Chapter 1
J Cole POV
I had a successful tour and album therefore I’m back in NYC relaxing. This is exactly more hard to do because Alex has started nagging me about marriage. She thought she was getting a ring and now is pissed that I didn’t give her one. She got hyped when Kendrick proposed to his longtime girlfriend. Though she was next I think a piece of paper shouldn’t define our relationship. Relationships end marriages point blank simply. Look at all the gays getting married (finally) and months later divorce. Marriage ruins shit.
“Somebody got commitment issues.”
I look up as a short, brown skin woman sits down in my booth. We are in a coffee shop,black-owned of course.
“I can commit. I’m doing that now but I just don’t want to get married."
“Well J, I understand you. Marriage ain’t for everybody. I actually don’t wanna get married either. I think that piece of paper is like being in a chokehold. Your body, time, and money are in a vice grip forever."
I laugh.
“A vice grip. I have never heard a woman talk like that."
“No, I’m not gay or a man-hating feminist."
“I wasn’t going to ask you that. I was going to ask you: what dude hurt you?"
“I have a question for you: why don’t you want to marry your girl?"
“How you figure she is the reason I don’t wanna get married?"
“The same way you figured out somebody hurt me."
I get quiet.
“Well it’s too nice to meet you J, I’m Ebony. Maybe we can continue this next time."
She gets up and leaves the coffee shop.
*Two Days Later
I’m back in the coffee shop and it seems like Ebony is waiting for me in the back. So I grab my coffee and pastries then sit down with her.
“I had a boyfriend that wanted wait needed to get married. No, he was a citizen just thought after 5years that’s what you do. Get married. I spent most of my 20s with this dude but I don’t want to marry him. I knew that after a year but I just enjoy the love and the relationship. "*Ebony
“Wow."
“I eventually woke up and broke up with him. It was pointless for us to settle and for me to drag him down. He deserves to be happy and married but not with me. So I get it, Jermaine, your girl is a nice girlfriend but not wife material."
Yo, she is reading me like a book. I don’t even have a comeback cause I think she is actually right. Like why don’t I want to marry Alex?"
Ebony is cool as shit and makes me think. I’m going to make sure to keep her around.
