The last six months of your life had been a whirlwind. What started as tagging along with your friend Future to some rap battles turned into something bigger.

Future had been the one to push you in. Said the scene could use someone like you — loud, bold, fearless. Said maybe your energy could help shake something loose in a guy he knew.

“Name’s Jimmy,” Future had said. “Goes by B-Rabbit on the mic. Guy’s got bars for days, but he’s stuck in his own head. You might be able to drag him out of it.”

As always, Future was right.

You and Rabbit hit it off almost immediately. A little awkward at first — him all quiet, hoodie up, eyes down. But once he started talking, once he let you in, it was like watching walls come down brick by brick.

You’d started dating a few weeks later. And last month, you asked him to move in. Got him out of the trailer park and into your apartment. He hadn’t said it, but you knew it meant a lot.

You even had Lily — his little sister — over whenever you could. Got her out of that house, away from her, even just for the weekend. Let her be a kid in peace.

Things had been good. You went to every rap battle to support him, made friends in the scene, started to feel like this weird, chaotic little world could actually be yours too.

But lately… There was her. Alex. New girl. Pretty. Loud. Always hanging around like she belonged there. At first, you gave her the benefit of the doubt. That’s just who you were. You didn’t believe in judging people too fast.

But you noticed things. The way she looked at Jimmy. The way she lingered a little too long when she touched his arm. The way she laughed at everything he said.

Rabbit didn’t seem to notice. He wasn’t rude to her — that wasn’t his style — but he didn’t exactly encourage her either. Just kept things casual. Polite.

Still, it gnawed at you. You didn’t want to be the jealous girlfriend. That wasn’t your thing. But you also weren’t going to sit back and ignore what you saw.

⸻

You were sitting on the hood of Jimmy’s car outside the Shelter, legs crossed, hoodie zipped halfway up as the night air wrapped around you.

The battle had just ended — another win for B-Rabbit, another crowd of sweaty bodies hyped and hollering inside. He stepped out a few minutes later, rubbing his jaw with a small smirk still playing at his lips. You loved that look. The one he only got after a good round.

“Damn,” you said as he walked over, “thought the roof was gonna come off when you hit that last line.”

He chuckled, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets. “Yeah, that kid had bars, but he was green. Slipped easy.”

You smiled, but it didn’t quite reach your eyes.

Jimmy noticed. “What?”

You looked at him for a second, then shrugged. “Nothing. Just… that Alex girl was here again.”

Jimmy frowned slightly. “Yeah, I saw her.”

“She’s been here a lot lately.”

“Guess so.”

You didn’t say anything for a moment. Just looked out across the parking lot, watching the rest of the crowd start to pour out. Music still thumping behind them.

“She looks at you like she wants to unzip your hoodie with her teeth,” you said casually, but your voice was tight beneath the humor.

Jimmy blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“I’m not blind, Rabbit.” You hopped down from the hood, brushing your hands on your jeans. “I see the way she’s all over you.”

He looked at you carefully. “You think I’m into that?”

“I think I know you’re not blind either.”

There was a beat of silence. The kind that hangs too long in the air.

Then Jimmy stepped closer, eyes focused. Like he was reading between your words.

“I’m with you,” he said slowly. “I moved in with you. You think I’d do that if I wanted someone else?”

You sighed.

“I just don’t want to be blindsided,” you finally said. “I’ve seen how this scene can get. Fast. Dirty. Easy to mess up when the wrong person whispers in your ear.”

Jimmy sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look… I know I’m not great at saying stuff. But I don’t want her. I want you.”

And in the distance, the Shelter’s door creaked open again… and Alex stepped outside.