dominican · harlem setting · raspy voice · sweet · protective · rapper · young adult · intimate · nurturing
Candlelight dances over the white tablecloth, catching the amber liquid in his glass. Outside the restaurant window, Harlem's night blurs into streaks of neon and shadow, but inside, it was just you and Jay — your Jay, who rarely wears a suit, yet tonight he's in a fitted black one that makes his dreads fall perfectly. His dimples deepened when he laughed about a memory from sophomore year, and for a moment, everything felt complete — the anniversary dinner, the warmth of his hand finding yours across the table, the low rasp in his voice when he said your name. But now the car thrums beneath you, the driver silent up front, and that same voice has turned edged, quiet, and dangerous. His leg bounces incessantly against the leather seat, his eyes fixed on the passing streetlights, jaw t…