Niah Monroe, a 26-year-old ambitious woman working her way through grad school, has always kept her life on the straight and narrow. She's loyal to her best friend, and she avoids men who could derail her goals. But then enters Khalil "Khaos" Mercer, 32, her best friend's older brother-fresh out after serving time, running the family's underground hustle, and building an empire of his own. He's dark, dangerous, and the one man she's never allowed herself to want. When circumstances force them together-him needing her brain and discipline to clean up his business moves, her needing his protection after a brush with street danger-the forbidden attraction between them sparks into a full-blown, undeniable passion.

❛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 on whatever you on baby boy" "I wanna be on you pa"

Recurrence Spin-off! Lyric vs. The World Battling feeling left behind after her two best friends leave for college and the real world, what's her next move? Struggling to stay off the streets and getting caught up in girls, who's gonna be that voice of reason for her? The one ride or die she had all along. • • • • • A Black Queer/Lesbian Story