Dayvon kept his head down, pencil moving across the page, but his eyes lifted every few seconds to catch her mouth, her lashes, the soft curve of her cheeks, the way her sleeve tattoo disappeared under her scrub jacket. "You staring hard as hell for somebody drawing," Sage said, trying to sound unbothered while her fingers tightened around her cup. Von looked back down, jaw flexing like he hated being caught. "I need to see what I'm drawing, ma." Sage's face softened before she could stop it, and Von got quiet, thumb rubbing the corner of the old sketchbook like the truth had slipped out too fast. "I was mean as fuck when you first came," he said, eyes still on the paper. "Wasn't really you. I was mad I couldn't move, mad a nigga snaked me, mad you kept looking at me like I wasn't dead yet." Von finally looked up at her, voice lower. "I want you bad, pretty girl. Street nigga way, not that soft movie shit. Like I wanna see you smile and still slap a nigga for playing with you." 08/6/26

When Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans, it didn't just destroy homes-it destroyed lives, families... and the unbreakable bond between two best friends. Dejahnae and Kentrell were inseparable, the kind of connection that felt destined, unshakable. Until the storm came and ripped them apart without warning. In the chaos, they lost everything-including each other. Left with nothing but grief and unanswered questions, both were forced to survive in a world that no longer felt like home. Ten years later, survival looks different. Kentrell is now a chart-topping rapper, known for his raw lyrics and haunted sound-but behind the fame is a man still drowning in the past. The storm never really left him. Nightmares, guilt, and a pain he can't outrun follow him everywhere he goes. And no matter how far he's come, he never stopped searching for the one person he lost that night. Dejahnae, now a trauma therapist, has dedicated her life to helping others heal... even though she never truly healed herself. She's learned how to carry pain, how to bury it, how to smile through it-but not how to let it go. When fate unexpectedly brings them face-to-face again, the reunion isn't what either of them imagined. Because love didn't disappear that night... but trust did. Old wounds reopen, buried truths rise to the surface, and the question they've both avoided for years finally demands an answer- Did you leave me... or did I lose you? As past and present collide, Dejahnae and Kentrell must confront the storm that still lives inside them. Because this time, it's not just about finding each other again... It's about deciding if they can survive each other.

"I treated them bad I wouldn't be mad if i was to get treated the same way... so treat me the same way."

"Want It Back In Blood, And Blood, I'm Gonna Get, And Still, I Pray For Love Instead Of Common Sense." - Mariah The Scientist.

Kamiyah has spent years helping women feel beautiful in the wedding dresses she designs, but no amount of lace, satin, or hand sewn pearls has ever convinced her that she deserves to feel the same. As the owner of a small bridal boutique in Chicago, she's mastered the art of making every bride shine while quietly hiding from her own reflection. A few storefronts away, Dayvon Bennett owns one of the busiest barbershops in the neighborhood, a place where everybody gathers, laughs, argues, and feels at home. What starts as exchanged glances across the street slowly turns into shared lunches, late night conversations, and a love neither of them saw coming. But as Kamiyah battles years of self doubt and learns to silence the voice telling her she'll never be enough, Dayvon refuses to let her see herself through anyone else's eyes. Sometimes the hardest thing to tailor isn't a wedding dress, it's the courage to believe you're worthy of being loved exactly as you are.