Excerpt

"Fiji or Japan?" Jay's warm, hazel eyes looked up from his laptop to meet mine as he spoke. We were sitting in bed, researching travel destinations on his MacBook, while heavy raindrops pitter-pattered against our bedroom window.

A Kendrick Lamar song quietly flowed from the computer's speakers, melding with the sounds of the strong breeze and thick rain. I laughed at Jay's ridiculous question.

"You're crazy."

"Or maybe somewhere in the motherlands?" he asked. "Nigeria? Cape Town?

""I was thinking more like Orlando. A three hour drive, and we're good to go."

I'd already purchased a new swimsuit for the beach. If the rain let up, we could have a nice vacation without going far from home. He wrinkled his nose at me.

"Babe, don't limit yourself. Whatever you want, I can arrange it."

"Our wedding is in two weeks," I reminded him. "How do you suggest we come up with enough money to afford a honeymoon in Fiji?"

"Don't worry about it," Jay said with a smug grin. I swooned as cute dimples teased his cheek. "I got this."I folded my arms across my chest. Jay seemed to have a lot of things lately. Like the money to move me out of my studio apartment and into the penthouse suite we called home, looking over Miami's beautiful skyline. Or the two carat diamond ring gracing my finger. I wasn't sure how he was able to afford it on a restaurant manager's salary.

"You only get one shot at this marriage thing, if you're lucky." He took my hands in his. "I want to do it right. You are worth the world to me. Let me spoil my baby a little. All right?"

I smiled up at him sheepishly. "I guess that'll be all right."

Mischief sparkled in his eyes. "I'm sure you can find other ways to make it up to me on our honeymoon.

""I have some ideas." I couldn't help but smile."

"Oh, I bet you do." His grin widened as he moved closer. "Just promise me one thing," I said. "Let's not get ourselves into debt in the process. I've got student loans..."

"You don't have to worry about that," he said, planting a gentle kiss on my lips that quieted me. From the slightest of kisses, my body felt electric. I all but melted as he pulled me closer and brushed my hair behind my ear.

"I want to give you the world. My whole heart, for my whole life." he whispered into my ear. "Do you understand?"

I nodded. "Understood."

A year ago, I was just an average girl from Liberty City struggling to get by. As a waitress by night and an artist by day, I didn't have time to think about love. But after meeting Jay, everything in my world fell into place. We met at an art show. My dozens of canvas paintings and overgrown book collection complemented his stockpile of sheet music and sketchbooks. We made a cute pair of hoarders. Jay was the first man who wasn't turned off by my quirkiness, and the first time I heard him play guitar and sing, I knew it was all over for me. We were two struggling artists full of love and passion, just trying to make our dreams come true. But Jay didn't seem to be struggling anymore. "

"The vibration of his phone caused him to pull away from me. His expression darkened as he looked down at the screen, and he twisted his necklace around in his fingers as he picked it up. Jay was the only man I knew who could pull off wearing jewelry. It matched his bohemian vibe, but I'd never seen him take the thing off. He only fiddled with that necklace when he was nervous. I wondered who had called.He glanced up at me with guilty eyes."

"I have to take this," he said before rushing out of the room.

He shut the door behind himself. As he left, thunder shook the skies. I sighed, turned off the Spotify playlist, and clicked on the TV as I waited for Jay to return.

I fell back on my fluffy pillow. The news was on, and a leggy blond news anchor was talking about the latest plight that would poison the souls of our city's youth.

"There have been seven deaths reported in relation to the drug Pontemundi, a hallucinogenic that's been given the street name 'Crow.' Investigators have been unable to track the source of the drug…"

"That's behind me," Jay all but screamed from the living room. I flinched. Jay rarely raised his voice. I muted the television and walked to the door. What the hell was going on?

"I don't want any part of it!" Jay growled.

I quietly opened the door and tiptoed outside of the room. "Yeah, well, there's a reason for that," Jay said. "This is the life I have chosen." I rushed to the living room in time to watch Jay toss his phone on the couch with force. He slid to the ground, cupped his head in his hands, and let out a deep groan of frustration.

"Who was that?" I asked, kneeling beside him.

He slammed a fist into the gray carpet. I flinched. Jay was usually so chill. Jay didn't speak or look up. I moved closer, placing my hand on his shoulder in hopes of comforting him. I could feel his muscles relax in response to my touch. He lifted his head and met my gaze.

"I gotta take care of something."

I raised an eyebrow. "Something like what?"

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Family drama." "

"I frowned. In the two years that I'd been dating Jay, I'd never met his family. He said they'd had a falling out, and he didn't bother inviting them to the wedding. I knew his parents lived in Louisiana, but his sister lived somewhere in Miami. He told me she owned a bookstore in the neighborhood of Little Haiti.

He stood up and grabbed the keys to his car off a small table. They jingled in his hand as he raced around the room collecting his jacket and his shoes.

"I hope I'm not too late." he whispered under his breath as he collected his things.

"When will you be back?" I asked as I stood up.

"A day or two at most."

I put my hands on my hips. "Two days? Where are you going?"

He rushed over to me and planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Alice, I need you to trust me. I'm doing this for us, to keep you safe."

"I'd feel a lot safer if you told me what you were doing."

"I love you," he said as he raced past me and out the door. "My whole heart, for my whole life."

The scent of his cologne clung to the air after the door slammed shut behind him. I watched from the window as he raced through the storm, feet splashing in the pooling water with every step he took.

I wouldn't have let him leave so easily if I knew he wouldn't come back.