𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐍 | 𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 | 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐕𝐎𝐍

𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍

Brianna sat curled up on the couch in her mother's living room, her knees drawn to her chest as her tear-streaked face rested against them.

Her eyes were swollen and red as she stared blankly at the muted television. She sniffled softly, brushing away fresh tears before they could fall, but the lump in her throat refused to dissolve.

Four years. Today marked four years since she and Dayvon had become an actual couple and not just sneaking around people's backs, a milestone she had been looking forward to for weeks.

But the day hadn't gone the way she'd imagined. Normally, Dayvon found a way to call her, even if it was only for a few minutes. Today, her phone had been silent. No calls. No texts. Nothing.

"She been crying all damn day.," her cousin Marcus said, sitting across from her. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You know if bro could see you he'd tell you stop that shit."

Brianna lifted her head, her voice cracking as she spoke. "But he knows what today is, Marcus. He always makes time for me, no matter what. The day damn near over and I ain't heard shit.."

Her mother, Simone, who was sitting beside her, wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Girl, stop it. You know that boy loves you more than anything. He probably didn't forget. Maybe something came up. You gotta stop thinking the worst."

Brianna shook her head, a fresh wave of tears threatening to spill. "It just hurts so bad, mom. I've been holding him down all this time, and the one day that's this important...he couldn't even call?"

"I'm just gonna call up and make sure he's okay. Because this doesn't make any sense."

Simone exchanged a glance with Marcus, her lips pressing into a thin line. Marcus sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Dont do that. I'll call up there for you cause if something happened, you'll cuss them people out and get banned .. again."

Her friend, Kemani, chimed in from the corner. "Marcus is right. You overthinking, Bri. I mean, when has Von ever let you down?"

Brianna didn't answer. Instead, she let her head drop back to her knees, her chest tightening with frustration and sorrow. She loved Dayvon deeply, but some days, the distance – the absence – felt unbearable.

The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the occasional sniffle from Brianna. Marcus glanced at his phone discreetly, checking for any updates.

Dayvon had been adamant about keeping everything a secret, but Marcus was starting to feel guilty watching his cousin spiral.

"Look let him handle that and we can go for a outside. You need some fresh air anyway." suggested suddenly, standing up. "Maybe a walk around the block or something? You've been cooped up in here all day."