“You’re a hoe for that!” Cheyla shouted at Bobby.
His smug expression and shrug of his shoulders had Orielle sick to her stomach. Had Bobby not popped up, none of this drama would’ve occurred.
“Najee, I’m—!” she started to yell after, him but was cut off.
He looked over his shoulder, giving her a half-smile. “It’s all good, Pretty. Don’t apologize for me doing what your ex shoulda’ never made necessary.”
His words didn’t comfort her. She was extremely sorry, and the trajectory of Najee’s life was about to change because of her. That wounded heart of hers she’d been working hard on mending was shattered all over again.
1
“I WOULDN’T BE DOING THIS IF YOU HADN’T SUGGESTED IT.”
One Year & Months Later
Her loft was always the quietest at this time of morning.
Too quiet, just like Orielle preferred it.
The digital clock on her nightstand read 4:36 am.
Most of the city still slept beyond the wide windows, while streetlights flickered in orange hues, casting long shadows on her hardwood floors. She liked this version of the world. Before the chaos, before texts and to-do lists flooded her phone. It was just her, her thoughts, and the stillness.
Orielle sat crisscross on her tan futon, with a journal in her lap. She’d scribbled words that only made sense in her brain but came out as a jumbled mess on the pages. That was the beauty of storytelling. It didn’t all have to make sense right then, but it would. Somewhere in the scattered lyrics, there was clarity.
Her pen tapped against the paper in a slow rhythm, matching the faint hum of her diffuser releasing lavender mist into the air. A half cup of green tea with the lightest squeeze of honey sat untouched on the marble side table. Orielle pulled the fleece throw tighter around her shoulders and exhaled through her nose. Something was off, but she couldn’t place her finger on it.
Grabbing her phone, Orielle unlocked it and navigated to her calendar. She racked her brain thinking of the significance of the date. Then, it hit her. Today had everything to do with why she woke up twenty-three minutes before her alarm went off, why her chest was tight, and why everything felt so strange.
One year ago today, her world had been flipped upside down.
She hated anniversaries.
They were reminders of what could’ve been done differently.
Orielle never forgot the sound of Najee’s voice. Even now, a full year later, she could still hear it. The way it commanded everything in its presence, letting it be known he wasn’t to be fucked with. Thatshewasn’t to be fucked with.
“Aye, cuz. You heard what she said. Let her go.”
Orielle shuddered, reminiscing. That was all Najee had to say before everything went left.
The moment etched itself into her brain. The echo of it lived in her ribcage. She replayed it over and over in her mind so many times that she didn’t even need to close her eyes to relive it. It was there like a scar that refused to fade, no matter the amount of faded cream she applied.
Najee didn’t hesitate to step in that night, and for that, she was beyond grateful. It wasn’t revealed until the following morning how Bobby knew she’d be at Cheyla’s place. He’d stopped by Orielle’s loft first and didn’t see her car, then watched Cheyla’s story. The girls had all pre-gamed there, so he knew where she’d be by the end of the night.
She remembered the scent of Hennessy clinging to Bobby’s breath. The way her heart had pounded, not out of love, but anger and fear. She hadn’t been scared of him before, but that night changed everything.
Especially for Najee.
He didn’t ask questions or wait to figure out who was in the wrong. Orielle wished he would’ve. Maybe things would’ve played out differently.
After the night Najee was arrested, Orielle shut down. Not for long, but emotionally, she detached from everything and everyone. Disappearing felt like the best option. She needed time to figure out her life because in her mind, she was the problem. While she wanted to be there for Najee, she ended up ghosting him.
Not intentionally, but Orielle had to keep it real with herself. He was behind bars because of her. One minute, she promised herself she’d be there, and the next, weeks turned to months without any effort to check on him directly. The weight of what he’d sacrificed for her became too much to hold. Plus, Najee had a woman. Orielle didn’t want to stir up any more mess than she already had.
But this morning, her mind was in a different place. A better space. With so many distractions removed from her life, she had more time to focus on the music. Her recently released EP, channeling her hurt, frustration, and optimism to new love, tripled her fanbase and listening hours. It was one thing to let the pain consume her, but Orielle flipped the script and progressed off it.
Now knowing why she was triggered, Orielle’s words began to flow like lava. They burned the pages of her notebook with revenge and a yearning to release it all. Her hand didn’t stop until the sun appeared two hours later. Yawning, she flipped through the pages of lyrics and smiled, genuinely.
