Page 74 of Love's Free Will

“So, you decided to break me too.” I snapped; it wasn’t a question but a fact. “Do you know how fuckin’ selfish that is?”

Silence stretched between us.

Then he said it.

“I love you, Averi.”

I froze, confusion very clearly written all over my face. “What?”

“I’m in love with you.”

I stared at him, the weight of those words hitting me like a wave. I wanted to laugh because he had to be fuckin’ joking, but I couldn’t even bring myself to do that.

“You sure know how to pick the worst moments to say shit like that.” I wiped my face, my chest burning. “How do you say you love somebody and still treat them like that?” He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. I shook my head. “Exactly.”

I stood, grabbing my heels, my back to him. But he moved just as fast as I did, grabbing my arm to stop me. “Averi…”

“No Royal. You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to say that and expect me to forget everything else. You should have left me alone, let me fuckin’ be. But here you are, invading my space against my fuckin’ will. Just leave me alone, I am begging you to please leave me the fuck alone.”

By now, a few of my friends had wandered outside, catching the tail end of the conversation. But I didn’t care. I walked away from him and out the front door of Sevyn’s house with tears on my cheeks and a weight on my chest I didn’t know how to carry.

19

ROYAL

SayingI love youto someone who don't say it back? That shit hit harder than any bullet I ever ducked. It wasn’t even the silence that cut—it was what came after. The tears. The way she looked at me like I was the one who brokeus. LikeIhadn’t been broken first.

It had been a few weeks since that shit happened and each time I thought about what happened, it felt like the knife dug deeper into my chest.

I sat at the edge of my bed, elbows on my knees, staring at the same black hoodie she loved so much. I hadn’t even realized I packed it for this damn trip. But after going into the closet to find something to wear, I spotted it.

That off-guard picture—the one I’d set as my lock screen—still sat on my phone like some twisted reminder of what I fucked up. Her eyes closed, her lips parted, hair wrapped and skin glowing under the TV light. It was peace. She looked safe with me; until I made her feel otherwise.

I told her I was in love with her. Said it plain. No games. No smoke. And she walked away. Didn’t say it back. Didn’t even hesitate—just left.

I been through some shit. Gutted by grief, watched homies get bagged, went through my brother taking his last breath without me even there. But nothin'—nothin’—prepared me for that moment in Sevyn’s backyard.

I was embarrassed as fuck when she just walked away from me like that. Wasn’t shit else I could do afterwards but bounce myself. I said a rushed goodbye to her people and hit it, grateful my driver had stayed outside waiting for me.

So yeah. I tried. Now, I was done chasin'.

The city glared bright through the windows of the T&A Management building as I took the elevator to the executive floor. My hoodie was fresh, my chains lowkey tucked, and my focus? Crystal. It was business time.

Kylei’s assistant led me straight into her office, where she was already seated, eyes on her tablet. Hair in a curly mane framing her chocolate face, black oversized Balenciaga tee, thigh high boots, goldLuxnameplate glinting across her chest and a huge diamond ring on her finger.

She looked up and smirked. "Damn, look who showed up on time for once."

"New me," I shrugged, falling into the chair across from her. "Still the same budget, though."

She laughed. "That won’t last long if we do this rollout right."

Kylei slid a thick manila folder toward me—Concrete Roses: Q4 Campaign Strategy—my name stamped in big bold letters across the front.

“You good?” she asked, catching the way my hands paused on the folder. "You seem… I don’t know. Not as cocky today. You sick or something?"

I smirked, weak. “Nah. Just got my ass handed to me emotionally. But I’m breathing.”

Kylei raised a brow. “That got somethin’ to do with whythiswas trending this morning?”

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