𝔘𝔫𝔰𝔠𝔯𝔦𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔡. || 𝔗𝔯𝔦𝔭𝔭𝔦𝔢 ℜ𝔢𝔡𝔡

ℜ𝔲𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔰 𝔞𝔫𝔡 ℜ𝔢𝔞𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔰

Rumors and Realities

"Taking that shit from the heart, now look at the fuck where we at."

The morning light was barely creeping through the curtains when I felt the buzz of my phone. Groggy, I reached for it, hoping it wasn't anything serious, but the second I saw those notifications, my heart dropped. It wasn't just a few messages—it was an explosion. Gossip sites, tags, DMs... I didn't even have to open them to know what it was. The headlines were all over my feed: "Trippie Redd Spotted With Ex? Jade Von Monroe's Reaction Unknown!"

What the hell?

I glanced over at Michael, still knocked out beside me, his arm draped across my waist, that peaceful look on his face like the world wasn't blowing up around us. I wanted to keep that peace, but the headlines? They felt like a punch. Seeing that mess after the night we'd just had? It stung more than I expected.

I clicked into one of the articles, my stomach tightening with every line. It was the same old garbage—some recycled story from months ago with his ex, but the way it was written? They made it sound like it was brand new. The comments were already going off, fans and trolls alike throwing their opinions around like they knew us. It was infuriating.

"Aye, you good, lil baby?" Michael's voice was raspy, pulling me out of my spiral. He shifted, noticing the tension in my shoulders.

I tried to keep it cool, but my eyes were still glued to the screen, and I couldn't hide the frustration. I handed him my phone without a word, letting him see it for himself.

He frowned, taking the phone and scrolling through the mess, his jaw tightening. "This is old as hell," he muttered, voice rough with irritation. "They just tryna start shit, like they always do."

"Yeah, well, it's working," I snapped, getting out of bed and pacing the room. "You realize what this looks like? People are already talking. It's like I'm the last to know what's going on with my own man."

He set the phone down, getting up to follow me. "Jade, it's all noise. It don't mean nothin'. You know that."

I turned to face him, hands on my hips. "Do I? Because it sure feels like it's startin' to mean something when it's the first thing I see in the mornin'."

He rubbed his hand over his face, clearly frustrated. "You think I'm out here on that shit? Like I ain't already told you what it is? In front of 50,000 people at that?"

"I don't know, Michael," I replied, my voice sharper than I wanted. "I'm tired of waking up to this mess. I'm tired of always being the one that looks stupid while you—" I cut myself off, not sure what I was even trying to say.

His expression hardened, and he moved closer. "Nah, I told you. That's old news. She's not a part of my life anymore. You are. So why are you lettin' this bullshit come between us?"

I felt the heat rise in my chest, and my voice got louder. "Because it doesn't feel over! Every time I think we're solid, something else comes up, and I'm right back here, doubtin' everything."

Michael's jaw clenched, and I could see the frustration in his eyes. "You think I'm playin' with you? After all this? After what all I shared with you, J?"

I looked away, not wanting to admit how much it was bothering me. "It's not just about you. It's about the fact that no matter what we do, your past keeps showing up. And I don't know how to keep dealing with that."

He leaned back, taking a deep breath. "You know me, Jade. You know what this is. So stop actin' like I haven't been straight up with you since day one."

I met his eyes, the tension crackling between us. "I know, but I didn't sign up for this circus, Michael. I didn't ask to be a headline every other week."

He let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing a hand over his locs. "You think I like this? You think I wanna wake up to rumors every day? But I'm still here. With you. So why do I feel like you're waiting for me to fuck up?"

It was like he'd thrown cold water on me. "I'm not waiting for anything. I'm just tired of fighting this constant battle, and it's like you don't fuckin' get it."

He shook his head, sitting up fully. "Nah, I get it. You're mad, you're frustrated. But I made it public because I'm with you, not her. You act like I didn't put it all out there for you."

I could feel my resolve crumbling. "Yeah, but public or not, I still feel like I'm fighting ghosts. And I can't keep pretending that shit don't bother me."

Michael's face softened, the anger fading into something more vulnerable. "Look, baby, I know this ain't easy. But you gotta believe in what we got. All that other shit is just that—shit. None of it matters if you know what's real."

I took a shaky breath, the weight of his words sinking in. "I know. But it's hard to shake the feeling that one day, it's all gonna come crashing down."

He pulled me closer, his hands finding my waist. "You're enough. I'm not goin' nowhere. But if you can't see that, then we gotta figure this out, right here, right now."

I searched his eyes, looking for something to ground me, to reassure me that this wasn't just some fleeting thing. And in that moment, I saw it—he was all in, just like he said. He'd been proving it all along, but I was letting my own insecurities get in the way.

"We good?" he asked again, softer this time, almost like he was giving me an out.

I took a deep breath, my hand resting on his chest, feeling his heartbeat steady under my palm. "Yeah, we're good."

He nodded, wrapping me in his arms, and I let myself sink into him, letting the frustration melt away. For now, this was enough.

_____________________________

What would you do?

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