Page 40 of Rose
No one could replace William.
And deep down… she didn’t want them to.
Kyre and Sarai saw it the moment her face crumbled. Their smiles vanished instantly.
“I can’t accept these…” Ahzii said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Or the donation.”
Kyre blinked.
“Wait—why?” Sarai asked, confused, just as a single tear slipped down Ahzii’s cheek.
Without a word, Ahzii pulled two hundred-dollar bills from her purse and placed them on the table beside the flowers like they burned her fingers.
“Zii, you good?” Kyre asked, her voice soft, but Ahzii snapped her head up so fast it startled both women.
“You know who did this, don’t you?” she hissed, eyes wet and wild, tone sharp enough to cut. Kyre hesitated, caught off guard.
Sarai took a step back, letting Kyre handle it—but neither had time to speak before Ahzii continued, her voice breaking as the floodgates opened.
“This was the plan all along, huh? Bring me here so another nigga can surprise me with flowers and a donation? I know Kiyan is behind this. You want me to find love again so badly, but the answer is no.” Her voice rose, thick with pain. “I’m not replacing him.”
And Kyre knew exactly whohimwas.
“Zii… no, wait,” Kyre pleaded, standing quickly, but Ahzii was already turning, already storming away. She reached the hostess stand, dropped her bike keys down without a glance. “There go the keys. I’ll take a fucking Uber. Don’t follow me.”
“Zii—” Kyre tried again, but Sarai grabbed her wrist before she could bolt after her. They both watched through the tall windows as Ahzii stepped outside, her shoulders trembling. She stood at the curb, back turned, wiping at her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her phone lit up—Uber was already near.
“Just give her time to calm down,” Sarai said gently, though her voice wavered seeing the pain written all over Ahzii’s face.
“I didn’t know about this,” Kyre whispered, her eyes wet. “I swear. I didn’t set this up…”
“I know you didn’t.” Sarai pulled her into a gentle hug before pulling back. “It wasn’t you. It was Savior.”
Kyre blinked. “What?”
“Savior did this,” Sarai repeated, unable to hide the soft shock or the slight smile tugging at her lips. “I don’t know what that girl did to my brother in just one day, but he saw she was having a bad one—and went out of his way to do all this.”
Kyre looked stunned. “But… he don’t even know her. Why would he—”
Sarai shook her head, still amazed. “He called me personally. Told me what to do. And Savior don’tdothis. Hell, he barely has a heart for anyone who ain’t family.”
Kyre rubbed her temples, trying to wrap her mind around it. “I figured the ‘savior’ line you used was a hint… but how did he know we were even coming here? I didn’t tell him anything. I only told—”
“Girl,” Sarai cut in with a little laugh. “Calm down. Savior knows—or finds out—everything. If he wants to reach someone, he’ll reach them. That man don’t ask questions. He gets answers.”
Outside, the Uber pulled up. Ahzii climbed in fast, wiping her face one last time as the car sped away. And as Kyre watched her disappear through the window, her heart twisted. Whatever Savior sparked inside her best friend—it was real. But for a woman still grieving, even something good could feel like too much.
“Who is ‘Him’?” Sarai asked softly as Kyre finally gathered herself, grabbing the bike keys Ahzii left behind.
“A man who buried Ahzii’s heart with him,” Kyre said quietly. “God rest his soul.”
She sighed before continuing. “Sorry to you and Savior. What he did was sweet… really sweet. But Ahzii’s been through a lot, and she hasn’t healed from it. That kind of grief—it don’t just fade.”
Sarai nodded slowly, her brows pulling together. “And that’s completely understandable. I’ve never seen someone hurt like that before. I’m kinda worried about her, and I don’t even know her.”
“Me too,” Kyre muttered. “And now I can’t even check on her. Her big-headed ass know I don’t know how to drive that damn motorcycle.”
Sarai chuckled, which made Kyre chuckle through the last of her tears.
