Page 158 of I See You

“Kristi,” he added quietly, eyes glued to the road. “Her name was Kristi.”

Sevyn smiled to herself, her curiosity blooming again. Another layer peeled back. Her heart warmed at the fact he even said that out loud.

“Can you tell me more about her?” she asked gently.

He glanced at her, then back to the road. “You asking as my therapist... or my friend?”

Itwasthevulnerabilityinhisvoicethatcaughtheroffguard. Hewasn’tputtingonamask,orposturing.Thiswashim,rawand unfiltered.

“A... friend,” she said truthfully.

“Oh, so we friends again? What happened to ‘this is strictly therapist and client’?” Hassan mocked, mimicking her voice with a cocky smirk.

Sevyn rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. “I’m still not fucking with you,” she said coolly, but the softness in her voice betrayed her. “But I still want to hear about your mother.”

Hassan let out a low chuckle, not the arrogant kind—this one carried weight.

“Nah,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I don’t talk about my mother to anybody, Sev. So I need to know this ain’t just another session where you tryna fix me.”

She mugged him, but her voice stayed soft. “I was never trying to fix you, Hassan. I was—well, I am—just trying to get you to see the man I see.”

His grip tightened on the wheel. “And who’s that?”

“Stopshiftingthetopic,”shesmiled.“TellmeaboutMs.Kristi. And how I remind you of her.”

Hassan chuckled, low and distant. But Sevyn could already feel the weight building in his chest before he even spoke.

“She was loving... smart as hell, and the goofiest person I knew,” Hassan said, his voice low, distant, but steady. “She could cuss me out and make me laugh in the same breath.”

Sevyn smiled softly, the love in his tone evident. It radiated through every word.

“She never once judged me. Even when I was bad as hell, she still looked at me like I was an angel. Her little angel.”

He let out a small, sad chuckle, one that felt more like a breath caught between memory and pain.

“My pops was always hard on me—even though I was only a baby. But her? She was soft. Nurturing. Caring.” His jaw tightened. “She didn’t deserve to go out the way she did. Cutthroat. Ruthless.”

Sevyn reached across the console, wrapping her hand around his. He looked down at their fingers intertwined and let out a low laugh, not from humor, but remembrance.

“See… she used to do the same shit. If I was crying, sad, or mad— no matter how many times my pops told me to ‘suck that shit up,’ she’d cuss his ass out and let me feel. Let me sit in my pain.” He paused, his voice roughening. “I became emotionless the day I saw her take her last breath.”

The car came to a red light. Hassan’s eyes drifted to her. She was already looking at him, their hands still locked tight.

“Thewayshemademefeel—safe,peaceful,loved—that’swhat you make me feel,” he said, almost like it pained him to admit it. “And that shit scares the fuck outta me.”

Sevyn’s breath hitched, but she didn’t let go.

“I never expressed this much to anyone. Ever. When I’m upsetor overwhelmed, I don’t need a drink. I don’t need a gun. I need you. Your presence, your voice, your touch. Just like I needed my mama’s when I was little.”

The light turned green. Horns blared from behind them, but Hassan didn’t move. He didn’t give a fuck.

“Seeing you hurt by Braxton and that bitch? That shit felt like watching my mama bleed out all over again. And the way I made you feel for leaving that night?” His jaw clenched. “It felt like I pulled the fucking trigger. And I don’t ever wanna feel that again. I felt like I was losing you.”

Sevyn’s throat tightened, her eyes already glistening.

“So Sevyn, seriously…” he exhaled. “I know I’m trash at expressing myself. But I apologize for that night. Deeply. You worth more to me than you even know. And I know I can be cold. I can do wild, fucked up shit... but I hope you see through that. See me.”

A single tear slipped from her eye, and she wiped it away quickly. His words—raw, jagged, vulnerable—wrapped around her heart and squeezed.

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