Morgan was amazed. She didn’t have that type of understanding yet. Wasn’t old enough to possess such maturity. “Wow,” she whispered. “I’ve always looked at you and Ethic and wanted what you have. Even when I hated the thought of you two together, I always felt the energy between y’all whenever you guys were in the same room. It takes my breath away.”

Alani peered at Morgan, focusing on her eyes. “What’s going on, Mo? You say you want those things, but I’ve seen two men love you with their soul, and you’re not with either of them. You’re wearing a ring and planning a wedding with Bash. Why?”

Morgan’s lip trembled, and she bit down on it, clenching her teeth. “I don’t know,” she admitted.

“It’s time to be honest with yourself,” Alani said. “What do you want, Mo?”

“I don’t want anyone I love to be hurt,” Morgan whispered.

Alani frowned. “Morgan, you’re clearly not happy. You’re hurting. What about you? What’s best for you? Who do you love?”

Morgan closed her eyes and shook her head.

“You love them both,” Alani said aloud.

“With everything in me,” Morgan admitted. “I miss Messiah. I miss everything about him. How safe I felt with him. How it was just us against the entire world. I haven’t even been able to be happy that he’s alive because there is all this anger in the way. All this resentment. I’m so mad that he left because if he had stayed, there would be no Bash, there would be no Meek. It would just be us with them,” Morgan said, nodding to her children. “And I know it would have been beautiful. He would have been good to us. Right?” Morgan was looking for confirmation.

“There is something valuable about a man who doesn’t know how to love anyone but you, Mo. It can still be beautiful, Morgan,” Alani said. “If you let it, it could still be beautiful for you both.”

“It can’t,” Morgan said, shaking her head. “Because now I love Ahmeek too. Now Messiah’s not the first person I think of when I open my eyes. He left me, and I was so lonely. There were so many days he could have come back, and we could have picked up right where we left off. He waited. He let all those days pass, and now I’m in love with his best friend, Alani. They’re brothers. No matter what I do, I’m going to destroy that.”