Kasiyr Bennett never planned on coming home for long. Chicago was supposed to be a quick stop for him and that's all. However, the city has a way of reminding you who you are and who you loved first. Ajani Washington is rooted where Kasiyr once stood. She carries the weight of the community, years of memories, and a love she never fully let go of on her shoulders. When Kasiyr's return puts them back on each other's radar, old truths resurface and boundaries start to get crossed. Some loves don't fade with distance and some choices demand a cost that neither of them is ready to pay.

ᴛɪʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ'ᴍ ᴛʀᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴅᴀᴍɴ ᴍɪɴᴅ, ᴛɪʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ'ᴍ ᴡʀᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴍɴ ʟɪᴇ, ᴛɪʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴍɴ ɢᴀᴍᴇ, ɴɪɢɢᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴡᴀɴɴᴀ ᴅɪᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ......

love • /ləv/ an intense feeling of deep affection.

"You can't see the future. I might have a chance. You don't know for sure." He mumbled, making her expression soften. "M-my mom used to tell me t-that birds still sing even after a storm. Why shouldn't people feel as free t-to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?" Samir stopped talking for a moment to regather himself so that he didn't stutter, but Nina froze completely. "You don't have to settle with him Nina. It's been five years an-and you're not a-as happy as you should be. You smile differently with me.. and you cry a lot with him. I just think that you deserve to enjoy your time with someone other than h-him for a minute because there's still sunlight out there for you too, even if you can't see it yet." How did he become her source of 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 so 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲? A short story.

"See, this is exactly why I wish we never met. You came into my life and you just keep shaking everything up!" She stressed, her stomach rumbling with rage. He only stared before his lips twitched into a smirk. "You don't even believe that dumb ass shit." --- She thought running would set her free, but freedom came with a price she wasn't sure she was ready to uphold. She ran from one trap straight into another. Dreams of dancing slip through her fingers when survival forces her into a world she would have to endure. She's dragged into the dark corners of Onyx city and life is nothing as she knew it. Then he appears. A boy who feels different, who makes her believe she might have more to live for than pain. Unfortunately, in the streets nothing is ever as it seems. Every bond comes with secrets, every touch with consequences. And when betrayal cuts deeper than love, she'll learn the hard way what it really means to be slimed out. STARTED; September 18th 2025 PUBLISHED; September 27th 2025 FINISHED; FEBRUARY 7th 2026

"I know ma. Stop fronting. Tell me you miss me." He kissed her in between his words, in love with the way her brown eyes dazed. "I miss you. And your mouth tastes like pickles." She spoke softly, a smile taking over her face once he laughed. "You wanna taste it again?" He stuck his tongue out at her, and she closed her eyes after sucking it into her mouth. She cradled the side of his face, rubbing over his prominent jawline as the kiss deepened. Dayvon's hands went underneath her tank top, breaking the kiss for a moment to get it off. The way he rubbed on her body made her moan again, missing the feeling of his hands on her skin. He hadn't touched her intimately in so long. She'd missed him.

"𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭." 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆: 𝐒𝐙𝐀 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒 𝐅𝐓. 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐓. 𝐒: 𝐃𝐞𝐜. 𝟓 𝐅: 𝐌𝐚𝐫. 𝟑 (Originally named "Loyalty and Love in the Trenches") -#1 in blackpeople