18.

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I woke up to silence.

For a split second, I thought I was dead.

The weight that had been wrapped around me last night was gone. The warmth, the steady breathing against my neck—gone.

I blinked, my body feeling too light as I reached out, patting the empty sheets beside me.

Ren wasn't there.

Panic shot through me as I sat up, my hand scrambling for my phone on the nightstand.

The second I picked it up, my stomach dropped.

100 missed calls from Daddy.

20 from Mommy.

150 from Rina.

I swallowed hard, my fingers going numb as I stared at the screen.

The first thing I checked was Daddy's messages.

Daddy: YANNA.

Daddy: CALL ME.

Daddy: RIGHT. NOW.

Daddy: What the fuck did you do??

Daddy: Do you know how bad this looks? Do you understand what you just did??

Daddy: I will be home tomorrow morning. We will talk then.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my chest tightening.

Tomorrow morning.

Less than 24 hours.

I wasn't ready.

I backed out of the messages and clicked on Mommy's next.

Mommy: Yanna...

Mommy: You really went and did it, huh?

Mommy: I'm honestly sorta proud. But don't tell your father that.

Mommy: Call me if you need me, okay?

My lips parted a little, shock rolling through me.

She was... proud?

Of all the reactions I expected, that wasn't one of them.

Finally, I clicked on Rina's messages

Rina: GIRLLLLLLL

Rina: WTF DID YOU DOOOOO

Rina: No like seriously. Explain. Right now.

Rina: I know you're up. I know you see this.

Rina: Yanna. I'm BEGGING you. Spill.

Rina: Oh my god if you don't answer I'm gonna have a STROKE.

Rina: HELLOOOOO.

A tiny laugh bubbled up in my throat, but it died just as quickly.

Because suddenly—

The door opened.

My head snapped up, my breath catching as Ren stepped inside, a bag of takeout in one hand, her phone in the other.

She looked so effortlessly fine, it was unfair.

Her damp locs were still slightly frizzy from the shower, her black tee hanging loose, exposing the tattoos on her arms. The gold chain around her neck glinted under the soft morning light, and the way those damn basketball shorts sat on her waist—

I had to look away before I self-destructed.

Ren kicked the door shut behind her, a smirk tugging at her lips as she held up the food. "Figured you'd need somethin' to eat before you face execution."

I rolled my eyes, but my body relaxed a little at her presence. "You're not funny."

She grinned, setting the food on the nightstand before flopping down onto the bed beside me, stretching her long legs.

Then she sighed dramatically.

"This is probably our last day together for a while," she said casually, like she was talking about the damn weather.

I froze.

The lightness in my chest evaporated.

I blinked, my fingers curling around my phone as my stomach twisted.

Ren must've noticed the shift in my energy, because before I could even react, her whole demeanor changed.

That teasing, cocky energy melted away, and in its place was something softer. Something gentle.

She sat up, turning toward me, her voice quieter now.

"Hey."

I didn't look at her.

Her hand slid over mine, her thumb rubbing slow circles over my knuckles.

"Yanna."

I swallowed, my throat suddenly tight. "It's not funny."

"I wasn't tryna be funny," she admitted. "I was tryna keep it light 'cause... I know this shit heavy for you."

I chewed on my lip, still not meeting her eyes. "I don't want you to leave."

Her grip on my hand tightened.

"I don't wanna leave," she said honestly. "But I also don't want you stressin' over shit that ain't happened yet."

I finally looked at her then, my chest aching. "But it is gonna happen. My daddy's gonna lose his shit. And then what?"

Ren exhaled through her nose, watching me for a second before shaking her head. "Then we deal with it."

I let out a humorless laugh. "You make it sound so easy."

She tilted her head. "It ain't easy. But it's simple."

I frowned, confused. "How?"

Her fingers traced my wrist, slow and deliberate.

"'Cause at the end of the day," she murmured, "he don't get to decide what makes you happy."

I stilled.

She let that sit for a moment, her dark eyes holding mine, steady and certain.

Then, before I could even process what she was saying, she grabbed the bag of food and plopped it in my lap.

"Eat," she ordered, back to her normal tone. "You gon' need energy for all the screamin' your daddy 'bout to do."

I let out a breath, shaking my head as a small, tired smile tugged at my lips.

Ren grinned at me, brushing loose hair out of my face.

For now, I let myself enjoy the moment.

Because I knew once Daddy got home—

Everything was gonna change.

I ate while Ren laid back on my bed, arms behind her head, her phone in her other hand.

The food was good, but I wasn't really tasting it—my mind was spinning too fast.

Daddy was coming back tomorrow.

Mommy was acting... surprisingly chill.

Rina was probably blowing up my phone again.

And Ren—

Ren was still here.

She could've left. She could've said, "This is too much drama, Yanna, I'm out." But she hadn't.

That meant something.

I finished the last bite and glanced over at her, my lips parting to say something, but—

Her face twisted up, just slightly.

It was quick. A blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.

But I saw it.

Her jaw tightened, her eyes darkening just a bit as she stared at her phone screen.

I frowned. "What's wrong?"

Ren's expression smoothed out instantly, like it had never happened. She tilted her head, a lazy smirk forming. "Nothin', ma."

I wasn't buying it.

Not even a little.

Before she could react, I snatched her phone right out of her hand.

"Yo—" she sat up, reaching for it, but I was faster.

I rolled off the bed, stepping back before she could grab me, my eyes scanning the screen.

And the second I saw it—

My stomach dropped.

It was a blog post.

One of the messy ones, the kind that thrived off scandals and drama, the kind my family had been dealing with for years.

The caption hit me first—

"Daddy's Little Princess Turned Wild: Yanna Hill Caught Getting Hot & Heavy With Her Bodyguard Ren."

And then the picture.

My breath caught in my throat.

It was a paparazzi shot, taken at the worst possible angle—

Ren's lips pressed against my neck.

Her hand gripping my waist.

My head tilted back, eyes closed, my body leaning into her.

The flash catching the glint of her grill as she kissed me.

To anyone looking at this, it wasn't just a kiss.

It was a statement.

A claim.

Ren wasn't just touching me.

She was owning me.

My grip on her phone tightened.

They made it sound so ugly.

Like I had been corrupted.

Like Ren had tainted me.

Ren sighed, swinging her legs off the bed. "Yanna—"

"This is crazy," I whispered, my voice shaking. "They're making it seem like—like you're some kind of—"

"Villain?" she finished for me, her tone light.

I looked at her.

She shrugged, leaning back on her palms. "Ain't nothin' new."

The casualness in her voice threw me.

I shook my head, my emotions swirling. "This isn't fair."

Ren stretched, her muscles flexing slightly. "Life ain't fair, baby." Then, with a teasing smirk, "But you gotta admit, we look good in the pic."

I stared at her.

She wasn't wrong.

The way the angle caught the sharp cut of her jaw, the softness of my throat, the way our bodies curved together like they were meant to fit—

We looked like a movie.

A scandalous, dramatic, taboo love story.

The type people couldn't stop watching.

I chewed on my lip, my anger mixing with something else.

Something... dangerous.

Something that made my heart race.

I tossed her phone onto the bed and crossed my arms. "You're not mad?"

Ren reached for my waist, pulling me between her legs. "Nah."

I frowned. "Why not?"

She looked up at me, her grip steady, her voice calm.

"'Cause at the end of the day, all they did was take a picture of me kissin' on my girl."

My stomach flipped.

I should've been used to it by now. The smoothness in her voice. The way she said things like they were fact. Like there was no debate.

Like it didn't matter that we were in the headlines.

Didn't matter that my daddy was coming home.

Didn't matter that the whole world had something to say.

All that mattered...

Was that I was hers.

And she wasn't about to apologize for it.

I felt hot all over.

From the blog. From the picture. From the way Ren said my girl like it wasn't up for debate. Like the world knowing didn't shake her one bit.

But there was one thing still pressing on my mind.

I stepped back, crossing my arms, studying her. "You're really not mad?"

Ren just leaned back on her palms, her gold chain glinting under the soft light. "Nah, ma."

I swallowed, my voice lower now. "Then what are you gonna do?"

For the first time since last night, her easygoing expression wavered.

It was quick. Just a tiny flicker.

But I caught it.

She knew.

She knew what this meant.

She knew she was about to be fired.

I sat on the bed next to her, my stomach twisting. "Ren."

She sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "I'll figure it out."

"That's not an answer."

Her jaw flexed. I could tell she didn't wanna talk about this.

Didn't wanna face it.

I reached for her hand, my fingers barely brushing hers. "You're really about to lose your job over me."

Ren let out a short breath through her nose, like she was amused by my dramatics. "Nah, I'm losin' my job 'cause I kissed my boss' daughter in front of the whole damn world."

I frowned. "Same thing."

She didn't say anything.

For the first time, she looked... hesitant.

Like she wasn't sure what to say.

Like the weight of the situation was finally hitting her.

I scooted closer, my voice softer. "What are you gonna do, Ren?"

She hesitated before muttering, "Probably go back home."

I blinked. "Home?"

She exhaled through her nose, her fingers picking at a thread on the comforter. "Louisiana."

That word hit me harder than I expected.

Far.

Gone.

Away.

I couldn't explain the tightness in my chest, the way my stomach sank.

I never even thought about what would happen after this.

I just assumed—

Assumed she'd still be here.

That even if my father went ballistic, even if everything went to hell, Ren would still be within reach.

But now?

I swallowed. "You mean, like... permanently?"

She shrugged, but there was something forced about it. "Ain't got a choice, ma. This gig was stable. Paid good. Can't just sit around New York with no job."

I knew that.

Of course I knew that.

But hearing her say it?

It felt like a goodbye.

I stared at her, my mind racing.

"So that's it?" I whispered.

She finally looked at me, and for the first time, her eyes weren't full of their usual confidence.

They were tired.

Like she'd been thinking about this for a while.

Like she was already preparing herself to walk away.

She ran a hand down her face. "Yanna, I ain't gon' lie to you. This? This was never supposed to happen."

My throat tightened. "What do you mean?"

She let out a soft, dry laugh. "I mean, I wasn't supposed to—" She stopped herself, shaking her head, eyes flickering to mine. "I knew the second I got assigned to you that I should've kept my distance."

A beat passed.

Then another.

My voice was barely above a whisper. "Then why didn't you?"

She stared at me.

The tension thickened, the air between us getting heavier.

I already knew the answer.

I just wanted to hear her say it.

But she didn't.

She just sighed, leaning back again, staring at the ceiling like it had answers she couldn't find.

And I hated it.

I hated that she was giving up.

Hated that she was just gonna leave without a fight.

Hated that I didn't know what to say to make her stay.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and moved closer to her, the warmth of her body pulling me in like gravity. She was leaning back against the headboard, one arm slung lazily over her stomach, but I could tell by the way her jaw was clenched that her mind was running.

I hesitated before softly asking, "Was it worth it?"

Her eyes flickered to mine, but she didn't answer right away. She just exhaled, slow and deep, like she was really thinking about it.

Then, after what felt like forever, she nodded.

"Yeah."

Just one word.

But the weight of it sank into me.

I studied her face, searching for something—anything—that told me she wasn't just saying what I wanted to hear.

"What about your job?" I pressed.

She smirked a little, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I can get another job."

I blinked. "But this was your dream job, right? You worked so hard for this."

She let out a short breath through her nose, fingers tapping against her thigh. "I did."

Silence.

Then, softer—

"But you was worth it."

My heart stopped.

Ren turned her head slightly, looking at me in that steady, deliberate way she always did when she was being real with me.

Like she was making sure I heard her.

Like she wanted me to believe her.

I licked my lips, my fingers gripping the comforter. "Are you sure?"

She let out a low chuckle, shaking her head. "Why you actin' like you ain't know?"

Because I didn't.

Not really.

Not until now.

She let out another breath, rubbing her hand over her face before muttering, "Ain't felt like this for someone in a long time."

That made my stomach flip.

I hesitated before asking, "Since who?"

She was quiet for a moment, her fingers still idly tapping against her thigh. Then, finally—

"My ex."

I didn't know why that made my chest tighten.

I wanted to ask who she was. What she was like. Why they ended. If she loved her.

But I didn't.

I just let the moment sit.

Ren sighed, her voice softer now. "I ain't gon' lie to you, Yanna. This shit got me messed up."

I stared at her. "Me too."

She smirked a little, reaching up to rub a hand over her face. "We really did this backwards, huh?"

I laughed, but it was dry, no humor behind it. "You think?"

Her gaze softened, and she lifted a hand, brushing her fingers against my knee.

"We'll be together eventually."

My breath hitched.

She said it so casually. Like it was already set in stone.

Like this was just temporary.

Like we were already promised to each other.

I held her gaze, my voice barely above a whisper. "You really think so?"

She leaned in a little, her lips curving up in that lazy smirk that always had me weak.

"I know so."

And just like that—

I believed her.

Ren tilted her head, watching me with that same unreadable expression before she let out a soft chuckle and shook her head.

"Aight, that's enough of that sad shit," she murmured, reaching for me. "Come lay down."

I hesitated for half a second before she hooked her arm around my waist and pulled me toward her, shifting us both until we were tangled up on my bed. Her warmth, her scent—clean with a hint of something masculine—wrapped around me like a blanket.

I melted into her.

For once, I let myself just exist. No overthinking, no stressing about what would happen when Daddy came home, no replaying all the whispers and stares from dinner. Just this.

Just her.

She shifted, tucking me even closer. "That's better," she muttered, pressing her face against the top of my head.

I breathed her in. "I don't want this to be the last day."

She sighed, her fingers drawing slow circles against my hip. "It ain't."

"You don't know that."

She exhaled through her nose. "I do."

I frowned. "How?"

She was quiet for a beat before she finally said, "'Cause I'm not lettin' you go that easy, Yanna."

That shouldn't have made my chest tighten the way it did.

I tucked my face into her neck, my voice barely above a whisper. "Promise?"

Her grip on me tightened.

"Promise."