Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
RHYAN
Iwasn’t expecting Chauncey to invite Simmy and Bianca over—but it was cool. I already knew Bianca was coming with the mess. What I didn’t expect… was Chauncey slipping out of bed like that.
Sneaky.
I definitely wasn’t expecting him to carry me back into our room either—like he knew I wasn’t ready to face any of this alone.
Yeah… we were finna have a conversation.
I washed my face, brushed my teeth, then threw on a pair of joggers and a t-shirt. Bianca and I made our way downstairs toward the kitchen, where Simmy and Chauncey were. She kept close, like she wasn’t about to leave me alone with this.
I still couldn’t believe I was here, standing in the middle of all this like I belonged and didn’t at the same time.
The plan was to slip out while he was asleep and head back to my momma’s house like none of this ever happened.
But that didn’t happen.
I forgot how good it felt… being in his arms, and that scared me more than it should’ve.
It had been a long time since I’d been home.
And somehow… I still felt like a guest, even here.
I tried to just take it in. Breathe through it. Hold myself together long enough to make it to that conversation. Bianca stayed right there with me, like she knew I needed that.
“Relax, Rhy.”
“I’m trying,” I muttered. “It’s not as easy as you think.”
“Breathe,” Bianca said, softer this time. “One day at a time.”
“I know.”
Voices carried from the kitchen—Simmy and Chauncey. It sounded like they were wrapping up.
By the time we walked in, Bianca made a beeline straight for Simmy, and he scooped her up like he hadn’t seen her in days.
I shook my head.
This nigga is so damn sprung.
“What’s up, Rhy? You good?” Simmy asked, setting Bianca down.
I gave him a small nod. “What’s up, Simmy? Yeah… I think I’m good.”
I grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, twisting the cap as I leaned against the counter.
Chauncey was posted on the island, watching me.
I walked over and stood beside him.
He didn’t even hesitate—pulled me in front of him, wrapping his arms around my waist, burying his face in my neck like he needed to remind himself I was still there.
I stiffened for a second… then let it happen.
“Cool, we finna head out,” Simmy said, glancing between us.
“Chauncey, let my cousin breathe,” Bianca added, already grabbing her bag. “Rhy, I’ll call you later…”
“Okay…”
Bianca and Simmy finally left, and the house went still. Chauncey’s arms tightened around me, and this time… I didn’t resist. I leaned back into him, letting my head rest against his chest.
“You good?” he asked, his voice low.
“Somewhat…”
He nodded like he understood that answer more than a yes.
“You hungry?”
“Yeah.”
“What you wanna eat?”
I shrugged slightly. “It doesn’t matter.”
He let out a quiet breath. “I should’ve had something ready when you woke up… I just ain’t know how long you was gonna sleep.” His voice sounded sincere, and the ache in my chest shifted.
“You could’ve woken me up.”
“I ain’t wanna do that,” he said softly. “I wanted a little time to just… stay still.”
That made me pause.
“Umm… so how did I end up in our room?”
“I carried you in there,” he said. “You are not a guest in that room, Rhy. I figured you’d sleep better there.”
I didn’t say anything about that.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” I asked.
“What you wanna do?”
“Eat…”
He chuckled under his breath. “Aiight. And after that?”
“I don’t know yet.”
There was a pause.
Then—
“I don’t want you to leave,” he said, quieter now. “I want you to stay.”
I felt that more than I wanted to.
He wants me to stay…
And the crazy part? I want this too. I want us to get it right—more than anything.
He’s trying, and I can see that… but I’m still carrying too much hurt to pretend it’s easy.
I still need more from him, and I know what it costs to ask for that.
Still, I’m willing to meet him halfway because I don’t want to lose this again.
“I’ll stay.”
Chauncey kissed the nape of my neck, and my body reacted before my mind could catch up—warm, immediate, undeniable.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
I swallowed, steadying myself.
“What you wanna eat?” he asked. “You wanna go out, or you want me to call the chef?”
“You can call the chef?” I turned my head slightly, a small smile pulling at my lips.
“Yeah,” he said like it was nothing. “What you got in mind?”
“Salmon… and I want dessert.”
He nodded. “Say less. I’m finna make it happen. Anything else you want?”
“Not right now.”
For once… that felt like enough.
Chauncey scooped me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and his hands settled firmly on me like he wasn’t letting go again.
I buried my face in his chest.
I couldn’t believe we were here.
After everything this past month… I didn’t see us making it back here.
He held me tighter, as if loosening his grip might make me disappear.
“Tell me what you want from me,” he said, his voice low and urgent against my skin.
I pulled back just enough to look at him.
“I want you to get it right.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look away.
“I’mma try every day,” he said. “As long as you let me.”
“That’s not enough,” I said quietly. “I need consistency. Not when it’s convenient… not when you feel like it. Every day.” Saying it made my throat tighten because I wasn’t just asking for effort—I was asking him to prove this mattered.
He nodded, taking that in.
“We’ve been apart long enough,” he added. “I don’t want space anymore. I want you with me… every day, because I don’t want to keep losing you.”
I held his gaze for a second longer.
“Then act like it.”
“I will…”
“I’m holding you to it…”
“Cool, we finna head out,” Simmy said, glancing between us.
“Chauncey, let my cousin breathe,” Bianca added, already grabbing her bag. “Rhy, I’ll call you later…”
“Okay…”
Bianca and Simmy finally left, the house going still behind them. Chauncey’s arms tightened around me, and this time… I didn’t resist. I leaned back into him, letting my head rest against his chest, just taking him in.
“You good?” he asked, his voice low.
“Somewhat…”
He nodded like he understood that answer more than a yes.
“You hungry?”
“Yeah.”
“What you wanna eat?”
I shrugged slightly. “It doesn’t matter.”
He let out a quiet breath. “I should’ve had something ready when you woke up… I just ain’t know how long you was gonna sleep.”
“You could’ve woken me up.”
“I ain’t wanna do that,” he said softly. “I wanted time to just… stay still for a little while.”
That made me pause.
“Umm… so how did I end up in our room?”
“I carried you in there,” he said, like it was nothing. “You are not a guest in that room, Rhy. I figured you’d sleep better in there. I wanted you comfortable.”
I didn’t say anything about that.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” I asked after a second.
“What you wanna do?”
“Eat…”
He chuckled under his breath. “Aiight. And after that?”
“I don’t know yet.”
There was a pause.
Then—
“I don’t want you to leave,” he said, quieter now. “I want you to stay.”
I felt that more than I wanted to.
He wants me to stay…
And the crazy part? I want this too. I want us to get it right—more than anything. He’s trying. I still need more from him… but I’m willing to meet him halfway.
“I’ll stay.”
Chauncey pressed a kiss to the nape of my neck, and my body reacted before my mind could catch up—warm, immediate, undeniable.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
I swallowed, steadying myself.
“What you wanna eat?” he asked. “You wanna go out, or you want me to call the chef?”
“You can call the chef?” I turned my head slightly, a small smile pulling at my lips.
“Yeah,” he said like it was nothing. “What you got in mind?”
“Salmon… and I want dessert.”
He nodded. “Say less. I’m finna make it happen. Anything else you want?”
“Not right now.”
For once… that felt like enough.
Chauncey scooped me up before I could think about it. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and his hands settled firmly on me like he wasn’t letting go again.
I buried my face in his chest.
I couldn’t believe we were here.
After everything this past month… I didn’t see us making it back to this.
He held me tighter, like he felt the same thing—like if he loosened his grip, I might disappear.
“Tell me what you want from me,” he said, his voice low against my skin.
I pulled back just enough to look at him.
“I want you to get it right.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look away.
“I’mma try every day,” he said. “As long as you let me.”
“That’s not enough,” I said quietly. “I need consistency. Not when it’s convenient… not when you feel like it. Every day.”
He nodded, taking that in.
“We’ve been apart long enough,” he added. “I don’t want space anymore. I want you with me… every day.”
I held his gaze for a second longer.
“Then act like it.”
“I will…”
“I’m holding you to it…”
Then he pulled away.
And just like that, he walked into the bathroom, leaving me there… feeling everything I said I wasn’t ready for.