna take too much of your time, but… I just had to come over and say hello. I know you don't know me, but you are so beautiful.”

Completely caught off guard, my temperature rose almost instantly. My ears weren't even tuned for that type of compliment anymore. He was serious, too. I took my gaze down for a moment, using a slight laugh as part of my recovery. “Thank you.” And upon realizing that I liked this guy and didn't want his good smelling self to walk away anytime soon, I decided to go ahead and introduce myself. “Jade.”

“Michael. Nice to meet you.” He extended his hand to me and I obliged, giving it a shake. 

“It's nice to meet you, too.”

“So, um, where are you from? If you don't mind me asking.”

“How you know I'm not from here?” I teased, knowing I was nowhere near being from LA. I just wanted to see what he would say. 

“I can hear it in your voice.”

I giggled, fully aware that my accent had given me away. He smiled wider. Oh my. “Yeah, I'm from Georgia.”

“I knew you was from somewhere down south.”

“Yeah. So, you from here?” I returned my attention to the wall of shoes in front of me, trying not to stare.

“No, but I've been here for quite a long time. My family's originally from Jersey.” 

“Oh, cool,” I nodded. “Well, I've only been here for a couple weeks.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Today is actually my first time getting out of the house, believe it or not.”

“Well, maybe I can show you around my city sometime.”

And, just like that, I was back. “…Maybe.” 

I hadn't been able keep him out of my sight for more than a few seconds, but his proposal had warranted at least a glance; I had to see if he was playing around. The deliberate eye contact I was met with only erased some of my doubt, still his confidence was a definite turn on. It was the way he looked at me. His eyes were so sincere--big, brown, and painfully alluring. I was smiling at him, he was smiling at me, and I was more than sure he was in possession of the prettiest smile I had ever seen in my life. Accented beautifully by two of the most perfect dimples. His lips were on point, too; nice and full. I found myself licking my own, wondering if his were as soft as they looked.  

Right in the midst of a moment that needed to be disrupted, the saleswoman walked over toting my five boxes effortlessly. 

“Thank you,” I told her, not just for the footwear, but also for breaking me away from whatever this was. I mean, I was stuck. 

“You're welcome. I'll be at the counter when you're ready, and let me know if you need anything else.”

“Ok.” I sat down on the bench and came out of my right shoe, grabbing the first box from the stack. “So, Michael…”

“Yeah?”

“You do this often?” I asked, slipping a fresh sneaker onto my foot. Undeniably, one of the best feelings in the world. 

“Do what?”

“Just walk over to random women and start conversations.” I grinned up at him standing beside me.

“Nah, never," he chuckled. "But, if I can be honest, you caught my eye as soon as you walked in. I like your vibe. And you looked so nice standing over here, I couldn't leave without at least getting your name.”

He was such a gentleman, and quite the charmer. He had a way with words, for sure. My guard was still very much intact, but his company didn’t make me uncomfortable. In fact, the interaction was rather flattering. I didn't know the kid still had it. 

“And now you know my name and where I’m from.”

He laughed, dropping his head. “You right. But you know they say good things come in threes.”

“Yes, I’m familiar.”

“...So, now I need your number to complete the trifecta. I mean, if that's cool with you.”

I can’t lie, I was tickled. He was that cute, corny funny I was very fond of. And his wit was quick, just like mine. “Yeah,” I agreed, without even a second thought. Despite the obvious, I didn't wanna say no. “You like these?” I stood and we both looked down at the deep pink, suede Nike Blazer I had been wearing. 

“Yeah, they cold with the gum bottom. It's pretty on you.”

I mirrored his knowing grin, my face warming just a bit. “I'ma get 'em then.”

We made small talk until I'd tried on my last pair. Then the conversation carried on while he tried on a few more. He'd informed me that he was a total sneakerhead and this was his monthly visit to his friend's shop. Funny how fate worked that way sometimes. The six or seven other customers probably thought we knew each other. He was surprisingly easy to talk to for a complete stranger. We eventually exchanged numbers and, ever since that day, we'd been down like four flats on a Cadillac.

He was the only friend I had.

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It was already her turn to speak again and she still had nothing. The silence was so awkward it physically hurt. Potential responses flew around in her head but none sounded good enough to actually verbalize. She was starting to panic.

They hadn't spoken in almost three weeks. It was the longest they'd been apart since their start a little over a year ago. Up until now, none of their disagreements had gone so far left. It'd kicked off over something trivial and, under unwatchful eyes, had been allowed to morph into a bigger mess. Much bigger than it ever needed to be. In the heat of the moment, she'd told him to leave. She wasn't at all serious, but she should've known he would call her bluff. Now she missed him like crazy. A second didn't pass where he wasn't invading her thoughts. His face, his laugh, that smile; she longed for every part of him. And it seemed like this nigga was about to be cool with them never speaking again, which meant she was gonna have to be the one to fold first. Her pride hated that more than she hated his absence.

"Um..."

"I know. I just, um... how are you?" Embarrassed, she squeezed her eyes shut. That was all she could come up with.

"I'm doin' fine. How you?"

"Honestly, I've been way better."

"I’m sorry to hear that. I hope everything aight."

"Are you busy?"

He glanced to his right. "Actually-"

"Can you come over?" Not really caring what his answer would be, she didn't even give him the chance to finish. Fuck whatever he was doing, honestly.

"It’s two o'clock in the mornin'.”

“I knew you were still awake, so…”

“I'm not gon' be able to do it.”

She frowned. "Stack... be for real."

"I'm deadass."

He was still playing games. Regret made her clench her teeth as she took a deep breath, trying to quiet the voice screaming for her to get off the damn phone. He knew why she was calling, but he was gonna make her say it. And she was already mad at herself for thinking it. For feeling it. "I miss you," she confessed, just above a whisper. Her breath immediately hitched and she threw her hand over her mouth, not even believing she could be this weak.

And he only made shit worse, sighing audibly into the receiver, like she was on his last nerve.

"So, you don't miss me?" she asked, starting to feel less shame and more anger at his blatant lack of a response. Though one could say he'd responded pretty clearly. "Really? You gon' sit your ass on this phone and tell me you don't miss me? After all this time?"

"Look, I don't wanna argue with you, Lyla. So, I'ma go."

"I'm not arguing. I asked a simple question, babe. Just tell me you miss me."

"...I'll call you back."

"Wait! Don't hang up." She sighed deeply as her pride took what felt like another violation. "What's wrong with you, Stack? I don't like this."

"Ain't nothin' wrong with me." He caught a second glimpse of the graceful silhouette sauntering closer to him. "I can give you another five minutes and then I really gotta go."

"Why? Baby, it's me."

"I'm giving you space. That's what you said you wanted." He'd switched to a more serious tone, something he didn't often do. An enormous lump began to swell in her throat.

"I was being stupid. I want you to come home."

"I'm at home, Lyla."

"You know what I mean. It's been three weeks. I feel like you're punishing me."

"Look, we gotta talk about this later."

She frowned again, a lot harder than before. Yeah, she wanted to appeal to him, but the way he was acting was so unexpected. And it was pissing her off . "Why can't we talk about it now? Why you trying so hard to get me off the pho-?"

"Stack, honey. Just how long are you gonna keep me waiting?"

That airy, sensual cadence knocked the wind out of Lyla. It felt like a heavyweight punch to the chest. "Who is that?" The question had come out much softer than she'd wanted.

"I'ma call you back later, aight?"

"No! Are you serious?!" She launched up from her bed in full panic mode. Suddenly her clothes became too hot, it felt difficult to get sufficient air to her lungs, her thoughts scrambled more than they already were, the room was closing in around her. "Do not hang up this phone."

"Lyla, come on. Don't do this."

"Are you serious, Elias?!" She took the deepest breath she'd ever taken in her life, trying hard to hold back the tears burning white hot in her throat. Just like that, her heart was broken into a million pieces. Why would he do this? "Elias... who the fuck is that? What are you doing?"

"I don't have to explain that to you. I'm sorry."

"Yes, you do!"

"I don't. We ain't together no more, remember?"

Another punch to the chest.

"That's not... what I said," she spoke slowly, through trembling lips and a voice breaking against her toughest will.

"Well, that's what I heard."

"Why can't you just come to me so we can talk about this?"

He sighed. "I can't do that right now."

"You can! You choosing not to, because you fucking somebody else. How long you been doing this? The whole time?"

"Lyla-"

"You don't even care you got me cryin', Stack." She sobbed into the phone, immense pain overtaking the last bit of her restraint.

"That ain't true, I'm just followin' your instructions. You told me to get the fuck on, so that's what I'm doin'. I'm not just tryna hurt you."

"How? That's exactly what you doing! You know I wasn't serious."

"You can't be sayin' things you don't mean, mama."

"Babe, please... don't. I love you."

Breaking down like this was never part of her plan, but she was so overwhelmed she didn't know what else to do. He wasn't listening and she couldn't think straight enough to continue arguing with him. Though the signs had always been there, she'd never been personally subjected to this side of him before. She didn't even know what to expect anymore. But it certainly wasn't the last words she heard before the call abruptly ended:

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll send him back to you when I'm done."

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