Page 51 of Embrace

“The shower is all yours. Take as long as you need. I’ll be waiting with your heating pad and back rub.”

I nodded my understanding as I grabbed my towels. He kissed my lips before patting me on the butt and walking out to the bedroom. I stripped and stepped into the steaming hot shower. He adjusted the temperature for me.My husband.

I took a twenty-minute shower. During my cycle, I felt unclean unless I scrubbed every inch of my body thoroughly. After I dried off, I pulled on my period panties and a night gown.

When I returned to the bedroom with my bonnet on, skin moisturized, and stomach in knots, Blaze awaited me with my heating pad and open arms.

“Did the shower help?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, kind of.”

I climbed into bed and laid flat on my stomach. The cramps almost instantly eased as the heat from the pad comforted me. Blaze lay on his side and used his free hand to rub my back.

Tears fell freely from my face as I cried silently.

“There has to be something more going on, Su. Please talk to me. I’m worried about you.”

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I sobbed for what felt like forever. I bit down on my bottom lip to urge the sobs to subside. “The night at Top Golf scared me. I’d never seen you lose control like that… It made me doubt if we’d made the right decision getting married.”

As the confession left my mouth, I felt the weight lift off my shoulders, despite the anxiety building in the pit of my stomach. Blaze sighed.

“I’m sorry, Su. It was never supposed to escalate that way. It shocked me to lose my temper in that capacity as well. I’m still learning how to navigate the new feelings I have for you. Before, it was like protecting Ally or BJ. Now… It’s like protecting a part of my soul. My feelings for you are stronger than anything I’ve ever felt.”

His words comforted me. I’d felt a similar way, but I’d never been the type of girl to lash out physically at someone. I had an older sister and a best friend to handle all the fights. I would, however, never hesitate to put a bitch in her place verbally.

“It’s all so new, and we’re both learning as we go. I can’t fault you for it, but it did scare me.”

“I’ll try to do better. I pray we ain’t ever in a situation like that again.” Blaze pulled me closer to him and pressed his lips against mine. I smiled through the kiss. He placed his hand on my stomach.

“You know, I be praying you don’t get your period.”

I busted out laughing. “Bro, please get the fuck out of here.”

“I’m plotting on you, Su. You gon’ get pregnant one of these days.”

“Not any time soon, Blaze.”

“We’ll see, bae.”

His tone sent butterflies through my stomach. He was plotting on my uterus, and I didn’t know how I felt about it.

“It feels like it has been so long since I’ve seen your pineapple head ass,” Mari stated as she pulled me into a tight hug.

“Girl, it’s been rough.”

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“So, I told you about us going to Top Golf to celebrate two months, right?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yeah. After that, you went ghost.”

“Blaze’s hot-headed ass beat up Malik.”

“What the hell was Malik doing there?” Mari asked while she cackled.

Before I could respond, the nail techs called us over. We sat down in the massage chairs and listed off our colors, packages, and other details. Once they’d began the pedicures and passed us our wine, we got back into the conversation.

“I don’t know why he was on that side of town when he lives in fucking Pearland, but he was at Top Golf. One minute me and Blaze are caked up, flirting, and having a great time. The next minute Blaze is on top of Malik, whuppin’ his ass.”

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