Page 177 of Are You Going to Love Me

“I already prayed over you. You weren’t given this gift for you. You don’t hear melodies and words for you. You didn’t fight as hard as you’ve had to fight just for you. Someone in that crowd needs you. Someone out there needs to hear your voice and see the triumph in every step you take. This wasn’t given to you just to be given to you. This was gifted to you, and you must take care of the gift. You are right where you belong.”

Maximus lifted his head, opened his eyes, and found Eden’s tearful orbs. “You heard you?”

She nodded. “Yeah, that was for me, too. I’m very proud of you. You’re going to kill it. Don’t worry about album sales or placement until tomorrow morning. Tonight, live in this moment, feel everything. Remember everything. And show them who Trae Way is.”

Kissing her deeply, he peeked at the time on his phone.

Eden giggled. “Uh uh, we do not have time.”

He groaned. “Just so I can smell you.”

Eden bit her lip. She looked at the time. Removing herself from his lap, she sauntered to the door and locked it. “Ten minutes and Staysha is coming to beat down the door.”

Maximus sat up in the seat and pointed to the counter. “Open up.”

Eden pulled her skirt over her hips, took a seat in front of him, placed her heeled feet over his shoulders, and watched as he inhaled her.

“Nah, you smell good as fuck.” He moved her panties to the side and face-dived.

Fingers pushing in and out, lips smacking and slurping up her juices mixed her moans with his. Eden’s hand rocked against the back of his head, every nerve ending firing off. Her body writhed.

“Baby,” Eden panted.

“Taste like honey,” he groaned, pushing her legs back toward the mirror. “Fuck, E. Let me in.”

“We don’t have time,” she whined, wanting him inside as badly as he wanted to be there.

“I need to be in your skin, baby,” he damn near begged.

Eden pushed him back, wiggled off the counter, and turned around. Eyes locked on his in the mirror. Maximus thrust inside of her in a race against time. Eden sucked her juices off of his fingers in hopes to keep quiet. No use. Maximus was hitting a spot that was making a mess of her.

“I fuckin’ love you, Eden,” he grunted. “You hear me?”

Eden reached for something to grip to brace against his thrust. “Heard you. I love you, too.”

“You gon’ love me?”

“Yes, baby, forever. I’m going to love you forever.”

That declaration prompted his explosion within her walls. When Eden’s pussy gripped him empty, he pulled out and kissed her ass. It was followed by a smack of her hips. “Stay right there so I can clean you up.”

They were pulled back together and on their way to the stage, hand in hand. Cameras surrounded them, and all Maximus saw and heard was her. Stopping in the wing, Eden held her pinkyout. Maximus hooked it, kissed his thumb, smacked her ass and winked.

“You got this.”

“I got you,” he mouthed as DJ Rudy dropped the beat. “What’s goodie, Waynesville?! Y’all ready to rock out with this Trae Way nigga?”

Eden stood in the wing oozing with excitement, love, and joy as she watched him open up a sold out tour and an album that was projected to go gold. Whether she knew it or not, she’d given him the confidence to hit the road without her. He was going to deeply miss her, but held close the love they had carried. He was stepping out into his destiny, and her love was going to carry and cover him whether she was present or not.

“Tell me why you ain’t sleepin’?’ Maximus grumbled tiredly, feeling Eden’s weight shift on the bed.

“You’re leaving me in a few hours, and I’m testing my relationship with God. Making sure He hears me.”

“Oh yeah?” Maximus questioned, pulling a heavy eyelid open. “I know for certain He hears you. What you pray for while you were touchin’ on me?”

“Protection. For anything and everything that could hurt you, take you off your path, take you from me. All of that. Praying you make it back home to us in one piece and a sound mind.” He reached out and pulled her back into his body.

“Because you prayed it, it’ll happen. Ain’t nothin’ keeping me from comin’ home and ain’t nothin’ gon’ come for my mind. The devil only comes in if you invite him. He can keep his ass where he at.”

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