Khalil is a country man. He's the town's very own slacker, party goer, and womanizer. Gabrielle is a city girl who doesn't take his shit. **** Once a lively ring, Khalil's family equestrian rink called, "The Bowl", now sits quiet. The crowds are leaving, the money's drying up, and the legacy that his great grandfather built is slipping through their fingers. When his father's health takes a sudden turn, Khalil is forced to step up and take the reins; literally and figuratively. Across the street, Gabrielle is spending the summer with her grandparents, camera in hand and dreams of NYU in her back pocket. She doesn't expect to get involved, but something about The Bowl and Khalil pulls her in. What begins as a small effort to help becomes a full-blown mission to save the struggling rink. But rebuilding isn't easy. Especially with a wealthy, white-owned rival rink circling like vultures, waiting to bury them. As tensions mount, long-buried family secrets surface, and Khalil and Gabrielle's bond is tested by jealousy, grief, and growing expectations. In a county divided by class and race, they'll have to decide what-and who-is worth fighting for. ****

Now you know I wouldn't let you pay for this food," he tells her. "Also, I kinda lied," he drawls, making a 'yikes' face. His words cause her to lean back a little as she wonders what he's talking about. Before she can ask him to elaborate, he starts talking again. "This isn't my friend's restaurant. It's mine. And before you get mad, I just wanted your true opinion before I told you," he tells her, and she relaxes with a smile. "Really? What the heck, Siah. I should've known when I saw the name. Henrietta was your grandma's name, right?" she questions, and he nods with a small smile. "I didn't even know you remembered," he chuckles. "Of course I did. That being said, though, you could've told me this was your restaurant because I would've told you if the food was nasty either way," she jokes to lighten the mood, and she's relieved when it works. "You ain't shit," he laughs. -

"𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨, 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚."

First time we fucked, we ain't really plan it.. But now I'll be making love to you through him...

Valentine is 22 and just graduated college with a PHD in Child Development. After her parents died on her birthday and she was thrown into the foster system she developed a passion for kids and their mental capacities. Her life was regular to her nothing out of the normal or too outrageous. She didn't have friends besides her work buddy who was a bit eccentric. She didn't have a boyfriend because of her fear of abuse after her last boyfriend and foster family. She was plain, dull, and simple. Until she met Quincy Quincy was a known felon in the neighborhood. He murdered two cops in a shootout but thanks to great lawyers he got out in 6 years. Then he went back for armed robbery after someone stole from him and he stole it back (in blood) that got him 4 months. His last crime was assaulting a teacher because allegedly the teacher made a threat at his 11 year old daughter. The man barely made it out of a coma and didn't sue or get police involved lucky for Quincy because he was on his third strike anymore and he wasn't coming home. He only heard Valentine's voice once and ever since he'd been keen on making her his.

Kensley wasn't sure what she wanted in life until she met Elijah. Elijah had everything he wanted in life, and then he met Kensley. Despite both their better judgment, a reckless romance ensues, leaving many casualties along the way.

"𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥..." Poet was used to being the second choice. Actually, she was used to not being chosen at all. The girl blended into the background easily, it had always been that way. Sometimes, passion wasn't enough to put you in the spotlight and she was okay with that. Riot had always carried the weight of his mother's ways on his shoulders. He was the oldest son. The protector. The rock. He never would have thought these things to push him closer than ever to his soulmate. Not when he wasn't even sure what he wanted his own love story to look like. Their love was never expected to be but maybe it was supposed to happen that way. 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝟏 𝐎𝐅 '𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄' 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒

Can you be the one help me leave all these hoes? Can you help me stop passin' my body 'round?

"Tell me you don't feel it. Tell me I'm imagining this, and I'll never bring it up again." He looked at her for a long moment, and she could see him fighting himself. "I can't tell you that," he said finally. "Why not?" "Because it would be a lie." -- Naomi "Nay" Shields is a 24-year-old lifestyle YouTuber with over a million followers, known for her beauty, travel vlogs, and "perfect" relationship with longtime boyfriend Messiah "Si" Banks. On camera, they're couple goals. Off camera, she's just surviving him. Messiah is a flashy, manipulative drug dealer in Atlanta-respected in the streets, but emotionally abusive behind closed doors. After cheating multiple times, he traps Nay further with a viral public proposal in Tulum. Now, she feels stuck-scared to leave the brand they built and scared of him. But everything shifts when Messiah's older half-brother, Zyair "Zy" Banks, returns home from a four-year federal bid. He's the opposite of Messiah-quiet, gritty, observant. And he sees right through Nay's pain. When Messiah gets shot in a setup and ends up bedridden, Zy moves in to "keep things in order." As tension brews and the house grows quiet, stolen glances turn into whispers... into touches... into something neither of them planned. What happens when love grows in the shadow of abuse? When the one man who sees you is the one you should never want? And what happens when Messiah finds out? 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝- 06.28.25 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝- 07.09.25 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝- 08.20.25

Formally known as 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 Broken (verb) - Destroyed, weakened in strength, incomplete I am not responsible for the second hand embarrassment between chapters 1-18 Restarted June 22nd, 2021 Finished May 5th, 2022 #1 in Houston 6/9/2022 #1 in Heartache 6/9/2022 #1 in Autism 9/4/2022 #6 in Black fiction Cover made by @daveyswifey