Page 24

CREED

I stretched out on my couch, my phone pressed to my ear, listening as Nas filled me in on how things were going in Vegas.

"Man, it’s crazy out here," he said, his voice hyped, carrying that same energy he always had when he was excited about something. "Training is intense, but I love it. Had my first fight last night."

I smirked. "Yeah? How’d it go?"

"Won by decision," he said, pride lacing his tone. "Got some shit to clean up, but my coach says I got real potential."

"I been telling you that," I reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He chuckled, but then his tone shifted slightly. "Real talk, though, none of this would’ve happened if it wasn’t for you and Serenity. I don’t even know how to thank y’all for this."

I leaned back against the cushions, shaking my head. "You ain’t gotta thank me for shit, Nas. I just wanted you outta that life."

"I know, but still," he said, his voice quieter. "I owe you, bro."

"You don’t owe me nothing," I said firmly. "Just keep your head down and stay focused. That’s all I ask."

He exhaled, like he was processing that. "Nate ain’t happy about it, though."

I sat up a little. "What you mean?"

"I mean, he don’t like the fact that I left. He think I’m acting brand new, like I forgot where I came from or some shit."

I sighed, already knowing how Nate operated. He wanted Nas to stay in that cycle, to follow the same dead-end path. But Nas was better than that and Nate and I both knew that.

"You can’t worry about Nate, man," I told him. "This your life. You do what’s best for you. He ain’t gotta live with the consequences of your choices—you do."

"I hear you," Nas said, though I could tell it was still weighing on him.

"Nah, don’t just hear me, understand me," I said, my tone serious. "You on a new path now. You can’t be worried about how Nate feel. He made his choices—you gotta make yours."

Nas let out a slow breath. "Yeah… you right."

"I know I am," I said, smirking slightly. "Now stop overthinking and get your ass back in the gym."

He chuckled. "Bet. But aye, before I get off this phone I gotta ask about how this shit with Gi going?”

I rubbed my hand down my face.

“Shit, I don’t know. I ain’t really been talking to her since she dropped that bomb on me. We overdue for a conversation tho.”

“Yeah, y’all are. I think that conversation needs to happen sooner rather than later though C.”

“I know. I just—I’m already knowing she ain’t about to take this shit well. Gi still think I’m about to come back and fuck with her, but me and SB, we locked in tough.”

“Tough?”

“I’mma marry that girl Nas.” I smiled thinking about it.

“How you know that already?”

“Can’t explain it, I just do.” I shrugged. “She said I was her endgame and honestly, she’s mine too. Even if we end up not together for whatever reason, I know ain’t shit gon keep me from making her my wife at the end of the day.”

“That’s wild bruh.” Nas chuckled. “But I love that for you bro. Between the both of us, you was always Mr. Loverboy. I’ll live vicariously through you. But aye, if shorty don’t get a prenup on yo ass she crazy.”

“Fuck you.” I laughed.

You know I’m right.” He said. “But look, I’ll hit you later, man."

"Aight. Love you bro."

“Love you back, soft ass nigga.”

I hung up, staring at the ceiling for a moment. Nas was on his way. And no matter what Nate or anybody else had to say about it, he was making the right moves. I just hoped he stayed the course.

I sat at the kitchen counter, phone in hand, taking a slow breath before I dialed Gianna’s number.

I wasn’t ready to have this conversation but after talking to Pops, Serenity and now Nasseem, I knew it was past due time to have it.

Still, I knew this call wasn’t gonna be easy. But it was necessary.

She answered on the second ring, and to my surprise, her voice was light, hopeful.

"Hey Creed.”

I ran a hand over my jaw. "What’s up Gi."

"You calling to check on me?" she asked, and I could already hear the expectation in her tone. Like she thought this call was about to be something it wasn’t.

"Yeah, but also to make some things clear between us."

Her voice softened. "Creed… I know things have been crazy. But I don’t wanna fight anymore. I just want us to figure this out. For the baby."

I exhaled, already feeling the disappointment coming.

"Gianna, I meant what I said before. I’ll be there for my kid. I’ll do what I gotta do. But me and you? We done. I’m with Serenity now, and that ain’t changing."

Silence. A long, heavy silence.

"You really serious about her, huh?" she said, her voice tight.

"I wouldn’t be telling you this if I wasn’t."

Her breath hitched, and I knew she was holding back tears.

"I thought… I really thought you’d come back to me, Creed," she admitted, her voice shaky. "That maybe once you had time to think, you’d realize we were meant to be."

I swallowed, my chest tightening slightly.

"I loved you, Gi," I said honestly. "But we ain’t meant to be together. You know that as much as I do."

"No, I don’t," she snapped, her sadness turning into frustration. "Because if you really loved me, we wouldn’t be here."

"If you really loved me, you wouldn’t be trying to make me stay somewhere I don’t belong," I shot back.

Another silence. Then her voice dropped, low and sharp.

"She’ll never be in my baby’s life, ever. I just want to make that very fuckin clear."

My jaw locked.

"That’s not your call to make," I told her, my tone dead serious. "Serenity’s gonna be around my kid whether you like it or not. So, if you want my support, you need to figure out how to deal with that."

“Who the fuck are you? You let some nobody come in between us? We were together for over ten years and it’s all gone because of some girl?’

“She ain’t just some girl. And I don’t need to explain myself to you or nobody else. At the end of the day she ain’t going nowhere and you need to accept the fact that she will be involved in my child’s life.”

"Fuck you Creed. Over my dead body." she spat before hanging up.

I sat there, staring at my phone, the screen flashing Call Ended. I let out a long, slow breath. I had expected it to go bad. But damn. This was only the beginning.

A week later, I sat in a private office in Newark, across from Martin Grisham, my new agent. I had been meeting with several people but he seemed like the best fit for me. We were introduced by my coach as Martin is an alumnus of Rutgers himself.

"First of all, congratulations on making it official," he said, giving me a firm handshake. "You’ve been a hell of a player to watch, and I know you got what it takes to go first round."

I nodded, my focus sharp. "I need this to happen. No matter what."

He leaned back in his chair, studying me. "You’re hungry for it. I respect that. And you’ve got the talent to back it up. Now, I won’t sugarcoat things—there’s a lot of moving parts in this process. But based on conversations I’ve had with some teams? You’re a shoo in for the top five, easy."

Top five.

I felt my chest tighten, excitement buzzing underneath my skin.

"That’s what I like to hear," I muttered.

Martin smirked. "Get ready for a wild ride, kid. The next few weeks are gonna be intense."

When the draft lottery came out two weeks later, I was excited but also nervous to see which teams had won the lottery for the top five. The Clippers, Sacramento, Phoenix, Detroit, and Houston were all in the mix.

"With your athleticism and leadership, you’d be a great fit for any of these teams," Martin told me during our second meeting. "Now, it’s just about solidifying your spot at the combine."

I nodded, knowing I had work to do.

The combine wasn’t just about athleticism—it was about showcasing your personality, your discipline, and your ability to handle pressure. And I planned on showing out.

The combine was a damn whirlwind. From the moment I stepped into the facility, it was constant movement. Drills, sprints, weightlifting, interviews, press conferences— everything designed to see what we were really made of. By the end of the day, I was exhausted but feeling good.

I had just finished icing my knee when I pulled out my phone and dialed Serenity’s number.

She picked up after a couple rings, her voice soft, warm.

"Hey, Langston."

I let out a breath, my body instantly relaxing just from hearing her voice.

"Hey, Beautiful. You good?"

"Yeah. Just got out of class. What about you?"

"Tired as hell, but I did my thing today."

She smiled through the phone. "I already knew you would."

I leaned back in my chair, running a hand over my face. "So… yesterday the lottery results posted. Three of the top five teams are on the West Coast."

She was quiet for a second.

"And?"

I swallowed, my voice low. "And I know how much your education means to you. I know you ended things with Iman because of long distance. And I would never ask you to change your plans for me."

She was silent again, but this time I could hear the understanding in her pause.

"Creed, you are not Iman."

I sat up slightly, my grip tightening on the phone. "What that mean?"

"It means," she said, her voice firm, "that this is not my last relationship. You are not my last boyfriend. Things are different with us. I love you, and I love you enough to figure it out. Wherever you land, I’ll spend all my breaks with you, and I’ll be with you for the entirety of the summer. We’ll figure the rest out as we go. "

I blinked, my chest tightening. "You really mean that?"

"Creed, I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t."

I let out a slow, deep exhale, the weight I hadn’t even realized I was carrying lifting off my shoulders.

"Damn, SB. I love you," I murmured.

She laughed softly. "I love you too. Now stop stressing."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "You always gotta have the last word, huh?"

"You already knew that," she teased. And just like that, the tension eased.

“I want you with me on draft day SB, right by my side.”

“Creed, I don’t know,” She replied. “Do you really think I’m ready to be in the same room as your mom? Last time I saw her she didn’t look too pleased to see me.”

I knew Tasha wasn’t thrilled about Serenity, but I didn’t give a fuck. Not having her by my side on the biggest day of my life wasn’t an option.

“Don’t even care. This is the next step in my journey and it’s only right I have the one person I love the most by my side.”

“Stop trying to butter me up.You getting some as soon as you get back anyway.”

“Oh, I wasn’t concerned about that. You belong to me now.”

“Good, I’m glad you know that.”