LOGINExplicit Talks Ahead Maya’s POVI stayed right where I was, straddling Shane, watching that look in his eyes shift into something softer.He leaned up just enough to kiss me, quick and warm. I laughed against his lips, still finishing my food like nothing in the world was rushing us.“Come on,” I said after a second, exhaling. “Let’s go take our nap.”He kissed me again before standing, lifting me with him like I weighed nothing. I wrapped my arms around his neck, laughing as he carried me down the short hallway.“This better be the master,” I teased. “Because I didn’t check the other room.”“It is,” he muttered, smiling.And yeah… it was. Big, open, and quiet, just perfect.He eased us down onto the bed, bracing himself so he didn’t put his full weight on me. I shifted slightly beneath him, wrapping my legs around his waist.“I thought we were taking a nap,” I murmured.“We are,” he said softly, kissing the tip of my nose.I laughed. “Okay.”He kissed me again, slow this time, befor
Shane’s POV It was a beautiful day.As we drove up toward Jordan Lake, I couldn’t help but smile. Something about this felt… different. Peaceful in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.This was about to be my home away from home for the next few days.Just me…And this gorgeous woman beside me.And when I say we were about to have fun?Yeah… we were about to have fun.I had already arranged for groceries to be delivered ahead of time, so I was hoping everything would be waiting for us when we got there.And sure enough…As I pulled up to the secluded A-frame cabin tucked deep in the woods, I spotted the bags sitting neatly on the porch. The nearest neighbors were a good five minutes out, and the quiet out here?It hit different.Maya looked over at me, her face lighting up instantly.“Oh my God,” she said, smiling wide. “It has a dock… and kayaks. We should go kayaking tomorrow.”I chuckled. “Yeah… why not? Let’s try it.”She leaned over and kissed me, quick but warm.I pulled up clos
Maya’s POV I am so fucking excited.Yeah, I said it exactly like that.Last night, I already dropped Gabby off at my mom’s house, and of course my brother was there… along with his stuck-up-ass wife. He was going on and on about work, talking about how he had to write up more than half the staff because they kept coming in late, and the supervisor didn’t give a damn. Didn’t even act like he wanted the position.Honestly, I see why Keisha brought my brother in. It makes sense.But then, like always, Alexis had something to say.She rolled her eyes at me and said, “You don’t never keep your children.”I turned to her real slow.“First of all, I don’t have children. I have a child. And you really shouldn’t be speaking, because you don’t keep yours either. When you were in Arizona, your sister had them. Now you’re in Chicago, and my mama got them. So as a stay at-home wife, shouldn’t you be taking care of your own kids?”Yeah… that went left real fast.We started arguing out loud, and we
Shane’s POVEverything had been going good.No, better than good.It actually felt like a real family vacation for once. Isla was there with us, going to the parks, eating breakfast and dinner with us, laughing with the kids… acting like a mom.That alone had me thrown off.Even my cousin Stephanie pulled me to the side at one point like, what the hell is going on? Because Isla had never been like that before.Everything was smooth.All the way up until Tuesday night.I was bringing my bags downstairs, getting everything together for the morning. Isla was still over at my cousin’s house, and I was talking to Stephanie’s husband when he asked,“So you’ll be ready to go in the morning? What’s the plan?”“I’m gonna return the van,” I told him. “Then catch a shuttle to the airport.”That’s when Isla’s voice cut in.“What are you doing?”I turned, confused. “What do you mean?”“What do you mean you’re leaving?”“I’m leaving,” I said plainly.Her face twisted. “So you’re just gonna leave ou
Keisha’s POV I take a deep sigh because, yeah… I just got that call, from Kole, and yeah, I have to take off on Thursday. I go ahead and alert the team that I won’t be in, keeping it simple because this situation? It’s already messy enough. I lean back in my chair, shaking my head slowly. Now how in the hell do you go to another state… and the previous state’s system doesn’t flag that you already filed for child support, didn’t produce a child, and got everything thrown out? It doesn’t make sense. One thing I can say about Wisconsin, though is they don’t just slap child support on somebody without proof. They actually require a DNA test and all that. So maybe she didn’t think that part through. Or maybe she did… and just doesn’t care. Either way, we’ll be there with all our documentation, and hopefully this gets tossed out just as fast as the last one. Still… I don’t know why she’s wasting her time. Kole said he was gonna do something drastic. I don’t know what that means ye
Kole’s POVMonday rolled around fast as hell.I made sure to get my baby girl up and ready, holding her against my chest while she played with my tie like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. I glanced over at Keisha, and something about her felt… off.I cocked an eyebrow. “You okay, Keisha?”She sighed, dragging a hand down her face. “I’m dreading going into this office. Hopefully I don’t have another quote, unquote gag gift sitting on my desk.” She paused, then added, “Plus… I haven’t been feeling well lately.”That had my full attention.I looked at her more seriously now. “Do we need to take a trip to the doctor? You turning into Sienna or something?”She burst out laughing. “I’m on birth control.”I raised an eyebrow higher. “You know Sienna got pregnant on birth control twice.”She shot me a look. “Don’t put that shit on me. I am not pregnant. It’s just… Chicago winter weather always changing, allergies, and whatever.”I smirked. “It’s not winter. It’s spring.”She la
Shane’s POVTuesday morning 6:15 amTuesday slid in like it always did... loud, early, and completely uninterested in how tired I was.I wake up. Shower. Dress. Get the kids up. Make breakfast.Survive breakfast.Drop them off.Week day clockwork schedule.Except… today, the universe decided to re
Maya’s POVMonday AfternoonI let out a slow breath as I put the final stroke on the third canvas.Done.Three commissioned paintings for Goldman Sachs for thirty-five thousand dollars once they are completed. I should be floating. I should be buzzing with pride. And I am… a little.But if I’m bein
Isla’s POVMonday morning. 7:45 a.m.The front door slams hard enough to rattle the picture frames in the hallway, and I sigh into my pillow like I’m annoyed, but truthfully, I’ve been awake for a while.Probably longer than Shane has.He loves mornings. Loves routines. Loves feeling productive bef
Shane’s POVMonday Morning 6:30 A.M.I wake up to silence.Not the peaceful kind. The kind that makes you aware of what’s missing.For the first time in a long while, there’s no warm body beside me, and for once, it isn’t my wife that I’m noticing the absence of.That thought settles heavy in my c







