hold on to me

[sequel to stay with me]

they finally stopped pretending.

no more running from it it, no more tiptoeing around something that was inevitable. xolani and two are finally, fully in it, and for the first time in a long time, everything feels exactly the way it's supposed to.

she's four months pregnant now. their life is taking shape in ways she never let herself imagine long enough, and two is exactly who she always knew he'd be when she finally let him love her right.

but sometimes the past comes back to bite without a care in the world for about good timing or what it's up against.

someone from a messy chapter xo thought she closed out years ago is back. somebody who knows things she never meant to carry this far, who's been sitting on old secrets and unfinished business long enough to build the heaviest grudge out of it; maybe something worse than a grudge, even. and now they want in, right in the middle of everything she's built, everything she's just starting to trust herself to have.

xo's always been the one to hold things close and handle them on her own. but this isn't just her heart on the line anymore- she's got a family to protect now.

with two by her side, steadfast, ruthless and on go when it comes to keeping her safe, she's gotta face the parts of herself she once assumed she'd outrun, and he's gotta trust her with the full picture, even when it's real ugly.

they've already proven they can fall into each other; now they just have to prove they can hold their ground together when the bullshit hits, and refuse to let anything keep them from holding on to what was always meant for them.