Karma II.

Chapter 6

Houston, Texas: 

"They're asleep," Chris said as he climbed into Journee's bed. They'd left the party early, too wrapped up in each other to stay any longer. She rested her head on his chest as his arm wrapped around her, pulling her close. After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice low. "I was so lost when you left me."

"I didn't even think you cared about me the way I cared about you," she murmured.

"I did," he replied, pausing. "I just didn't know if I could trust you. My gut kept warning me, and I wanted to believe you, so I forced myself to trust you, but it made me act distant. Why didn't you just tell me?"

"You kept saying you'd kill me."

"I'd never hurt you." He sighed. "I want to be mad at you sometimes, but... for some reason, I can't. I don't know how to explain it—it's like I tried so hard to hate you, but I just couldn't. I love you too much. I moved here because of a conversation we had; you said you were from here. I was just hoping at least that small detail was true about you."

"It was the only thing that was a lie was my name." She admitted, "I wanted to tell you so bad, but my job is what feeds me and now Crys so I had to suck it up and let you go." 

As Chris held her, he could feel the tension in her body, a mix of regret and longing. He brushed his fingers through her hair, his touch gentle, as if he could erase the distance they had felt for so long. "You didn't have to go through all of that alone. I wish you would have trusted me enough to share your truth."

Journee looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I was scared, Chris. Scared that if you knew the real me, you wouldn't want me anymore. That I'd lose you."

"You didn't lose me," he reassured her, his voice steady. 

"So what now?"

"I don't know, we just go with the flow." 

"Come with me," she said, tossing the blanket off and getting out of bed. Chris got up, following her as she grabbed his hand and led him down the hall. She opened the door to her office, and they walked in together. "Sit down, baby," she instructed, gesturing to the chair behind her desk. He took a seat as she opened the top drawer of her filing cabinet.

She pulled out a photo album labeled Special Moments for Daddy, and he couldn't help but smile. Then, she retrieved a secured laptop, carefully placing it in front of him. "This has all of Crys's milestones," she said softly, showing him folders filled with memories—her first word, her first steps, and even the moment she was born. He patted his lap, and she walked around the desk, settling across his legs. He flipped open the photo album, and a smile spread across his face the moment he saw the first picture.

The first picture was of Journee holding a tiny newborn Crys, her face glowing with both exhaustion and joy. Chris ran his fingers over the image, absorbing every detail—the way Journee cradled their daughter so delicately, her eyes soft with that pure, fierce love only a mother could have.