Expect The Unexpected (H-Town)

Right Here, Right Now

Kaedi

I woke up before my alarm.

That almost never happened.

The house was still, sunlight barely peeking through the blinds. I laid there staring at the ceiling, letting pieces of last night replay whether I wanted them to or not.

Stacey walking out.
Shazam disappearing into the night.
Dino standing there, saying nothing.
Hakeem showing up when everything felt like too much.

No chaos.

Just choices.

I sat up and glanced at the clock. Too early to call anybody. Too early to even know how I felt.

I got dressed slow, like if I moved too fast I might undo something. Threw on something simple and tied my hair back. Today didn't need extra effort.

Downstairs, I poured myself some juice and leaned against the counter, staring out the window.

This was the part nobody warned you about.

The waiting.

No phones buzzing. No messages to overthink. Just silence and whatever your heart decided to do with it.

The phone rang suddenly, sharp in the quiet kitchen.

I jumped.

I hesitated before answering.

"Hello?"

"Morning," Hakeem said. His voice was calm, steady—like it always was. "Hope I didn't wake you."

"No," I said, smiling without meaning to. "I was already up."

"I just wanted to check on you," he said. "After last night."

"I'm okay," I replied honestly. "I feel... clear."

He chuckled softly. "That's good. I wasn't sure if I should call, but I figured I'd rather hear your voice than assume."

"I'm glad you did."

There was a comfortable pause.

"I'll see you later," he said. "No pressure. Just wanted you to know I'm here."

"I appreciate that," I replied.

We hung up, and the quiet didn't feel so heavy anymore.

I grabbed my bag and headed out, locking the door behind me. The walk to campus felt different—not lighter, not heavier.

Just intentional.

I spotted Leah near the quad, standing with Leonce.

She smiled when she saw me, and I waved back.

Across the way, I saw Dino.

He stood with the guys, but he wasn't really there. His eyes found me almost immediately.

We locked eyes.

Just for a second.

I didn't turn away in a rush. Didn't hold his gaze to make a point either.

I just let it be.

Then I kept walking.

My chest tightened—but it didn't ache like before.

Moving on didn't mean I stopped caring.

It meant I stopped waiting for him to choose me.

And that was the hardest thing I'd done in a long time.

As I headed into class, I thought about how different things felt now.

No chasing.
No guessing.

Just me, walking forward.

And wherever this went?

At least this time, I chose it.

*Later*

I was packing my bag after my last class when I felt it—that feeling you get when somebody's waiting.

Not rushing you.
Not hovering.

Just waiting.

When I stepped outside, I spotted Hakeem across the street, leaning against his car like he had nowhere else he needed to be. He wasn't checking a watch or pacing.

Just there.

My chest relaxed instead of tightening.

"Hey," I said, walking up.

"Hey," he replied, smiling. "Hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."

"Nah," I said. "What's up?"

"I was gonna swing by your place later," he said honestly. "But I figured I'd see if you wanted to grab something to eat now instead."

I appreciated that.
No assuming.
No pressure.

"I'm hungry," I said. "So yeah."

He opened the passenger door for me and waited until I was settled before closing it. No lingering, no rush.

We drove with the windows cracked, music low. The kind of ride where silence didn't feel awkward—it felt comfortable.

"You okay today?" he asked after a bit.

"Yeah," I said. "I really am."

He nodded. "Good. That's all I wanted to know."

We ended up at a small diner near campus, sliding into a booth across from each other. He rested his arms on the table, looking at me—not staring, just present.

"I wanna be clear about something," he said. "I like you. But I'm not here to rush you or compete with anybody from your past."

I studied his face.

"I don't need to be chased," I said. "I just need consistency."

"That I can give you," he replied.

We ate and talked about random stuff—music, school, where we wanted to end up someday. No heavy confessions. No labels.

Just ease.

"You laugh easier today," he said at one point.

I paused. "I feel lighter."

"That's usually what happens when you stop holding onto things that aren't yours anymore," he said.

When he dropped me back near my building, he didn't reach for me right away.

"I'll swing by later this week," he said. "If that's cool."

"It is," I replied.

He smiled. "Alright then."

I shut the door and watched him pull off before heading inside.

And for the first time in a long time, I wasn't waiting on a phone to ring.

I wasn't wondering where I stood.

I just knew.

With Hakeem, things didn't feel urgent—but they felt intentional.

And that was new for me.