19.

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I hadn't even realized I fell asleep, but when I woke up, I was tucked under a blanket, wrapped up in Ren's arms like I belonged there.

Her body was warm against mine, the steady rise and fall of her chest almost lulling me back to sleep. But the soft glow of my phone screen caught my eye, and I blinked a few times, adjusting to the dim light.

Missed messages. So many.

Most of them were from Rina.

Damn. I forgot to text her back earlier.

I carefully shifted, trying to slip out of Ren's grip without waking her up, but of course, that was damn near impossible. The second I moved, she stirred, her hold on me tightening for a brief moment before her sleepy, husky voice murmured,

"Where you goin'?"

I turned my head, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, a small smile tugging at mine. "I'll be back, I'm just going to the kitchen to get us a snack."

Her eyes barely cracked open, still heavy with sleep, but she nodded, trusting me like it was the most natural thing in the world before she let her arms fall away from me and turned over, falling back asleep.

I just stood there for a second, looking at her.

Even like this—bare-faced, relaxed, wrapped up in my sheets—she looked so good.

I shook my head, forcing myself to leave before I ended up crawling right back into bed with her.

The kitchen was dark and quiet when I walked in, the only sound coming from the faint hum of the fridge. I opened it, grabbing some fruit and a couple of drinks, setting them on the counter before pulling out my phone.

I dialed Rina's number, and she picked up immediately.

"Yanna!" she whisper-yelled. "Do you know how pissed I am at you right now?!"

I sighed, setting the phone between my shoulder and ear as I started fixing a plate. "I know, I know. My bad, Ri."

"Your bad?! I've been blowing up your phone all night! You got the whole internet talking, your daddy's on his way back, and you out here laid up with Big Sexy Security!"

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but smirk a little. "First of all, watch your mouth. Second of all, that's not her name."

"Whatever! You're dodging the point. What the hell happened last night?"

I hesitated for a second, then sighed, giving in. "We steamed up the limo a bit."

Rina gasped dramatically. "You what?! Oh, I gotta pray for you. No, actually—I gotta call my auntie to pray for you. 'Cause when your daddy gets there, you're dead."

My stomach twisted at the thought, but I tried to play it off. "He'll get over it."

"You sure about that?"

No.

Not even a little.

I grabbed the drinks off the counter and balanced the plate in my other hand, heading back toward my room. "Look, I don't wanna think about that right now, alright?"

Rina sighed heavily. "Fine, fine. Just... be careful, Yanna."

"I will."

"Promise?"

I hesitated, then sighed. "Promise."

"Good. Now, text me back next time, hoe."

I laughed, shaking my head as I hung up.

By the time I got back to my room, Ren was still knocked out, her chest rising and falling slowly.

As soon as I slid back into bed, Ren stirred, her arms immediately wrapping around me, pulling me back into her warmth like she had been waiting on me.

I barely had time to settle before she buried her face in my neck, her voice still thick with sleep.

"Back so soon?"

I huffed, trying to pull away slightly. "Ren, I was tryna eat."

She chuckled against my skin, but instead of letting me go, she reached over to the nightstand, grabbing a handful of grapes and strawberries.

Before I could process what she was doing, she popped a grape between my lips.

I blinked, caught completely off guard.

Ren just smirked, watching me as I chewed. "Go 'head, eat."

She picked up another grape, holding it between her tattooed fingers, bringing it to my lips again.

I stared at her for a second, but when she didn't move, I reluctantly took it, feeling my cheeks heat.

I wasn't used to this.

This kind of intimacy.

I wasn't used to someone taking care of me like this, like it was natural. Like I deserved it.

I swallowed, looking at her as she grabbed a strawberry this time, holding it up expectantly.

"Ren..." I started, my voice softer now. "You don't gotta do this."

Her smirk faltered slightly, and she tilted her head, searching my face. "Do what?"

I shrugged, looking down at my hands. "This. Being all... sweet and shit. You don't gotta act different for me."

Ren was quiet for a second before she sat up slightly, resting on her forearm. "You think I'm actin'?"

I hesitated, glancing at her.

She studied me for a moment, then shook her head. "I ain't acting, Yanna. This just how I am."

My throat tightened slightly. "With everybody?"

Her expression softened. "No. Just with you."

I stared at her, my heart picking up pace.

She picked up another grape, brushing her fingers against my lips as she fed it to me. "You ain't used to this, huh?"

I swallowed hard. "Not really."

Ren sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "That's a shame."

I looked at her, my chest tightening.

She didn't say anything else—just kept feeding me, touching me, looking at me like I was worth it.

Ren let out a deep chuckle, shaking her head as she ran her fingers up and down my arm. "We can't spend our last day together stuck in bed, Yanna."

I groaned dramatically, rolling onto my stomach and burying my face into the pillow. "Yes, we can." My voice came out muffled, but I didn't care.

She smirked, sitting up slightly as she stretched, the muscles in her arms flexing. "Nah, I'm serious. Let's go do something."

I peeked up at her, pouting. "Ren, I finally got you to myself. Why would I waste that time doing something that doesn't involve you holding me?"

She chuckled again, but there was something softer in her eyes when she looked at me. "That's cute, but you know what's even cuter?"

I raised a brow. "What?"

She leaned down, her voice low and teasing. "Spending our last day making a memory that don't just involve this bed."

I blinked, my lips parting slightly.

The way she said it... the way she was looking at me... it did something to me.

But still, I stayed dramatic.

I flopped onto my back and sighed, staring at the ceiling. "I guess you got a point..."

She nudged me, grinning. "I know I do."

I turned my head toward her, my voice soft. "Where would we even go?"

Ren thought for a second before shrugging. "Somewhere fun. Ain't gotta be crazy. Just something for us."

I bit my lip, watching her.

I loved the way she said us.

The idea of making a memory that was just ours...

Maybe she was right.

Maybe we shouldn't waste this day.

I sighed dramatically again. "Fine. But only if you promise to let me be clingy when we get back."

Ren smirked, reaching over and grabbing my chin between her fingers. "Yanna, you can be as clingy as you want."

My cheeks burned, and I tried to play it off, but she had already seen the effect she had on me.

I rolled my eyes and sat up, grabbing my phone. "You better not back out on that promise."

She grinned, shaking her head. "I won't."

I stretched, still wrapped up in the warmth of Ren's arms, not really wanting to move.

She had a point—spending our last day together just laying in bed felt kind of pathetic, but at the same time, I didn't care. I just wanted to be near her.

I yawned, pressing my face into her shoulder. "What if we buy something fun, then come back and cuddle?"

Ren chuckled, her chest shaking against me. "That's the compromise?"

I nodded. "Yup."

She sighed like she was thinking it over, then smirked. "Aight, I can rock with that."

I grinned, sitting up. "Where we going?"

She slid out of bed, stretching before grabbing her phone. "You'll see."

I followed her out to one of the tinted security trucks, sliding into the passenger seat as Ren got in next to me. The driver pulled off smoothly, and I turned to her expectantly. "So?"

She leaned back, scrolling through her phone. "Walmart."

I blinked. "Walmart?"

She nodded.

I frowned. "What the hell is that?"

Ren's head snapped up, her expression a mix of amusement and disbelief. "You don't know what Walmart is?"

I shook my head. "Is it a restaurant?"

Ren burst out laughing, shaking her head. "Yo, you for real?"

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously."

She was still grinning, like this was the funniest thing in the world. "It's a store."

I leaned back. "Like... a mall?"

She smirked. "No, baby, a store. One big-ass store with everything."

I raised a brow. "Everything?"

She nodded. "Everything. Clothes, electronics, groceries, toys, furniture, snacks, games—"

I gasped, cutting her off. "Groceries and clothes in the same place? That's ghetto."

Ren laughed harder, gripping the bridge of her nose. "Nah, that's convenient."

I crossed my arms. "Who shops there?"

Ren gave me a look. "Everybody but you, apparently."

I sucked my teeth. "It sounds ugly."

She smirked. "That's how you know it's real."

As the truck pulled up to the store, I leaned forward, peering out the tinted window. The parking lot was full, carts everywhere, kids running around, people loading up their cars with big blue bags.

The bright yellow Walmart sign looked... cheap. The building wasn't sleek or modern. It was just... there.

I made a face. "It's ugly."

Ren shook her head, still grinning. "That's the charm."

The truck came to a stop, and before I could even unbuckle, Ren turned to me. "Stay in the car."

I frowned. "Why?"

She tilted her head, giving me a look. "You wanna be on another news article?"

I pouted immediately. "But I wanna go inside."

Ren smirked, clearly enjoying my reaction. "And I wanna keep my job."

I huffed, crossing my arms. "You probably lost it already."

She chuckled, leaning closer. "That's still up in the air, princess. Don't make it worse."

I sucked my teeth, flopping back in my seat. "This is oppression."

Ren laughed, reaching over to tilt my chin up with her fingers. "Good girl."

My stomach flipped, but I refused to let it show. Instead, I just rolled my eyes and looked away. "Whatever. Just hurry up."

She smirked, dragging her thumb over my chin before finally pulling away and stepping out of the truck.

I watched her disappear into the store, my arms still crossed as I stared out the window, pouting.

This better be worth it.

I sighed, shifting in my seat, still pouting. Ren was really just gonna leave me sitting here while she went inside that... Walmart place.

I huffed and pulled out my phone, scrolling mindlessly. Social media was already flooded with pictures of us, but I didn't wanna look at that right now. Instead, I opened up my messages, finally responding to Rina, who had been spamming me since last night.

Before I could even type a full reply, Ren's phone started buzzing next to me.

I frowned. She must've left it by accident. She never left her phone anywhere.

I glanced at the screen.

Bari.

I stared at the name, my brow furrowing.

Who the hell was Bari?

I didn't recognize that name. And as far as I knew, Ren didn't have that many friends.

I hesitated for a second, but curiosity got the best of me. I swiped to answer.

The second I put the phone to my ear, a loud, deep voice boomed through the speaker.

"Finally, nigga! I been callin' your ass all night—yo, you good? What the hell happened? Niggas talkin' 'bout you got caught up with some rich girl, all over the blogs 'n' shit. You straight?"

I blinked, startled.

Whoever this was, he was loud as hell.

Before I could even think, I responded. "Uh, this isn't Ren."

There was a pause.

Then—"Who the fuck is this?"

I raised an eyebrow. Excuse me?

"Who is this?" I shot back.

A beat of silence. Then, the guy—Bari, I guess—laughed.

"Damn, shorty. You sound just like a lil' princess for real. She got you answering her phone now? That's crazy."

I sucked my teeth. The fuck?

"Who are you?" I repeated, not in the mood for games.

Bari chuckled again. "I'm her peoples. Been her peoples. You must be the girl she 'bout to risk it all for."

I narrowed my eyes. Her peoples?

I had never heard Ren mention a Bari before.

"And what if I am?" I asked, testing him.

Bari laughed again, but this time, there was something different in it. Like he knew something I didn't.

"Then I hope you know what you doin'," he said smoothly. "Ren got a habit of makin' shit complicated."

My grip tightened on the phone. The hell did that mean?

Before I could respond, I spotted Ren coming out of the store, carrying a big-ass bag.

I straightened up, still holding the phone to my ear.

Bari must've noticed my silence because he spoke again, his voice a little lower this time. "Tell her to call me."

Then—he hung up.

I stared at the screen, my mind racing.

Ren opened the truck door, sliding in next to me.

"Alright, baby," she said, setting the bag down. "We good to—"

She stopped mid-sentence, her sharp eyes immediately locking onto her phone in my hand.

Her expression shifted. "Who was that?"

I turned to her slowly, my face unreadable.

"Bari."

Ren's expression barely changed, but I noticed the way her grip tightened slightly on the bag in her lap. A flicker of something passed over her face—quick—before she nodded, brushing it off like it was nothing.

"Oh, aight."

I frowned slightly. "Who is that?"

She reached into the bag, pulling out a bottle of water like I hadn't just asked her a direct question. Then, finally, she shrugged. "My homeboy."

That made me pause. "Since when do you have homeboys?"

She turned to look at me, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Damn. Why wouldn't I have friends?"

I hesitated, then shrugged. "I don't know... You just don't talk about them."

I wasn't trying to start anything, but it was true. Ren didn't open up much. She was always the listener, the protector. Even when we were together, she focused on me. It never felt like she was holding back—until now.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "I got friends, baby. I just don't be talkin' about my life like that."

I stayed quiet for a second, rolling that over in my head.

It wasn't like I thought she was lying or anything. But it did make me realize how much I didn't know about her.

I sighed, picking at my nails. "I guess I just feel like... I don't know much about your life."

Ren's teasing expression softened a little.

She set the bag down, then reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together. "Ain't nothin' crazy to know. I just keep to myself."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. "That's kinda my point, though."

She rubbed her thumb over the back of my hand. "You know me, Yanna."

I shook my head. "I know what you show me."

She let out a small hum, like she was thinking about that.

Then she lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles, voice softer. "You know the parts that matter."

I sighed, looking down at our hands. I wanted to believe that.

Ren squeezed my fingers. "You really upset over this?"

I exhaled through my nose, shaking my head. "Not upset... Just thinking."

She studied me for a second, then leaned in, pressing her lips to my cheek. "I hear you, baby."

I let out a small hum, leaning into her just a little. I didn't have the right words for what I was feeling—but at least she was listening.