Tangled Roots

Chapter Ten: The Reckoning

Jinae's POV

It had been a few weeks since the conversation with Dave about Mark. Things between us were good-hell, they were great. We had settled into a new routine that felt... right. I was in school, still hustling on my food blog @jinaeeats, and Dave? Well, he was doing what he did best-taking care of business, making moves, being the man he was, but somehow managing to make time for us. For me.

I'd been staying at Dave's place for the most part, going back to my apartment only for a quick change of clothes and to grab the things I needed. It felt natural, like I'd always been meant to be there. Kaiari had grown attached to me, calling me "mom" a few times now, and it still shocked me every time. But I was happy. I loved her. And I was learning how to love the life that was slowly becoming mine.

That night, though, was different. Dave wanted to keep me with him, even though I insisted I needed to go home to pick up some clothes. His reasoning was simple-"No excuses, Jin. You're not going anywhere without me, that's it."

I rolled my eyes. "Dave, I'm just going to grab a few things."

"You're going to come back, right?" he asked, his voice unusually serious. "I'm not letting you leave without me, Jin. I need to know you're coming back."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not going to stay forever, you know. I need some time to myself."

He was already shaking his head. "You're not going anywhere alone. I'm coming with you."

I raised an eyebrow. "So now I need a babysitter?"

"Hell yeah, you do." He was grinning now, but there was a protective edge to it, one that I was starting to get used to.

"I'm a grown woman," I said, but his smirk made it clear he wasn't budging.

"Yeah, but you're my grown woman," he replied, pulling me toward him. "Now let's go get you some clothes and whatever else you need, and I'm coming with you."

I gave up trying to convince him otherwise. "Fine. But I'm getting Starbucks first. You can't stop me."

He rolled his eyes as we both headed out. "I'm not a fan of that shit, but whatever makes you happy."

"Exactly," I said, flashing him a smile. "And you know what they say-happy girlfriend, happy life."

Dave's POV

I could feel the tension in the air as we drove. Not between us, but just in the way she moved-she seemed a little off, like she was still adjusting to all of this. It was natural, but I could tell she was still a little unsure of how deep everything was getting, even though it felt real to me. It was real.

She took her usual place in the passenger seat, sipping her drink with a smile on her face, even though I knew she wasn't telling me everything. I saw the way she tensed up sometimes when I was too affectionate, how she hesitated to completely let me in.

I wanted to get to the bottom of it all, but for now, I was happy just being with her. Even if she had no clue how much she meant to me.

I wasn't big on Starbucks, but for her? I'd do anything. She'd bought me one anyway-an iced coffee and a croissant, so I just went with it, even if it wasn't my thing. I wasn't about to let her know that, though. She was glowing.

On our way to her apartment, we posted a quick snap to Instagram. As usual, the comments started rolling in. Jamal my childhood friend and also partner at the trap, Bully, and a few others were all throwing in jokes about how I was a "lover boy" now. I didn't care. I was happy to be in the picture with her, happy to be seen with her.