He nodded lighting up a blunt and then offered it to me. "Oh nah. I don't smoke." I said. "Why not?" He asked. "Not my thing. I'm more of a drinker." I said pointing at the bottle they had just sitting there. "Go head." He said. I grabbed the bottle and opened it. "You'll take a shot with me?" I asked. "Ion drink ma." He said. "Why not?" I asked. "Not my thing. Im a smoker." He said smirking making me laugh out loud. At that very moment I knew I had fucked up .

"I don't know this man, I don't know his friends, I don't know his type." No amount of love could replace the past. And they had a lot of that for one another-love that is. The two child hood friends had bonded early on, especially over their love of music. Where one lacked, one had. Mariah was the writer, Kentrell the performer. It's only until a high school talent show that Kentrell performs a song written by his beloved best friend, Mariah...that his career takes off. But it happens to take off without Mariah. And he had promised to take her. Promises were meant to be broken I suppose.

𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗞. 𝐄𝐒𝐓. 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝟐𝟔

When Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans, it didn't just destroy homes-it destroyed lives, families... and the unbreakable bond between two best friends. Dejahnae and Kentrell were inseparable, the kind of connection that felt destined, unshakable. Until the storm came and ripped them apart without warning. In the chaos, they lost everything-including each other. Left with nothing but grief and unanswered questions, both were forced to survive in a world that no longer felt like home. Ten years later, survival looks different. Kentrell is now a chart-topping rapper, known for his raw lyrics and haunted sound-but behind the fame is a man still drowning in the past. The storm never really left him. Nightmares, guilt, and a pain he can't outrun follow him everywhere he goes. And no matter how far he's come, he never stopped searching for the one person he lost that night. Dejahnae, now a trauma therapist, has dedicated her life to helping others heal... even though she never truly healed herself. She's learned how to carry pain, how to bury it, how to smile through it-but not how to let it go. When fate unexpectedly brings them face-to-face again, the reunion isn't what either of them imagined. Because love didn't disappear that night... but trust did. Old wounds reopen, buried truths rise to the surface, and the question they've both avoided for years finally demands an answer- Did you leave me... or did I lose you? As past and present collide, Dejahnae and Kentrell must confront the storm that still lives inside them. Because this time, it's not just about finding each other again... It's about deciding if they can survive each other.

"From the start I know I should have told ya, and now you know, girl." He pushed the loose curls back to see her clearly, she looked up at her through the wet lashes a small sigh leaving her lips. "You're asking me to sacrifice my relationship with my family. Are we on borrowed time or are you just someone I made up in my head ?" He laid his forehead against hers, running his thumb over the wet tear. "I'm here wit' you. Every step of the way it's real love and I thank you for that." He kissed her lips, her body immediately falling into his as she melted into the kiss.

"𝐈 𝐝𝐮𝐠 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮."

"Kentrell we will never be together....get over it"

"...𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬." 𝙖 𝐧𝐛𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.