Page 151 of I See You

"You are resilience, Harper. And I’m blessed as hell to call you my best friend. Because even after all that? You still got light in you."

Harper broke again, but this time it wasn’t from pain. It was from release.

And Sevyn didn’t let go. She just held her tighter.

Harper looked at her with the same tear-filled eyes, but now with a smile. "Thank you, Sev. I needed that."

Sevyn pulled her into another hug, holding her close. "Just being honest," she said once they pulled away.

"That’s why that nigga Hassan hugged me." Harper smirked, the weight in her chest finally lighter. "You be hugging that nigga a lot."

The name made Sevyn freeze for a second, her nerves flaring all over again. The butterflies she’d been trying to suppress since this morning suddenly kicked back up, fluttering wildly in her stomach. But she masked it quickly, letting out a soft laugh.

"Yeah... even the toughest niggas on earth need a hug."

Harper laughed too, playful again. "I swear you made my cousin soft. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m glad you did."

That genuine smile from Harper made Sevyn’s chest ache in the best way. Despite the confusion still swirling inside her, she smiled back.

Trying to change the subject, she leaned forward slightly. "So... what’s next with your father now that he’s back?"

Harper’s face shifted again, but this time there was clarity behind her eyes. She shook her head slowly. "I don’t know. I do know I won’t heal properly until I confront him. I just need some time and space to figure that out. Sit with it."

Sevyn nodded, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Take all the time you need, Harp. That nigga doesn’t get to walk back into your life like bygones are just erased. If he wants a place in your world, he’s gonna have to earn it."

Harper nodded in agreement, feeling the conviction in her best friend’s voice.

She glanced at Sevyn while picking up her food again, heart fuller than when she walked in. Sevyn had always been like this—gentle but firm, caring but honest, the kind of woman who could help you pick up the pieces without making you feel broken. Harper knew she owed a lot of her healing to her.

But it wasn’t just her.

What Sevyn was doing with Hassan... it hadn’t gone unnoticed either. The shift in him, the softness beneath his steel, the calmness that slowly crept into his presence—it was all Sevyn. She wasn’t just healing Harper. She was healing the man everyone thought was too far gone.

They spent the rest of their lunch talking about lighter things— before cleaning up and getting ready to head back to work.

Neither of them said it, but they both left the room carrying less weight than when they entered.

Chapter 19

(THREE Days Later)

Sevyn was at Dorian’s house, a movie playing in front of them, but her mind was miles away. All she could think about was Hassan—how he fucked her senseless and made love to every inch of her body at the same damn time.

Ithadbeenthreedays.Threelong,silentdayssinceshelast saw him. And when he finally called earlier yesterday, she ignoredit. Twice. She told herself she was busy—getting her nails done by Dorian—but the truth was, she didn’t want to hear his voice. Not yet.

She was still pissed. Still hurt.

How the fuck do you hold someone all night, whisper peace into their skin, then dip in the middle of the night without so much as a text? Not even a damn “thank you”?

He didn’t say shit. And that silence said everything.

Her heart felt dumb for wanting him to reach out. For waitingon something more than a check-in, more than an appointment. And that’s exactly why she needed distance. Mental and emotional.

Ifitwasn’taboutschedulingadamnsession,shehadnothing to say to him. This was the exact shit she warned herself about. The reason she never mixed personal with professional. She was supposed to be his therapist, not his fantasy.

“Girl, let’s bust open this wine!” Dorian grinned, hopping up to head toward the kitchen.

“I fucked Hassan.”

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