Journey of the heart(3)

Chapter 50: Confrontation

Mya stood frozen in the middle of the living room, her heart pounding in her chest. She could barely make out the words being exchanged between Jaylen and Rashad through the closed door, but she could feel the tension in the air. It was thick, suffocating. Every instinct inside her was screaming to open the door, to intervene, but she knew this was Jaylen's battle to fight.

Still, she couldn't ignore the fear creeping into her heart. She had never seen Jaylen so wound up, so on edge. And the fact that Rashad had shown up at their home—that crossed a line. Whatever this was, it was getting too close to their family.

Minutes ticked by as Mya strained to hear more. The conversation outside grew louder, more heated, and she finally couldn't take it anymore. She walked toward the door, her hand hesitating on the knob before she pulled it open just a crack.

Jaylen was standing face-to-face with Rashad, his body tense, his hands clenched at his sides. Rashad's face was twisted with frustration, his voice low but menacing. Mya couldn't catch everything he was saying, but she heard enough.

"...you think you can just walk away, Jay? Nah, man, it don't work like that. You in this too deep, and you ain't leavin' without payin' what you owe."

Jaylen's voice was steady, but Mya could hear the anger simmering underneath. "I told you, Rashad. I'm out. I ain't got nothin' left for this game. You and your people want money? Fine. I'll pay what I owe, but I'm done after that."

Rashad sneered, shaking his head. "It ain't that easy. You think just 'cause you got a little family now, you can up and disappear? Nah, Jay. You knew what this was when you got in it."

Mya felt her blood run cold. This wasn't just about business anymore—it was personal. Rashad wasn't going to let Jaylen walk away without a fight, and Mya could sense that things were about to get a lot worse if Jaylen didn't find a way out.

She couldn't stay hidden any longer. Stepping outside, Mya squared her shoulders, trying to mask the fear building inside her. "What's going on here?"

Both men turned to look at her, Jaylen's eyes flashing with a mix of surprise and concern. Rashad's gaze shifted to Mya, his expression unreadable, but something in his eyes made her stomach twist.

"This between me and Jay," Rashad said coldly. "Ain't got nothin' to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me," Mya said firmly, stepping closer to Jaylen. "Whatever mess this is, you've already brought it to my doorstep. So, yeah, it's my business now."

Jaylen's jaw tightened, his hand reaching for Mya's arm. "Mya, go back inside. I'll handle this."

But Mya shook her head, refusing to back down. "No. I'm not letting this touch us anymore. We've given too much, Jay. You've given too much. It's time to end this."

Rashad chuckled darkly, crossing his arms. "You think it's that simple, girl? Jay can't just walk away. We all got debts to pay, and his just came due."

Mya glared at Rashad, her fear slowly giving way to anger. "He's not paying anything to you anymore. You want money? Fine. But this ends tonight. You're not dragging him back into your mess."

Jaylen stepped in front of Mya, his voice firm. "You heard her. We'll settle this the right way, but you ain't comin' back here again. You stay away from my family, Rashad."

For a moment, Rashad just stared at them, his eyes flicking between Mya and Jaylen. Then, with a slow, dangerous smile, he stepped back. "We'll see about that. But trust me, Jay—you ain't out yet. Not by a long shot."

Without another word, Rashad turned and walked away, disappearing into the night.

Jaylen let out a slow breath, the tension in his body finally releasing. Mya stood beside him, her heart still racing from the confrontation. The reality of what just happened was sinking in, and for the first time, she realized just how close they had come to losing everything.

Jaylen turned to her, his eyes full of regret. "Mya, I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to be part of this. I've been tryin' to protect you and Zaria, but it's gettin' out of control."

Mya shook her head, stepping closer to him. "Jay, we're in this together. I don't care how deep this mess is, but we're not letting it tear us apart. We'll get through it."

Jaylen's shoulders sagged as he pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. "I know. I just—this wasn't supposed to happen. I thought I had it handled."

Mya rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. "We'll handle it. Together. But no more secrets. We need to face this head-on."

Jaylen nodded, his voice soft. "No more secrets. I promise."

Later that night, after they had finally put Zaria to bed and the apartment had quieted down, Mya found herself sitting on the edge of the bed, her mind still spinning from the night's events. Jaylen was pacing the room, clearly still unsettled.

"We need to get ahead of this," Mya said, breaking the silence.

Jaylen stopped and looked at her. "I know. I've been thinking about it. Andre's working on something, but we might need to step things up. Rashad's getting too close, and I don't trust him not to make things worse."

Mya nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. "Maybe it's time we bring in someone else. Someone who can put real pressure on Rashad and his people. If they won't back off, we need to make them."

Jaylen frowned. "You mean... take it to the streets?"

Mya bit her lip, knowing what she was suggesting wasn't exactly the safest option. "I don't know, but if this doesn't end soon, I'm scared of what they'll do next. We can't keep living like this, Jay. Not with Zaria here."

Jaylen sat down beside her, his hand resting on hers. "I don't want that life, Mya. I left that behind for a reason. But you're right. We gotta end this one way or another. I'll talk to Andre tomorrow and see what else we can do."

Mya leaned into him, feeling the weight of the night pressing down on her. "We'll figure it out," she whispered. "We always do."

Jaylen kissed her temple, his voice low. "Yeah, we will. But it's gonna take everything we've got."

As they sat there, the city lights casting a faint glow through the window, Mya knew they were facing a storm that wouldn't pass easily. But she also knew that no matter how hard it got, they would face it together. Because they had to. For their family. For Zaria. For the life they had built.