Hold U Down by Keisha Ervin Page B

heartbeat.
    Â 
    Â 
    As time continued to fly by, Unique and Bigg grew closer. Nothing could break their bond. Their connection and commitment to one another grew stronger every day. Bigg’s playa days were over. He was finally at a point in his life where he was ready to put his pimp cup down. No other chick could compare to Unique. She was the total package—beautiful, smart, and confident.
    Unique was the kind of chick that he wanted to stay in the house for. At night, he wanted to rub her back and massage her feet. There would be no more kickin’ it in the club until the wee hours of the morning. Bigg wanted to be with Unique; only she could satisfy his every need. She even made him think about attending church—that’s how much he dug her. The only woman he wanted or needed was Unique, and after four months of being together, he decided to tell her just how much she meant to him.
    The setting was perfect. They would enjoy a nice night on the town together. Bigg wanted to give Unique flowers, so he went to a florist to find the prettiest flowers he could. He ended up choosing white roses because the florist told him that they meant humility, innocence, and purity. The flowers fit Unique perfectly, because even though she played hard, she possessed a lot of childlike qualities.
    Bigg showed up to Unique’s place at exactly seven o’clock on the dot. As he knocked on the door, he held the dozen white roses in hand.
    Unique couldn’t believe her eyes when she opened the door to find Bigg standing there with flowers. She had received plenty of roses from guys before, but never white roses.
    â€œThank you, baby,” she gushed.
    â€œYou’re welcome.” He smiled as he handed them to her. After she put the flowers into a vase filled with water, the two headed out hand in hand.
    â€œSo, where are we going?”
    â€œIt’s a surprise,” Bigg explained.
    And he didn’t lie either. A surprise is exactly what Unique got. First they attended a concert at the Fox Theater. Alicia Keys was performing. Bigg had the hookup, so they had front row tickets. Alicia Keys sang her heart out that night. She went through a playlist of her old and new songs. Just as she was about to perform her hit song “If I Ain’t Got You,” Unique got the surprise of her life.
    â€œI want to dedicate this next song to my boy Bigg and his girl Unique,” Alicia announced to the crowd before singing.
    Unique couldn’t believe it. She was in absolute heaven. The night couldn’t get any better. After the concert, they had a lovely dinner at the Steak House. The meal was extraordinary. By the time dessert came, Unique couldn’t eat another bite. Since they weren’t yet ready to go home, Bigg suggested that they take a walk on the Riverfront.
    He couldn’t have picked a better night to tell Unique that he loved her. The midnight sky was filled with stars, and the moon was full. Unique and Bigg had a perfect view of the Mississippi River. They stood along the shore, gazing at the water and different casino boats as they floated along the waterfront. With his arms wrapped around Unique, Bigg softly whispered into her ear, “I love you.”
    You would have thought that Unique would answer back with “I love you” as well, but she didn’t. To admit that she loved Bigg was a big thing for her, and Unique wasn’t sure if she was ready to do that just yet. Admitting to Bigg that she loved him would be letting her guard down, and Unique knew that once she did this, she would be opening herself up to heartbreak.
    Love is forbidden, is what she continued to tell herself. You cannot love him. I know you don’t want to end up like your mother , is what her inner voice kept on saying.
    â€œUnique, did you hear me?”
    â€œI heard you,” she turned around and replied. Face-to-face, they gazed into each other’s eyes. Once Unique took a