“Right,” Kam said, leaning back. “That’s why you been checking for her every five minutes since we walked in.”
Across the aisle, Love sat with her head on the window next to Tara, who was texting with one hand and sipping a green juice with the other.
“You okay?” Tara asked, never taking her eyes off her phone.
“I’m fine,” Love said too fast.
“You sure? ’Cause your fine sound real ‘he’s here again and I don’t know how to breathe.’”
Love scoffed. “Can we not?”
Tara grinned. “Just sayin’.”
“I’m not checking for Zay.”
“Mm-hmm. And I’m not checking for his arms in that tight-ass shirt. Girl, please.”
They both laughed quietly, but the tension lingered.
She hadn’t planned on facing this—him—so soon. She hadn’t planned on feeling anything at all. Yet, here she was, on a plane back to the very place it all started, sitting across from the only man who ever knew her fully and still let her walk away. She grabbed her earbuds out her purse and placed them in before closing her eyes.
When she awoke, they had already landed in Detroit. The sky was cloudy with the familiar weight of home that settled into Love’s chest. Malcolm led the group straight off the plane into more sprinter vans that drove them right to Chene Park, now the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre. The same place Love had written into her book. The same place where so much had started and ended.
As they stepped out of the vans, Deuce continued joking around, this time rambling about Detroit food.
“I need a corned beef sandwich, some chili cheese fries, and a Faygo. Y’all not real if y’all ain’t ever had red pop.”
Love laughed quietly. The nostalgia hit differently here.
As they stepped onto the amphitheater’s main platform, the cast spread out, touching the rails, snapping pictures, and talking amongst each other.
Malcolm clapped once and gained everyone’s attention. “This is where it happened. Feel it. See it. Make it more than just a set.”
Love stared at the white roof above, then looked around the amphitheater seats. A small breeze rolled through the space and pushed her curls back. Everything looked the same but felt different. Heavier. The memory of her last time here weighed heavy on her as she recalled her time there with Zay—their late-night laughter that once echoed throughout the space, their fingers intertwined, his music blasting through his speakers, and the promises that were made under the stars that never made it past sunrise. Tears began to pool in her eyes as her thoughts consumed her. She held her head down and silently exited the amphitheater and walked the pathway toward the edge of the waterfront. The chill from the wind kissed her cheeks as the tears fell.
What is wrong with me? It’s been years! Pull it together.
She was unaware that Zay was standing near the opposite side with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He was out there to avoid the rest of the crew, as his emotions weighed heavily on him as well. The thought of being in this space with the only woman who ever held his heart was too much. He eyed her carefully as she walked to the rails, placed her hands on them, and overlooked the water. He noticed the way her fingers gripped the railing like she might fall apart otherwise.
He slowly crossed the distance toward her. Each step was reluctant but certain, pulled by something deeper than logic.
Love didn’t hear him approach until the weight of his presence hovered close beside her. She jumped, startled, and placed her hands on her chest.
“Damn, Zay,” she snapped. “You scared me.”
“Didn’t mean to,” he murmured. “Saw you out here, so I just . . .”
She faced him but didn’t let go of the railing. “I didn’t see you walk out here.”
She turned back to the water. Zay glanced out as well, then at her profile, soft and tense beneath the cold light. “Never would’ve thought we’d be back here, huh?”
Love chuckled. “We didn’t have a choice. Work, remember?”
He exhaled. “Still, it’s weird being here again.”
She didn’t respond. He shifted closer. This time, his shoulder almost brushed hers. “This was our spot. Before you just . . . dipped.”
Love’s jaw clenched. She frowned then turned her head to him slowly, with narrow eyes. “You serious right now?”
