Page 31 of Surrender to Me

He chuckled. “I figured I’d switch it up today.” Nodding toward the other side of the bed, he said, “Look beside you.”

I frowned slightly, turning my head and then I saw it. A check but not just a regular check. A big ass check. The amount was for one million dollars. And beside it? A thick stack of money, all hundreds, neatly bound with a rubber band. My breath hitched, my fingers trembling slightly as I reached for it.

“Legend…” I whispered, staring at the ridiculous amount of life-changing money staring back at me.

Legend sat up slightly, resting his weight on one elbow, watching my reaction. “I believe in you, Honey,” he said smoothly, his voice low, sincere.

I swallowed, heart pounding, stomach twisting with too many emotions at once. “This is… this is too much,” I breathed.

“Nah,” he murmured. “You deserve it.”

I looked up at him, blinking back tears, completely overwhelmed. “I don’t even…”

“You ain’t gotta say anything,” he cut in gently. “Just take it. Use it. Build something that outlasts us.” His words hit something deep in me because no one had ever said that to me before. “If this had been another life or a different time,” Legend continued, voice lower now, almost contemplative, “we would’ve been something.”

My chest tightened violently, my breath catching because Iknewthat. Ifeltit in my soul.

“But in this life,” he murmured, reaching up, tucking hair behind my ear, “I just want you to win.”

Before I could even think, I threw myself into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck, burying my face into his warm skin as I cried. He held me tight, firm, steady, one hand splayed across my back, the other cradling the back of my head.

“Thank you,” I sobbed, my voice thick and heavy.

Legend pulled back just slightly, tilting my chin up, his eyes searching mine. And then, he kissed me. Deep. Slow. Hungry. A kiss that felt like a goodbye and a promise all at once. A kiss that said, I don’t do attachments, but if I did, it would be you. A kiss that I knew I’d never forget.

The loud, piercing sound of my alarm broke through the moment though. I pulled back, my breath shaky as I wiped my tears.

“Oh, and I still made you breakfast,” he admitted. “But I packed it so you could take it with you.”

I let out a soft breathy laugh, shaking my head. “You really think of everything, huh?”

“I try,” he said smoothly. Then, he stood, stretching, rolling his shoulders back. “I’ll let you get ready,” he said, watching me for a second longer than necessary before stepping toward the door. I swallowed hard, nodding as he disappeared, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

After getting dressed in a white tee and biker shorts with a pair of slides, I packed my suitcase. I slipped the check and stack of money inside carefully, zipping it up, and letting out a slow, deep exhale. Then, I took one last look around the room. One last look at the bed. The space where something brief and consuming had lived, burned, and left its mark on me. Then, I grabbed my suitcase and stepped outside into the humid air, the sun beaming down.

Legend was waiting near the door, his hands in the pockets of his Nike sweatshorts. “Got everything?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I murmured.

He nodded, fingers rolling through his beard. “My driver’s gonna take you to the airport.”

“Thank you so much,” I said, meaning it more than I could ever put into words.

Legend smirked, stepping closer. “Like I said,” he said, tilting my chin up slightly. “You deserve this.” And just when I thought that was it, he kissed my lips once more and slapped my ass.

I laughed, shaking my head as I slid on my sunglasses. Then, with one last look, one last smile, one last moment that neither of us spoke on, I climbed into the awaiting car. And as the island faded behind me, so did he. But the feeling? The memory? That would stay with me forever.

One Year & Some Months Later

One year ago, I walked away from the best weekend of my life. I walked away with money that changed my future, memories that changed my body, and a name that still sat on the tip of my tongue whenever I let my mind wander too far.

But more than anything—I walked away a different woman. Because, that weekend with Legend, I learned something. I learned that I wasn’t just some ambitious dreamer hoping for a break. I was powerful. Capable. Deserving. And now? Now, I had everything I had worked my ass off for.

Starting my business wasn’t easy. The money Legend gave me was a blessing but it wasn’t a shortcut. I had to grind my ass off. Shit, there were long nights, early mornings and sleepless weeks. Hell, some nights I just cried. I dealt with manufacturers messing up orders, vendors not delivering on time, and marketing that didn’t hit the way I wanted it to. But I kept going because failure wasn’t a fucking option.

And now, a year later,Honey Luxe Beauty, was thriving. My products were in demand. I had secured partnerships, expanded inventory, and even opened a physical location. I had success and the money and not just enough to get by, enough to live.

I bought my dream home. A modern four-bedroom house in the burbs with floor-to-ceiling windows and a kitchen that made me want to cook even though I still ordered takeout half the time. I drove my dream car. It was a fly ass black Porsche that I had picked up the second I hit my financial goal.

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