Walking into Adrian's house I must say he overreacted. Firstly let me just say that the outside is really beautiful. A blue-ish grey color with white trimming, craftsman styled house. Now looking at the entry way view of what's inside and it is just as nice.

Taking a moment to take everything in, I walked a little further inside. I was instantly drawn to the exposed high wood ceilings. He has this massive rustic looking beam standing near the kitchen and it complimented the dark hardwood flooring as well.

The white crown molding and huge wooden doors looked handmade, and carved. Oh and the furniture, I can tell a woman decorated. With all the added accent fixtures everywhere and the tufted taupe leather sofas.

"This is really nice babe, who decorated?"

You better not say some girl you use to know.

"I did." He said way to quickly.

"Seriously who decorated?"

He laughed. "My mama, she loves taking on task like this. I told her to do whatever she wanted. She know what I liked and disliked for the most part."

Good answer sir.

"Well she did an amazing job. I love all the artwork and sculptures."

"Now that I can take credit for. I want to show you something real quick." He grabbed my hand and we walked upstairs down a long hallway, at the end of the hall was a door. The slightly ajar door was much taller than the others. We walked inside and he flipped on the lights.

"Woah." Looking at all the paintings and sculptures everywhere. The room was filled with all of Adrian's art pieces.

He laughed.

"What is, --how did you, --when?" I looked around confused.

"This is my favorite room in the house. I come here to unwind."

"I remembered a couple of months ago you finally told me you painted as a hobby. You never said you were this serious or good at it. You downplayed it, you're talented."

He smiled. "Thank you."

He walked off into an opening behind the wall. I stood taking everything in. He has easels everywhere. On each wall he painted a different nature scene. One wall had an up close view of a grasshopper hopping off a pavement towards some grass. It look so real, its like one of those things you can stare at all day.

Then the opposite wall had a painting of a beach with sea shells washed up on the shore. The details in the sand is spot on and life like. The wall that stood out the most was the painting of the lion, this wall was in the middle. The lion looked defeated, had open wounds. All types of cuts and blood stains on his coat. Had sorrow in its eyes looking straight ahead into the distance.

I started giggling at the fact that I just thought the lion looked defeated. As if it ever could. The lion is still living so no defeat there. He will heal and be stronger to fight again.

"When you're done join me please." Adrian said from the other room.

Curious to see where he was exactly, I went to see. If I didn't see him walk back there I wouldn't have known where he was. It's a hidden opening behind the wall.

"What are you doing?" I walked over to him.

"This is for you." He placed this neatly wrapped gift in front of me. My heart fluttered.

As I stood unwrapping my gift, he leaned against his desk watching me.

"Adrian." I whined. "I can't believe you did this, wow."

I stood gazing at this beautiful painting of myself. It looked like a photograph, so much life in my eyes. Even the details in my hair, every strand in place.

"When did you paint this, I definitely remember that lip shade and I remember my hair like this." I smiled staring at it.

"You remember when I snuck that screenshot on a FaceTime call."

"That's right you did then tried to play it cool talking about oops, you said you deleted it."

He laughed, then reached his hand in his pocket taking out a box. He placed the small black velvet box in my hand.

"This is for you too." I looked at him crazy, holding the box in my hand. I stared wide eyed at the box then at him slowly repeating the action.

"No this isn't a proposal. Relax, —you should really see the look on your face." He laughed.

"What is this then?" I said while opening the box, not finding his joke funny. It was a beautiful cushion modified cut halo ring in rose gold. It was encased with small diamonds.

He took the ring out of the box and placed it on my right ring finger. It fit perfectly.

"I'm leaving that left ring finger vacant for now." He stared at me waiting on my response. I smiled nodding my head. I couldn't speak, I was stunned. Adrian is an amazing human being.

"I wanted you to physically have something that symbolized my commitment to you and our future together."

"I pray this ring will always make you smile especially when you get in your head and start overthinking. This is to remind you everyday that I want you and only you. I love you with everything in me." He kissed the ring on my finger.

"I promise to love, cherish and honor you. I promise to be faithful, honest, and loyal to you. I promise to respect and pray for you and us daily. I promise to protect you and always make you feel safe."

My emotions were all over the place at this point. My lips started to tremble, I still couldn't say anything.

He pulled me into him wrapping his arms around me squeezing me tight. The tears slowly streamed down my face.

"I'm so thankful, we found this amazing love between us." He added.

"Me too. Thank you so much. This is so beautiful. I love it and I love you too."

He also bought me a big stuffed lion and a box of rose gold roses from Venus Et Fleur.

"I can't believe you did all of this. How did you find flowers in rose gold, my favorite color? You're so amazing, this is overwhelming."

"I try." He chuckled.

"So was I the inspiration for the lion on the wall?" I wiped away my tears and broke away from his grasp.

"Yep, I hope I didn't offend you. I started painting it a while ago, the night after I saw your room is when I started. I was so curious to know your story. I feel like you're lion like. That lion has been through so much, but no matter what he will always be a lion."

I stared at him taking in everything he said and all the gestures with the gifts and love shown. Yep that's my man right there, all mine.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me, for not judging and being a great support system. Thank you for not making things stressful. Even though I know we need to discuss our future."

He stood continuing to listen. "These past few months have been amazing getting to know you. We've been in our own little world. We talk all the time and never run out of things to say. You pay attention to details on a different level." I found my place back into his arms.

He smiled leaning down to kiss me.

"Aight enough of all this, you want to hang out some more? Or you think you should get back?"

"I don't want to leave yet. I want to see the rest of your house."

"Ok."

He showed me the rest of the house. Everything is very modern crafted with soft colors everywhere. We found ourselves sitting in his living room cuddled up on the sofa. We were watching reruns of Martin.

I snuggled up closer to him.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked while rubbing on my arm.

"Twenty one questions?" I challenged.

"Aight, no holding back and no judgement."

"Ok you first." I said eagerly.

He thought for a second. "Are you happy? —I mean I know you're going through a lot, but are you happy being with me?"

"Yes, absolutely. Why would you ask that?" I asked looking up at him curiously.

"Just making sure, I know you're at a point where you have to do a lot of decision making for yourself and I don't want to sway you either way. Also this feud with you and Mike, —are you going to be ok with things like this?"

"I am happy." I said, squirming and grinning. "I am my most happiest I've ever been now. Me opening up is helping too, it's refreshing.— I like having you here, on my journey with me. As for Mikey, time will tell us everything. I love him but I can't keep living with him suffocating me. I pray someday he will see us as a good thing." I paused. "My turn."

"Shoot, I'm an open book."

"When was the last time you had sex?" I quizzed.

"Whoa, what the hell?" He asked scratching the back of his head while nervously chuckling. I looked at him as serious as ever. "No limits huh? I wasn't excepting you to ask that."

I waited.

He sighed. "You remember that night me, your brother and the squad went out to Leah's job at the club?"

"Yeah, I remember. That's was the first time Mikey actually left me alone."

"That night." He nodded a little, glancing at me.

"Oh ok."

He turned me around to face him then held on to me."It was random."

"Is that how you normally would do it, just go up to random girls?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"Yep."

"Oh." I replied simply nodding.

"So why weren't you interested in seeing her again?" I continued to question.

"She was cool, but I wasn't interested in her long term. I guess more like a distraction."

"So you used her?"

"Nah it was mutual, I met her at the club. She gave me a private dance both of us was feeling it. So I decided to see if she wanted to take it further and she did. Got back to her spot and there you go. She wanted it to happen."

"So this was the girl who wanted to get in contact with you again?"

"Yeah but I declined, it was random. We didn't even know each other's real names."

"So you were out there risking your life?"

He paused, he seem slightly taken back by my line of questions."I don't have anything if that's what you're asking. I had a check up since then. Plus I used a condom."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be judging. If you could just forget I brought it up."

"I'm not going to lie to you, I was all over the place with it. So I understand your reasons for asking." He moved my hair out of my face.

"I'm not interest in that anymore. I want more than that and that's with you Raina Lorrin Jackson." He responded making me smile. I leaned in getting more comfortable in his arms. He continued to rub my arm.

"You said you needed a distraction? From what?"

"You don't miss shit." He realized making us both laugh.

"More like from who, I told you I tried to fight my feelings for you. There I was in the club with women everywhere and I was thinking about you. Shit would drive me crazy."

"Hmm." I tried to act unimpressed, but failed miserably. Which made him smile.

"Anymore questions since this game is apparently one sided."

"What do you do now when you get the urges?" I continued questioning him. He looked at me with his eyebrows raised.

"Sorry, I'm intrigued." I pouted a little playfully.

"It's cool, ask whatever you want."

"So?"

"Lots of showers, working out and then sometimes I don't fight it." He confessed.

"What do you mean you don't fight it?" I gave him an intense stare.

"Masturbation, —chill I will never cheat on you. What about you?"

"Uh." I nervously laughed, I leaned closer into his arms.

"Uh what?" He tried to mimick me.

"Um, same I guess." I mumbled.

He laughed a little. "That was cute. It's nothing wrong with self pleasure. You don't have to be nervous, I'm still just Adrian or pumpkin. —Whatever the hell you call me."

"I'm not like you, and it's Punkin. You talk about stuff like this so easily. Especially around my brother and the rest of the crew. I heard some of y'all conversations."

"We can be ruthless." He nodded.

"To put it lightly."

"If I can't be real around the people I'm closest to then I don't want to be around them period. At least not during my personal time, anytime other than that they better be either making me some money or benefitting me in someway. That's the one thing I can say we all share. The ability to make each other feel comfortable enough to talk about whatever. Which is why this stuff with your brother is really hittin' me, I broke his trust." He sighed and I nodded.

"All of us came from different paths, with different backgrounds. That's squad." He added.

I took a moment thinking. I want to be open with him. I want to be open with anybody I'm close to as well.

"Alright it's my turn, tell me something I don't know about you?"

"I had an abortion." He stopped rubbing my arm. I sat up so I could see his expression fully.

"Oh." He said not really knowing what to say to me exactly.

"Yeah it was seven almost eight years ago-"

"Wait, you were like ten years old, I didn't know girls could even get a cycle at that age?" He asked gesturing for me to lie back down and then he continued to rub my arm.

"Yeah mine started when I was nine. Anyway a few months after Mikey and I moved here, I started getting sick. I went to the doctor and found out I was pregnant."

"So not only was I raped he also impregnated me."

"Damn." He sighed.

"Yeah I never talk about it. Mikey and Mama Laurie would try to get me to talk about it but I never wanted to. I didn't see the point in it."

"I see why Mikes the way he is. He didn't feel like he could protect you. That's a lot for anybody to go through, I'm sorry baby."

"You don't need to apologize. It's hard but I'm ready now to face everything." I smiled a little.

He thought for minute, which silenced the room. "So your only sexual experience was when you were raped and molested?"

"Yeah." I mumbled.

He sighed.

"Come here." He pulled me even closer to him. It was quiet for another moment.

"Honestly this shit pisses me off. Where are they now?"

"Prison. I don't keep up with it anymore."

"What were their names again?" He continued asking.

"I'm not opening that door. I'm done with that, and I'm not giving you their names."

"I remember Dr. Mills said the last name was Nelson."

"Stop." I whined, I leaned in and bit him on his neck. I started sucking on that same spot trying to distract him. Leaving a mark.

"Oooo Raina don't do that." He pulled away.

"What if I don't want to stop?" I tried pulling him back to me.

"Ok, on that note let me get you home." He said while lightly pushing me off the chair.

I laughed.

"That shit ain't funny Rai." He smirked adjusting his pants.

I stared curiously down at the gesture.

"Its passed eleven, I know Mike's going to be pissed." He shook his head.

"Oh well it was worth it. I'm glad I got to spend some time alone with you and to see your beautiful home."

"Yeah, one more question. This is a serious one."

"Go ahead." I gestured for him to proceed.

"That wasn't your first suicide attempt, was it?"

I looked down a little embarrassed, this was left field. I wasn't expecting him to ask me that. "No, I tried when I was twelve— I got overwhelmed. I was a kid who had experienced way too much and I didn't understand the different emotions I felt. I didn't know how to handle it. School was too much, nobody understood me. I didn't fit in and I couldn't talk to Sienna. I thought it would scare her away. At least that's what I thought at the time."

"Is that when you started seeing a therapist?"

"No Mama Laurie got both me and Mikey a therapist when we got here. I went but I never really opened up to speak about anything until after my first suicide attempt at age twelve."

"You're resilient. All the years being around you and I never knew you were fighting these battles internally."

"You wouldn't have known, Mikey and Mama Laurie was right there and they didn't know exactly what was going on in my head. They tried to normalize my life as much as they could, but I was dying inside."

"Come here."

I close the space between us and wrapped my arms around him. He held me tight kissing the top of my head. He swayed us a little from side to side. This was an amazing night.

We broke apart only for me to connect our lips. We kept our eyes on each other. The kiss was slow and sensual.

He smiled into my lips. "Aight let's get you home."

"Ok."

We gathered up all of my gifts and loaded it in his SUV. He came around to help me get inside.

The drive to my house consisted of me leaning over toward Adrians seat kissing him repeatedly. My lips landed back on that mark I left, I continued sucking the life out of him. He kept his head to the side allowing me to do so.

I glanced at the way he was gripping the steering wheel, that alone was getting me excited. Especially the way he stares at me. Oh and the way he adjusted his pants earlier and his scent. Everything was making me want him.

I knew I was going to miss him when he dropped me off. It's like now I never want to be away from him.

Pulling up in the drive way I saw some of the lights on, Mikeys still awake.

"Lets get this over with." He said while turning the car off. We quickly made our way inside.

We put my gifts down by the door then walked through the house, I saw Mikey and Leah sitting in the dining room.

"Hey."

"Hey." Mikey replied back but didn't bother to look at me.

He was about to get up, I stopped him.

"Mikey please don't be like that."