I nodded, running a hand over my locs. “She was the heart of everything. Being with her, it made everything else fall away. She made me want to be better, to stop pretending and just...be.”
Selena studied me for a moment, her expression unreadable. “You know you can’t fix this by avoiding her, right?”
I looked away, the weight of her words pressing down on me. “I don’t even know where to start,” I admitted. “She’s hurt, and she has every right to be. What can I even say that would make a difference?”
“The truth,” Selena said simply, her voice firm. “No more half-truths, no more avoiding it. Just tell her the truth and let her decide what to do with it.”
I met her gaze, my chest tight. “What if it’s too late?”
She shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Then at least you’ll know you tried. Naima’s not the kind of woman who gives her heart easily. If she gave it to you, there’s still a chance.”
As she stood to leave, she slung her bag over her shoulder, pausing to give me a long, appraising look. “You’re not the guy your father wants you to be, Lennox. But you’re still figuring out who you are. Naima deserves to see the man you’re becoming, not the one you were trying to be.”
I nodded, her words hitting deeper than I expected. “Thanks, Selena. Really.”
I had a question before she left,” How did you know I’d be here?”
She smiled, but before she walked away, I couldn’t help but throw one last thing out there. “Your father, actually.”
I looked at her confused. She shrugged, sliding her manicured fingers through her bob. “Who knows why some parents do what they do. But it seems he wants to see you be happy.”
I struggled to believe that, but wouldn’t burden her with my doubt. I appreciated her coming this way just to get me to see about the woman who stole my heart.
I looked at the address she left in my hand, and I knew. I needed to see Naima, but first, I needed to face my father.
20
NAIMA
Itook a deep breath, stretching my arms overhead as I melted into my favorite morning flow, feeling my body align, each muscle lengthening and releasing. The backyard was my sanctuary, a quiet haven where I could shed the weight of everything I’d been carrying. The air was soft with the scent of pine, and a gentle breeze whispered against my skin. I breathed deeply, feeling my spirit lift as I sank further into myself, reaching for that elusive inner light, that sense of peace that seemed to slip through my fingers every time I thought of him.
I closed my eyes, focusing on my breath, allowing my thoughts to drift away as I tuned into my heart, visualizing a bright light radiating from within me. For a moment, I felt weightless, free, as if I were hovering somewhere above my body, bathed in that light. I felt at peace, finally able to let go.
And then I heard his voice.
“I could watch you all day.”
My eyes flew open, my concentration shattered, and I lost my balance, stumbling forward out of my pose. Strong hands caughtme before I could fall, steadying me, and I looked up into the last face I expected to see—Lennox’s.
“Careful,” he murmured, his hands warm and steady on my arms as he helped me to my feet, his expression as intense as the first time I’d seen him, but softer somehow, touched by something I couldn’t quite read.
I stared at him, my heart pounding as I took in his presence. The sunlight cast a golden glow over his skin, and his locs hung loose, strands of golden-brown hair falling around his face as he looked down at me. He was here, really here, and my mind raced to catch up with the reality of it.
In the distance, I saw my mom and dad standing on the porch, watching us. My mom gave me a reassuring nod before taking my father’s hand and guiding him inside, leaving us alone in the backyard.
I took a step back, wrapping my arms around myself, feeling the ache of every unanswered question fill the space between us. “Lennox…what are you doing here?”
He took a breath, his gaze never leaving mine. “I had to see you, Naima. I couldn’t stay away.”
I searched his face, half expecting to find the coldness I’d seen that day at the retreat, but all I saw was warmth—something vulnerable in his eyes that made my heart falter. “You lied to me,” I whispered, the pain flaring up, sharp and raw. “You pretended to be someone you weren’t. And I was supposed to just…what, forgive that? Pretend it didn’t matter?”
He took a step closer, his hands held out in a silent plea. “I know I hurt you, Naima. And I know I can’t take it back. I’m not here to make excuses, but I need you to understand why. I’ve been chasing my father’s approval since I was a kid—since my mom died. When she was gone, it was like the light in our house died too. My father stopped being a dad and became… this force. Unmovable. Unyielding.”
His voice cracked, and he dragged a hand over his face, his fingers trembling. “Everything I did, every choice I made, was about trying to make him see me. To make him proud. And when he told me to go to the retreat, to assess it for investment… I wanted to prove to him I could handle it. But I also thought—just maybe—I could do it my way. I could blend what he wanted with what I loved. Fitness, helping people. It started off like that.”
My chest tightened, my anger tangled with an unexpected thread of empathy. I could see it—the weight he’d been carrying, the shadows of grief and expectation that had shaped him.
“But then I met you,” he continued, his voice raw. “You were everything I didn’t know I needed. Strong, wise, beautiful… and so damn genuine. You made me feel seen in a way I hadn’t felt in years. It terrified me because, for the first time, I wasn’t trying to please him. I was trying to be the man you deserved. I thought if I could just fix things, make the investment happen, I could give you everything you needed to keep The Three Bears alive.”
