I don’t ask women out. Not ‘cause I can’t.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8XMkOZ5py
But ‘cause I don’t like giving people that kind of power.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5NfThH80v
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWkvZcWxjH
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHm7U5aeTLd
But Brielle?58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemGnIXyvzT
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rDunpKN7b
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrtNgZGXJx
She had me doing shit I don’t normally do.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9iO7rzLZc
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQoTKpDKI3
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRGAkxAqjk
I’d seen her twice since that rooftop night. Both times, the vibe was there—undeniable. She’d look at me with those eyes like she knew I was dangerous but didn’t care. And I’d look at her like I already made peace with the fact that if this went bad, it’d be my fault for getting too close.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlT0O5UuFa
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7o9Nou1dH
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNVfOioml8
So I pulled up to No Chill ATL around closing time. Waited ‘til the last drunk couple stumbled out and the lights dimmed.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAl0wAOst1w
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHUpnaXRl8
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnfun23ET9
She was wiping down tables, music low in the background, hair tied up, lip gloss shining like she was trying to distract me.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3vhZ44J60
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCUiiXRUUC
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnyUxjALRx
I stood by the bar and waited. She didn’t even look up.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJu9YpIbNAF
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZmO3QV4pe
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLQhMIwWuB
“You just gon’ stand there breathing all heavy like you tryna memorize me?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDUlHXEniF
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6q1qenA2pT
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9XOgB0xjE
“Something like that.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlnWHx0Omk
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpr4950VYIa
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyvTLRpKi8
She glanced at me, smirked, then went back to wiping.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9beoncM9o
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pC9WNbPQf
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5cDbYYN17
I stepped closer.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGw6q9XIag
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYkctCS57B
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvBJTkNL2v
“Let me take you out.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwSxbQ3V4S
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLCZvICyf8
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡug0N3uBny1
She froze for half a second—barely—but I caught it.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDpP1JG7Yj
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq644kp26vS
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbfLDzLlQN
“Out where?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqYM0SZKq4
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccTvdVX2oJ
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXA8XhzUFCD
“Somewhere that don’t got dice, drinks, or dollar signs attached to it.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqfNyOatin
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4HE0PJMj0
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWFaGDQov6
“So… what? Church?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBur1hEKKYM
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUzhhxzwu4
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDXqlO1Nrf
I laughed. She had jokes.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zavc6bV6D
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nPMDFwwlJ
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qKYEUmu3c
“Nah, not church. But somethin’ light. You, me, real food. Real conversation.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpEvyvaphE
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbctH5MQDM
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF71bGmGiS8
She set the rag down and leaned on the table, eyes narrowed like she was trying to figure out if I was serious.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ146upe5lHZ
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMg3fQwRBM
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOqatzKbvr
“You asking me out? Or tryna collect a debt?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXxv78gSZl
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpY5XHgTv7
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8iF8rKOVK
“I’m askin’.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡID896PW9VG
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtPCjJB0hr
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjvSmQjA63
“And what if I say no?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWODH2oARiC
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8BedFwsAS
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TYQxMd6O1
“Then I’ll ask again next week. And the one after that.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaD6BngB4g
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOguq8eTnF7
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvhR4Zeq5k
She tilted her head like she was trying to hide her smile, then shrugged.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizobGx4I7K
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6tUixkEWI
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkK2tiQp2W
“I mean… I guess if I ain’t got nothin’ better to do.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5004PWiE0r
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguhkJlion1
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvOBoUez6u
I stepped in a little closer.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0K5W7n5AUh
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfnK1saaiC
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdgOhNTQRc
“So that’s a yes?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrt0xOuIYkv
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGx57BfchW
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdya3xNgW2I
“It’s a ‘maybe I’ll let you spend your money on me if I get bored.’”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8mDpnzfRS
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGmSNAhXIa
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZ7wc873v1
I just smiled.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkblu4kZGO
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7Xo2A93V8
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6ce5KcPQm
“Cool. I’ll send you the address. Saturday. Don’t be late.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yZcBHyp4F
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmnVCsDXui
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbvfU8F8kv
“I don’t do late. I just do entrances.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7xCE5tlp7
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX2Lj1vPh1
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNpjeitKuq
She turned around and walked away, hips swinging like she knew damn well what she was doing to me.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGD9CiW47AJ
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKYhwvpX1o
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlu2DhRFAW
And me?58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLPcvVrTbH
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxgStzjocy
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdAVU9t6my
I left grinning like a damn fool.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnBMzEfmmp
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiITOg8XJE
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE12tC1xsJx
She said yes.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgVbTU6I55
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSoWAko1hS
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcW0qoHJQU
Even if she tried to play like she didn’t mean it, I saw it in her eyes.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvLa49G7l3
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMenchcFYHE
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnlZyQQNx5
She was just as curious as I was.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡce35ADAUx0
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPpNuEleUu
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFyFdGONQn
And now?58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2BPRnswYS
We were about to find out exactly what that curiosity could turn into.
The restaurant wasn’t fancy—just a little spot tucked away with flickering candles and vinyl records playing low in the background. But to me, it was perfect.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjO5lYgqm3O
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUhD5vkQq7
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYlVQ39Fpg
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEcx5LtEpw
She showed up looking like she owned every room she walked into, lips curved like she was daring me to mess up. I couldn’t help but smile.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyoWcFXisr
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GvNpZ84qH
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbezkjBm7S
We ordered food, talked about everything and nothing. Music. Childhood. The kind of shit that makes the world feel small enough to hold in your hands.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbAyKkfCtE
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCzWSRn5WX
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbWV03MBDt
But there was tension beneath it all.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LcEHE0dV1
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6znKhWCb7h
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeagYYFPHwO
She kept glancing at her phone, like she was waiting on a message or trying to stay ready for a text from a past I didn’t belong in. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I didn’t.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIXfRJ9eSG
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ180I69xqS9
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmH95N7gJzo
Until I slipped.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotcXNh9NEl
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSn2sh63vpZ
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZhV2XTON9
I was telling her about growing up in a house with seven brothers—loud, chaotic, rough around the edges. Then I said something I hadn’t meant to say out loud.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNgC2jw366
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5m8oWmohyk
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1vEDcmwC0
“Sometimes… I feel like I gotta control everything else ‘cause the one thing I can’t control is how people see me.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfZhjZaQbw
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQP2rCxtYC
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1bDVGgc2G
She looked at me then, not like I was Kairo the tough guy, but Kairo the man hiding cracks under the surface.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0m3KNdzep
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3vlnmHoP8
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSJu3NWm7L
That silence wasn’t awkward. It was real.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhh8GL47HM
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtN4y9ruho2
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0p8ir0kyba
She reached across the table and brushed her fingers over mine.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkrbhCg25x
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKMu2QkSxk
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxiho0yB22
“That’s a lot to carry.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt928GF6WXe
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNxaEZvRHO
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEchBGv77IX
“Yeah… but it’s my shit.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqj965yZPU3
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FK1WURiPg
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjR7vlTW4v
After dinner, I took her back to my place—a small, clean apartment with just enough space to feel like home. That’s where she saw it.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTQA0iRS1L
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4ZXTRiV6W
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXcZgEJllE
The way every book on my shelf was perfectly aligned.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKWkSWVBqk
How the dishes were stacked by size and color.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSjhq11OjS
The way I checked the locks twice before sitting down.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX79ZZcR6kD
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSn3INWTvMB
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmpS8cLHSH
“You’re kinda… particular.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J60Tgx2n6
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsSkY3p0Vn
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyAe94r0hS
I laughed it off, but she caught the edge.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPhoTau1byT
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhivekWj6hF
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLaLVB4hs8
“I got OCD. It’s like a voice in my head telling me things gotta be right or I can’t breathe.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyVVPBMaNM
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXMs0Z6Jw3
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfF3JdaH818
She nodded like she understood that struggle more than I’d thought.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EfowitQSc
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82WGzjZnUb
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLGAvLx7Lt
Just then, my brothers showed up—three of them—each one a little different, but all loud and protective. They joked around with Brielle, throwing playful jabs but making sure she felt included.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCTKDgSuJi
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99TrRkrhYw
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1KELR1CUA
She smiled like she was already fighting her way into our world.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6sR3QMk07
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKU11A8sV2D
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgC6oTN94T
That night, between the neat lines and the rough edges, something shifted.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPTngLXyRR
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLi4K0y765Z
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KuvJtQnMg
I wasn’t just a tough guy anymore.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShPnvOQD1L
And she wasn’t just the girl behind the bar.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zJMwFCJXt
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuizWgadMKc
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5CULyGxfE
We were starting to be something real.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NTj1n1YTa
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUR59plNMG
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gZxbw4v3d
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdRbs3Jy9F
