Page 28 of Mine

“I am, and it is. If you surrender to me, I promise giving yourself to me will be the best decision you ever made for your life.”

Throwing all caution to the wind, I giggled as I nodded my agreement. “Fuck it. Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?” he asked with a grin, holding me close.

“Yeah.”

His eyes closed in relief before he kissed me. Rasheed pulled away to say, “We are not going to break up, sweetheart.”

I appreciated the assurance, more than he could ever know. My head hung briefly as I blushed. When I lifted it, I cupped his cheek and caressed it with my thumb.

“How can you be so sure?”

His head shook as he gave me that cocky grin. “My sweet trouble…” Rasheed kissed my palm before taking my hand into his. “I’m sure because I have plans to make you my wife.” He kissed my forehead, then my lips. “You are unequivocally, irrevocably…mine.”

30 Days Later

My eyes scanned the comments people were leaving on Presly’s Happy Half-Birthday post. I usually didn’t do social media, but she tagged me in the shit, so I had to hop on Facebook and see what she had to say.

Miss Pres: To my anchor. My partner. My safe space. You make loving me feel easy… not like a chore. You accept me as I am and you love every part of me. I will forever be grateful to God for that. (and Paisley & Jason too ??) Thank you for the best 40 days of my life. I know that sounds like such a small number but 40 days of being loved, cared for, prioritized, and sexed senseless (sorry Mama and Daddy) is life changing! You packed me up and moved me closer to you and my sissy. I live on the beach with absolutely noworries other than how I can make every day of our lives better. Thank you for celebrating my life and honoring your place in it. Thank you for giving me another reason to trust having you in my life was the best decision I could have ever made. I love you more than I thought was possible Rasheed Franklin. Thank you for making me feel secure in love. I hope I make you half as happy as you make me.

She’d attached several pictures and videos we’d taken together in LA plus a few from the start of her birthday shenanigans. We were on my yacht with our people, and we’d party here tonight and dock on Catalina Island, where I’d already booked suites and rooms for everyone in attendance. In the morning, I was going to take her, her mama, my mama, and Paisley shopping on Rodeo Drive. After that, me and Paisley were going to finish out her half birthday adventures in Bora Bora alone.

The more time we spent together, the softer and more feminine she became. I believed her loner lifestyle had become a defense mechanism, because now, she couldn’t get enough of me. I felt the exact same way about her. If I could, I’d live in her heart and die in her pussy. I fell in love with that woman the moment I saw her tossing items out of her luggage like a mad woman, and I had been growing in love with her every day since.

I noticed a comment from someone named Houston J. It was the side eye emoji. I logged out of my Facebook and into hers, and sure enough, he’d sent her a DM.

Houston J: I guess I really don’t have a chance to get you back now huh?

Miss Pres: Stay the fuck away from my wife. It’ll be safer for you to play in a landmine than to try and take what belongs to me.

He opened the message immediately, and after he read it, I blocked his ass.

“You good, bruh?” Tyler asked, causing me to look up from my phone. I didn’t realize I was frowning until I relaxed my face.

“All is well, bruh,” I assured him before accepting the glass with brown liquor in it.

I listened to what he, Andy, and Jason were saying, but my eyes searched the top level of the yacht for my woman. My eyes zeroed in on her. She was in a circle, surrounded by the women in her family having the time of her life. Her smile was wide and laughter contagious as she twerked against her sister.

I couldn’t wait to make this woman my wife.

I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving her with every ounce of it that God put in my heart to give her.

She wasn’t that same guarded, empty woman I met.

She was full now.

Fulfilled.

Only thing missing was my baby in her womb. That would come soon. I’d give her daddy a good six months to grieve losing one daughter before I became responsible for him losing number two.

Besides… there was no rush.

Presly’s heart had been reserved for me.

She’d always been and forever would be… MINE.

The Beginning…

Because true love has no end…

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