10. The Promise Fulfilled
There were nights she laid there staring at the ceiling, tears sliding into her ears, thinking about taking herself out the game completely…
just so the pain could stop. Just so she didn’t have to feel none of this anymore.
But every time that thought crept in…She saw her baby.
And she stayed. Even when she didn’t want to.
Even when it hurt too much. Jazz would have never thought that one night, just one night of partying and not being self-aware, would change her life like this.
But it did. And now she was stuck living in fear.
Protection from the police was a fucking joke.
It would already be too late, before you get saved.
If a motherfucka wanted to touch you… you was getting touched.
Simple as that. That’s just the way shit was. Now here she was…
Sitting in the passenger seat of Chill’s all-black Challenger, headed to New York…
back to Harlem. On the way there, he made sure to play videos of the recordings of them having sex over and over again a way to keep her mind in a constant state of guilt and remind her who was in control.
It ate her up from the inside out, and she had no choice but to deal with it.
Her hands rested in her lap, fingers locked together so tight they started to ache.
Her leg bounced without her even realizing it.
Her chest felt tight, like she couldn’t get a full breath in.
She didn’t even want to look at him. But she did.
Just for a second. Chill sat there like nothing was wrong.
One hand on the wheel. The other resting low, casual.
His face calm. Too calm. Like none of this meant shit to him.
Like her life wasn’t falling apart right next to him.
That alone made her stomach turn. She quickly looked away, swallowing hard.
What the fuck did I do… Her thoughts spiraled.
She should’ve never went out that night.
Should’ve never took that drink. Should’ve never let her guard down.
Now look at her. Trapped. All because a fuck nigga couldn’t get out of his feelings about a woman he knew he couldn’t replace. That kind of pain?
That shit was eating him alive. Keeping him up at night.
Had him drinking heavy. Had his heart dark as hell.
Because deep down, he never believed Kira would heal.
Never believed she would really move on.
And damn sure never believed she would be with another man besides him.
Jazz swallowed hard, her throat dry as hell.
Everything in her wanted to say something.
But she didn’t know what would set him off.
Didn’t know what version of him she was sitting next to. And that scared her more than anything.
The ride felt longer than it actually was.
The highway stretched out in front of them, endless, the dark pavement cutting through the night like it had somewhere to be but didn’t care who it took with it.
Streetlights passed one by one, flashing through the car in quick bursts, light, then dark…
light, then dark… like a warning Jazz couldn’t quite name.
Kira was in the bathroom throwing up, her body trembling as she gripped the edge of the sink.
Her stomach twisted, her throat burning as she tried to catch her breath.
Food poisoning. That’s what she kept telling herself.
It had to be. Because the other possibility…
She wasn’t ready to face that. She slowly lifted her head, staring at herself in the mirror.
Her eyes looked different. Tired. Nervous.
Like her body already knew something her mind was trying to avoid.
“Get it together,” she whispered to herself, her voice shaky. She rinsed her mouth, then stood there for a second, frozen… before finally reaching for the pregnancy test. Her hand shook as she opened it. Shook even more as she used it.
“Please…” she whispered under her breath, her voice barely there.
“Please don’t let this be what I think it is.
” She set the stick on the sink like it might burn her if she held it too long.
Then she turned away fast. Like if she didn’t look at it, it wouldn’t be real.
She started pacing the floor. Back and forth.
Her arms wrapped around herself, her fingers digging into her skin like she was trying to hold herself together.
Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it was in her throat.
This can’t be happening. Her thoughts spiraled, one after another, faster than she could control.
She picked it up and read the result. It was positive. For a second, everything went still. Then her chest tightened, and the tears came. Not because it wasn’t a blessing… But because she knew she still had so much to learn about herself before bringing a life into this world.
A soft cry escaped her as her hand began to shake, the test still clutched between her fingers.
“This can’t be…” she whispered, her voice breaking.
Her knees gave out, and she slowly slid down the wall, sitting on the cold bathroom floor as the weight of it all hit her at once.
She wanted more than this. She wanted to be stable and married.
Not somebody’s baby mama. Kira pressed her hand against her chest, trying to steady her breathing.
She wanted to be emotionally and mentally whole…
to be the kind of mother her child deserved.
Loving, present soft. Not the kind of mother she had growing up.
Dismissive and cold. Always committed to misunderstanding her.
Her jaw tightened as memories crept in, uninvited but familiar.
All she had ever wanted… was to be loved unconditionally.
Not the kind of love you had to earn. Not the kind that came with conditions.
Not the kind that made you question your worth.
She swallowed hard, gripping the test tighter.
Her child would never feel that. She would make sure of it.
Even if she had to learn everything the hard way.
Her breathing slowly steadied as she wiped her face, staring down at those two lines again.
Her life wasn’t over. It was just changing, whether she was ready or not.
Sincere stood in the kitchen, pouring the both of them a glass of champagne before they headed out to the Apollo.
A place where legends were born… where raw talent met opportunity and either made it or got booed right off the stage.
Some of the greatest to ever do it had stood under those lights, chasing dreams with nothing but courage and a voice.
And that’s exactly why Sincere chose it.
Kira had never been before, and to him… that mattered. He didn’t want to just take her anywhere. He wanted her to experience something. Something real. Something meaningful. Not just a night out… but a moment she would remember. Because with her, everything meant more.
He looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine photoshoot, dressed in an all-black Versace suit, clean, sharp, effortless.
“Kira, you almost ready? It’s about time for us to head out,” he called out, grabbing the two glasses off the counter.
“I’m coming,” Kira called out, straightening her black, strapless dress.
The fabric hugged her body in all the right places, smooth and fitted, accentuating her curves without trying too hard.
The sweetheart neckline sat perfectly against her chest, leaving her shoulders bare, her skin glowing under the soft bathroom light.
She adjusted the top slightly, making sure everything sat just right, then smoothed her hands down the length of the dress, exhaling as she took herself in.
Her makeup was soft but flawless, warm tones brushed across her eyelids, lashes full, lips glossed just enough to catch the light.
Her hair fell effortlessly, styled to frame her face, giving her that natural, put-together look like she didn’t have to try…
even though she did. Simple jewelry. Just enough to shine.
She looked good. Too good to be carrying everything she was feeling inside.
Her eyes flickered back to the sink. She stared at the test for a second…
then another. Her chest tightened. Everything in her told her not to do this.
Not to ignore it. Not to walk away like it wasn’t real.
She quickly grabbed the pregnancy test, hesitating just for a second longer before tossing it in the trash.
She took one last look at herself in the mirror, forcing a small smile… Then turned and walked out.
She ran straight into Sincere, and he caught her just in time, steadying both her and the drink before it could spill.
“Thank you,” she replied sweetly, forcing a soft smile. But her heart was beating too fast, her thoughts moving even faster. Because now that she knew the truth, everything felt different.
Every word mattered. Every look meant something. And the hardest part…
was figuring out how to stand in front of him like nothing had changed.
When their eyes met, it was like he was looking at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.
“Damn…” he said under his breath, stepping closer.
“You fine, ma. You are glowing. His eyes moved over her slowly, taking her in like he was studying every detail. His hand came to her waist, pulling her in just a little, like he needed to feel her to make sure she was real. Something felt different. He couldn’t name it, but he felt it.
“Thank you, handsome,” Kira said softly, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her heart was beating faster than it should’ve been.
“You better not have me out here fighting hoes tonight,” she added, half-joking, tilting her head slightly. “’Cause if you wasn’t my man… I’d be looking too.” He smirked, his thumb brushing lightly against her side, his grip on her steady.