Page 15

CREED

I sat in the terminal, elbows on my knees, phone pressed to my ear as I watched people move around me.

"So, you ready for Christmas with the fam?" I asked, adjusting the hood of my sweatshirt over my head.

Serenity sighed. "Not really. Me and my mom still ain’t really speaking like that."

I shook my head. "Baby, you need to fix that. You only get one mother."

"Creed, please don’t start."

"I’m just saying," I muttered, leaning back in the seat. "I know she ain’t the easiest person to deal with, but at the end of the day, she your mama. That shit ain’t worth it."

She was quiet for a second before exhaling sharply.

"Anyway," she said, completely ignoring what I just said causing a slight chuckle to escape my lips. "I talked to my dad about Nasseem."

I sat up immediately. "Yeah? What he say?"

"He said he’s willing to help."

I blinked, letting that sink in.

"Yo, Serenity… that’s crazy."

"I know," she said, and I could hear the small smile in her voice. "But he needs Nas’ info, like yesterday. You gotta send me whatever you got on him—full name, anything you can give me."

"I got you," I said quickly, already making a mental note. "I’ll send it as soon as I land."

"Good. I hope he actually listens, though. I know this is something you been wanting for him."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah. He need it more than he know."

She didn’t say anything right away, but I could feel her thinking.

“You’re thinking real loud Baby, what’s up?”

"I miss you, Creed," she admitted softly.

I closed my eyes for a second, letting those words settle deep.

"I miss you too, Beautiful," I murmured, my voice lower than I meant for it to be.

"This has been the longest two weeks ever," she sighed.

I smirked slightly. "Well we just gotta get through the next few days right, then we’ll get to see each other again."

"Still," she said. "It feels different now. I’m used to having you around."

I exhaled through my nose, rubbing my temple. "Yeah, me too."

The announcement for my flight crackled over the speakers, and I sighed.

"Aight, Baby. That’s my flight. I gotta go."

"Okay," she said softly. "Call me when you land."

"You already know."

"Bye, Langston."

"Later, Beautiful." I hung up, sliding my phone in my pocket as I grabbed my bag.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway had me peeking through the blinds, already knowing who it was.

Nas.

I let out a breath before unlocking the door, stepping outside as he climbed out of his car. His fitted cap was pulled low over his forehead, chains clinking as he stretched his arms, looking up at me.

"Damn, nigga, you get taller every time I see you?" he joked, dapping me up.

"Nah, you just been short since birth," I smirked.

"Fuck outta here." He shook his head, following me inside.

The house smelled like fresh food and cinnamon candles—my mama’s way of making Christmas feel like Christmas.

Pop was in the back watching a game, and I could hear my mama on the phone somewhere, but I led Nas straight to my room.

We settled in, me leaning against my dresser while he dropped into the chair at my desk.

"So," he started, rubbing his hands together. "You said you had something important to tell me. What’s up?"

I sat down on the bed, leaning forward, forearms resting on my knees. "I got a way to get you out, Nas."

His brows lifted slightly. "Outta where?"

"Outta here, nigga. Out the streets. Out the bullshit. I got a way to get you a fresh start."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, like he was trying to figure out where I was going with this.

"What you mean C?"

I exhaled. "You ever heard of Lenox Bradshaw?"

The second I said it, Nas let out a sharp laugh, shaking his head.

"Nigga, you for real? The Lenox Bradshaw? Former welterweight contender?"

"Yeah, I guess."

I had never known he was a contender. Serenity just told me he was good.

Nasseem squinted at me. "What that got to do with me?"

"I’m cool with his daughter, I told her about how you were good at fighting and had a passion for it. She talked to him about you," I admitted. "She asked him to help, and he agreed. I told her I wanted to talk to you about it first before I passed along all yo info.”

Nas leaned back, shaking his head again, this time slower.

"Bruh… are you serious?"

"Deadass." I could see the wheels turning in his head, the disbelief slowly shifting into something real.

"Yo, that’s crazy," he muttered his fist against his lips. "I grew up watching clips of that man. He was supposed to go all the way."

I nodded. "He still got power. And now he’s willing to use it for you."

Nas let out a low whistle, lowering his head in disbelief and running his hand down his face. “That’s wild C.” He glanced up at me, eyes squinting before tilting his head. "So, this Serenity chick got pull like that?"

I smirked slightly. "Yeah, man."

He studied me for a second. "You ain’t told me much about her. But I been putting some things together. What’s really going on with you and her?"

I rubbed my jaw. Besides Pops, I hadn’t told nobody about Serenity like that yet. But Nas? He was different. He was my brother.

"I’m ending shit with Gi while I’m home," I admitted.

His brows shot up. "For her?"

"For me," I corrected. "But yeah… Serenity’s part of the reason."

Nas let out a long breath, shaking his head again. "Bruh. So, you really feeling her like that?"

I met his gaze. "Yeah."

He didn’t respond at first, just continued to study me like he was checking to see if I was being real with myself. Then, his lips pulled into a slow smirk.

"You after shorty for the perks?" he teased.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Hell nah, bruh. I don’t give a damn about her money, her privilege, none of that. She real, Nas. From the moment I met her, she been nothing but real. She ain’t like the people she grew up around. She down to earth, she funny as hell, and she actually care about shit."

He hummed. "Yeah? She bad though?"

"Bruh." I smirked. "She fine as hell. She got this chocolate skin, slim thick, beautiful smile but beyond the looks she just a dope ass person in general. I can talk to her about anything and the conversation don’t ever feel forced.”

“You hit?”

“Nope, not yet. I’m tryna do shit right with her. While I got Gi, I can’t go there with her. I ain’t gon lie, that shit been hard though. When I tell you, I’m feeling shorty hard…”

"And she putting me on with her daddy just because she like yo ugly ass? Yeah, you might need to keep her."

I grinned. "That’s the plan." Nas was quiet again for a second before he sighed.

"Look, man… I’mma keep it a buck with you. I never fucked wit Gianna like that anyway. She and your mama always been on some ‘this is how it’s supposed to be’ shit, but that ain’t never been real love. I seen that shit from jump. Her intentions ain’t been genuine to me."

I let his words sink in, because he wasn’t wrong. I just wasn’t ready to see it until now.

"Yeah," I muttered. "I see it now too."

"Well, I hope shorty the real deal for you, man. You deserve that."

"She is."

"Aight, bet. So, what you need from me?"

"All your info. I’mma send it over to Serenity."

"Say less." I could hear the appreciation in his voice, the weight of what this meant sitting between us.

"Aye, C…"

"Yeah?"

"I mean this when I say it, bruh. Thank you."

"You my brother, Nas. I got you, always!"

After Nas left, I sat in my room, my phone vibrating in my hand. Gianna’s name flashed across my screen. I let it ring once, twice… before finally answering.

"What’s up Gi?”

"Creed," she breathed, and I could tell from her voice exactly what this was. She missed me. She wanted to see me. She needed me. And I already knew I was about to make another mistake. "You coming over?" she asked, her voice soft.

I closed my eyes gripping the bridge of my nose.

"Gi—"

"Please, baby. Just come see me I miss you so bad.”

I should’ve said no. Should’ve told her I was done pretending.

But instead?—

"Aight," I muttered. "I’m on my way."

When I got there, there was no talking. Gianna made it very clear what she wanted from me and I, like the fool I am, obliged her.

I let her lead me to her bedroom and once inside I let her get down on her knees and take me into her warm mouth.

I didn’t stop her when she stripped out of the little clothes she had, nor did I stop her when she pushed me down on her bed, mounting me before going for a ride.

But as all of that had died down and I stared up at the ceiling, I ran my fingers through Gianna’s thick hair, watching the way she clung to me, her face buried in my neck. My chest was tight.

Because I knew. I knew this was the last time.

Her fingertips traced my shoulders, the way they always did.

Her lips pressed to my skin, whispering promises that I couldn’t keep anymore.

And as much as I wanted to hold onto this moment, I knew it wasn’t mine to hold anymore.

Because somewhere in LA, there was someone else who had my heart. And I couldn’t ignore that any longer.

Gianna was curled up against me, her breathing soft and steady, her arm draped across my stomach like she thought I’d still be here in the morning. Like she didn’t already feel me slipping away.

I should’ve stopped this before it even got to this point. Should’ve never picked up when she called, never let myself fall into the same cycle we’d been trapped in for years—going through the motions, pretending like we still fit when we both knew we didn’t.

But I did. Because some part of me still hated letting people down. Still wasn’t ready to be the one to tell her the truth. Still wasn’t ready for the mess that was about to come with it. But I couldn’t avoid it forever. I had already made my choice. And after tomorrow, she’d know it too.