Lips Like Promises 💋✨

Chapter Twenty-One - The Confrontation

The brunch haze hadn't even faded when the storm finally broke.

Tasia had been sitting at her kitchen island, scrolling through music demos, still glowing from the morning with Taraji. The smell of maple syrup and fresh coffee lingered in the air. Taraji, barefoot and gorgeous in one of Tasia's oversized hoodies, was humming softly while rinsing dishes. For a moment, it felt like everything outside their bubble didn't exist.

Until the knock at the door.

It wasn't polite. It was sharp. Demanding.

Tasia frowned, sliding off the stool. "You expecting somebody?"

Taraji shook her head, wiping her hands. "No. You?"

Before either of them could decide to ignore it, the knock came again—harder this time. Against her better judgment, Tasia pulled the door open.

And there she was.

Alicia.

She looked nothing like the glossy red-carpet photos Tasia had seen. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun, her oversized sunglasses couldn't hide the sharpness in her expression, and she clutched her phone like it was a weapon.

"Tasia," Alicia said coolly, her gaze flicking past her to Taraji. "We need to talk."

Taraji's body stiffened behind her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Alicia stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, her perfume—sharp, expensive—filling the room. "Relax, Taraji. I didn't come to start a scene."

"Too late," Tasia muttered under her breath, crossing her arms. "You show up banging on my door like you own the place—what exactly do you want?"

Alicia slid her sunglasses off, her eyes narrowing. "Answers." She turned fully to Taraji. "You could've at least had the decency to tell me yourself instead of letting me find out through gossip blogs."

Taraji's jaw tightened. "There was nothing to tell you, Alicia. Whatever you think we had—it's over. Been over."

A bitter laugh slipped from Alicia. "Over? You call that 'over'? The late-night calls? The little 'just checking in' texts? Don't act like I imagined all that, Taraji."

Tasia's heart slammed against her ribs, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she stepped closer, placing herself directly between them. "So this what it is? You came all the way here to mark territory? Newsflash—I don't play second to anybody."

Alicia's eyes flicked to her, sharp as glass. "Sweetheart, you don't even know the half of it. You think you're the first girl she's brought into her world like this? You think you're special?"

"Stop." Taraji's voice cut through the air, firm and low. She moved forward, her hand brushing against Tasia's back like an anchor. "Don't do this, Alicia. Not here. Not to her."

Alicia smirked, but there was pain buried beneath it. "Oh, so now you're protective? Now you care about someone else's feelings?" Her gaze hardened on Tasia. "Good luck, darling. She's fire—you'll burn eventually."

For a long, heavy beat, nobody moved. The silence in the room was louder than Alicia's accusations. Then, with a sharp pivot, Alicia slipped her sunglasses back on and headed for the door.

Before leaving, she threw one last look over her shoulder. "Call me when you're done playing house, Taraji. You know where to find me."

The door clicked shut, and the apartment felt different—charged, heavy, vibrating with everything unsaid.

Tasia's throat was tight, but her voice was steady. "She still got feelings for you."

Taraji stepped closer, gently turning Tasia to face her. "Let her. That doesn't change where I am—right here."

The words were certain, but the hurt still buzzed between them like static. Tasia's eyes searched Taraji's, needing something more—proof, reassurance, anything to steady the quake inside her chest.

Taraji didn't hesitate. She cupped Tasia's face, leaning in until their foreheads touched. "Look at me. Whatever Alicia thinks, whatever she says—it's you. It's always been you since that first night. Don't let her mess with what we have."

Tasia exhaled shakily, her walls beginning to crack under the weight of Taraji's certainty. And then, slowly, her arms wound around Taraji's waist, pulling her close.

What started as comfort turned into something else—something hotter, deeper, unstoppable.

And by the time Taraji's lips pressed against hers, the anger, the doubt, the fear—it all blurred into need.

This wasn't about Alicia anymore.

This was about them.

The release.

The fire they'd both been holding back.

And Tasia knew—by the end of this night, nothing between them would ever be the same.

To be continued...