Black Girl Magic

Chapter 1

Lucy

The past is supposed to stay where it belongs—buried beneath years of moving on.

That’s what I tell myself as I stand in my tiny kitchen, stirring a pot of coffee that’s already been brewed. Just for something to do. Something to keep my hands occupied so they don’t start trembling.

Mornings are usually my favorite. The quiet hum of the world waking up. The smell of fresh coffee. The sound of May’s feet shuffling down the hall as she makes her way to breakfast. But today, something feels… off.

Or maybe it’s just me.

Maybe it’s because I dreamt about him again.

Dexter Lane.

Even after all these years, his name still settles in my chest like a stone. Heavy. Unmovable. It’s been sixteen years, but time hasn’t been kind enough to erase the memory of him. The way he used to look at me like I was his whole world. The way we’d sneak off to the river, his fingers tangled with mine, promising forever.

Forever. What a joke.

I tighten my grip around the handle of my coffee mug and take a slow sip.

I shouldn’t be thinking about this. It’s been too long. I have a good life—a life I built from the ground up with nothing but sheer willpower and a love so fierce it could burn through the darkest of nights.

I have May. And that’s all that matters.

“Morning, Mom,” May’s voice rings through the kitchen as she enters, hair still messy from sleep, eyes bright with excitement.

She’s growing up too fast. I swear just yesterday she was small enough to curl up in my lap, her tiny fingers gripping my shirt as she drifted off to sleep. Now she’s almost a woman, taller than I ever thought she’d be, with my deep brown skin and Dexter’s piercing blue eyes.

God. Those eyes.

I force a smile. “Morning, sweetheart. You’re up early.”

May pours herself a glass of orange juice and leans against the counter. “I wanted to check my email before school. See if I got a response about that internship.”

I nod, pretending like I haven’t been checking my own email religiously, waiting for the same thing. “I’m sure you’ll hear back soon. They’d be lucky to have you.”

She grins. “You have to say that. You’re my mom.”

I smirk. “I don’t have to say it. I want to.”

May takes a long sip of her juice, then eyes me carefully. “You okay? You seem… weird.”

I wave her off. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

She watches me for a second longer before shrugging and heading to the small nook where our old laptop sits. “If I don’t get this, it’s not the end of the world,” she says casually, but I know better.

This internship—it means everything to her.

And to me.

Because for once, I want her to have an opportunity that wasn’t built on struggle. I want her to have the kind of future Dexter always had handed to him.

Not that I’m thinking about Dexter.

Nope. Not at all.

The silence stretches as I wash my empty mug and place it in the dish rack. Behind me, May lets out a sudden, ear-piercing squeal.

“Oh my God! I got it!”

I spin around just in time to see her bouncing in her chair, eyes wide with excitement as she stares at the screen.

“You got it?” I echo, my own heart pounding.

“Yes!” She jumps up, rushing toward me and nearly knocking me over with the force of her hug. “I got it, Mom! I actually got it!”

Laughter bubbles up from my chest, and I squeeze her tight. “I knew you would! I’m so proud of you, baby.”

May pulls back, her face glowing. “It’s at that new building downtown! The one everyone’s been talking about—the design firm that opened up last year. Can you believe it?”

I smile. “That’s amazing, sweetheart.”

“His name is Dexter Lane. The CEO. He’s one of the youngest billionaires in the country.”

The world tilts.

The air is sucked from my lungs.

And just like that, the past crashes into me with the force of a tidal wave.

Dexter Lane.

No. No, no, no.

It’s not possible.

I grip the counter, fighting the dizziness that threatens to pull me under.

May doesn’t notice. She’s too busy rambling, her excitement spilling out in rushed sentences. “They said I’ll be working closely with him! Can you believe it? A real CEO! I mean, I probably won’t talk to him much, but still. This could be huge for my career.”

I can’t breathe.

Dexter. May. The same place.

This isn’t happening.

I nod stiffly, forcing my lips into something that resembles a smile. “That’s… that’s incredible, sweetheart.”

And it is.

For her.

For me?

It’s a nightmare.

Because if she works for Dexter, it’s only a matter of time before he finds out. Before he sees her.

Before he realizes what I did.

What I took from him.

“Mom?” May tilts her head. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you’re about to throw up.”

I swallow hard, trying to ground myself. “I’m just… overwhelmed. This is a big deal, May.”

She beams. “I know, right? This could change everything!”

Yeah. It could.

But not in the way she thinks.

I force myself to straighten. “We should celebrate. Dinner tonight?”

May nods. “Definitely! But I have plans with friends after school. Maybe tomorrow?”

I nod absently, my mind already spiraling.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow I’ll wake up, and my daughter will go to work for the man I once loved. The man I ran from. The man I lied to.

Tomorrow, my past will start to unravel.

And there won’t be a damn thing I can do to stop it.