Rhyan #2
Chauncey didn’t respond right away. His hands rested at my waist, not pulling or pushing… just there. He was waiting for me. Giving me space to change my mind.
I lifted my head slowly, my eyes finding his.
“You still trying to behave?” I asked, my voice softer than I meant it to be.
A small smile tugged at his lips. “I was…”
That was enough. I leaned in first this time. The kiss wasn’t rushed, wasn’t desperate.
It was slow, intentional. Like we both needed to feel it… Make sure it was real. His hand slid up my back, pulling me closer, still careful… still giving me the chance to stop him.
I didn’t.
If anything, I moved closer. My fingers curled into his shirt, holding on like I’d been waiting for this just as long as he had. The kiss deepened—not wild, not reckless… just heavy.
Loaded with everything we didn’t say. Everything we felt. Everything we tried to hold back.
“Rhy…” he murmured against my lips, checking in one last time.
I pulled back just enough to look at him.
“I know,” I said quietly.
That was it. He kissed me again, and this time I let him.
That was the answer. His hands tightened slightly—not forcing, not rushing—just… certain now.
And for the first time since I walked back into this house… I didn’t feel conflicted. I didn’t feel guarded. I felt certain. I just felt him. And I let myself have it, without holding back.
The room was quiet now. Not empty… just still, like it was holding its breath. Like everything that needed to be said had already been said—without words.
I barely had time to catch my breath before Chauncey shifted under me, his arms tightening like he wasn’t ready to let me go.
“You good?” he asked, voice low.
I nodded against him, too full to say anything else.
“Come here,” he murmured.
Before I could ask what he meant, he lifted me—effortless—like my weight didn’t exist to him. I laughed softly, wrapping my arms around his neck as he carried me toward the bathroom.
“You’re doing too much,” I whispered.
“I’m doing what I’m supposed to,” he shot back.
The shower turned on, steam filling the space in seconds. He stepped in with me, adjusted the temperature, then pulled me close again—this time gentler.
Slower.
Different.
His hands moved with care, washing over my skin like he was trying to memorize it all over again. Not rushed. Not demanding. Just attentive. I leaned into him, eyes closed, letting myself feel it fully.
Every touch.
Every pause.
Every quiet moment between us.
“You ain’t gotta do all this,” I said softly, but I didn’t pull away.
I frowned slightly.
“I want to,” he replied.
And I believed him. For once… I didn’t question it.
The smell hit me before I even opened my eyes. Warm. Sweet. Comforting. I shifted slightly, still wrapped in the sheets, my body heavy in the best way. When I finally blinked awake, Chauncey was sitting beside me, a tray balanced in his hands.
“About time,” he said, a small smile pulling at his lips. “I was starting to think you weren’t waking up.”
I pushed myself up slowly, pulling the sheet with me. “What is this?” I asked, eyeing the plate.
“Breakfast,” he said simply. “Figured you might be hungry.”
I looked at him a second longer than I meant to. “You made this?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “Don’t act surprised.”
A small smile slipped out.
“I’m not…”
But I was.
He set the tray across my lap, watching me like he was waiting for a reaction. I took a bite and nodded slowly.
“This is actually good,” I admitted.
“Actually?” he repeated, raising a brow.
I laughed softly, shaking my head.
“Thank you.”
He didn’t respond right away—just reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face. That simple touch? It hit harder than I expected. It hit harder than anything else.
“Eat,” he said quietly.
And for once… For once… I wasn’t fighting him. Then my phone rang, cutting through the quiet. I glanced at the screen, my chest tightening slightly.
Work.
Damn… I hadn’t checked in with my job in almost a month, and I knew that could cost me the job—and the stability it gave me.
I slid out from under the covers, answering as I walked toward the window.
“Hello?”
A pause.
Then—
“Yeah… I know. I’ve just been dealing with some personal stuff.”
I glanced back at Chauncey. He watched me in silence, his jaw tight as he tried to read my face.
“I’ll be back,” I said finally. “Yeah… I’m coming back.”
I ended the call before they could ask anything else.
For a second, I just stood there… phone still in my hand, the room suddenly too quiet. I tried to figure out how I felt about what I’d just said. It sounded simple, but it didn’t feel simple.
“You good?” Chauncey asked from the bed.
I turned, exhaling softly. “It was my job.”
His expression tightened. “What do they want?”
“They wanted to know if I’m coming back.”
“And?” he asked.
“I told them yes.”
That didn’t sit right with him. I could see it in the way he went still. I could see it in his face.
“Man… fuck that job,” he said, sitting up. “You don’t need that.”
“It’s not about needing it.”
“What’s it about then?” he shot back. “You got me. You don’t gotta worry about none of that.”
I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall.
“That’s not the point, Chauncey.”
He ran a hand over his face, already irritated. “Then what is the point, Rhy?”
“The point is… I had a life before all of this,” I said, calm but firm. “And I’m not about to lose myself while we try to fix us.”
That gave him pause.
“I’m not saying I’m choosing my job over you,” I added. “I’m saying I’m choosing me… and still choosing us.”
Silence hung between us. For once… he didn’t have a quick response.
“Aye, Rhy…” he started, sitting up straighter. “I always want you to choose us. You know that. But this ain’t the time to talk about work or moving around. I need you here.”
I didn’t say anything. Just watched him. “But going back to work in another city?” He shook his head. “I ain’t feeling that. You need to stay here. That’s what I’m saying.”
There it was. “I need you here,” he continued, his tone softer but still firm. “With me, while we’re trying to fix this. I don’t want distance between us again, so don’t make it worse.”
I let out a slow breath.
“You don’t think I know that?” I asked.
“I’m just saying…” he added, leaning forward. “You can work here. It’s hospitals in the city. You don’t gotta go back there. Just stay here and make it easier for both of us.”
I crossed my arms and thought it through, not reacting right away.
“Are you asking me to stay… or are you telling me what to do?”
That made him pause.
“I’m asking,” he said after a second. “But yeah… I’m being honest too. I don’t want you leaving again, Rhy. Not right now.”
I nodded slightly.
“I hear you,” I said. “And I get it. But I can’t make that kind of decision overnight. I’m not saying no—I just need time, because this isn’t small for me.”
He leaned back, watching me.
“That’s my career, Chauncey. My stability. My independence.”
“And I’m your husband,” he shot back.
“And I chose to come back,” I reminded him. “That wasn’t easy either.”
Silence stretched between us.
“I’m not saying no,” I added, softer now. “I’m saying… we gotta figure out what works for both of us, because I’m not giving up my life on impulse.”
He held my gaze, jaw tight—but he wasn’t arguing anymore.
“Then we figure it out,” he said.
“We’ll figure it out,” I said quietly. “But I have to go back to Dallas. I’ve got things to handle. I can’t just quit and stay here… I have responsibilities, and I can’t ignore them.”
Chauncey watched me, his expression shifting. “So, what was your plan, Rhy… when you came back home?”
I let out a small breath, shaking my head.
“I didn’t expect any of this,” I admitted. “My plan was to nurse you back to health… then leave. Then go back to my life. That was all I thought I had, and that was always my plan.”
His jaw tightened. “You thought I was just gonna let you leave again?”
“Yes,” I said, meeting his eyes. “The way you woke up… how angry you were when you first saw me—I already knew what time it was. I thought it was over between us.”
He didn’t say anything.
“And then…” I continued, my voice dropping, “all the women…”
Silence filled the room.
“And let’s not forget—you never came back for me. Not once.” I swallowed, my chest tight. “So yeah… I thought you didn’t care. Thought you didn’t give a fuck. I thought leaving was what we both expected.” I let that sit between us. “So that was my read,” I said, quietly, letting it land.
I looked down, shaking my head.
“So eventually… I had to pick up the pieces. Start fixing me.”
My vision blurred before I could stop it. I wiped at my eyes, annoyed at myself for breaking. I wasn’t supposed to cry. Chauncey reached for my hand, then pulled me into him, holding me tight like he was trying to keep everything together at once.
“I’m sorry, Rhy…” he said against me. “We needed space… but not that much. I should’ve come after you.”
His grip tightened slightly. “I give plenty of fucks,” he added, his voice rough. “More than you think.”
I didn’t move.
“I’m sorry about those women too,” he said. “They shouldn’t have been in the picture at all. That’s on me.”
“I’m scared,” I admitted, my voice quieter now. “I don’t want to give up a life I built—peaceful… stable—just to come back here and risk that same chaos all over again.”
He didn’t rush to answer.
Good.
“I hear you,” he said, softer. “And I’m not about to sit here and sell you a dream like I’ve got everything figured out.”
That caught me off guard.
“But I am asking you to come home,” he continued. “Not because I need control… because I want to do this right. With you.”
I pulled back slightly, searching his face.
“I can’t promise you everything’s gonna be perfect,” he added. “But I can promise you I’m moving differently. And if peace is what you need, then that’s what I’m gonna protect.”
I studied him, silent.
“If you wanna keep nursing,” he went on, “do that here. I don’t have a problem with it. I’m not trying to take anything from you.”
His tone dropped just a little.
“I just want you close, Rhy. That’s it.”