Aku didn’t understand why Devin thought popping up would be cool when she wasn’t answering his calls.
He grinned, not backing down. “You look good.”
She sighed. “Don’t do that.”
“I ain’t here to fight,” he spoke gently. “Just wanted to see how you was. It’s been a minute.”
“Been a minute since you told me you ain’t want no family,” she shot back, her voice low and sharp enough to cut through the bass in the speakers.
Devin’s jaw clenched as he nodded. “I was honest.”
“Yeah. And I was dumb. Thought I could love you into bein’ ready.”
“You weren’t dumb,” he said, stepping closer. “You just…loved me more than I could love myself.”
That line hit her in the chest. And it hurt because it was true.
Bu stood up, watching from the corner like a security guard on high alert. Devin glanced over, tension creeping back into the space.
“You got a minute?” Devin asked Aku.
She hesitated, then finally gave a slight nod. “One minute, nigga.”
They stepped a few feet away, just enough to talk low.
Devin spoke first. “You hate me?”
“No,” she whispered. “But I’m disappointed. I wanted you to be him so bad.”
He swallowed. “I wanted to be…still do, sometimes.”
Aku looked up at him, eyes glistening but no tears fell. “I’m not mad that you couldn’t be him. I’m mad that I kept tryna convince you that you already were.”
Devin’s head bobbed with a slow beat like he was in sync with the music. “You always deserved more.”
She smirked sadly. “And now I’m finally givin’ myself that.”
There was silence - heavy and loud.
Then he said it. “I still love you.”
She didn’t flinch, just looked him dead in the eyes. “But you don’t love what I want. You don’t love the version of me that comes with babies and legacy and Sunday dinners and soft places to land. You loved me when I was just yours. I need somebody that can love all of me—even the parts that ain’t arrived yet.”
Behind them, Bu stood still, his arms crossed, eyes unblinking…protecting her from the past even if she didn’t need him to. Because real love don’t always show up in roses and poems, sometimes it look like a big brother not letting nobody backtrack into your life without consequences.
“This ain’t the time or place for all that shoulda, coulda, woulda, shit. I’m that girl…you fumbled me…ain’t no coming back from that. It’s cool though.” Aku walked away first, chin up, heart steady.
Devin watched her leave—again—and knew this time, it was for real.
The thing about knowing what the truth is, is if you’re going to do right by it.
Devin knew he should leave well enough alone. Funny thing about love and hearts— they did what they felt was right…never what was right.
Instead of leaving the same way he came, he got cozy.
Devin finally slapped hands with Lunar, Pimp, and Devonte. A subtle nod was all he could give Bu. Their relationshiphad been strained because Devin refused to leave well enough alone…like now.
Aku rolled her eyes, truly ready for him to go. As if she needed a distraction, she received a text from Malik.
