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I nodded slowly, but I still felt it. That shift.

That little crack in our usual ease. For the first time since we’d made things official, I wondered… Was he really okay with it?

“I miss you. I’m starting to think, if I feel like this now, while we’re so close what it’s going to feel like when you’re off being a star.”

“I’mma have you as close to me as possible while I’m out doing that. Whatever obstacle we face, we’ll figure it out. Besides, you gon’ be too busy being a star yourself. We’ll meet in the middle.”

“How are you this perfect?”

“Shit, ya boi ain’t perfect. Damn near, but I still got some growing to do.”

“Do you think we’ll make it?”

I had been nervous about that for weeks since we’d made things official. I knew the connection we had, knew how much I cared about Creed since we started our friendship, loved him even, and I just didn’t want to risk that ending.

Besides being my lover, he was also my friend, best friend in fact. Sex had complicated that even more than it already was. Foolishly, I had imagined a whole life with this man. Imagined my life with him and only him by my side. I imagined our babies, our wedding and I hated for anything to jeopardize that in any way.

“I hope so beautiful. I bet everything on you.”

12

CREED

The room was dim, the only light coming from the city outside, casting soft glows against the walls. The air smelled like her—sweet, warm, like vanilla and honey.

Serenity was curled up next to me, wrapped in the sheets, her bare shoulder peeking through, her curls wild and full, from the way I had been pulling at them earlier.

She looked damn near edible. Hell, shewasabsolutely edible, something I knew firsthand. We’d been laid up since we got in from my game. I’d scored 25, had 9 assists, and 10 rebounds, one hell of a night in college ball. I was exhilarated by the end of the game, pumped up and excited especially because I knew there were recruiters in the stands; my coach had told me before the game started. I showed up for my team and showed out.

Serenity was in the crowds cheering me on the entire time. I saw her, screaming for me, so into the game and just as hype as I was; we were feeding off each other’s energy. Every time I scored, I looked for her and seeing the elation on her face warmed me.

In all the time I had been with Gianna, she came to damn near every game; but not for me, for herself, for what my status as the star player on our high school basketball team did for her. When I looked in the stands for her, hoping she’d be seated with my family and Nas cheering me on, she was further up in the stands talking to her girls, loving the attention she was getting.

But not Serenity. She was here, in the thick of things, repping me with a custom T-Shirt she’d gotten made with my name and jersey number on it. She’d gotten one in scarlet and one in white. Her hair was pulled up into a messy, curly bun, and she wore a pair of dark blue jeans and some red and white Jordan 1s…Perfection.

After the game, we wanted to be alone, so while everybody else went out to celebrate, we had found our way back at the apartment, unable to keep our hands off each other.

We were too lazy, too comfortable, to do anything but lay there, laughing, and eating cup noodles like we hadn’t just spent hours tangled up in each other.

"You ever gon’ eat a real meal?" she teased, blowing on the noodles before taking a bite.

I smirked, resting against the headboard. "This is a real meal. It got everything you need—flavor, seasoning, broth. Gourmet."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You are ridiculous."

"Nah, I’m just resourceful."

She rolled her eyes, setting her cup on the nightstand before stretching her arms over her head, the sheets slipping lower, giving me a glimpse of all that smooth, brown skin.

Damn.

"You look good like this," I murmured, watching her, my fingers tracing lazy circles on her thigh.

"Like what?"

"Like you mine."

She bit her lip, tilting her head at me. "I am yours, Creed." Something about the way she said it made my chest tighten, swell. I didn’t even think. The words just slipped out.