“How many nieces and nephews do you have? Siblings?”
“One.” His voice dropped. “Monroe, the one you heard. She’s my heart. My brother Robin blessed us with a ball of sunshine, that’s my dawg.”
He’d left some shit out on purpose, Kennedi was flighty, and there was no need to burden her with a sob story.
“And you?” he asked, tilting his head. “You close with your people?”
Kennedi hesitated, then shrugged. “Close enough. I’ve been away from home for so long chasing my career that sometimes I feel more like a visitor than a family member. I’m also an only child.”
He studied her in silence, and it made her nervous. He was peeling her back layer by layer without her permission.
“See? That’s all I need to know right now,” he said, voice steady, final.
She sat back, robe pulled tighter across her body, as if fabric could shield her from the truth of his words. “You make everything sound so damn easy,” she whispered.
“I’ll let you go home,” he said, finally waving a white flag. “But you already know I’m not easy to dismiss.”
When he finally let her go, she rose with him. For a second, she just stood there, taking him in. He shook his head with a low scoff, more to himself than her. Rolani had never wanted anybody to go back on their word the way he wanted her to break hers.
She trailed him to the door, heart thudding hard against her ribs. He didn’t push for a kiss, didn’t corner her. He just looked at her one last time.
“Get some rest, baby.”
She nodded. “I’ll see you around.”
“Nah,” he corrected, leaning in close enough for her to catch the alluring cologne he wore. “Nice try. I’ll be seeing you soon, real fuckin’ soon.”
Chapter Seven
It had beena month since LA. A month since she opened the door and let Rolani Pracher in, and every day since has been spent trying to close it. She'd done a good job. Ignored his calls. Left his texts on read. Buried herself in work. Because if she stayed busy enough, she wouldn't have to think about him whispering her name against her neck. Or the way he looked at her when he left her room.
Then Spirit called.
“I got an opportunity for you,” Spirit said. “You know DaVinci Bryns?”
“The NBA superstar?”
“Yes, him. His wife, Halo, reached out to me about his documentary. Of course, she saw the work you did for the guys. Or are you still on break?”
“Spirit,what the hell? Tell me what you need to tell me.”
“Well, they’re looking for a producer for a special they’re filming in Colorado. Beyond the Game. Halo thinks you would be perfect for it,and I dotoo. It’s right up your alley, Ken. I already told her about TKL, and it’s fine, this is just a freelance job.”
Kennedi sat with it for a moment.
“When do they need someone?”
“Next week.”
“Next week?”
“I know it’s fast, but this is big. Network money, creative freedom, and Halo is good people. Just talk to her.”
Kennedi talked to her. And three days later, she had the job and a ticket back to Silverrun, Colorado.
Until today, she hadn’t told anyone except her parents and Shadow. She was still convincing herself that the decision was about career growth and not self-preservation. Colorado was an opportunity. The fact that it happened to be two thousand miles from Rolani Pracher’s cologne, his phone calls, and that damn thumb dragging across his bottom lip was coincidental. She was a professional making a professional decision.
She was also a liar. But she’d deal with that later; for the night, she was just a girl about to actbadwith her friends.
