Page 116 of The Wright Man

She rolled her eyes and we let the topic die, just like we always did. There was no winning that debate. Not when I knew how she looked at him now. And not when I knew how she used to look at me.

The silence between us stretched too long.

I thought about kissing her. I really wanted to kiss her.

But I couldn't. Not if I was really gonna do this. Not if I wanted to become the man she deserved. I had to let her go, at least for now.

I reached out and pulled her into one last hug—bone-deep and lingering. Pressed my forehead to hers and whispered,

"I'll write you."

Her voice broke as she whispered back, "I'll write back."

I stepped away before I changed my mind, before I crumbled. Grabbed my bag and turned toward the gate.

Didn't let myself look back.

Until I did.

She was still standing there, arms crossed, tears on her cheeks, and that stubborn, impossible fire still in her eyes that had never fully left her.

I gave her a two-fingered salute—just like Cap gave me the day we moved across the street and everything changed. I hoped to come back even half the man he was.

She raised her hand to her mouth and blew me a kiss.

I caught it.

Then I turned back and kept walking. I didn't look back again.

I couldn't.

Not if I ever wanted to come back a better man than I was leaving.

A man that deserved her.

* * *

Maleek

Now

Later that night, after the gym was locked up and I was back in the quiet of the house, I found myself hovering over my phone again.

Angelica had just posted a reel—some goofy recap of Sister Sunday, all out-of-sync singing, empty wine bottles, and bad lighting. She looked tired, glowing, and happy in a way that made something in my chest loosen.

But I saw it in her eyes, right there at the end of the clip. That flicker of sadness she probably thought nobody would catch — the way she glanced toward the door after Tina said goodbye, just for a second, like she was already measuring the quiet that was coming. The kind that creeps in when something good is ending and you're not ready to let go.

Tina was heading off to Mexico. Bella was going back to campus. Her sisters were her tribe. I knew what it meant to her to have them close. To have people who got her without her having to translate.

And I knew what it looked like when she braced herself to be alone again.

I tapped out a quick text before I could second-guess it.

Me: Hey. You doing anything next weekend?

The typing bubble popped up right away. Of course it did. She was always right there. Just like I was for her. Just like she was for me.

Angel : Define "anything."