Chapter 20 Naima
NAIMA
Itook a deep breath, stretching my arms overhead as I melted into my favorite morning flow, feeling my body align, each muscle lengthening and releasing.
The backyard was my sanctuary, a quiet haven where I could shed the weight of everything I’d been carrying.
The air was soft with the scent of pine, and a gentle breeze whispered against my skin.
I breathed deeply, feeling my spirit lift as I sank further into myself, reaching for that elusive inner light, that sense of peace that seemed to slip through my fingers every time I thought of him.
I closed my eyes, focusing on my breath, allowing my thoughts to drift away as I tuned into my heart, visualizing a bright light radiating from within me.
For a moment, I felt weightless, free, as if I were hovering somewhere above my body, bathed in that light.
I felt at peace, finally able to let go.
And then I heard his voice.
“I could watch you all day.”
My eyes flew open, my concentration shattered, and I lost my balance, stumbling forward out of my pose. Strong hands caught me before I could fall, steadying me, and I looked up into the last face I expected to see—Lennox’s.
“Careful,” he murmured, his hands warm and steady on my arms as he helped me to my feet, his expression as intense as the first time I’d seen him, but softer somehow, touched by something I couldn’t quite read.
I stared at him, my heart pounding as I took in his presence. The sunlight cast a golden glow over his skin, and his locs hung loose, strands of golden-brown hair falling around his face as he looked down at me. He was here, really here, and my mind raced to catch up with the reality of it.
In the distance, I saw my mom and dad standing on the porch, watching us. My mom gave me a reassuring nod before taking my father’s hand and guiding him inside, leaving us alone in the backyard.
I took a step back, wrapping my arms around myself, feeling the ache of every unanswered question fill the space between us. “Lennox…what are you doing here?”
He took a breath, his gaze never leaving mine. “I had to see you, Naima. I couldn’t stay away.”
I searched his face, half expecting to find the coldness I’d seen that day at the retreat, but all I saw was warmth—something vulnerable in his eyes that made my heart falter.
“You lied to me,” I whispered, the pain flaring up, sharp and raw.
“You pretended to be someone you weren’t.
And I was supposed to just…what, forgive that? Pretend it didn’t matter?”
He took a step closer, his hands held out in a silent plea.
“I know I hurt you, Naima. And I know I can’t take it back.
I’m not here to make excuses, but I need you to understand why.
I’ve been chasing my father’s approval since I was a kid—since my mom died.
When she was gone, it was like the light in our house died too.
My father stopped being a dad and became… this force. Unmovable. Unyielding.”
His voice cracked, and he dragged a hand over his face, his fingers trembling.
“Everything I did, every choice I made, was about trying to make him see me. To make him proud. And when he told me to go to the retreat, to assess it for investment… I wanted to prove to him I could handle it. But I also thought—just maybe—I could do it my way. I could blend what he wanted with what I loved. Fitness, helping people. It started off like that.”
My chest tightened, my anger tangled with an unexpected thread of empathy. I could see it—the weight he’d been carrying, the shadows of grief and expectation that had shaped him.
“But then I met you,” he continued, his voice raw.
“You were everything I didn’t know I needed.
Strong, wise, beautiful… and so damn genuine.
You made me feel seen in a way I hadn’t felt in years.
It terrified me because, for the first time, I wasn’t trying to please him.
I was trying to be the man you deserved.
I thought if I could just fix things, make the investment happen, I could give you everything you needed to keep The Three Bears alive. ”
I shook my head, the sting of betrayal still sharp. “But you should have told me, Lennox. You should have given me the truth and let me choose.”
“I know,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I should have. But I was so damn scared. I was losing myself in you, and I loved it. I loved you. And I couldn’t find a way to say it without risking everything.
I thought I could fix it before you found out, make it right and then tell you. But that was wrong. It was cowardly.”
He dropped his hands, his shoulders sagging as if he’d been holding up the world and finally let it go.
“I know I don’t deserve it, but if there’s any part of you that still feels what I feel—if there’s even a sliver of hope—you can have all of me.
No more secrets. No more hiding. Just us, starting over.
I’ll prove it to you every day if you let me. ”
Tears burned my eyes, my defenses crumbling under the weight of his honesty.
His words filled my heart, pressing against my chest, making it hard to breathe.
I wanted to hold onto my hurt, my anger, but beneath it all was the truth—this man, standing before me with his heart in his hands, was the same man who had made me feel cherished, seen, loved.
“Lennox…” I whispered, my voice fragile.
He stepped closer, his hands trembling as he reached for mine. “Please, Naima. I’m not perfect. I’m not even close. But I’m yours if you’ll have me. I’ll spend my life making this right.”
And in that moment, surrounded by the echo of old wounds and the hope of new beginnings, I felt it—the pull of love, undeniable and relentless. It was messy, imperfect, but real. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.
I took a shaky breath, feeling the anger, the confusion, start to melt away. He was here, and despite everything, my heart knew that I still loved him. “I don’t know if I’m ready to forgive you,” I whispered, my voice wavering. “But…I’ve missed you, too.”
The tension between us snapped, and before I knew it, he’d pulled me into his arms, his lips finding mine in a kiss that felt like coming home.
His mouth was hot, demanding, swallowing the remnants of my resistance.
Every part of me responded to him, my hands threading through his hair as I pressed closer, the familiar warmth of his body steadying me, filling the hollow ache I’d been carrying for days.
We broke apart, both of us breathing hard, and I glanced around, feeling a sudden urge for privacy.
I took his hand, pulling him across the yard to my father’s shed, slipping inside and closing the door behind us.
The space was cluttered with tools, the scent of wood and metal filling the air, but it was private, quiet, just for us.
He backed me against the worktable, his eyes hooded, heavy with a mix of desire and relief.
His hands were frantic, tugging at my yoga pants, peeling them away along with my cropped top until I stood before him bare and trembling.
His hands slid down my sides, fingers pressing into my skin, setting off sparks with every touch.
I tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head, needing to feel his heat against me.
His lips found my neck, rough and hungry, his stubble grazing my skin, leaving a trail of sensation that burned straight through me.
“I missed you,” he growled against my throat, his voice thick with need.
“Damn, I missed you, too.” My fingers tangled in his locs, guiding him closer, craving every inch of him.
Tools clattered to the floor as he lifted me, setting me on the edge of the worktable, his hands firm on my hips.
The raw scrape of wood against the backs of my thighs only heightened the heat between us.
His lips closed over my nipple, sucking hard, his teeth grazing the sensitive bud.
I arched against him, my breath coming out in short, desperate pants.
He shifted, sliding a hand between my legs, his fingers finding me slick and ready.
He pressed inside, curling his fingers, and I bucked against him, a needy moan slipping free.
“There it is,” he murmured, his lips brushing over my collarbone. “That sweet sound. Give me more.”
When he pushed into me, it was a hard, desperate slide that knocked the air from my lungs.
His rhythm was slow at first, almost agonizing, each thrust a deliberate push and pull, a reminder of what we’d lost and what we were finding again.
I wrapped my legs around him, drawing him deeper, and he met my pace, our bodies falling into the rhythm we’d always had.
The world outside faded. There was only the sharp scent of wood and metal, the creak of the worktable under our weight, and the slick, heady slide of our bodies.
I felt him everywhere, filling every empty space, and when release crashed over me, I held on, letting it take me under, knowing he was right there with me.
When the rush ebbed, and the world drifted back into focus, he rested his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling, ragged and warm. His hands cradled my face, his thumbs brushing away the dampness of tears I hadn’t realized I’d shed.
“I love you, Lennox,” I whispered, the words tumbling out, raw and real.
His eyes softened, his heart open to me. “I love you, too. Always.”