Chapter 8 #2
Sevyn turned to Braxton, and the second their eyes met, she saw fear flash across his face.
He saw the redness in her eyes, the way the tears streamed down her face in an unforgiving waterfall.
Every drop burned her skin, but nothing was hotter than the fire inside her, the rage clawing at her chest, suffocating her, demanding an outlet.
"I still love you, Sevyn. I still want to be with you." Braxton’s voice wavered, his tone desperate, pleading, like words could fix what he had done.
Sevyn stepped forward, the bat hanging loosely in her grip, but her movements were calculated.
Braxton shut up immediately.
She could see it in his eyes—the uncertainty, the realization that he no longer controlled the situation.
"You love me?" Her voice was eerily calm, too smooth, too soft, but the fire beneath it was undeniable.
"Yes, baby. I do, very much." He nodded, his eyes flickering between her face and the bat.
She walked toward the glass-covered basketballs, her grip on the bat tightening. Braxton’s breath hitched. Those signed basketballs were his prized possessions.
"More than these?" she asked, her voice still polite, still too damn calm.
Braxton shifted uncomfortably, hesitation creeping into his face.
The pause made her snap. With one hard swing, the bat shattered the first glass case. The ball hit the floor, rolling across the office like a discarded memory.
"Sevyn, what the fuck!" Braxton yelled, eyes wide as he took a step toward her.
"You love me, right? But you fucked my best friend." The words dripped with venom as she swung again, shattering another case.
Braxton flinched, his body tensing as the sound of shattering glass echoed through the office. He needed to stop her. Sevyn never crashed out like this, never let emotions take her over, and he knew he had pushed her too far.
"Sevyn, stop, mane!" He took a step forward, but the second he moved, she turned on him, the bat pointed directly at his dick.
"Take another fucking step, I swing this bitch at your dick." Her voice was calm, but her eyes were wild.
Braxton froze. He knew she wasn’t playing.
"Speaking of dicks," Sevyn’s voice dropped into something cold, sharp, something that dug into him like a blade. "I should've shot that bitch when I had the chance."
Another swing. More shattering glass.
A trophy toppled from the shelf, crashing to the floor, breaking into pieces. Only one ball remained. His favorite one. The Kobe Bryan t ball. His most prized out of the entire collection.
Braxton’s chest rose and fell, his hands trembling at his sides. His entire body stilled, because he knew what was coming next.
"Look, I'm sorry, Sevyn!" Braxton pleaded now, his voice urgent, his hands raised slightly like that would somehow stop her.
Sevyn stood over the last glass box, the bat firm in her grip.
"Oh, you’re right, you are!" A small smile curved her lips, but the redness in her eyes, the tear-streaked face—none of it softened. The rage still burned.
"Sorry piece of shit."
She swung with everything in her, the bat colliding with the glass in a final, deafening shatter.
Right as the office door burst open.
"Boss, is everything—" Gavin stopped mid-sentence, his eyes locking onto Sevyn.
His breath hitched.
Sevyn Love. The woman who was always poised, always polished, always professional at the firm’s events, standing proudly at Braxton’s side, the woman who carried herself with grace and confidence.
And yet, this was not that woman.
She stood in the center of ruin, bat in hand, tears streaking her face, her breath heavy.
He had never seen her like this before. And it unnerved him. Braxton cleared his throat, straightening, his voice forced calm, even as his eyes flickered with tension.
"We're good, Gavin. No need for security."
Sevyn let go. The bat dropped, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. The security jumped, hands gripping their guns, but Braxton lifted a hand, stopping them.
Sevyn didn’t flinch, didn’t fear their presence, didn’t acknowledge the way their fingers hovered near their weapons. She simply grabbed her purse, turned to Braxton one last time, and gave him a look so cold it could have frozen hell over.
Then she walked out, her heels clicking against the floor like she hadn’t just turned his entire world upside down.
She didn’t care about the mess she left behind.
She didn’t care about the security still gripping their guns.
And she sure as hell didn’t care about what Braxton wanted with Hassan anymore.
She was done. She was broken. And this time—
It was to a point of no return.
Sevyn got into her car, and the second the door shut, it was like the dam of emotions finally burst open.
The sob she had been holding back ripped through her chest, raw and uncontrollable.
She gripped the s teering wheel tight, her knuckles white from the pressure, her body trembling as the reality of it all sank in.
The man she had loved, the man she had trusted with her heart, had been fucking her best friend for an entire month.
She should have known. She should have seen the signs.
She had always been ahead of the game, always calculated, aware, but this time?
This time was different. And she hated herself for it.
She felt weak.
Only if she had led with her head instead of her heart, she wouldn’t have fallen for Braxton, wouldn’t have been blindsided by Ariel’s betrayal. But she didn’t. And now, she was shattering.
Her chest heaved, her cries growing louder as she turned on the car and sped out of the parking lot. The roar of the engine couldn’t drown out the sound of her broken heart, couldn’t mute the agony clawing at her insides.
A month. Thirty whole days.
How many times had Ariel sat across from her, pretending to be her best friend, while sleeping with the man Sevyn had planned a future with?
How many times had Braxton kissed her, touched her, laid in their bed, knowing he was already betraying her?
She wasn’t ready for this conversation. She thought she had been healing, thought she was moving on, but now? She was back at square one.
Sevyn had never crashed out like this before. She had never let emotions control her actions to this extent. And if this is what love did, if this is what trust led to—
She didn’t want any part of it anymore. She didn’t have a heart to love anymore, unless it was for family. Sevyn never wanted to feel like this again.
So shutting down was the only option.
???
Sevyn pulled up to the clinic and cut the engine, gripping the steering wheel as she exhaled sharply. She had driven here faster than usual, barely aware of the streets passing her by. Rage and heartbreak had blinded her, making every red light feel nonexistent.
Her first session wasn’t for another hour, which gave her time to breathe—time to decompress from the whirlwind of emotions suffocating her. But the moment she reached for her bag, her phone rang, her mother’s name flashing on the screen.
Sevyn let it ring. She wasn’t in the mood to talk. And she damn sure wasn’t in the mood to hear anything about Braxton. She already knew her mother would bring him up, ask about their love that didn't exist anymore, and that was the last thing she needed right now.
She let it go to voicemail but made a mental note to call her back later—when she could mask her emotions better.
Finally, she forced herself to move, stepping out of the car and making her way into the clinic.
Her usual warm energy was absent as she walked through the doors, her smile forced, her nods barely there as she greeted her boss and the other therapists.
She wasn’t in the mood for cheerful greetings or small talk.
She just needed to get to her office, close the door, and be alone.
"Boss—" Micah’s voice cut through her thoughts, hesitant, like she had something urgent to say.
"Not now, Micah. Whatever it is, tell me later. Just give me thirty minutes." Sevyn waved her off, her tone firm but exhausted.
"But, Sev—"
She didn’t let Micah finish. She had already walked into her office, shutting the door behind her before her assistant could say another word.
As soon as she was alone, she leaned against the door, eyes shutting for a brief second as a long sigh escaped her lips.
The memories of Braxton’s office played in her mind like a slow- motion car crash, each moment twisting the knife deeper. The silence of her office felt suffocating, pressing against her chest, making it harder to breathe.
A single tear slipped down her cheek. She didn’t bother wiping it away. Her makeup was ruined, but it didn’t matter. Nothing could compare to the ache in her heart.
"Tears?"
The voice was calm, smooth, but as always, cold. It cut through the silence, snapping her eyes open, her body instantly tensing.
She didn’t have to look over to know who it was.
But she did anyway. And the moment her gaze landed on Hassan, her heart pounded louder, faster, like it was trying to break free from her chest. But she refused to let him see it.
She straightened, pushing herself off the door, quickly wiping her tears as she walked to her desk, ignoring him for just a second, forcing herself to focus.
"Why are you here? And without an appointment again." Her voice was steady, her tone distant, shielding the storm brewing inside her.
She kept her back to him, pretending to be occupied as she grabbed a tissue, blotting away the evidence of her pain.
Silence. He didn’t answer. Not immediately. Then—
"Look at me."
The command sent a shiver straight down her spine .
She stayed still, her body defiant, refusing to give in.
"I have a session in a few. You should leave." She avoided his gaze, because she knew what it would do to her.
Another stretch of silence. The air between them felt thick, heavy. Then—
"I don’t repeat myself." His voice was even, controlled, but she heard it—that softness beneath the ice.
Sevyn exhaled slowly, leaning on her desk, still not turning around.
"I don’t answer to you, either." Her response was sharp, calculated, meant to keep control.
A chuckle rumbled from his chest, deep and low, sending another wave of something dangerous through her body.
Sevyn finally turned around.
"Sure did follow though." His voice was taunting, his eyes locked onto her, unwavering.
His jaw clenched the second his gaze met her red-rimmed eyes, his entire body tightening. It sent butterflies straight to her stomach, but she forced herself to stay composed.
"What do you want, Hassan?" Her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes locked on his.
"What’s wrong?"
The words slipped out so naturally, but the look in his eyes—the brief flicker of surprise—told her even he couldn’t believe he’d asked it.
"Nothing. Now, can you answer my question? I have a busy day." Sevyn kept her tone smooth, professional, trying to keep her emotions in check, but the way he was looking at her—like he was reading and admiring her at the same time—had her unraveling piece by piece.
"I want to try this shit out."
His voice was calm, empty, like he was talking about something as simple as a new restaurant and not therapy. His eyes flickered around the room before landing back on her, measuring her reaction.
She rolled her eyes, exasperated by his short, clipped answers. "Try what, Hassan?" Her patience was wearing thin.
His jaw tightened, clearly annoyed too.
"You know what the fuck I'm talking about. This. Whatever the fuck you do to people."
Sevyn couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at her lips. He was really doing this. He was opening up to therapy.
"Okay, but I’m booked up today, so you need to make an appoin—"
"I don’t do that appointment shit. I’ll hit you when I want to talk." And just like that, he stood up, like he was leaving.
She rolled her eyes again. Hood niggas. Always moving on their own d amn time. Even though, deep down, something about his stubbornness made her want to smile. But she kept her face neutral.
"Shit stays between us. Don’t go telling my cousin shit." His voice held a command, but she only chuckled.
"First of all, that’s against the law. And secondly, I’m not one of your workers. You don’t talk to me like you own me."
His lips tugged slightly, like he was fighting a smirk, but instead of arguing, he nodded and opened the door. But before he walked out, he paused. Turned back. Their eyes met, like he already knew she was watching him.
"No nigga is worth your tears. Especially that goofy ass nigga."
Sevyn’s body froze. And before she could respond, before she could process what he had just said, he was gone. The door shut behind him, sealing her in the quiet.
She released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
His presence, his words, the way he had looked at her—everything about him stayed imprinted in her mind.
Hassan had a way of seeing her in ways she didn’t want to be seen.
And now that he was officially her client, she had to find a way to shut him out of her mind.
She was happy he was taking this step, but there was something else underneath that feeling—something she didn’t want to name. Because while she was working to heal him, she didn’t need him discovering parts of her that she had spent years keeping hidden.
This was going to be interesting. And maybe, just maybe—
A little terrifying.