Mixed reactions erupted from the table, but Morgan only cared about one. The revelation landed like a blow to Ahmeek. She saw the fire coming from him. She detected every bit of restraint he used to stop himself from reacting. He hid it well. The devastation. No one else knew. He was too smooth to show his discontent, but Morgan knew. She felt it.

“Bash, stop,” she pleaded, whispering as she leaned into his ear. “I’m here with you. He gets it. Please just stop.”

“Stop what, love?” Bash asked.

“Stop while you’re ahead,” Ethic added, scratching his head and grimacing like the scene in front of him was hard to watch. He stood from his chair and leaned down to Alani. “I’ma grab a drink at the bar. I’ll be right back, baby.” A peck to her lips before he walked around the table and put a hand on Meek’s shoulder. “Not the time nor place,” Ethic said in a low tone that only Ahmeek could hear.

Ahmeek walked out, and Morgan wanted to go after him, but Bash’s hand was like a vise on her thigh. Morgan looked down into her lap, then up at him. Her vision blurred as he brought a gentle hand to her cheek, then wrapped four fingers behind her neck, pulling her face to his. A kiss. It felt like the kiss of death. He had just killed everything she and Ahmeek were. Or had she done that? Had she done it when she had turned him away? Morgan struggled to put the fake smile back on her face, but she did it. She sat there at Bash’s side, smiling because he wasn’t leaving her any choice. She watched Ethic walk Ahmeek to the bar and then darted eyes over to Alani. Alani sat with an elbow to the table. Her chin rested on top of a closed fist.

“Morgan,” Alani called.

Morgan’s forehead dipped. She was having such a hard time controlling her runaway emotions. She had lost him. She knew it, and it hurt. It hurt more than anything she had ever felt before because it was a hurt she’d chosen. She looked at Alani again. Alani used her finger to lift her own head. A sign.