10. Confrontation
CONFRONTATION
Soreya heard the Hellcat before she saw it—the deep rumble of the engine cutting through the quiet of her apartment complex parking lot. She stood at her window, watching Reign pull into a spot with that aggressive precision he always had. Even the way he parked was territorial.
Soreya's hands trembled as she stepped away from the window.
Her apartment suddenly felt too small, too exposed.
She'd decorated it herself—cream-colored couch from West Elm, gold accent pillows, framed prints of Black art on the walls, candles that smelled like vanilla and sandalwood.
It was her safe space. Her escape from Reign's chaos.
But now he was bringing that chaos right to her door.
Three heavy knocks.
She took a breath and opened it.
Reign stood there, his jaw tight, his eyes locked on hers. He didn't smile. Didn't greet her. Just walked past her into the apartment like he owned it.
"So we just not talking now?" His voice was low, controlled. Dangerous.
Soreya closed the door and crossed her arms. "I been talking to you, Reign. You the one who been?—"
"Nah." He turned to face her, his eyes flashing with something she couldn't name. "You been different. Distant. And I wanna know why."
"Maybe I'm tired," she shot back. "Maybe I'm tired of waiting up for you. Tired of wondering where you at. Tired of smelling other women on you when you finally come home."
"I told you I ain't fucking nobody."
"And I'm supposed to just believe that?" Soreya's voice cracked. "You disappear for days, Reign. You don't answer my calls. You out at the club every night doing God knows what with God knows who. What am I supposed to think?"
Reign stepped closer, his presence filling the space between them. "You supposed to trust me."
"Trust you?" Soreya laughed, bitter and sharp. "How I'm supposed to trust you when you won't even tell me the truth?"
"What truth?" His voice dropped, his breathing getting heavier. "What you think I'm hiding, Soreya?"
She stared at him, her heart pounding. There was something in his eyes—something wild, something barely contained. She'd seen it before, in those moments when he looked at her like he wanted to devour her. But this was different. This was darker.
"I don't know," she whispered. "But I know it's something. And I'm tired of pretending I don't see it."
Reign's jaw clenched. His hands flexed at his sides. "You don't know what you talking about."
"Then tell me!" Soreya's voice rose, frustration boiling over. "Tell me what's wrong with you! Tell me why you can't just be normal! Tell me why every time I try to get close to you, you push me away!"
"Because I'm trying to protect you!" Reign's voice boomed through the apartment, raw and desperate. "You think I want this? You think I want to be out there every night fighting this shit? I'm trying to keep you safe, Soreya. I'm trying to keep you away from what I am."
The words hung in the air between them.
Soreya's breath caught. "What you are?"
Reign's eyes widened, like he'd said too much. He turned away, running his hand over his face. "Forget it."
"No." Soreya stepped toward him, her fear mixing with something else—determination. "You don't get to say that and then just walk away. What you mean, 'what you are'?"
"Soreya, drop it."
"No! I'm tired of dropping it! I'm tired of letting you keep secrets while I sit here going crazy!" She grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. "Just tell me the truth, Reign. Whatever it is, just tell me."
He stared at her, his chest rising and falling too fast. His eyes—God, his eyes looked different. Darker. Almost... glowing.
"You really wanna know?" His voice was rough, strained. "You really wanna know why I can't be around you sometimes? Why I gotta leave in the middle of the night? Why I can't just be the man you want me to be?"
"Yes," Soreya whispered, even though every instinct in her body was screaming at her to run.
Reign stepped closer, so close she could feel the heat radiating off him. His hand came up to her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. The touch was gentle, but his hand was trembling.
"Because when I'm around you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "all I can think about is how good you smell. How fast your heart beating. How easy it would be to just... take what I want."
Soreya's breath hitched. "Reign, you scaring me."
"I know." His eyes flashed again—definitely not normal, definitely not human. "That's why I gotta go."
"Wait—" She grabbed his hoodie, holding him in place. "You can't just say that and leave. What you mean, 'take what you want'? What are you talking about?"
Reign's control was slipping. She could see it in the way his body tensed, the way his breathing got ragged, the way he looked at her neck like he was starving.
"Soreya, let me go."
"No. Not until you tell me?—"
"Let. Me. Go." His voice was a growl now, something primal and dangerous underneath it.
Soreya's hands dropped. She stepped back, her heart racing. This wasn't just anger. This wasn't just jealousy. This was something else. Something wrong.
Reign backed toward the door, his eyes never leaving hers.
"You wanna know why I been distant? Why I been pushing you away?
Because I love you too much to let you see what I really am.
And if you keep pushing me, if you keep asking questions, you gonna find out.
And once you know, Soreya, you can't unknow it. "
"Reign—"
"Stay away from me." His hand was on the doorknob. "I'm serious. For a few days, just... stay away. Don't call me. Don't text me. Don't come looking for me."
"Why?" Tears burned in her eyes. "Why you doing this?"
"Because I'm trying to save you." He opened the door, his body silhouetted against the hallway light. "From me."
And then he was gone.
Soreya stood in her apartment, shaking, her mind racing. She didn't understand what just happened. Didn't understand what he meant. But she knew one thing with absolute certainty:
Reign Saint was hiding something.
Something dangerous.
Something that might destroy them both.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table.
Truitt (11:43 PM): You okay? You seemed off earlier.
Soreya stared at the message, her hands still trembling.
She wasn't okay.
She hadn't been okay in a long time.
And she was starting to realize she might never be okay again.