FULL CIRCLE

14.

🎶 Now playing: Care by Sonder.

"And oop-" Reign stumbled on the sand after it came in contact with her now bare feet. She chuckled playfully at the attempt to take her shoe off before holding the pair in her free hand eventually. "But as I was saying, I'm finally done with my semester tests and free from school for a while. Now I just have work to worry about." She spoke as Lee listened on the end of the line.

"Still no fun because you'll be doing your training. We need to do something other than wine nights. Go-karting or something," a sudden pause occurred between them before they erupted in laughter. If anything, Reign knew Lee would rather be on a date with a rich man or spending time with her daughter if they weren't working. "We'll definitely plan something, a little girls' day for the three of us."

"Girl let me not hold you... 'Tone' can do all the holding, let me know how your first date goes!" She cheered on, making Reign roll her eyes before saying her goodbyes and hanging up.

Her heart jumped a bit as she neared the setup for their date. She joyfully followed the trail of red roses until her feet touched the soft linen sheet. Antonio looked up at her from the picnic basket and stood up to greet her. "You look gorgeous, hey," his arms snaked gently around her waist before squeezing the small of her back.

She closed her eyes and held on just as tight until they organically let go of each other once it felt right. "I just wanted to congratulate you on passing and completing your semester tests... but this is also our official first date." Antonio said as Reign got comfortable on the sheet. "You know, this feels nice Tone. Having someone other than Lee in my life. I appreciate it." She honestly confessed.

One of, if not her main love language, was sentiment. Someone who studied the little details about her and made an effort based on them.

~

Morris chucked a scrunched paper into the bin after jotting something down. Justine had been standing silently for about five minutes watching him. The beautiful sunset that lit his warehouse space was a contrast between their ugly tension. "I don't know why I need to keep repeating myself with you."

"I've been laying low, like you said, and now I need to go back there and carry on cleaning the money?" She questioned dryly.

"Exactly, back to business. The little hiccup has died down, it's time to get back to work."

"Antonio and I broke up. It'll raise even more suspicion; Ms Maya isn't feeling me." Smacking her lips was the full stop to her expression.

Morris shook his head, "Antonio is a grown ass man. If he knows what's good for him, he'll let you keep that job. Now here," he handed her a chubby stack of money. "Next project."

One thing about Morris' tone, it never had any lightness to it. Justine sighed as she placed the money in her backpack, already knowing half of it was going to be laundered through the store as petty cash once again, while the rest went into her pockets. "He won't let me keep my job, he got a new girl now. He's over me." She muttered.

A smirk appeared on Morris' serious face, "Jealousy doesn't suit that pretty face. You more than anyone know not to mix business with that other stuff..." he advised.

"Please... stop acting like you care. You just want your money." Justine's lips curved into a light smile. A moment they hadn't shared in a while due to bickering and the back and forth. "So? You want money too, and we know how to get it."

"Aight whatever, I'm out. I have to construct a sob story to get my job back." They shared a laugh as she walked out.

~

"You had a good night?"

After a dinner date at the beach, another day of Reign giving her opinion in the studio, to Antonio even teaching her how to play a bit of piano, she couldn't be any happier. Yes, this feeling could've been cliche seeing that she hadn't entertained any other guy besides him but it felt... right to her. Emotionally safe and gentle. They could go on and on, talking for hours about any and everything.

She nodded with her cheeks a slight pink, "I really did, thank you. Did you though?" She looked up at him with her arm locked into his as he carried the picnic basket in his other hand. "You already know the answer to that..." he cheesed as he returned a look at her.

"I want you to say it," she teased as their heads inched closer to each other. "Reign!"

Catching Reign a little bit more off guard than Antonio, was a sight she had obliviously been walking past across the street. The orphanage she grew up in. She had promised herself to never go back no matter what, but the sight made her fuzzy inside. She looked at Antonio with glossy eyes because it was clearly intentional on his side. How he had all of this planned out was a conversation for another day.

Reign chucked her heels at Antonio and pulled her little black dress down to her mid thighs before jogging over to the kids playing on the basketball court. They were much younger than her, as the group she'd grown up with had probably ascended into building their own lives.

Letting her have her sentimental moment, Antonio sat on the rusty pavilion and watched contently as Reign interacted with the closest thing to family she had. Her pure laughter made it all worthwhile to him, and she even introduced the kids to Antonio.

~

"Thank you for today, honestly. I haven't felt this way in a long time." Reign spoke.

The pair were in an on and off make out session since making it back to her apartment. Reign had opted for a pair of silky pyjamas after a shower, while Antonio resorted to some shorts he'd been keeping with in his stash of clothes for some time at her apartment now.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, because I did too. You're really a breath of fresh air and I meant it when I asked you to be my girlfriend at the beach..." he spoke softly in between kisses. His kisses trailed down to her neck as she anxiously rubbed his chest and shoulders. Antonio fiddled with the button of her silk top before she stopped. "Wait, Tone," she slowly spoke up, making Antonio face her.

"This..." she pressed her lips together. He gently lifted her chin up. "... This would be my first time." She nervously responded, unsure about his reaction.

He held her hand in comfort, assuring her that there was nothing wrong. "Well... do you want to, or am I pushing too hard?"

With Care by Sonder playing softly through the speaker, Reign took a few deep breaths.

"We don't have to have sex, you know. We can always chill, complete that big ass puzzle of yours-" he chuckled, cracking a smile out of her before she nodded.

"I want to." She confidently replied, yet still a bit nervous as her hands tangled each other.

"Are you sure?" Antonio consulted once more. She replied with a firm yes as he laid her on her back against the bed. The lower he went, the rowdier the butterflies in her stomach, forming a pit of nerves. "No, no... you don't have to..."

"Relax, baby."