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"Serenity, I swear to you…" His voice was low, rough. "I didn’t want this. I didn’t plan for this. But I need to know…" He swallowed hard. "Is there any way you’d even consider still being with me?"

I picked up my fork, stabbing at my pasta, twirling it between the prongs. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting, dreading. I took a bite, chewed slowly, swallowed then asked; "Who said I planned on leaving?"

A short silence stretched between us. I lifted my gaze, and the second my eyes met his, I saw the shock. The hope.

"Serenity…"

"I won’t lie and say I’m not hurt," I admitted, my voice steady. "And I don’t know what this means for us… but what I do know is that I love you, Creed. And if I walked away now, it wouldn’t be because I wanted to—it’d be because I was scared." He swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around his napkin."So, I’m choosing to stay," I continued, holding his gaze. "I’m choosing to see this through."

His chest rose and fell sharply, like he had been holding his breath for minutes.

"You mean that?"

"Yeah," I said softly. "I do."

And in that moment, I knew—This was love. Messy, complicated, but real.

14

CREED

Ileaned against the counter in my apartment, one hand gripping my phone, the other rubbing the back of my neck as I listened to my mama go on another rant about Gianna.

"So you really gon’ sit here and tell me that you’re choosing some girl over the mother of your child?"

I sighed, closing my eyes. "Mama, I ain’t choosing nobody over nobody. I’m telling you—for the last damn time—me and Gianna are over. That was done before I even knew she was pregnant."

"So, you just gon’ abandon her then?"

My jaw clenched. "I ain’t abandoning nobody. I told you, I’m gonna take care of my kid, but that don’t mean I gotta be with Gi. I’m not sure why you not understanding this."

"You really think some girl you barely know gon’ stick around once the real work starts? Once that baby get here and you gotta divide your time?"

"She ain’t just some girl, stop saying that shit." I snapped, tired of the disrespect toward Serenity. “If you would even take a short amount of time to consider that, in less than a year ofknowing her, that girl, has me loving her in ways I have never even loved Gianna. She makes me happy, she keeps me sane. I ain’t no dummy, to be messing with somebody that is using me. Serenity don’t got a single reason to use me.”

I hadn’t mentioned the fact that Serenity was well off to anybody but Nasseem who only knew because of the help he was receiving from Mr. Bradshaw who had Nas up in Las Vegas, training. According to Nas, Mr. Bradshaw was paying for all of his expenses. At first, Nas insisted on contributing something, but Mr. Bradshaw insisted. He said all he wanted was for Nas to take care of himself and listen to his trainers.

"Mhm, well, I know you think that now. But trust me, son, when the pressure’s on, you gon’ see what’s real and that little gold digger is gonna leave you when push comes to shove."

I took a slow, deep breath, my patience hanging by a damn thread.

"Ma, I already had this conversation with you. And I’m telling you now like I told you before; leave this alone. It’s done, and it ain’t shit you can do about it."

She sucked her teeth. "Watch your fuckin mouth when you speak to me Creed Langston. I’m tellin you, that you makin’ a mistake.’

"Nah, I ain’t. What I ain’t finna do is be trapped in some forced-ass relationship just ‘cause it makes sense to you. I told you—I love Serenity. I’m stayin’ with her."

She scoffed. "You really think it’s that simple, huh?"

"Mama, I gotta go. I got practice."

"Yeah, I bet you do," she muttered. "You just wait. One way or another you gon’ see I was right."

I hung up, frustration boiling in my chest. She wasn’t gonna change my mind. Nobody was.

After practice, I was back in my apartment, throwing a few things in my duffle bag for our away game in D.C. when Brodie leaned against the doorway of my bedroom, arms crossed.

"You good?" he asked, watching me carefully.