Freeda's POV
Sometimes, I still find it hard to believe how far I've come.
Sitting by the window, I let my fingers rest lightly against the glass as the city lights flickered in the distance. Los Angeles had once felt like a battlefield to me—a place where I had to fight just to exist, just to be seen. And yet, somehow, it had also become the place where everything changed.
Where he happened.
A soft smile touched my lips as I let my thoughts wander.
Harrison and I… we didn't start out like this. There was nothing perfect about our beginning. No instant love, no fairy tale moment. Just distance, misunderstanding, and a silence that often felt louder than words.
And yet, here we are.
Two days to our wedding.
My heart fluttered at the thought, a mixture of excitement and disbelief settling deep in my chest. Life hadn't always been kind to me—I knew that more than anyone. I had fought too hard, sacrificed too much, and walked away from pieces of myself just to find peace.
Being a Black woman in a world that constantly tried to overlook me… it changes you. It forces you to grow in ways you never asked for. To be stronger, sharper, quieter—yet louder where it matters.
And still, I made it.
I built something out of nothing. I walked away when staying would have destroyed me. I chose myself, even when it was the hardest thing to do.
A soft kiss brushed against my cheek, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I didn't need to turn to know who it was.
A small smile curved my lips. "You always do that."
"Do what?" Harrison's deep voice came, calm and teasing, right behind me.
"Interrupt my thinking," I said, turning slightly to look at him.
God… he looked good.
He always did. Tall, composed, effortlessly put together in a way that still managed to feel natural. But it wasn't just that. It was the way he looked at me now—like I wasn't invisible anymore.
Like I was everything.
"I wouldn't call it interrupting," he said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'd call it saving you from overthinking."
I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. "You wish."
But my heart felt warm.
Because once upon a time… he didn't see me at all.
Harrison's POV
I stood there for a moment, just watching her.
Freeda.
My soon-to-be wife.
It still didn't feel real sometimes.
She stood by the window, the soft light wrapping around her like it belonged to her. She wasn't loud. She didn't try too hard. And yet, there was something about her—something strong, something unbreakable—that made it impossible to look away.
She was petite, yes… but her strength?
I had never seen anything like it.
And the truth?
I almost lost her.
I was so caught up in my own world—my own mindset—that I refused to see what was right in front of me. I told myself things that made sense at the time. Built walls I thought I needed.
But really… I was just blind.
Blind to her worth.
Blind to her strength.
Blind to her.
I exhaled slowly, stepping closer before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. She smiled instantly, and something in my chest tightened.
"How did I almost let this go?" I muttered under my breath.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked, my voice softer now.
She turned to face me fully, her eyes calm but deep—like she carried a story no one could fully understand.
"I'm just… reminiscing," she said. "About everything. How far we've come."
I nodded slightly, letting her continue.
"It hasn't been easy," she added. "There were times I felt like I didn't belong anywhere. Like no matter what I did, it would never be enough… just because I'm Black."
Her words hit harder than I expected.
"And yet," she continued, a small smile forming, "I didn't give up. I couldn't. Giving up has never really been an option for me."
I admired that about her. More than she probably knew.
"I left," she said softly. "I walked away from everything I knew. From L.A… from the life I thought I had to live."
Her eyes met mine again.
"When I moved to Jamaica, I didn't think I'd become a CEO. I didn't think I'd build something of my own… and I definitely didn't think I'd fall in love with my boss."
She laughed lightly, and I couldn't help but smile.
"You didn't see me like that at first," I teased.
She raised a brow. "Please. You didn't even see me at all."
…She wasn't wrong.
I sighed, shaking my head slightly. "Yeah. I messed up."
"Very badly," she added.
We both laughed this time, but there was truth behind it.
She stepped closer, her voice softening. "But look at us now."
And I did.
I really looked.
"At us," she repeated. "I built something. A business that's growing faster than I imagined. I found myself again… and now—"
She paused, her eyes lighting up.
"Now I'm getting married."
My heart tightened.
"To you," she finished gently.
I reached for her hand, holding it firmly. "And I'm the luckiest man alive because of that."
She smiled.
"Just a couple more days," I said quietly.
Her fingers tightened slightly around mine, her smile softening into something deeper. "Yeah… it's really happening."
I leaned in, resting my forehead gently against hers.
"I can't wait," I whispered.
"For what?" she asked, her voice barely above a breath.
"For the beginning of something new… with you, my love."
And for the first time in a long time, I knew something for sure—
This wasn't just love.
This was everything I almost didn't see.