I scoffed lightly. “You still do shit that rubs me the wrong way.”
She side-eyed me but didn’t argue. “And I think I understand him better now. I understand that just because he’s quiet doesn’t mean he’s shut down. His anger doesn’t always come from the present moment. Sometimes it’s the past creeping in.”
I cleared my throat and sat up straighter. “I learned I don’t have to be at war all the time, especially at home.”
Dr. Calloway gave a small smile. “That’s a big one.”
“Yeah, well,” I said, rubbing my thumb against my thigh. “You grow up how I did, feelings get you smoked. Or used. Or both.”
Princess reached for my hand then and gave it a squeeze.
“And I learned,” I said, eyes on the floor, “that I was waiting for her to leave the whole time until recently. Waiting for her to say she couldn’t handle me and just walk away.”
Her breath caught, but she didn’t interrupt.
“I didn’t say shit though. Just kept bracing myself. Still gave her what I could. Still fucked her like I meant it. Protected her like I was supposed to. But emotionally?” I glanced at her. “I was still hiding.”
Dr. Calloway leaned forward slightly. “And now?”
I shrugged. “Now I’m tryna stop hiding. Still don’t like how vulnerability feels and all that. Still don’t fully trust the shit. But I’m learning because she deserves that.” Princess exhaled sharply, and I looked over at her, then back at Dr. Calloway. “She’s seen the darkest shit in me and stayed. I don’t take that lightly.”
“Neither do I,” Princess whispered.
Dr. Calloway gave a small nod, flipping her notebook closed. “What do you want next? Together.”
Princess inhaled, then said, “Peace and stability, not perfection or fairytales. I want honesty, communication, and maybe a little one running around one day.”
I chuckled at that.
“And you, Nyce?” Dr. Calloway asked.
I met her gaze. “I want to keep building with her, and I’m not speaking just about the properties. The soft shit too. I wanna keep the close mornings. The arguments we bounce back from. The kind of love I didn’t think niggas like me deserved.”
The room got real quiet and no one said shit for a moment. Everything just sat there. Then Dr. Calloway smiled. “That sounds like healing.”
Princess leaned into me then, finally letting her head rest against my shoulder. “I got one more thing,” I said, and Dr. Calloway gestured for me to go on. “I know I’m still rough. Still flawed. Still working through some of my demons. But I also know I ain’t the same cold nigga that pulled her into my house and chained her to trauma I didn’t fully understand.”
Princess's eyes got glassy, but she didn’t break her contact.
“I love you,” I said, voice low but sure. “That’s what’s changed.”
There was silence again as Dr. Calloway closed her notebook fully. “Then I think we can call this chapter complete.”
We all stood, shook hands, and Princess reached for her purse while I grabbed her other hand. We stepped out of Dr. Calloway’s office and into the hallway. Then she tugged me back. Right there in the hall, just outside the elevator, Princess stopped me.
“Hold on,” she said softly.
I turned, caught the look in her eyes behind those big ass glasses. Then she stood up on her toes, one hand gripping the collar of my shirt, and pulled me down into her mouth. The kiss was slow, causing my dick to brick up instantly. When she pulled back, her breath was warm on my lips.
“I love you too, babe,” she whispered.
I loved hearing her say that shit. I let my forehead rest against hers for a second. “Tell me again,” I murmured, low.
She smiled. “I love you, Nyles Lamont Richards.”
I stepped back, tongue running across my bottom lip as I glanced down at her. The black leather one-piece she had on under her cropped jacket wasn’t playing fair. It hugged her body so tight, it had no business being legal. I shook my head with a smirk. “Can’t wait to suck on that pussy later.”
She blinked slowly, that breath catching in her throat just like I knew it would. “Nyce…”
