After getting caught up in a career-ending scandal, Heather Fox, an established R&B artist, takes drastic measures to save her reputation. As a result, she finds herself shoved into a fraudulent relationship with the infamous Devanté Swing, which wo...
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COMPTON, CA LATE 80'S
Everybody loved Heather Fox.
Ebony knew this as early as kindergarten as she watched her best friend get tugged every which way by both the boys and girls on the playground, but it wasn’t until her sophomore year of high school that she had the fact hammered into her being.
Sitting in the passenger seat of her long-term crush’s car, she could feel her heart thrashing against her ribcage– surely attempting to free itself from her chest and make her feelings known.
They were cruising down Rosecrans Avenue, the sensual sound of Ready for the World’s Love You Down played on the radio, only adding to Ebony’s nerves. Lorenzo had one hand on the wheel, and the other stretched across the console clasped in hers.
The girl gently ran her thumb across his knuckles and watched in awe as he clung to her tighter in response. “I gotta be honest with you,” she spoke suddenly, ruining the comfortable silence that had settled between them.
Lorenzo glanced over and raised a brow at her before turning his eyes back to the road. “Aight, baby, kick it to me.”
Ebony nearly shivered at the pet name but kept her composure. It’s now or never, she thought. From the moment she entered his car, she had the suspicion that tonight would be the turning point in their relationship. She could only pray he felt the same.
“I– Well, I’ve been–” she tried but came up short, “I mean, I’ve had–”
He slowed to a stop as they approached a red light and angled his body towards hers. “You good?”
Ebony nodded rapidly. Words were currently failing her. She’d never had a boyfriend before– hell, she’d never even had feelings for a man prior to Ren, so voicing it proved to be a challenge. One she wasn’t sure she could overcome.
Without thinking of the consequences, Ebony decided on showing him instead as she leaned forward in her seat and pressed a featherlight kiss to his lips. He instantly tensed up and remained still, and once she realized he wasn’t responding to her advances, she abruptly pulled back as though she’d been burned and removed her hand from his. Lorenzo cleared his throat awkwardly and lifted his foot off the brakes once the light turned green, avoiding her gaze at all costs.
The silence that followed was loud and unbearable. If he weren't going over 50 miles per hour, Ebony was certain that she'd unbuckle her seatbelt and stop, drop, and roll out of the situation.
