r.e.m

hell n' back.

"I was over love, thought I had enough, then I found you
I was no doubt, stressed out without you
All we got is us, when nobody does, I got you
For your sanity and my mentality"

The grin on my face was as wide as my ears, resulting from endless TikTok scrolling and the lingering high from the time Jazelle and I spent together. It was more than just another night; it was a shift, a deepening of whatever we had going on. Waking up this morning, wrapped in each other's arms, felt different—like we had finally stopped playing on the fence and fully committed to this thing between us. Our lips couldn't stay away from each other, and after a late start, we ended up in a shower that got so steamy we didn't stop until the water turned cold.

Now, I was lounging on the loveseat in the corner of the master bedroom, scrolling through TikToks while Jazelle was in the bathroom getting ready for the day. Gage was at my feet, chewing on his dog toy with pure contentment. He'd been trying to wedge himself between Jazelle and me this whole time, but I had to admit, it was cool having him around. The little guy was growing on me.

I was about to scroll to another TikTok when my phone buzzed with a FaceTime call from Tatiana. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly scanned the room to ensure none of Jazelle's things were in view. Thankfully, the bathroom door was closed, so I swiped to answer the call.

"What's up, baby?" I greeted her, eyeing the bathroom door just in case.

Tatiana's face appeared on the screen, and she had a pout on her lips. "What happened to calling or texting me when you got there, Blaze? You promised!" She whined, clearly in our bedroom from the look of her surroundings.

"My bad. I got tired as shit and crashed when I got there," I lied, scratching the back of my head, hoping she wouldn't pick up on the unease in my voice. "I just woke up."

"And you didn't call me when you woke up, why?" Tatiana's voice was sharp, pressing me for an answer like she knew I was dodging the truth.

"I just woke up, Tati. Damn, you gonna grill me this whole conversation?" I tried to keep my tone light, but I could feel the tension building.

"Okay, okay... I'm sorry." Her voice softened, the edge fading as she sighed. "I just miss you and feel lonely without you here."

Guilt twisted in my gut, knowing exactly where I'd been instead of where I was supposed to be. "I'll try my best to come home early," I promised, though every word felt like a weight. It wasn't something I wanted to commit to, but it might be worth it if it would keep the heat off Jazelle and me for now.

"I would really love that... like, really love that," She said, her smile returning. I forced a smile back, trying to match her energy. "So, you know I was telling you about drinks with the girls earlier this week..."

I nodded, but the unease was already crawling back. We'd been over this a hundred times, and each time it was like she just couldn't let it go. Tatiana's complaints about Jazelle had gone from mildly annoying to downright exhausting, and I was starting to question why we were still having this conversation.