Being a single father in the streets meant love was never a priority, only survival. But when a good woman steps into his world, challenging his past and showing him a love he never thought he deserved, he's forced to choose between the life he knows and the future he wants.

❛𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆?❜ he asked, voice low like it wasn't meant for nobody but her. 𝒛𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 didn't speak, just tilted her head a little and stepped in close. she traced one of the tattoos on his arm, finger light like a whisper...when she finally looked up, slow and lazy, doe eyes glinting beneath her lashes--she kissed the corner of his mouth. once, twice--then pulled back. 𝒐𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢 smirked. ❛𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒔𝒐.❜ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ She doesn't speak-not out loud, not anymore. Zariah Hart's been quiet since the night she lost everything, and moving to The Palisade at Skyview Apartments was supposed to give her a fresh start. No expectations. No questions. Just peace. But peace gets complicated when a man like Omarion Jordan starts showing up in it. He's nothing like she expected. Tatted, quiet, with eyes that read people better than they speak. A mechanic with a past he doesn't explain-and a presence that says more than his mouth does. He doesn't ask about her silence. She doesn't flinch at his reputation. Somehow, that's enough. What starts as simple glances turns into shared space. What feels like comfort turns to something neither of them planned for. But Atlanta doesn't forget what people try to bury. And sometimes, the loudest truth is the one you never say out loud. 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃: 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

"I'm not good for you." "I know." "I don't do emotions." "I know." "I am emotionally cut off Kieran." "I know that." "So then why the hell do you want me?!" A tear streamed down her face and it felt like my world had crumbled. Seeing her hurt and full of pain made me feel it too. I loved her in a way I couldn't comprehend. "Because I am madly in love and obsessed with you Naja Woods."

"I gotta go," he said quietly. The words felt harsh but he said them softly, I nodded slowly at him trying not to let the disappointment creep too far up my face. "Of course," I said, looking away. "I get it." I walked him to the door. And we stood there a while. He didn't move toward the door. Just watched me like he was waiting on something. I swallowed hard, then asked it anyway. "You gonna disappear again?" It came out quieter than I meant it to. But real. I didn't want to chase him. Didn't want to beg. But I also didn't want to pretend like he walking away tonight didn't stir up all the things I thought I buried last time he vanished. Kingston stepped closer. The other hand finally came out of his pocket and touched my jaw, soft as a sigh. He angled my face back toward him, his thumb brushing under my chin. "Nah," he said. "Not this time." "Promise?" "I don't say shit I don't mean, India. You'll see me again. Soon." I nodded, even though my chest felt tight. The space between us narrowed without either of us moving. For a moment, the world slowed. His forehead lowered to mine, deliberate, patient. My pulse jumped. We stayed like that, breaths mixing, eyes locked. "You wanna kiss me, India?" he asked, voice low, teasing but not.

Book One//: Arianna carved her empire with her own two hands. At twenty-three, her Brooklyn salon is more than a business-it's proof she doesn't need anyone. Independence is her armor, and success is her safe place. Love? That's a distraction she doesn't have time for. Keshawn built his reputation on Harlem's streets, moving with a quiet kind of power that demands both fear and respect. At twenty-seven, he's focused, untouchable, and not the type to chase anyone. But when Arianna crosses his path, the walls he's built start to crack. Their connection is undeniable-magnetic, dangerous, impossible to ignore. But jealous exes, shifting loyalties, and the weight of the streets threaten to pull them apart before they've even begun. In a world where love feels like a weakness and survival is everything, Arianna and Keshawn have to decide if two hearts hardened by concrete can really hold onto something real.

"I will get you back, Sinclair." He grabbed my hand and put the ring on my palm, then closed my hand tight. "And that's a promise." I froze as he kissed my hand and slowly reached for my forehead. ─────── ○ ─────── After two years since her divorce with her NBA player ex-husband, Sinclair Leighton is ready to start fresh and swear that she was done playing the game. Until she met Essien Boateng, a former basketball player now billionaire. And when he saw her from across the court, she's the only game he wants to win.

"Behind every sweet smile, there is a bitter sadness that no one can ever see and feel." ~ 2Pac © JULY 2023 | WRITTENBYKAYY © All rights reserved

"You belong to me, but I belong to them, who do I give me to?"