by Kennedy Ryan
What if she gave me to you? What if I’m your gris gris now?
Kenan’s words from months ago wash over me, run through me.
You did good, MiMi, I whisper in silent, complete gratitude.
I thought her heart was the greatest gift she left me, but no.
It’s this man.
I can’t play along anymore. My eyes fly open to find Kenan down on one knee in front of the bed, in front of me. A vintage cushion-cut diamond set in blackened platinum glints from my left hand. I have no idea how many carats it is, but it’s huge without being gaudy. It’s antique, but thoroughly modern.
It’s perfect.
“Kenan, oh my God.” A shaky breath whooshes past my lips. I press a trembling hand to my throat. “Are you sure about—”
“I already talked to Simone,” he interrupts, his voice low, fervent. “And to Dr. Packer and to my mother. They’re all fine with it. Ecstatic about it.” He pauses and brings my hand to his lips. “I even told Bridget.”
“Bridget knows?” I gape. “How does she feel about it? How is she?”
“She’s dating one of the crew from Baller Bae,” he says dryly. “I think she’ll be fine. She’s known for a while how I feel about you.” He shakes his head and huffs out a truncated laugh. “Hell, everyone knows how I feel about you.”
“And Simone?” I ask, once more, needing to be certain. “You’re sure she’s okay?”
“She helped me pick out the ring.” His chuckle comes out deep, but I detect the faintest trace of uncertainty. “The only hold-out is you. You, uh, still haven’t said yes.”
He looks at the ring on my finger, and his shoulders and chest go so absolutely still, I think he’s literally holding his breath. Tears prick my eyes, and I blink several times, but there’s no stopping them from rushing over my cheeks. My gladiator, one of the most intimidating men in the NBA—I have his heart in the palm of my hand. But it’s an even trade because he has my heart, too.
I scoot forward until I’m at the very edge of the bed and my legs have to split and spread around his broad torso as he waits on his knees for me to answer. I cup his chin, lean forward, brush my nose against his, then slide the curve of my cheek against the raw-boned angle of his, and pull back to lock our eyes.
“Don’t look away,” I whisper, licking into the seam of those full lips. He groans, opening the way he only ever has for me.
He twines the fingers of his right hand with the fingers of my left, and strokes the sparkling declaration of his love. My tears come faster, mixing with every hungry nip and ravenous lick as I taste him. It’s not the rich, tangy flavor of his kiss. I taste the acceptance, the patience, and the unconditional love I’ve found myself seeking all my life.
I have found the one whom my soul loves.
It’s all there on his lips, in this kiss, in the emotion of the dark eyes that never look away. Without breaking the sweet, hot thread between our lips or the deep, unwavering intimacy of the look we share, I whisper into our kiss the answer he’s been waiting for.
“Yes.”
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Thank you for taking this journey with me,
with Lotus.
If you are a survivor seeking support
and help to heal,
contactcontact rainn.org.
About the Author
Other Books by Kennedy Ryan
THE HOOPS Series
LONG SHOT (A HOOPS Novel)
Ebook, Audio & Paperback
https://amzn.to/2PrMrqQ
BLOCK SHOT (A HOOPS Novel)
Ebook, Audio & Paperback
E-Book: mybook.to/BlockShot
HOOPS Holiday (A HOOPS Novella)
US: https://amzn.to/2QYzidu
UK: https://amzn.to/2QwWVe7
CA: https://amzn.to/2S2wxFx
World: http://books2read.com/HOOPSHoliday
HOOK SHOT (A HOOPS Novel)
Lotus & Kenan’s Story
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THE SOUL SERIES
My Soul to Keep (Soul 1)*
Down to My Soul (Soul 2)*
Refrain (Soul 3)
THE GRIP SERIES
FLOW (Grip #1)
GRIP (Grip #2)*
STILL (Grip #3)
Available on Audiobook*
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A Top 30 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts.
She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Atlanta families living with Autism, she has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for families living with autism.
Acknowledgments
Thank you always feels insufficient for this part of the journey.
The End.
The long road to reach The End of each story is paved with the generosity and support of so many. First I must thank the survivors who shared their stories with me as I sought to understand Lotus’ hurt and her healing.
You know who you are, and I owe you a debt of gratitude.
And to Ceedee Gaddis MS, LMFTC, thank you for crawling into Lotus’ heart and mind to make sure we documented her healing journey with sensitivity and compassion.
Too many authors and bloggers and readers to name have helped me. I’ll forget someone, for sure, so thank you all. I’m especially grateful to Brittany, Vanessa, Joanna and Shannon, who lead my promo team so well and with such grace.
To my promo team (Kennedy's Krew, BlockStars, Pinkballerz and Kennedy's Crusaders) and beta readers, thank you for investing along the way in what this story has become.
To Jenn of Social Butterfly PR and Tia of Honey Magnolia PR, you both are there when I call. It means so much and was such an encouragement to me. Your work ethic and dedication are unmatched and provoked me to press even when I didn’t feel like it. Thank you!
To the Brooklyn Mavens (IG: @bklynmavens) thank you for loving Brooklyn so deeply, and sharing that love with me!
Always, thanks to my boys. My husband and son, who loan me out to my dream every day. I love you both beyond words. Even beyond my own.
And finally I wanted to mention that this story was completed months before the Leaving Neverland documentary aired, and the references to Michael Jackson’s music were not meant to be insensitive in any way.
Thank you for reading!
— XO
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