PROMISED TO HIM
CHAPTER 29
MAYIBUYE SMITH
The house felt colder after Tony left.
Even though Roy didn’t say much about what happened between them, I could feel it — the tension, the rage simmering under his skin. When he came upstairs that night, he didn’t touch me, didn’t speak. He just stood by the window with his hands in his pockets, eyes dark, shoulders tight.
I wanted to ask. To help. But I knew him well enough by now to understand that when Roy Smith goes silent, it’s because he’s trying not to explode.
So I didn’t push. I just sat on the bed, watching his reflection through the glass. The distance between us felt heavier than ever.
Finally, he turned around. “I’m leaving for a few days.”
The words hit me like a slap.
“What?”
He didn’t even blink. “Business trip.”
“Where?”
“Dubai Possibly Mourituas afterward.”
I stood up, crossing my arms. “You didn’t even think to discuss this with me?”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” he said flatly. “You’ll stay here. Msizi and the guards will handle everything while I’m gone.”
I laughed — not because it was funny, but because it was unbelievable. “Handle everything? Roy, do you hear yourself? You act like I’m some fragile thing you can lock up every time you leave.”
His eyes flicked to mine, hard. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have married me if you didn’t trust me to breathe without your permission.”
He exhaled sharply, stepping closer. “You think this is about trust? Mayi, this is about keeping you alive. I don’t have time to argue about feelings when there are people who want what I have — including you.”
My voice softened, cracking slightly. “And what if I don’t want this life? What if all I want is you — not your power, not your guards, not your secrets — just you?”
He froze. For a second, something flickered in his eyes — guilt, maybe. Or regret. But it disappeared almost instantly.
“You knew what marrying me meant.”
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I didn’t. II didn’t know it meant falling asleep alone even when you’re lying next to me.”
He looked away, his jaw tightening.
I felt my throat burn. I turned to the closet, pulling open drawers, grabbing my clothes — shirts, jeans, dresses, anything I could reach.
“What are you doing?” His voice turned sharp.
I ignored him, stuffing clothes into my travel bag. “If you’re leaving, then I’m going too.”
He took a step forward. “You’re not.”
“I am.”
“Mayibuye.” His tone was a warning now, the kind that could make anyone else freeze. But not me — not anymore.
I turned to face him, my hands trembling but my heart steady. “I can’t stay here, Roy. Not alone. Not when everything around us feels like it’s falling apart. I don’t trust anyone but you. I don’t want to trust anyone but you.”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’ll be safer here.”
“Safe?” I scoffed, tears filling my eyes. “Do you even know what that word means anymore? Because for me, safety isn’t being guarded by men with guns. It’s being next to you. It’s hearing your voice, knowing you’re okay. That’s what makes me feel safe.”
He stared at me, his expression unreadable.
“I’m not asking you to stay,” I continued, voice trembling. “I’m asking you to take me with you. Please.”
He looked at the packed bag on the bed, then back at me. “You’re not built for my world, Mayi.”
“Then build me into it,” I said softly, stepping closer. “Or at least stop shutting me out like I don’t belong in it.”
He said nothing, his silence cutting deeper than any words could.
When he finally spoke, his tone was quiet but firm. “It’s not safe.”
“And it’s safe here?” I shot back, tears spilling down my cheeks. “With your mother threatening people and Jayden missing? You think I can sleep knowing something might happen and you won’t be here?”
His jaw flexed, and for the first time, his confidence faltered.
“I’m scared, Roy,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Not of you. Not even of them. I’m scared of what will happen if one day, if Jay come back.”
That was emotional blackmail, and I knew it. But I didn’t care. I was desperate.
He stared at me, his eyes dark and stormy, his chest rising and falling heavily. For a moment, I thought he would yell. Instead, he turned away, running a hand through his hair.
“Damn it, Mayi.” His voice was rough, low. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“I do,” I whispered. “I’m asking you not to leave me.”
He turned back, eyes burning into mine. “You think this is easy for me?.”
“Then don’t make me stay.”
The silence between us stretched, filled with everything we couldn’t say.
Then, slowly, he stepped closer. His hand brushed my cheek, his thumb catching a tear before it fell.
“You’re impossible,” he murmured.
“I learned from you,” I whispered back.
He sighed, pressing his forehead against mine. And kissed me and we kissed as I heard my bra being unclipped but I was listening to the pleasure as he played with his tounge on my neck
“Then take me with you,” I breathed.
His hand dropped from my cheek, and he stared at me for a long moment — torn between reason and something deeper.
Finally, he said, “You have until morning to convince me.”
My heart skipped. “You mean—”
“I mean I haven’t decided,” he interrupted. “But if you pack that bag just to prove a point, make sure you’re ready for what comes with following me.”
He walked out before I could reply, leaving me alone
That night, I didn’t sleep. I sat by the window, staring at the city lights, my bag beside me.
If he said no tomorrow, I’d follow him anyway.
Because being apart from Roy Smith hurt more than anything else in this world ever could.
ROY SMITH
I watched her from the doorway that night.
She thought I’d left — but I hadn’t.
She was sitting by the window, hugging her knees, her suitcase packed beside her. Her face was lit only by the faint city glow, but I could still see the stubborn set of her jaw, the quiet fear in her eyes.
She looked fragile and fierce all at once.
I wanted to go to her. To pull her close and tell her she didn’t have to be scared — that I’d burn the world before I let anyone touch her.
But I couldn’t promise what I didn’t control.
Because in my world, love wasn’t protection. It was weakness. And weakness could get her killed.
So I did what I always do. I turned away.
Even though a part of me already knew — I wouldn’t be able to leave her behind.we were going but she still have to prove to me in any ways that she can stand with me through thick and thin