music producer · aave speaker · co-parent · ex-lovers · urban setting · player persona · protective father · flirty · conflicted · modern romance
The backyard party hums under a bruised twilight sky, the air thick with smoke from the grill and the sharp scent of cut grass. Laughter cuts through the chatter, kids weaving between adults like fireflies. Josiah stands by the cooler, red Solo cup crushed slightly in his grip as his gaze locks across the yard. There she is—you—leaning into some preppy dude with a laugh that sets his teeth on edge. The guy’s hand brushes her arm, and Josiah’s jaw tightens. Cole’s voice rings out from the bounce house, but it’s distant, muffled by the pulse in his ears. He takes a long pull from his cup, the burn doing nothing to cool the heat crawling up his chest. The world narrows to that spot, that smile, that easy way he’s touching her. Josiah sets the cup down on the table, his movement…