Chapter 15
I shouldn’t have been nervous, but I was. For the past ten years, I’d spent time with Kayne’s parents, Kyle and Diana, and we always had a good time. This time would be different. This time I’d be with them as the woman dating their son. Well, their other son.
God, this shit is ghetto.
Releasing a shaky groan, I resisted the urge to take a shot of tequila. Though it would have instantly calmed my nerves, I didn’t want to start drinking this early in the day. On the off chance his parents didn’t agree with us dating, there would be plenty of time for me to drink tonight.
“Why you in here looking all nervous?” Kayne asked, heading toward me in his living room.
“I am nervous,” I confessed quietly. “What if they look at me differently?”
“They won’t,” he rejected, sitting next to me.
“I don’t want to downplay how you feel, but I also don’t care even if they did.
It won’t change anything—for me at least. Yes, I want my parents to like and approve of the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, but it’s my life, and I’m going to be with the woman I want.
” He cupped my cheek. “That woman has always been and will always be you, pooh.”
“Thank you.” I gave him a brief yet tender kiss. “I didn’t realize how much I needed that validation until you gave it.”
“You’re welcome. I got something for you.”
At the sound of his words, I looked down at the scrapbook in his lap. There was a picture of us—the first picture we’d ever taken together ten years ago—on the front cover. I immediately got all the feels without even seeing anything else.
“Kayne,” I whined as he handed it to me.
With each page, my eyes got more and more watery.
The scrapbook was filled with our memories over the years.
Pictures, concert and basketball tickets, hotel room keys from our vacations, petals from bouquets he’d given me over the years .
. . Kayne had kept mementos of it all. By the time I got to the last page, which was blank, I was a ball of emotion and tears.
Sniffling, I looked up at Kayne as he said, “The last page is empty and waiting to be filled with more memories. Memories of this next phase for us. Will you be my girlfriend, Jayla? Well, my woman since we grown as hell.”
Giggling, I nodded and wiped my tears. “Yes,” I answered sweetly. “I’d love to be your woman.”
“Mm,” he moaned, wrapping his hand around my neck and pulling me close for a kiss.
His words and gesture gave me all the confidence in the world to go see his parents now, and I couldn’t wait to create more memories for every stage of our lives—dating, being married, being parents—there were literally no limits to what we were about to do.