I WAS NEVER YOURS

Prologue

THE ONE WHO STAYED

The rain poured heavily, drowning the quiet hum of the small town. Streetlights flickered, casting pale shadows across the empty sidewalks. Jabari stood beneath one, his hands shoved into the pockets of his worn-out jacket, watching her.

Talisha stood on the porch of her childhood home, suitcase in hand, her face glowing with the kind of excitement he had only ever seen in her eyes when she talked about leaving. She was finally going-off to the life she had always dreamed of. And he had helped her get there, in ways she would never know.

She turned, smiling at her parents as she embraced them one last time. Then, without hesitation, she stepped into the car waiting for her at the curb.

Jabari didn't call out to her. He didn't run to her, didn't beg her to stay. He had done enough.

As the car drove off, disappearing into the night, he felt the weight of years pressing down on him. He had given her everything-his time, his love, his sacrifices-yet she had never been his to begin with.

And now, she was gone.

The rain continued to fall, soaking into his skin, but Jabari didn't move. He just stood there, watching the empty street, finally realizing what it meant to truly lose someone who was never yours.