You Promised by Islanfgalmiya’
A/N- yall there was supposed to be smut in this but it was getting to long i like a build up some times instead of jumping right into it and went a little far lemme know if yall would like the sumt part :)
And do you want to be tagged if I put it out
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Imani lay sprawled across her bed on her stomach, her bare legs kicking lazily in the air behind her. The soft pink satin nightdress she wore barely skimmed the tops of her thighs, riding higher every time she shifted against the comforter. Her bedroom smelled faintly like vanilla and coconut oil from the candle burning on her nightstand, the dim lamp casting a warm glow across the glossy magazine spread open in front of her.
But she wasn’t reading a single word.
She flipped through the pages mindlessly, eyes unfocused as the long cord of her landline wrapped around her fingers.
“But you said you was coming over after I got off from school,” she whined softly into the phone, her bottom lip pushing out into a pout. “This my only free time this week, Rio.”
On the other end, Rio sighed heavily. She could picture him rubbing his hand over his face like he always did whenever he was stressed.
“I know, mama,” he said, his voice low and tired. “But work got crazy. You understand that, right? I’ma come see you next time you free.”
Imani’s face fell immediately.
“No,” she said quietly, sitting up straighter. “You keep sayin’ that, Rio. You said that the other time too.”
The silence that followed made her chest tighten painfully.
Things between them had been different ever since she started medical school. At first, she told herself it was normal. They were growing up. Life got busy. Responsibilities changed.
But Rio used to make time for her.
Back in high school he would pull up outside her house at midnight just because she said she missed him. He used to wait outside her classes, bring her food, kiss her forehead like she was something precious. Like seeing her was the easiest decision in the world.
Now every conversation felt rushed. Every plan got canceled.
Every excuse sounded rehearsed.
“Am I not important enough?” she asked before she could stop herself.
The second the words left her mouth, tears burned her eyes.
Rio cursed softly under his breath. “Imani—”
But she hung up before he could finish.
The loud click echoed through her room.
For a moment she just sat there staring at the receiver in her hand before her breathing hitched. Then the tears came all at once.
She buried her face into her palm.
“I must not be that important to him for real,” she whispered shakily.
Her chest ached so badly it almost embarrassed her. She hated crying over anybody, especially a man, but Rio had rooted himself so deeply into her life that the thought of losing him felt suffocating.
Imani crawled backward until her back hit the headboard, pulling her knees to her chest. Tears slid silently down her cheeks as she rested her chin against her knees.
Not just hearing from him. Not just the quick calls or rushed check-ins.
His arms around her waist while she studied. His voice in her ear distracting her on purpose. The way he’d pull her into his lap like he couldn’t stand having her too far away.
Now it felt like he was avoiding her.
Her jaw tightened at the thought.
The phone rang again almost immediately.
Imani rolled her eyes through her tears.
Only one person would be calling back this fast.
She wiped under her eyes with the back of her hand roughly, trying to pull herself together.
“Toughen up, bitch. Fuck him,” she muttered to herself, though another tear slipped down right after it.
She let out a humorless laugh.
At this rate she already knew she was about to cry herself into the best sleep of her life.
“You better than this, Imani,” she whispered, shaking her head as she tried to give herself a pep talk.
But the ache in her chest wouldn’t leave.
Instead of answering Rio’s call, she grabbed her cellphone off the nightstand and dialed Brianna before she could change her mind. Because if she sat there thinking too long, she’d end up calling Rio back and apologizing for being upset.
And she refused to do that.
“Bri… I’m not crazy, right?” Imani asked immediately, voice cracking.
Brianna snorted. “Girl, confused bad. Start from the beginning.”
Imani pushed herself off the bed and started pacing her room, one hand dragging through her freshly silk-pressed hair.
“He said he was comin’ over today ‘cause I finally got free time, then canceled again. And I just…” She swallowed hard. “I feel like he avoidin’ me or somethin’.”
She paced harder, wearing a path into the carpet.
“He keep saying work, work, work. But why it feel like he don’t even wanna see me no more?”
Brianna was quiet for a second before asking carefully, “Wait… y’all still together?”
Brianna sounded genuinely shocked. “Girl, the way you been cryin’ these past two weeks I thought y’all broke up already. Especially with your brother and parents hatin’ him.”
“Okay, but that’s not the point, Bri.”
“The point is I feel like he’s doing this on purpose.” Her voice cracked again. “Why not just tell me straight up? Like, ‘Hey, I don’t wanna be with you no more.’ Why keep dragging it out?”
The thought alone made her stomach twist violently.
Rio saying he didn’t love her anymore would destroy her.
And she hated that he had that kind of power over her.
“Babe,” Brianna said softly, “that man does not hate you. He probably really is busy—”
“Ugh!” Imani groaned dramatically. “I did not call you to be on his side, Bri!”
“I’m serious! Just tell me I’m right before I get some horrible wake-up call and he breaks up with me for real.” Her voice dropped quieter. “And honestly? That would kill me.”
She sat back down on the edge of the bed, exhaustion finally settling into her bones. Her fingers smoothed nervously over her silk press as fresh tears welled in her eyes again.
Imani closed her eyes tightly.
“Aww, M no,” Brianna said gently. “Rio loves you. That man is crazy about you.”
Then why did it feel like he was slipping away from her?
“Okay, not the advice I need right now but—”
Imani stopped mid-sentence at the sharp tap against her bay window.
Another tap sounded louder this time, like a pebble bouncing against the glass.
“What the hell?” she muttered, instantly getting to her feet.
Her bedroom lights flicked on as she hurried toward the window, her heart jumping nervously in her chest. For a split second she thought maybe it was her brother trying to scare her again.
Then another tiny rock hit the glass.
Imani pulled apart the pink polka-dot curtains with a frown, peering down the side of the house.
“Rio?” she whispered to herself.
Down below, dressed head to toe in black like always, Rio looked up at her from beside the flower bushes. The porchlight caught the sharp lines of his face and the fresh ink covering more of his arms than she remembered. Black shirt. Loose black jeans. Boots.
The sight alone made her stomach flip traitorously.
Rio lifted his head slightly. “Hey, mama,” he stage-whispered loudly. “Keep the window open. I’ma come up.”
Imani rolled her eyes instantly despite the warmth spreading through her chest.
“Are you crazy?” she whisper-yelled back. “I don’t wanna see you anymore, Rio. I thought work was takin’ up all your time.”
Her heart was practically doing gymnastics at the sight of him standing outside her house like some reckless teenage boy.
“Mmcht, mama, keep the window open.”
Before she could argue again, he grabbed onto the wooden trellis attached to the side of the house, the thick vines twisting around it creating the perfect ladder.
“Oh my God,” she hissed. “Please don’t fall. And if you do, I’m not helpin’ you.”
Rio smirked up at her before continuing to climb.
Trying to ignore how stupidly happy she suddenly felt, Imani walked back toward her bed and picked her phone back up.
“As I was saying before I was interrupted,” she said dramatically, “thank you for telling me that. And his ass is in fact insane.”
Brianna burst out laughing on the other end.
“You gon’ be alright,” Brianna teased. “Bye, love you.”
The phone disappeared from Imani’s hand so fast she gasped.
She turned around sharply looking up.
Rio stood over her beside the bed, slightly out of breath from climbing through the window. His large frame practically blocked the light above her as he looked down at the phone in his hand.
“Who is this?” he asked into the receiver.
Imani stared up at him through her lashes for a second before she could stop herself.
He looked unfairly good hovering over her like that.
Black shirt stretched across his chest. Loose black jeans hanging low on his hips. Boots still on. Fresh tattoos inked across his hands and creeping up the sides of his neck.
“Well she love you too, Brianna. Bye.”
He hung up before Brianna could answer and tossed the phone carelessly onto the bed beside her.
His hand slid down, gripping her thigh gently as he dragged her closer to him
Imani slapped his hand away immediately “Don’t touch me,”
“This my shit, come here.”
Before Imani could move away, both of Rio’s hands slid beneath her thighs, lifting her effortlessly off the bed.
She barely got his name out before he pulled her against him, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist as he turned and sat down on the edge of her bed with her in his lap.
Imani immediately pushed at his chest.
“I’m serious,” she snapped.
One of his hands had already slipped under the hem of her nightdress, gripping the soft flesh of her ass possessively like he belonged there.
“If you came over here just to get your dick wet, you can go,” she said sharply, pointing a finger in his face while trying to pry his hands off her so she could stand.
Rio stared at her for a second like she’d genuinely offended him.
“What?” he asked, almost amused. “Mani, I came over here to see you, baby. How you pushing me off?”
Imani purposely looked everywhere except at him.
At the tattoos on his neck.
At the chain around his throat.
At the strong hands still holding onto her thighs like he had no intention of letting her go anytime soon.
Because if she looked at him too long, she was gonna fold.
“I’m pushing you off because you keep lying to me,” she muttered, voice tight.
Rio’s expression faded slightly.
“And all it took was me crying for you to finally come over,” she continued, trying to keep her composure together. “Like… that really hurts my feelings, Rio.”
Her voice cracked halfway through the sentence.
Embarrassed immediately, Imani turned her face away and wiped quickly under her eyes before the tears could fully fall.
His grip on her thighs loosened instantly.
“Hey,” he said quieter now.
“No, because I feel stupid.” She laughed shakily, avoiding his gaze. “I’m’ here waiting around for you and you keep making me feel like I’m asking’ for too much just because I wanna see my man.”
“You not asking for too much.”
“Yes I am,” she snapped emotionally. “Cause if I wasn’t, you would actually make time for me.”
The only sound was her uneven breathing and the faint noise from the TV downstairs.
Rio looked at her for a long moment before reaching up carefully, brushing his thumb underneath her eye.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Rio said quietly, his voice softer than it had been all night. “I’ll make time for you. I’m serious.”
Imani sniffled, eyes glossy as she stared down at the chain resting against his chest instead of looking at him directly.
“Any time you call, I’ma come over,” he continued. “Any time you wanna go somewhere, I’ll come. Stop cryin’, mama.”
His hand slid up gently, fingers curling around her chin as he turned her face back toward him.
Imani’s lashes fluttered.
“Don’t say that if you know you can’t, Rio,” she whispered thickly, fresh emotion creeping into her voice.
Rio shook his head immediately.
“Nah, I’m serious.” His thumb brushed beneath her eye again, wiping away another tear before it could fall. “And if I flake out or some shit again… you can be done with me.”
Meanwhile he already knew there was no universe where he’d actually leave Imani alone.
Not after all these years.
Not when she looked at him like that.
“Ew,” Imani said instantly, finally smiling a little through her tears. “Don’t say that.”
Rio smirked faintly at the sight of her softening.
“There she go,” he murmured.
He wiped the rest of her tears carefully while she wrapped her arms around his neck, settling closer against him without even realizing it.
Rio raised an eyebrow. “What happened? Thought you was done with me.”
Imani rolled her eyes dramatically before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss against his lips.
“I was playing,” she mumbled against his mouth.
Rio huffed out a laugh, one hand rubbing slowly up her thigh beneath the satin fabric.
“Yeah, aight,” he teased softly. “You was cryin’ real hard for somebody done with me.”
“Shut up,” she muttered, hiding her face against his shoulder while he grinned.
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