Thug Love

Preface

They say love is supposed to lift you up, make you feel seen, safe, complete. But that wasn't my love story—not at first. I learned the hard way that love can be a twisted thing, something that starts with sweet promises and ends with broken pieces scattered across the floor.

For years, I held onto him, thinking I could save what was already destroyed, hoping I could fix someone who had no intention of changing. I told myself that maybe I was the broken one, that maybe I just didn't understand what love was supposed to feel like. So, I learned to live with the bruises—some on my skin, others buried deep where no one could see. I told myself that pain was normal, that it was just how he showed he cared.

But then HE came along.

He made me feel alive, looked at me as if I deserved more than fear and silence. He was dangerous, in a different way—rough around the edges, with secrets in his eyes and scars of his own. But when he looked at me, I saw something I'd never seen before: respect. Safety. Freedom.

Falling for him was inevitable, reckless, forbidden. Yet for the first time, I wanted to be reckless. I wanted to break free, to run toward the unknown, even if it meant risking everything. Because with him, I wasn't just surviving—I was alive.

But love, real love, doesn't come without a price. And I know now that loving him will demand more from me than I ever imagined.