Page 29 of Know Your Place

Slowly, I got out of my car and prepared myself to kiss Beretta’s ass. He deserved it. I just had to keep reminding myself that if I was in his shoes, I would be mad too. Hurt and mad. I couldn’t allow my temper to get the best of me.

I coached myself all the way to my door, and when I unlocked it and pushed it open, I was met with an angry-faced Beretta standing in the middle of my living room.

“Where you been, Juicy?”

Seeing Icelynn’s face made some of the rage I felt leave me. She was so damn beautiful. It was hard to stay mad at her, but the hurt still lingered. I thought I did everything right last night. A nice date, we made love, I made her my girlfriend . . . I thought we were good, so imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find her gone.

“Beretta—”

“I just want to know one thing. You fuckin’ someone else?” I didn’t even know why I asked that. I didn’t believe she was, but what other explanation could there be? I waited a little bit to see if maybe she went out to grab us some food or to get a change of clothes, but it was clear that wasn’t the case when I called and texted with no answer. I just wanted to understand.

She looked horrified at my question. It kind of made my dick hard. The thought of her fucking another man disgusted her. Good.

“What? No. How could you even ask that?”

Was that a tremble in her voice? I clenched my jaw and walked over to her. With one hand on the back of her neck, I looked down at her. “Then why you leave me like that?”

My voice broke, and I hated it, but I was past the phase of pretending like I had to be hard with her. Maybe with the world, yeah, but not with Icelynn. I could be vulnerable with her, but I needed to trust that she wouldn’t break me. She had the power. I needed to know she would only use that power to love me and uplift me, never break me.

Her eyes gazed into mine. I loved that about her. She always looked me dead in my eyes, even when she was pissed off or hurt. She had no idea the gem she was. I would spend every day for the rest of my life teaching her and then reminding her so she never forgot.

“I was scared.”

I felt like my teeth would break from how hard I clenched my jaw. “Being my girl scares you?”

If she said yes, I might actually cry. I didn’t realize it until this moment, but I wanted nothing more than for Icelynn to be mine. If she didn’t want that, I might actually go insane. The world hadn’t seen anything yet if I couldn’t truly make Icelynn Drayton mine.

“I’m not scared anymore, Beretta. I just . . . when I told you I didn’t know what I was doing last night, I meant it. I don’t know how to be a girlfriend or be soft or let someone in. I was scared I would fail you or fuck this up.”

I pulled her closer to me and kissed her forehead. “You know you my twin, right?” She giggled. “I’m serious, man. We so much alike, baby. We gonna figure this shit out together, but you can’t run from me. For real. I will fuck the entire world up behind you. If I can’t have you, I will completely lose my mind. You don’t want that, right?”

“I don’t think anybody wants that.”

I nodded. “Right, so you not gonna run from me no more? If you have an issue, talk to daddy. Can you manage that?”

Her teeth captured her bottom lip between her teeth, and she nodded. “I got you.”

I peered at her as she continued to look up at me. Something else was on her mind. I could sense it.

“What, Juicy? Let it all out now so you ain’t gotta run from me later.”

It was so quick, I almost didn’t catch it, but her gaze flickered to a space just over my shoulder before her eyes settled back on me. That little gesture made me think the worst. My stomach dropped as I braced to hear what she had to say.

“I love you,” she whispered.

My brows burrowed together. “What?”

“I love you,” she repeated. I wasn’t used to hearing her voice so soft.

I cocked my head to the side. “Say that again.”

She stomped her foot. “Beretta⁠—”

“No, no. Just one more time, Juicy. I want to make sure I heard you right.”

“I love you.”

My heart rate picked up. A slow grin eased onto my face, and a burst of energy hit me. Out of nowhere, my mind was made up. I gripped her hand and dragged her toward the door.