Asha Mitchell is all about her education and the next box to check off her list of goals. She never allows anyone to steer her from her path or take her eyes off the prize. She's a big time lover who also knows how to choose herself or play the game if she feels it's necessary. But she rather not. She admires love and wants everything it has to offer if she can. Some of the best relationships are built on friendship, and Asha doesn't realize that until Sanchez Harmon. He's goal oriented and doesn't have time for games. He knows what he wants for all aspects of his life - except his love life. Relationships aren't his strong suit because he's never been in one and never wanted one. Romantic love is a fantasy to him; nice to watch but unrealistic. A few things come to light when the two become friends after a homecoming party. One is an open-hearted lover and the other can't see himself in love. They love different but they'll try to figure out which way is best for them.

"You no tell this girl that I said, I want no relations with a darkie?" She spat to me, making my eyes go wide. What? I thought to myself and Gio tried pulling me away but I snatched away from him, knowing I heard right this time. "Wait, what?" I spoke out loud and Gi grabbed me roughly, trying to pull me away again. "Why you saying these things? She's beautiful." I heard his abuelita sticking up for me as she stood to her feet and all the guys began to as well, telling their mom that she was wrong for what she was doing. "That puta heard me." She spat, pointing her finger at me. "You're too dark." She held up a brown paper bag that she was drinking her beer out of. "You no match this bag or lighter, you're too dark." "You look too much like his father. I no want you around me." She shooed me off, instantly breaking my heart into a billion pieces as I looked up at Giovanni who was looking down at me with hurt in his eyes. "Baby, please." He begged and I shook my head at him in disgust before putting my attention back onto her. "Get that darkness out of here, Giovanni. She's a demon." "Only demons have her color." She kept on going and I felt sick to my stomach in this moment as I stood there in complete shock.

"Montana, come here." He nodded his head toward the door, leaving out of the room. Staying silent as Ms. Carol looked at me, I kissed the back of Josiah's hand before leaving out of the room. As I walked out, Messiah stood there looking at me in disgust while I closed the door. "What are you doing that shit for?" "Huh?" I said since I had nothing else to say, just trying to stall time to get my words together. "Why are you stripping, Monty?" Sighing, I decided that I wasn't going to lie like I'd originally planned to do after listening to Chocolate's stupid advice. "Money." I spoke simply and he scoffed as I looked down. "Why not just ask Josiah for money instead doing hoe shit?" "First of all, It's not doing hoe shit. I don't have sex with anyone. I just dance. And I don't want to ask him for any money. It's not his job to take care of me." "So stripping..." He trailed off with a laugh. "..stripping was the last resort? Instead of putting your pride aside?" Saying nothing, I just looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please don't tell him, Messiah." I could already tell by the look on his face that he was going to tell him. "I ain't gon' tell him.." Thank God. I thought. "..you are." "What?!" I shrieked. "No. I'm not." "You are." He spoke in a demanding tone. "Please. You know how he is." I expressed "And you know how he is too but you made that bed." "Messiah, he's going to kill me." I begged. "I know." He shook his head, walking away from me. "Better figure it out. You got until the end of the day to tell him or I will." He mumbled before walking back into the room.

❝THE REALIZATION THAT EACH RANDOM PASSERBY IS LIVING A LIFE AS VIVID AND COMPLEX AS YOUR OWN.❞

"Mama, I can't just leave Abir." I admitted, telling her exactly why I couldn't do this. Not only would she be snatching me away from my family and friends but she was taking me away from the person I'd loved for five going on six years. I couldn't just walk away from him. "Baby.." She trailed off, sighing deeply. "I know you love Abir." She stood to her feet to stop packing for a moment and pulled me into her. "But I promise you, there will be other boys. Right now you have to do what's best for you and that's coming with your daddy and I to give you a better life." "Better life for who? You?!" I screamed out, becoming even more angry at her choice of words. As if my feelings were robotic and I could just turn them on and off for any and every person. "My feelings just don't matter to y'all at all, huh?" I asked, crying harder than before now. "Speak to your mother with some respect, Giselle." My father spat to me and I shook my head, watching as they stood there looking at me like some dumb teenager. This wasn't puppy love for me. I didn't spend 5 years building something, just to walk away from it for their dreams. I couldn't do it. Sinner. Book #1

" 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘪𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡" 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 𝐀𝐑𝐈4𝐕𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ™