Page 63 of Rose
Because Sincere had more context. More access. Not only was Ahzii his best friend’s sister—but Taylor worked under her. And Savior knew his brother paid attention, even when he didn’t ask questions.
“I don’t know the full story, ‘cause I stay in my lane,” Sincere began. “But Maz told me a little. Said they had to grow up hard. Before they got adopted, it was straight survival mode. They didn’t get to be kids, bro. That’s probably why she’s so locked up—emotionally, physically. Why she move like nobody’s safe, not even herself.”
Savior stayed silent, listening.
“She’s cool, real down-to-earth, but there’s shit she don’t talk about. And Maz don’t give details. But the burn on his face? The ones she hides under ink?”
Sincere looked up.
“Lifeburnedthem, literally. They walked through fire to get here. I don’t know what happened… but it left a mark.”
Savior clenched his jaw, the blunt hanging loosely between his fingers.
He remembered the tattoo on her neck—a bleeding rose with sharp thorns curling into her skin. He’d studied it the night he stood in front of her.
Hesawthe burn beneath it.
She tried to cover it. Ink over pain. Art over trauma.
Now, knowing it wasn’t just symbolic, butreal—that someonehurther that deeply—made his blood boil.
He wanted to know who.
He needed to knowwhy.
And more than anything, he needed to knowhow to fix it.
“This is just a hypothesis…” Sincere started, his tone too calm for what he was about to say. “Ahzii might’ve been burned by life, and it hardened her. For good.”
Savior didn’t flinch, but the muscles in his jaw ticked.
“You relate to that burn,” Sincere continued. “’Cause of how Pops raised you. You see a woman going through the same shit you do… and you wanna save her before she becomes like you.”
He paused. Let the silence land.
“You did it with me and Sarai. Now you’re doing it with Ahzii. It’s you trying to save everybody again.”
Savior’s mug was instant.
Deep. Sharp. Offended.
Because even though what Sincere saidhit, it wasn’tright. Not about this. Not abouther.
He didn’t want to save Ahzii.
He wanted to give her everything she thought she’d never deserve. Everything she’d stopped believing she could have.
It sounded insane, especially when he barely knew her. But it was the only thing that made sense in the chaos of his mind.
“Sometimes you so fucking smart, you dumb,” Savior said, standing abruptly.
His voice wasn’t loud—but it was tight. Controlled.
“This ain’t no damn savior complex, Sin.”
He’d come here looking for clarity. For peace. But instead, he was leaving more frustrated than when he arrived.
Yeah, he’d learned more about her story. Caught glimpses of her pain. But none of it helped explainwhyshe consumed his thoughts like this. Why she lived in his blood like a low, constant burn.
