"But I feel alone even when we're alone.."

Round two of the lonely, early mornings were setting in as three o'clock was hinting on the clock. Again, she was stuck trying to place words like puzzle pieces into her poetry book as she melted into her comforter. Rozai laid beside her, soundly asleep, even though her and her stereo were wide awake. Again, Focus by H.E.R. played from her laptop only this time from a speaker she had bluetoothed to it.

Rosè felt as if she was in a rinse and repeat cycle, living in the same day over and over. Her life wasn't something to complain about, she was living great but she still craved that sense of wanting someone to share it with.

She needed that something again.

Her eyes grew heavy as the bright display dimmed to a screensaver. She closed her notebook, took off her glasses, and buried her face in the pillow.

The next morning, she felt Rozai lift from her side and jump to the ground, the bell around her collar shaking along with the pitter patter of her small feet. Rosè groaned and got up, peeling herself from the bed. She walked into the bathroom and jumped straight in the shower, as routine.

After brushing her teeth, applying deordorant, getting dressed, slipping in her contacts, eating cereal while feeding Rozai, they went for their morning run again.

She stopped by Zaida's house and instead of donuts, she had a leash in her hand and her running outfit on. On the ground by her shoes was Sonni, her dog. Rosè smiled and then burst into laughter when she noticed Zaida's tired expression.

"Shut up, let's just go." She groaned before clutching her water bottle tightly.

They jogged down, their dogs on their trail as they raced through the dog park finally stopping once they hit the grass terrain. Zaida was completely out of breath and collapsed on the bench once she unleashed Sonni.

Rosè couldn't help but laugh. "That's those donuts from yesterday." She teased, sitting beside her.

"Fuck you... and those.. donuts." She panted, drowning herself with water as she struggled to get the words out.

"Ooo, girl. There was this fine ass man here yesterday." Rosè recalled, not quite remembering his name, but definitely remembering his dark eyes. "He had a Great Dane."

"Mm." Zaida commented with disinterest as she flipped her ponytail behind her shoulder. "Jason had a Great Dane too."

Rosè formed a line with her lips, trying to keep from laughing because if she recalled right.. Zaida wasn't talking about dogs. "How did things go with that?"

"I went over there and he had some stripper hoe at his house." She ranted, shaking her head. "I'm sending him the papers on Tuesday because fuck him. I threw all his shit out the window then somebody came and picked up the girl from the lawn before I could go and beat her ass with the bat too."

Rosè couldn't hold her laughter after that. "Wow, I mean really, wow. In his defense, you did tell him to jump off a bridge and that you never wanted to see him again. You said that–"

"I know what I said, who side you on?" Zaida asked, shooting a look at her.

"You also threw the ring at him, girl." Rosè said, putting her hands up in defense. "But he deserved everything else."

"You damn right he did."

Rosè looked from Zaida out to the park where owners were playing with their pets, having all types of fun. Suddenly, she noticed the tall man from the day before petting Cartier.

"I'll be right back." Rosè said before getting up and leaving Zaida on the bench. She walked straight over to the man and tapped him on the back since his shoulder was way high up. "Hey."

He turned around and looked at her. "Oh, hey. Um..."

"Rosè." She filled her name in, laughing as she backed up to let him turn around. "I couldn't remember your name to save my life either."

"It's Kai." He told her, licking over his pink lips. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, what about you?" She asked.

He nodded. "I'm cool, gotta start heading back to the gym."

"Oh, you work out?" She asked, getting intrigued.

Kai smiled, shaking his head. "Nah, I'm a gym trainer." He answered.

"Interesting."

"Oh, yeah?" He asked, looking down at her. "You look like you work out a little bit."

"Just a little bit." She joked. "I run but I don't do a lot of like.. gym workouts and stuff like I want to. Running is the only thing I can get my friend out to do."

Kai licked his lips. "Well I tell you what? Walk with me to my car and I'll give you my card. You can come by the gym whenever you're ready and we can work. How that sound?"

"Sounds good to me." She replied, Rozai now running to her, as she followed beside him.

"Uh-uhn! If you think you leaving me for a nigga, you're sadly mistaken." Zaida remarked as she ran up, grabbing Rosè's arm.

Rosè laughed at her. "Shut up, Zai. I'm just getting his card, he's a gym trainer. I would never leave you." She replied.

Zaida joined in the laughter, sticking her hand out. "I'm Zaida." She greeted.

"Kai." He told her, shaking her hand before leading them to his black 2001 Mercedes Benz CLK Coupe. It was obvious he got paid well for what he did. "Give me a call whenever or just come up to the gym from like 8:00am–1:00am, call if I'm not there. I do meal plans and all that."

"And what if I want to take you up on the wine offer?" Rosè flirted.

Kai smirked before licking his lips and winking. The combo within itself did something to her that the message behind it contributed to. "Call me."

They stared at each other for a while before Rosè turned away and started walking away. "Bye, Kai."

"So, why did you cancel yesterday if I may ask?" Rosè asked, noting that Cardi looked a little stressed. "Is everything okay?"

Cardi slid her fingers through her long hair slowly, shaking her head as she tried to blink away the tears. "I'm just so distraught right now." She said. "Everything is finally building up like you said."

This was the first time Cardi had decided to actually talk through her sessions. Usually, she just came to avoid a lengthy parole. "Okay well tell me what happened."

Cardi sniffled, a tear finally escaping, as she took a deep breath. "I'm just so tired... of broke ass niggas." She sobbed. "I asked one of my niggas for a hundred dollars yesterday and he gon tell me he ain't got it? And sis, you wanna know how I know he was lying? Because he was on Snapchat flexing all night for some strippers!"

Rosè tried so hard not to laugh at Cardi but she was really convinced that island girls were just crazy like this. "Yeah, I can understand that. Maybe you just need to sleep that off because that does seem like... a lot." She said, putting the clipboard down.

Cardi nodded. "Thank you so much." She cried as she stood up. Rosè nodded too and walked her out.

"Noelle, make sure she gets to her car alright." Rosè instructed, shaking her head.

      Once she got back to her desk, she pulled her phone out and replied to a text that Kai had sent her. It was rare for her to approach a man, let alone give him the time of day, but she needed something different and she was tired of sleeping alone. Even if this turned out to just be a sexual relationship, Rosè wanted it.

Rosè wasn't always this bold and maybe that was why her life was so damn boring. Maybe if she was more like Cardi with her polygamous relationship or Cole with her struggling romance then maybe she'd be content with her life.

Rosè hadn't dealt with romance in months since her last fling that had lasted two years– wasted, perhaps. All the times he tried to slide in her life, with him dealing with a new female and all, Rosè just couldn't bring herself to give him the time of day anymore. Anyone else just didn't seem worthy either.

Now, you have single, bored Rosè– who, for a second, considered indulging in a "situation" with her ex.

But why would she do that when she had Kai?