Thad pulledup in his black Audi twenty minutes later.
I slid into the passenger seat, and before I could even close the door, he leaned over and kissed me. Slow and deep, his hand cupping the back of my neck, his tongue sliding against mine until I was breathless.
“Damn,” I whispered when he finally pulled back. “Hello to you too.”
“I missed you.” His eyes roamed over me. I had on a body-con cream sweater dress that hugged my curves perfectly. “You look good.”
“You always say that.”
“Because it’s always true.”
He pulled off, one hand on the wheel, the other finding its way to my thigh. I let it rest there, warm and heavy, as we drove through the city toward his apartment.
We hadn’t been going on actual dates lately. The dinners, the club nights, the romantic gestures—all of that had faded into something simpler. More domestic. These days, we just went to his place, ordered food, watched movies, and ended up in his bed.
I should probably be bothered by that. Should probably demand more effort, more romance, more proof that this was going somewhere.
But honestly? I didn’t care. Being with him felt easy. Natural. Like we’d skipped past all the awkward getting-to-know-you stages and landed somewhere comfortable.
When we got to his apartment, he ordered Thai food and we ate on his couch, my legs draped over his lap while some action movie played in the background. I wasn’t really watching. Just enjoying the feeling of his hand absently stroking my calf, the warmth of his body next to mine.
“You’re quiet tonight,” he said eventually. “What’s on your mind?”
“You ever lose somebody close to you?” I asked softly. I had been thinking about Zainab and Zahara a lot the last few days, especially with Zainab’s arrest.
He was quiet for a moment. “Yeah. My homeboy got killed a few years back. Still think about him.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It is what it is.” He shrugged, but I could see the weight behind his eyes. “What about you?”
I took a deep breath. Let it out slowly.
“My older sister,” I said. “Zahara. She was Zainab’s twin.”
His hand stilled on my leg. “Was?”
“She died. Almost two years ago now.” I stared at the blank TV screen, unable to look at him while I said this. “She was murdered.”
“Damn.” His voice was soft. Sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Mehar. That’s heavy.”
“She and Zainab were identical. Did everything together growing up. I was one of the young ones, always trying to keep up with them. We have a lot siblings. I’m not close to any of them anymore now that I’ve cut contact with my father.” I smiled sadly at the memory. “But they used to finish each other’s sentences, have whole conversations without saying a word. Twin stuff. I was jealous of it sometimes, but mostly I just loved watching them together.”
“Y’all were close. All three of you.”
“As close as we could be growing up in that hellhole.” I felt the familiar sting of tears and blinked them back. “And then one day she was just… gone. Some random act of violence, they said. Wrong place, wrong time.”
“That’s fucked up,” he said quietly.
“That’s what Zainab was arrested for, her murder. But she ain’t do it.”
“Damn. I’m sorry to hear that. Quest’s girl will work it out though.”
“I hope so.” I finally turned to look at him, and his face was so open, so concerned, that something in my chest cracked. “I think about her all the time. Wonder if she was scared. If she suffered. Zainab… she’s never been the same since. Losing your twin is like losing half of yourself.”
He pulled me closer, tucking me against his chest, his arms wrapped around me tight. “C’mere.”
I let him hold me. Let myself sink into the comfort of his embrace, the steady beat of his heart against my ear. For a moment, I could almost forget all the pain, all the loss, all the unanswered questions.
