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Sniffling, Harmony wiped her nose and swallowed her tears. “I just… can’t believe he’s gone.”
“Come here, baby,” her mother cooed, pulling Harmony into her arms. “You’re gonna make it through this. I promise you.”
Harmony squeezed her eyes shut. That was a truth she wouldn’t deny. In fact, Harmony was confident she’d heal as soon as her pride got out of the way. She couldn’t get over the fact that the man she’d devoted so much to had left her with so little. As if it was nothing—as if she meant nothing. For months, Harmony had been at war with herself in an attempt to leave space for him, and just like that, he was gone.
Wiping her eyes, Harmony nodded. “You’re right. I know I will. I’m in disbelief more than anything.” As she released her mother, Harmony looked down at the engagement ring on her left hand. “I know we’re better off apart, and I know I wouldn’t have left him while he was sick. So I’m happy that he left, but I’m also sad.” Harmony chuckled softly as more tears fell. She pulled the ring off her finger. “Here, take this and throw it away somewhere.” Harmony handed the ring to her mother before wiping her face.
“Are you sure?” Monique asked.
“Yeah, I… the sooner I wipe him from my life the better.” Scratching her eyebrow, Harmony walked over to the bed and grabbed her phone. She smiled at the sight of Honey’s sad face in response to letting her know she wouldn’t be able to make it for friendsgiving. “Angel, delete his number and all the pictures and videos of us out of my phone. He’s saved as number one.”
Harmony handed her sister the phone before going back into the bathroom to take out every piece of jewelry that Keith had given her over the years. She wanted nothing to remind her of him by the time that night was over except her thoughts, and one day, Harmony prayed she’d be free of those too.
ChapterEighteen
Saint
December
Saint staredat the doors of the library as two women walked inside. It was December first, and he convinced himself that starting at the library in a new month would give him a fresh start. After what happened on Thanksgiving, Saint decided to lay low. Until he made the announcement that he was retiring from the rap game, he didn’t need to draw any attention to himself.
Though Kahlil was his connection to the volunteer position, Saint made it clear that he didn’t want any special treatment. He wanted to be interviewed and go through the same process as anyone else. He’d even dressed the part, putting on a black Givenchy collared shirt with matching slacks. Saint couldn’t pull himself to put on a full suit, so the preppy look would have to do. With a chuckle and shake of his head, Saint got out of his Audi.
For years, he dressed in streetwear every day of his life. The only time he put on a suit was for weddings, funerals, and court dates. Hopefully Harmony wouldn’t expect him to change his attire, but he would if he absolutely had to.
As he made his way inside, he found himself mesmerized by the sight before him. It didn’t matter how many times he visited, Saint was always impressed by what Kahlil had created. The large space was filled with books by nothing but black authors, and that alone had Saint’s respect. From the looks of it, Harmony had made a few small adjustments. The shelves were now a cherry oak color, matching the countertops. All the walls he could see had large paintings of influential African Americans, and instead of complete silence, a jazz track played softly in the background.
There wasn’t anyone at the checkout counters, so Saint was about to make his way over to the information desk where an older Black lady sat reading a book. Just as he headed that way, he saw a woman come out of a private room behind the checkout section out of the corner of his eye. Turning, Saint found himself frozen at the sight of the brown beauty behind the counter.
He prayed she wasn’t Harmony, and if she was, Saint would need to reconsider his position. After Tristan, Saint had no desire to date any time soon. He didn’t even want to have sex. But looking at this woman had him wanting to do just that. Saint made his way over to the counter, finding his heartbeat racing the closer he got to her. His dick hardened, too.
Feeling someone approaching, she looked up. When their eyes locked, her mouth dropped before snapping shut. She gave him a smile as she pulled her hair behind her ears. It was silky and thick, falling just past her shoulders.
“Don’t tell me you’re Kahlil’s friend who wants to volunteer?” she confirmed, and the sound of her low, soft tone made his heart skip a beat.
“I guess that means you know who I am?”
“Who doesn’t?”
Unable to resist, Saint smiled. “And you’re Harmony?”
“That’s correct.” She extended her hand for him to shake, but Saint couldn’t resist lifting it to his lips to kiss. “Harmony Jacobs.”
“Saint Knowles.”
He got a whiff of her perfume from her wrist. It was powdery and fresh… warm. Saint had to stop himself from leaning closer to take more of her in. Licking his lips slowly, his eyes lowered to hers. The pouty pair was painted a chocolate shade that was just a bit darker than her cinnamon brown skin. When Saint released her hand, she used it to squeeze the back of her neck as she briefly avoided his eyes.
“On the paper he sent over, it only had your last name.”
“Yeah, I wanted you to meet me first before making any decisions.”
“So I guess we can go to the back for the interview,” Harmony offered. “It won’t take long. As far as I’m concerned you already have the position, but I do have a few questions.”
“Fa sho,” Saint agreed.
Harmony motioned toward the opening on the right, and Saint made his way through it. He couldn’t help but take in her frame as she led him down the small walkway toward the door on the left. She was tall and slim, that he could tell from the front view.
It wasn’t until they made it into her office, and she took off her floor length sweater that he noticed she didn’t have much ass, but she had hips, and Saint loved a hippy woman. Her breasts couldn’t have been more than a C cup… perky and standing at attention. She had a small waist that added to her feminine frame, but those long legs and wide hips—Saint was obsessed already.
