𝑆𝐸𝐶𝑅𝐸𝑇𝑆 𝐵𝐸𝑁𝐸𝐴𝑇𝐻 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑆𝑈𝑅𝐹𝐴𝐶𝐸

Six

Ken's phone buzzed relentlessly on his nightstand, dragging him out of a deep sleep. Groggily, he picked it up, squinting at the screen. It was Aaliyah.

Her soft voice on the other end was a balm against his grogginess. "Ken, can you pick me up? I don't want to stay at home tonight... I need to be with you."

Ken sat up immediately, his heart racing. "The hell you doing calling me at this hour, huh? You know I'm always gonna come get you. Don't move a damn inch—I'll be there in ten."

True to his word, Ken arrived in record time, his car screeching to a halt in front of Aaliyah's house. She climbed into the passenger seat, looking small and vulnerable, wrapped in a thin hoodie. He glanced at her, his jaw tightening. "You good, shorty? Why didn't you call me sooner?"

She nodded softly. "I just... I needed to be here."

Ken didn't push further, driving her back to his house in silence, though his hands gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly.

Once at his place, Aaliyah headed straight for the bathroom. Ken tossed her a clean towel and one of his oversized T-shirts. "Go take a shower. You look like you've been through it."

She murmured a quiet thanks and disappeared into the bathroom.

Ken leaned back against the couch, scrolling aimlessly on his phone, but his moment of peace shattered when he heard a loud, startled scream from the bathroom. He bolted upright, storming toward the sound.

"Cameron! What the hell you doing?"

His brother stood frozen in the hallway, his face red. "I didn't know she was in there!" he stammered before hurrying off.

Ken banged on the bathroom door. "Aaliyah, you good?"

Her muffled voice responded, annoyed but mostly embarrassed. "I'm fine. Just get your brother under control!"

Ken shook his head, muttering curses under his breath as he stomped back to the living room.

After her shower, Aaliyah walked into Ken's room wearing his shirt, her damp hair clinging to her skin. She smiled softly at him before heading to his closet. As she rummaged through for another shirt to wear to bed, something caught her eye: a dusty bouquet made of ribbon flowers and a folded piece of paper.

Curiosity got the better of her. She pulled it out and unfolded the note. Her breath hitched as she read Ken's messy handwriting, spilling out a love letter he had written for her long ago. Her fingers trembled as she turned toward Ken, who was sitting on the bed, scrolling on his phone.

"Ken," she called, her voice quiet but firm. "What's this?"

He looked up, his eyes narrowing. "What you talking about?"

She held up the note. "You kept this? After all this time?"

Ken's jaw clenched, and he leaned back, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, so what? You think I'm out here writing love letters for anyone else? Nah, that was for you. Still is."

Her cheeks flushed as she asked, "Can I take a picture of it? My phone's dead."

Ken tossed her his phone. "Go ahead."

As Aaliyah snapped the picture, a notification popped up on the screen. Intrigued, she swiped it away, only for a memory video to autoplay. The screen filled with an image of Ken and another girl, locked in an intimate embrace. The audio was unmistakable: the girl's voice loud and breathy, while Ken's deep voice murmured words that made Aaliyah's stomach churn.

Aaliyah hadn't felt the pain she was currently feelings since the first time she had caught Ken cheating . And she was going to make sure she was never going to feel that much pain ever again.