This is the sequel to Heart Ain't a Brain. If you haven't, read that first!
They say don't fall in love, it's a mistake.
The trajectory of one's life can change in the blink of an eye. So what happens when a series of tragic events changes the cour...
This is a long one so get you some snacks stink. 🍿
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Who the fuck do you think I is? You ain't married to no average bitch, boy You can watch my fat ass twist, boy As I bounce to the next dick, boy
And keep your money, I got my own Keep a bigger smile on my face being alone Bad motherfucker, God complex Motivate your ass, call me Malcolm X
It was a rare, bitterly cold day in Atlanta. The temperature had plunged into the mid-20s—an unusual shift for a city that had coasted through winter on nothing more than brisk breezes and light jackets. Now, thunder cracked across the sky, and sheets of rain lashed against the tin roofing of the warehouse, amplifying every drop until it sounded like the building itself was shaking under the weight of the storm.
Inside, the air was dense with stillness.
Dominic sat at his desk, hunched forward, aimlessly scrolling through a few emails from his restaurant staff. They were routine updates—shift changes, low stock alerts, a reservation issue or two—but his mind barely processed them.
Across the room, Chris lay sprawled out on the black leather couch, his phone slipping in and out of his hand as he mindlessly scrolled. He wasn't even looking anymore. The feed blurred past his eyes—videos, memes, ads, bullshit he couldn't feel. Not when the silence was louder than everything else. No texts. No missed calls. Just a blank, aching space where Mari used to be.
And he knew he had no one to blame but himself.
The night at the club haunted him like a bad dream he couldn't wake up from. He could still smell the liquor in the air, hear the music pounding through his skull as he let his ex slide onto his lap like he didn't have a fucking wife at home. Worse—he didn't just let it happen. He grabbed her. Hands full of her ass, his mind too cloudy to care, too stupid to think. Then she went live on his Instagram account—broadcasting his betrayal for everyone to see. For Mari to see. For half the city of Boston to see. He didn't just break her heart. He humiliated her. Publicly. Carelessly. To the point where even he knew there might be no fixing it.
He hadn't expected forgiveness. He probably didn't deserve it. But he couldn't help wanting it anyway.
Atlanta wasn't even supposed to be on his radar. But a few days ago, everything changed.
Kasim, running his mouth like he always did, let it slip to Dominic that Amarie was flying in to spend Valentine's Day with Raelle. Dominic didn't even blink before passing that information along, and Chris barely thought twice before moving on it. Booked a flight within the hour, no plan, no strategy—just a stubborn, desperate hope clawing at his chest. Maybe if he could just get close enough to her, stand in front of her one more time, he could find the words to make her understand how sorry he was. How badly he wanted to be the man she deserved.
