Page 97 of I See You

Hassan took another slow pull from his blunt, letting the smoke roll from his lips before he spoke. She wasn’t wrong. It was crazy. But talking wasn’t why he came for her tonight. It was just the excuse he told himself to justify the shit he pulled.

"You said to hit you up when I wanna talk, right?" His tone was unreadable. "So I did."

Sevyn rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, she reached down, unstrapped her heels, and slid them off, her bare feet pressing against the plush rug beneath her.

Hassan watched her closely, admiring the way she moved, the way she eased into his space like she belonged there.

And for the first time in a long time, he didn’t mind.

“Were you really going to kill Braxton if I didn’t leave with you?” Sevyn asked, breaking the thick silence that had been sitting heavy between them.

Hassan didn’t look at her right away. He pulled from the blunt, smoke curling from his lips as he kept his gaze forward, avoiding hers. The question lingered in the air, heavy and dangerous.

He stayed quiet for a beat too long. Then finally, he spoke.

“Yopeopleevertellyounottoaskquestionsyoudon’twantthe answer to?”

His voice was low, calm—but something in it made her body stiffen. She knew what that meant. Knew he wasn’t saying it to scare her… but because it was the truth.

He wasn’t going to admit it, not out loud. But yes. Yes, he would’ve killed Braxton without hesitation.

And the scariest part? He couldn’t even admit that shit to himself. Theroomsettledintoaquietstillness,thickwithunspoken tension. Hassan knew Sevyn was exhausted—mentally, emotionally— aftereverythingshehadjustenduredwithBraxtonandherparents.

But he also knew that if he didn’t talk, she’d leave. And for some reason, he wasn’t ready for that.

So he spoke up.

"You even up for this?" His voice was calm, but his eyes were locked on hers, watching, reading the emotions she was trying to suppress.

Sevyn offered a small smile before nodding. "Helping people through their problems always helps me forget about mine. So listening to whatever’s on your mind right now is better than me going home and crying my eyes out." Her tone was light, but Hassan’s jaw clenched at her words.

Crying over that nigga?

He didn’t know exactly what had gone down inside her parents’ house, but it was clear Braxton had something to do with it. The busted lip and bloody nose Braxton left with told him enough.

"Plus, we drove for a while," she added, her voice shifting into something playful. "I’m probably too far from home to be leaving this late."

Hassan shook his head at how quickly she could switch from serious to goofy. It was something about her—how she carried both pain and humor so effortlessly—that intrigued him.

"Aight," he muttered, inhaling from the blunt before exhaling a slow stream of smoke.

Then, after a beat, he asked, "You straight though?" His tone was low, unreadable, but the question held weight.

The way her lips parted slightly, the surprise flickering acrossher face—it caught him off guard. He wasn’t the type to check in on people. He barely cared about his own emotions, let alone anyone else’s. But here he was, caring.

And he hated it.

Sevyn’s expression softened, and then she smiled—warm, genuine, something real. "Yes, Hassan. Thanks for asking."

Thatsmiledidsomethingtohim.Somethinghewasn’tready toname.Soheshookitoff,kepthisfaceblank,unreadable.Butas Sevynstared at him, her gaze steady and knowing, he realized she was reading him again. Like she saweverything.

And for once, he didn’t mind.

"Remember what you asked me in my office the other night?" Hassan’s voice broke through the quiet, his tone even, but there was something deeper beneath it.

Sevyn tilted her head, thinking. “I asked you a lot, you gonna have to be more specific.” Her voice was teasing, light, but he didn’t react.

“Why I started a casino when I don’t gamble.”

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