𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 x Shorts & One shots

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞? Pt. 2

The sun came up and Anthony hadn't slept a peep. He sat in the middle of the chaotic mess he'd made, resting his head against the mattress. In his head, he replayed every word he'd exchanged with Jazmine. He was disgusted with himself.

He had a right to feel a way. All he'd done was love and support her; he felt like he was paying for what her ex did to her. That wasn't fair.

Still, the adult in him knew that wasn't how he should've handled it. He was totally out of line.

Now it had been nine hours and Jazmine still wasn't home.

He was so exhausted he thought it was a hallucination when he saw Jasmine standing in the doorway. They locked eyes, then she folded her arms averting her gaze.

"They were old..."

She'd spent the night in a hotel. She had called Diamond crying her eyes out the night before, but in true Di nature, she got to the bottom of it. Anthony was telling the truth. He always did.

"I told you that," he said softly looking over her, then down at the floor.

She looked over the room. It was in shambles. She could only imagine the scene that had led to this. Walking to him, she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry..."

"Yeah," he said shortly, pinching his lips to a straight line. She was always sorry. He let out a long sigh, then let his head drop forward. "Sorry for what I said too, that was out of line."

"It wasn't..." she admitted. Even though what he said hurt her feelings, he wasn't wrong. Time after time she rose hell about rumors with no footing. Anthony had never given her a reason not to trust him. She'd just been so afraid of playing the fool again, that she got trigger-happy every time. "You know I'm trying."

Ant ran his hand over the back of his head. Trying wasn't enough anymore. "I love you so much... so much that I thought I would do anything for you, anything to make it work. But this, I can't keep doing this. I can't keep being all in when you got one foot out the door."

"Anthony it's hard. I don't want to get hurt."

"I don't want to get hurt either," he responded, finally looking at her. "Every headline, every argument, I feel like I'm gonna lose you. I'm scared one day you gone walk out that door and never come back over something I've never done to you—- and I can't do shit about it but let you walk away."

Biting into her bottom lip, she closed her eyes.

His voice cracked as he continued. "That would fucking break me Jazzy."

She looked down at him letting out a guilty breath. Wrapping her arms around him, she slid onto the floor. He reluctantly reached up, rubbing her arms.

"I don't want us to keep saying shit we regret, I don't want you to keep pushing me away, and I don't want to spend another night wondering if you gone come back. If we go on like this, baby I don't think we gone make it," He breathed out painfully. "Maybe we should quit while we ahead."

"Don't say that," she whispered squeezing tears from her eyes.

"I don't know what else to do."

"Please, just be patient. Please. I promise I'm trying."

"You need to heal Jaz, and I don't think I'm helping you. I think I'm just hurting both of us." He leaned his head against hers, wrapping his arms around her body.

"Stop trying to break up with me," she forced out gasping for air. Grabbing him by the face, her eyebrows furrowed. "Anthony I'm in love with you. I have never felt this way in my life and it's overwhelming and confusing and it scares the fuck out of me."