Aaron leaned against his car, the weight of impatience settling in his bones. Her—his roommate, the one who never seemed to pick the right man—was late. Again.

He spotted her before she saw him. Stomping out of her boyfriend’s house, fire in her eyes, voice loud and unfiltered, tearing into him with every step. Fury wrapped around her like armor.

Aaron crushed the last ember of his blunt beneath his heel, watching her storm closer. The anger in her stride was familiar—a wildfire he’d learned to respect.

He opened the passenger door with a calm he didn’t quite feel. “You good, lil mama?” he asked, voice steady, a quiet invitation amidst the chaos.