Page 90 of Love's Free Will

“Wouldn’t miss it,” she said softly. “Besides… I did help make half the album.”

I chuckled. “Half is crazy.” She raised a brow. “Aight, aight, I’ll give you the half.” She laughed, and I swear it felt like home. “Stay by my side all night, please?”

“Of course, where else would I be?”

Logan got on stage and tapped the mic.

“Good evening, everybody. I won’t hold y’all long. Tonight we’re celebrating the third album of one of the rawest voices in music right now—Royal Teegan. I’ve been in this business a long time, and what y’all are about to hear? It’s different. It’s real. It’s him. No gimmicks, no fluff.” There was a loud applause before he continued “And let me say this—shoutout to Averi St. Claire,” he looked in our direction, my hand still wrapped protectively around her waist. “She helped shape the sound of this album in ways none of us expected.” Averi blushed as eyes turned to her.

I leaned in. “Told you I’d make ‘em put some respect on your name.”

“And without further ado, Concrete Roses…” Logan finished.

The lights dimmed. The screen behind the stage lit up with the album’s cover—Concrete Roses in bold letters over a gritty black and white photo of me in a hoodie, hood low over my face, standing on a cracked sidewalk, the only color coming from the red rose petals scattered at my feet.

Track after track played. Westlake Ave. Shotgun Kisses. Heartbreak Habits. Crash Course… when Post up came up, I celebrated with Egypt appreciating the sound she brought to the record. The room was vibing. People nodding, clapping, and when 5AM played, there was not a dry eye in sight. Queenie was holding Princess’s hand. Zay looked like he was holding back too. It was a vibe, and it was a flex seeing everybody enjoying my music solidifying my place in this industry.

When the last track faded, I walked onstage the only time I dared to leave Averi’s side, but she was close to the stage, still near, with a drink in her hand, staring up at me.

“Appreciate y’all for comin’ out tonight,” I said. “This album… this wasn’t just a project. This was therapy. I lost my brother this year. Lost myself for a while too. But I found somethin’ worth holdin’ onto.” I found Averi’s eyes. “I wanna thank everyone who had something to do with this album. LA Records: Lux and Logan thank y’all for believing in me enough to continue to want to put out my records. To my team. My brother Zay, you always got my back and I’mma always have yours. My family—Mama, Princess. Y’all the reason I keep pushin. And to King, I miss you boy, every single day.” I paused. “And Averi…” She blinked slowly, waiting. “You came into my life when I was wildin’. When I ain’t even think I deserved peace or love. But you gave me both—on and off the mic. You the love of my life. Don’t know what the future holds, but I know one thing—I’ll always be grateful for you.”

The crowd clapped. Cameras flashed. And as I stepped down from the stage, people swarmed to congratulate me, but I only had eyes for her.

Tea And Honey EXCLUSIVE

Royal Teegan’s “Concrete Roses” Listening Party Had Celebs, Tears, and a Whole Lotta Love

Last night, the stars aligned —literally— in the heart of LA at Doheny Room, where Royal Teegan hosted an intimate and emotionally charged listening party for his highly anticipated album,Concrete Roses.

And honey, Tea And Honey was there to sipallthe details.

The Vibe: Grit Meets Glam

Set in the chic and moody confines of Doheny Room, the décor matched the tone of the album perfectly — black and red rose arrangements, moody candlelight, vinyl displays, and subtlenods to the streets that raised Royal. Guests were greeted with signature cocktails inspired by the album’s tracks and invited to cozy up on velvet lounges, surrounded by murals of concrete roses and graffiti-laced backdrops. A listening loungeanda whole aesthetic experience? We ate it up.

The Guest List? Star-Studded

From Lux LA and his wife Kylei Alexander, to Creed Langston and his wife Serenity, to industry execs like Logan Zarelli and several top LA Records artists, the room was packed with familiar faces — including podcasters, influencers, and a select group of fans who got the coveted invite. But let’s keep it a buck. The couple everybody had their eyes on?

Royal and Averi.

Back On?

Now y’all knowTea And Honeyhas been following this saga like it’s a K-drama.

After months of public back and forth, breakups, makeups, and a whole lotta “are they or aren’t they,” Royal made his stance clear during his end-of-night speech.

As the crowd sipped champagne and the final track (“5AM” — a gut-wrenching tribute to his late brother, King… RIP) faded out, Royal took the mic and said:

“You the love of my life. Don’t know what the future holds, but I know one thing—I’ll always be grateful for you.”

And baby, the look on Averi St. Claire’s face said itall. Shock. Emotion. And that glow? Whewwww. You could see it even in the low lighting.

They were glued to each other all night — whispering in ears, matching energy, vibing to every song like it was just the two of them in the room. No tension, no drama, justchemistry.

The Music: Early Reviews? Fire.

From trap-heavy soul-searching to lush soulful samples and storytelling bars,Concrete Roseslives up to the name. Standouts include:

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