Page 114 of Rose
Her smile grew wider, soft and stunned, her heart thudding hard in her chest. Savior didn’t just listen, he moved with intention. And it was written all over his face that he did this forher.
“There go that ugly ass nigga now,” he said, nodding toward a man nearby.
Ahzii turned to see a tall Black man with long locs, dressed in a tailored grey designer suit. He was in conversation with a group, but when his eyes found Savior, his face broke into a wide grin.
“My nigga,Savior! I thought you were bullshitting when you said you’d pull up.”
Savior released Ahzii’s hand to dap him up. “Nah, my wife’s a fire ass artist. Had to introduce her to the second-coldest artist I know.”
The man laughed and turned to Ahzii. “Second?”
“Nigga, nobody comes before my wife,” Savior said, glancing at Ahzii with that usual smirk.
She shook her head and laughed.
Ahzii didn’t even bother correcting Savior. Not tonight. Not when her chest was this warm, not when her dream felt this close again.
“Allure, this is my nigga Keon. Keon, this is my wife—”
“Rose,” Keon interrupted, eyes lighting up. “You’reRose?”
Ahzii blinked. “You… know who I am?”
“Do I?” Keon laughed. “I’m tapped into every artist in this city. I went to a few of your shows at your tattoo shop a couple years back. You inspired me to startthis.”
Her lips parted, caught off guard by the recognition. But when he asked, “Why’d you stop doing them?” that warmth cooled just a bit.
The real answer was too dark. Too painful. Too full of ghosts.
“Lack of inspiration,” she answered quietly.
Keon nodded slowly, the understanding in his eyes clear. “You became my inspiration when I had none. So I hope something in here gives back what you once gave me.”
Ahzii swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, a soft smile curving her lips.
“And Sav,” Keon added with a grin, “I know your money good, nigga. Buy a piece.”
Savior chuckled. “Whatever my wife wants, she gets.”
He looked down at Ahzii again, and the way he said it made her heart do a slow, heavy flip. She couldn’t stop smiling if she tried.
“I’ll be sure to pick the most expensive one,” she teased, sipping her champagne.
Keon laughed. “I need that. I gotta go mingle before folks start calling me stuck-up, but y’all enjoy yourselves. Let the art move the soul. And it was real good meeting you again, Rose.”
He hugged Ahzii, dapped Savior up, and disappeared into the crowd.
Ahzii stood still, processing.Again?
She could’ve sworn this was her first time meeting him.
Ahzii and Savior moved slowly through the museum, pausing at each piece, letting the art speak without rush. The soft hum of conversation and clinking glassesfilled the air around them, but in this moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the room.
“You see what you started?” Savior said, his voice calm but steady behind her.
She turned from the painting she’d been admiring, brow raised. “I didn’t start anything. Keon’s an amazing artist. I love what he’s doing for the art community.”
Savior tilted his head, watching her. “Yeah, but he started because ofyou.He told me your showcases were the reason his work got seen. You really don’t know, do you?”
