Page 20

SERENITY

I t had been three days since I’d last seen Creed.

Three days since I walked out of his apartment with the sharp stares of his mama and ex-girlfriend burning into my back.

And I still had no idea what the hell was going on.

Not for a lack of trying on his part. My phone had been blowing up nonstop—calls, texts, voice messages—all from him.

But I couldn’t bring myself to pick up. Not yet.

Instead, I gave him short, empty responses when I did reply.

Heartbeat: You good?

Me: Yeah, I’m good.

Heartbeat: I miss you.

Me: Okay.

Heartbeat: Can you please answer the phone

Me: Not yet

I knew I was being childish, but what was I supposed to do? His mama and his ex showed up at his apartment unannounced. That wasn’t normal.

Now, I was sitting in Arielle’s bedroom, my legs crossed under me, a glass of wine in my hand as my girls stared at me, waiting for me to explain myself.

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Egypt started, reclining against the headboard. "His mama just popped up? With his ex?"

"Exactly," I muttered, taking a sip of my wine.

"And you still don’t know why?" Averi added, looking just as confused.

"Nope."

Egypt scoffed. "Oh, hell no. That ain’t normal, Toot. Why she still around? Why she pulling up to his spot like she got a key?"

"That’s what I wanna know!" I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my curls.

"Girl…" Egypt shook her head before grinning mischievously. "What if she pregnant?"

Silence.

Then slowly we all burst out in laughter. Loud, booming laughter that shook the entire room. I even found myself laughing so hard I had to clutch my stomach.

"Egypt, you watch too many damn movies," Averi wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye. “And read too many of them urban fiction books.”

"I’m just saying!" she grinned, taking a sip of her wine. "That’s the kinda shit that happens in those messy ass dramas and them nasty smut filled urban fiction books. Baby mama poppin’ up outta nowhere, saying she pregnant, trying to claim her spot.

Next thing you know, the main chick tryna fight the baby mama over this nigga that don’t really want neither of them. "

"That’s not what’s happening here," I chuckled, even as a weird feeling sat in my stomach.

Arielle, the only one who hadn’t been laughing, gave me a pointed look. "You know, you could just ask him," she said matter-of-factly.

We all went silent again. Egypt raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I guess there’s that."

Averi nodded. "Yeah, Serenity. Maybe you should just call him. You’re stressing yourself out for no reason. Maybe his mama is sick and she brought the girl thinking he needed moral support or something."

I sighed, biting the inside of my cheek.

"I don’t know," I admitted.

Arielle rolled her eyes. "Brodie says he hasn’t been himself. Said he’s been damn near out of it. Whatever happened, it got him messed up."

Hearing that made my stomach drop. Because if that was true, then maybe I was being childish and maybe I should just pick up the damn phone.

After excusing myself, I slipped into my room, closing the door behind me before grabbing my phone. I stared at his name for a moment, my thumb hovering over the call button.

Finally, I pressed it.

The phone rang once…twice, until…

"Damn, Beautiful. You finally calling me back?" His voice was gruff, tired—but relieved. And just like that, my chest loosened, my heart settling in my ribcage.

"Hey," I murmured, suddenly feeling stupid for ignoring him.

"Hey?" he repeated, letting out a small chuckle. "That’s all I get after you been dodgin’ me for three days?"

I smiled, biting my lip. "I wasn’t dodging you… I was just… giving myself time to think."

"Think about what?"

I hesitated. "About why your mama brought Gianna to your apartment. What was so important that they travelled 1500 miles to come see you?"

His laughter died. A long pause settled between us before he let out a slow breath. "I wanna tell you, Serenity. But not over the phone."

I frowned. "Why the fuck not?"

"Because it’s something I need to say to you in person.” My stomach twisted.

"Creed…"

"Just… can we go out tomorrow night?" he asked.

I hesitated. "You know what tomorrow is, right?"

"Yeah," he said softly. "I know. It’s Valentine’s Day. Our first one together. And I want to spend it with you."

Something in his voice made me pause. He sounded… worried. Like he thought I might say no. I exhaled slowly.

"Okay," I murmured.

"Okay?"

"Yeah. We can go out."

"Alright," he said, and I could hear the relief in his voice. "I’ll pick you up. Dress nice."

"I always dress nice," I teased.

He chuckled. "That’s true."

For the next hour, we just talked, falling back into our usual rhythm. Like nothing had happened. Like I hadn’t spent the last three days questioning everything. Like whatever he had to tell me tomorrow wouldn’t change things forever. But something in my gut told me… It would.

The ride to Carbone was quiet. Not from lack of excitement—I was looking forward to seeing Creed. But deep down, something felt different. Something felt… off.

I stepped out of the black SUV, adjusting my sleek red dress as CJ, my driver and security, closed the door behind me.

The night air was crisp, but not cold enough to bite. The streets were bustling, the soft glow of Manhattan’s streetlights setting the perfect mood for Valentine’s night.

But all of it paled in comparison to what was waiting for me outside the restaurant.

Creed.

The second his eyes landed on me, his whole face softened.

"Damn, Beautiful," he murmured as I walked up. "You tryin’ to kill me?" He eyed me in my red dress that hugged my hips, red heels making me stand just below his chin.

I smirked, but before I could even respond, he was pulling me into him—holding me tight, kissing me slow. The kind of kiss that was supposed to feel like forever. But something about it felt like… an apology.

When he finally pulled back, he handed me a bouquet of deep red roses and a small stuffed brown teddy bear with a tiny gold bow around its neck.

"Happy Valentine’s Day, Beautiful," he murmured.

I smiled, running my fingers over the soft petals before looking up at him. "Thank you, Langston. This is sweet."

"You deserve it," he said simply.

And yet… even as he smiled at me, even as he held my hand and walked me inside, something in his eyes told me this night wasn’t going to end the way I had imagined.

The ambiance inside Carbone was intimate.

Low lighting, soft jazz music playing in the background, candlelit tables arranged perfectly.

It was a Valentine’s dream. But I could feel it.

The weight. The tension. The way Creed’s leg bounced under the table as if he was trying to stop himself from bolting.

I sipped my sweet tea slowly, watching him over the rim of my glass.

"So," I said after a moment, my voice light but questioning. "Are you gonna tell me what’s on your mind? Or are we just gonna pretend you didn’t invite me here to drop a bomb on me?"

He inhaled sharply, his fingers gripping the stem of his wine glass before he set it down.

"Baby…" He sighed, shaking his head. "I don’t even know how to say this."

My stomach tightened.

"Straight, no chaser."

He exhaled again, like he was bracing himself for impact. His lips moved but no words came out. Instead, he sat across from me, searching my eyes before uttering the words I dreaded the most; "Gianna’s pregnant."

Everything stopped. The restaurant noise, the soft music, the clinking of silverware—all of it faded into the background. I could feel my heart drop straight into my stomach. But I forced myself to keep my voice steady.

"It’s yours?"

Creed’s jaw clenched, eyes narrowed, telling me everything I needed to hear before he even let the words slip out of his mouth. "She said it is."

I swallowed hard, staring down at my plate, my eyes burning. My mind was racing, fast, trying to figure out when…how?

"When did it happen?" My voice barely came out above a whisper.

"Christmas."

Christmas.

The break I spent missing him, counting down the days until I could see him again, wondering if we had a real shot at this. The break where he was still with her.

He saw the way my lips parted slightly, the way my breath hitched like I had just taken a gut punch.

"Serenity, we weren’t together yet," he said quickly, his tone urgent, pleading. "I didn’t cheat on you, I swear." I knew that…I fucking knew that. But damn if it didn’t still hurt.

I could feel the heat behind my eyes getting stronger, the sting threatening to turn into tears. And I refused, I refused to cry in front of him. Before my emotions spilled over, I placed my napkin on the table, my voice calm but clipped.

"I need to go to the bathroom."

Creed’s face fell.

"Serenity—"

"I just need a minute, Creed."

I stood, not looking back, and made my way to the restroom.

The second I stepped into the lavish marble-lined bathroom, I locked myself in a stall and let out a deep, shaky breath. Then another. Then another. But it didn’t help. Because before I could stop myself, the tears fell.

Silently, I wiped at them, shaking my head. I shouldn’t be this hurt. It wasn’t like he cheated. We weren’t even together yet during Christmas. So why did it feel like my entire world had just shifted?

I pressed my fingers to my temples, my breathing uneven. "Get it together, Serenity," I whispered to myself.

A moment later, the bathroom door swung open, and a group of women entered, chatting and laughing, fixing their makeup in the mirror.

I inhaled sharply, straightening my back, blinking away the last of my tears.

I wouldn’t fall apart in public. I wouldn’t let this break me.

I stepped out of the stall, went to the sink, and fixed my face.

“You okay love?” one of the girls that had entered the bathroom asked looking at me as I wiped my face. I looked up at her, she was another black woman, same height as me, beautiful mocha colored skin.

“Yes, thank you.”

“You’re too pretty to be crying, especially on valentine’s day.”

“Thanks.” I replied throwing the paper towel away then exiting the bathroom with my head held high. By the time I stepped out of the bathroom, you couldn’t tell I had just been crying. Not even a little.

When I returned to the table, Creed was sitting there, his head in his hands, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. His eyes lifted the second he saw me, filled with so much remorse that it almost sent me back to the bathroom.

"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.