Shyann nodded, forcing a smile back. But inside? She was on edge, because Tasha was sitting right there, trusting her, leaning on her for support. And Shyann already knewshewas the knife aimed straight at her back.
The walkfrom the driveway to the front door felt like a mile. Tasha stood on the porch for a second, her hand hovering over the lock. She could hear the TV inside, the muffled sounds of a basketball game. That’s what was waiting on the other side. A life that didn't have room for the word "Cancer."
She took a breath, ran a hand through her hair, and stepped inside.
The house was giving straight bakery vibes, with the scent of vanilla and warm sugar floating through the air. Juelz knew Tasha didn’t like him lighting her candles, but he ignored her every time and did it anyway.
“Tash? That you, stank?”
Juelz was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a glass of water. His dreads were pulled back, and he was wearing that grey sweat suit that Tasha loved. When he saw her, his whole face softened.
“Hey,” she said, her voice steadier than she expected. She dropped her keys in the bowl by the door.
Juelz walked over, closing the distance in three long strides. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the soft, sweet scent coming off her skin.
“How’d it go at your appointment, shorty?” he asked, kissing her on the neck. “You didn’t call me.”
Tasha leaned into him, letting her eyes close. For a second, she just wanted to disappear into his chest.If I don’t say it,it’s not real, she thought.
“It was okay,” she lied, her face pressed against his shoulder. “He said everythin’ looks good. We just got to keep tryin’. The Pap that they did came back normal.” Her fingers moved through his dreads. “He also wanna do a little procedure… to ummm… check the strength of my fallopian tubes.”
She wiped at her eyes, disappointment sagging through her. “I guess we just gotta trust God.”
Juelz tightened his grip around her. Seeing her like that twisted something deep in his chest. “Aye… look at me,” he lifted her chin up to him. “We’ll be aight.”
She tried to turn away, but he held her there until their eyes met. “Don’t be sad that we gotta keep tryin’…” a crooked grin tugged at his lips. “All Doc sayin’ is I get to keep skeeting that pussy up.”
“Yeah, I guess,” she said, forcing a tired grin. “I love you, Jue.”
He pulled back, his eyes locking onto hers. “I love ya, too… more than anythin’.” He leaned down, kissing her forehead.“More than life.” Another kiss to her cheek. “Don’t ever forget that.” He studied her face for a moment, his mind replaying everything Shyann was doing. The games she was running on both of them. “I’d do anythin’ to keep you straight. Anythin’.” Then he kissed her slowly and deeply, with so much emotion, as if he was trying to carve those words somewhere permanent.
They stood there in the kitchen, holding each other like life rafts in a storm. Two people in love, both thinking they were the only ones carrying a secret that could destroy the other. Juelz was protecting her career while Tasha was protecting his heart.
And neither of them realized that the house wasn’t a sanctuary anymore. It was a graveyard of things they weren’t saying. Juelz's phone vibrated.
Shyann was texting. But he rolled his eyes and ignored it, placing it face down on the granite counter.
“Who keep callin’ you, Jue?”
Juelz kissed her neck. “Shit, nobody matters more than this moment. I’ll call em’ back later.”
Tasha leaned her head back, letting his lips trail over her skin, but the vibration of the phone on the counter was starting to sound like a jackhammer.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
It was rhythmic. Demanding. You would’ve thought it was a telemarketer who consistently kept calling. It felt like a tether pulling him away from her, and Tasha felt a cold prickle of intuition crawling up her spine. And you know that shit doesn’t lie.
“You sure?” she asked, looking at him, her body stiffening just a fraction. “’Cause they persistent. Might be important, bae.”
Juelz squeezed her a little tighter, his heart hammering against her, hoping she didn’t reach for the phone. He knew it was Shyann. She was probably calling to meet up again. Becauseright now? She was the only one who really held the remote to his life.
“Everythin’ handled, Tash,” Juelz lied, his voice a low, gravelly vibration against her neck. “I paid the connect back, so we straight.” He rubbed her shoulders. “Don’t worry ‘bout that phone. Fuck them.”
He reached out with one hand to put the phone in his pocket without looking at the screen, and gave Tasha a smile.
Tasha wanted to believe him. She wanted to drown in the fresh scent of his skin and the safety of his arms. But as she stood there, she couldn't stop thinking about the war in her body. She was so busy worrying about the secret she was keeping that she didn't realize Juelz was standing in the middle of a fire, trying to keep the flames from touching her.
“I’ma go lay down for a bit,” Tasha said, pulling away gently. The reality of the news was finally settling in her bones, making her limbs feel like lead. “That visit drained me.”
