Butterfly

by Ashley Antoinette

perturbed.

It wasn’t the fact that he could afford it, because she knew he was getting money. It was the fact that he had the foresight to purchase it. To invest.

“That’s what you like,” she whispered. “Pain. You said you like pain. That’s why you’re afraid to touch me. Why you’ve been going easy?”

We been running shit for years. Wearing crowns for years. Banging on niggas for years. When is enough, enough?”

friend

“Kids will do that to you. There’s nothing casual about having them. Nothing immature about it. They make you grow up, and anyone around you has to grow up as well.

Not sexually, but she craved connection.

Benny Atkins had been stern but kind, powerful yet yielding, and incredibly loving to his three girls.

He had been raised on love.

She was so attached … too attached. It wasn’t even normal because it was too new to be this potent, but raw dope was raw dope, and Ahmeek was uncut.

It was good money, but money didn’t move Morgan Atkins.

You don’t have to change with every relationship you get into. Who are you when you’re alone? When you look in the mirror?

moxie

Little Morgan got the power to burn the whole damn kingdom down.

taut

She had been reacting to life for a long time instead of creating the life she wanted.

trifecta.

the girl who kicked ass at spades and collected the books while talking cash shit,

Lol 👩🏿‍🏫

She knew an order when she heard one, and as much as she wanted to buck, she didn’t, because she liked that shit.

he was a motherfucking man—all dominance, no waver. She didn’t answer because she was a woman, with covert manipulation that turned his dominance into her own.

He would never confirm for Isa, but the type of pussy she was serving was the type to heal a nigga.

It was the type with the potential to hurt a nigga too.

derelict

but a nigga like to pick his flowers and put ’em in my pocket.

Whenever he was calm around her, it meant he was fighting his emotions, trying not to love her. It was when his pulse raced that he was telling the truth.

throttle

Winning her wouldn’t be easy because now that she had been loved correctly, he wouldn’t be able to come to her with anything less than his best …