Page 308 of Kentrell

Fitting.

I heard the soft click of the door and lifted my eyes. Zoe stood there… hands behind her back, chewing on her bottom lip like she didn’t know what to say or where to start.

“Come here,” I said again. Voice low. Firm. Already tired of repeating myself.

She dragged her tongue across her lip and stepped off the door, slow… but she didn’t come all the way over. Stopped a few feet short. Fidgety. Nervous.

I dragged my hand down my face and stood up.

Walked right to where she froze.

Without giving her time to overthink it, I pulled her into me—rougher than I ever had before. Enough to make her breath catch.

My hands slid down, locking at the small of her back. Right on that curve, sitting soft over her ass. Pulled her pelvis into mine, holding her right there—pressed tight.

She leaned back slightly, pouting up at me… stubborn… but not pulling away.

I stared at her.

She didn’t break face.

I dragged my gaze over her face, slow and deliberate, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make her squirm.

“You up here pouting like yo ass don’t wanna be right here… when I know you do,” I murmured, letting my lips graze her ear—teasing, just enough to make her skin prickle.

Her breath hitched again. Good.

I pulled her tighter, making sure she felt every inch of how hard this back and forth had me.

“You think I came all this way… let your homegirls pop they shit off at me… let your cousin test my fuckin’ patience… just to walk away without you?” I kept my voice low, dark, and steady—possessive as hell. “Nah… that’s over with. You leaving with me. Tonight.”

Her hands lifted like she wanted to push me back… but they didn’t. They just rested on my chest, trembling a little.

I dropped my forehead to hers, closing my eyes for half a second, swallowing down the emotion I wasn’t even ready to say out loud. But it pushed through anyway.

“Zoe… why you can’t see I love you, ma—I ain’t fuckin’ slept right… breathe right… since you left me.”

I felt her exhale against my mouth.

“And if you think we leaving this fuckin’ room before we fix this shit, you got another thing coming.”

I glared into her watery eyes, watching her nose crinkle like she wanted to frown… wanted to stay mad… but she broke down instead.

Her whole body started shaking in my arms.

I pulled her closer. Held her tight. Let her cry the way she always did when she got like this—snotty, sloppy, face buried in my shirt like it belonged to her.

I didn’t say a word.

Just stood there rubbing her back… kissing the top of her head… letting her fingers tug and ball up my shirt like she needed to anchor herself to something.

A week apart had damn near taken me out. I knew she was feeling it too.

So I let her get it out.

When she finally pulled back, her deep brown face looked bronzier, eyes puffy and glassy from all the tears. I leaned down and kissed her. Not the way I wanted to—not deep enough—but just enough to let her know I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Kentrell… I believe you,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I’m just… so scared.”

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