Page 5

CREED

T he summer heat in Dallas was something else—thick, heavy, wrapping around you like a weight you couldn’t shake.

But I wasn’t thinking about the heat. I wasn’t even thinking about being back home after finishing the semester at Rutgers, or the fact that the season was over.

Lately, my mind had been stuck on one thing.

Or rather, one person. My phone buzzed and I smiled.

Serenity B: You up?

Serenity’s name flashed across my phone screen, her message coming through just as I had been debating whether or not to hit her up first.

I smirked to myself before typing back.

Me: Yeah. You?

Her reply came quick.

Serenity B: Obviously, if I just texted you.

I chuckled, shaking my head before calling her. She picked up on the second ring, and the sound of her soft laugh met my ear before I even said anything.

"You always gotta be a smart ass?" I muttered.

"You always gotta state the obvious?" she shot back, her voice smooth, a little sleepy, but still teasing. It was late here in Dallas, nearly midnight which meant it was probably 10pm where she was.

This was our routine now. Late-night calls. Hours of talking about nothing and everything. I had never really done this before—not even with Gianna. And that was the problem.

During the day, I was back to being Creed Langston, the hometown hero, the golden boy who was getting ready for the league.

I was back to family dinners, visits to Mama’s job so she could show me off to her coworkers, and spending time with Gianna, who had been waiting on me to get back.

But at night?

I was on the phone with Serenity, recapping our days, me laughing at her corny jokes.

I had a girlfriend. But I couldn’t stay away from Serenity.

“So, what you get into today?” I asked placing one of my arms behind my head as I stared up at the ceiling fan above my bed.

“A little bit of this and a little of that.” She laughed. “Graduation is next week so there’s going to be a party.”

I’d forgotten she was still in high school but not for long. It was hard to believe she was younger than me, especially since our conversations ran so deep and we talked about a lot of stuff.

“Aw, no invite for ya boy?”

“Would you come?” she asked almost excitedly making my heart leap. “I mean, you know if you want to.”

“I wish I could.” I said honestly. “But I’m already knowing it’s going to be a problem.”

“Oh.”

We’d talked about it before, but it almost felt like an unspoken thing between us. I knew she had a man; it was established early on in our conversations and she knew I had Gianna. Still, those relationships didn’t seem to stop us from our late-night calls.

“I really do wish I could though.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just have to save myself from dealing with my Mama.”

“Aw shit, she back at it huh?” I chuckled remembering the many conversations we’d had about her relationship or lack thereof with her mother.

I hated it for her, especially since it was something I couldn’t relate to.

I loved the fuck out of my mama and since she was one of the only people I had in my life, that was a forever and always type of thing.

It was always weird to hear that Sie B from the popular girl group Eden was as tough on her daughter as she was.

From the outside looking in, as a fan, Sie B was fine as fuck and could do no wrong in my eye.

Growing up, I used to stare at pictures of that woman marvel at her beauty.

She herself was the same chocolate skin shade as her daughter, they even had the same eyes, it was almost uncanny how much they looked alike.

“Every damn day. I swear, I can’t wait to be back in New York away from her and her bullshit.

She’s supposed to start shooting a new season of that show she’s in Birds of a Feather , next week.

She was going to go early, basically trying to miss my graduation but my Daddy and Sevyn had to convince her to delay her trip until after. It’s so annoying.”

I could hear the sadness in her voice. I knew from what she told me that she had a longing for her mother that she claimed had long ago been stamped out. Yet, I could always hear it in her voice that it would never go away.

“Do you know she cleared her entire schedule when Sevyn graduated from high school and when he graduated from college last year. But me, nah, couldn’t be bothered.”

“Why not just talk to her about it if you feel some type of way.”

“Because every time I try to talk to her we end up blowing up at each other. It’s sad, but it is what it is. She’s spiteful and honestly, she’s just throwing a fit about the apartment thing. Do you know she’s still been trying to convince my daddy to make me get a dorm.”

“Dorms are a right of passage in college SB.” I yawned. “It’s not like it would have been a bad thing.”

“I don’t do well with sharing public spaces. And I know how that sounds, believe me I do; but I am a slight germaphobe.”

“How can you be a slight germaphobe?” I laughed. “Either you are one or you aren’t.”

“Don’t laugh at me, it’s a thing.” She laughed and I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face hearing her smile and imagining it as well. I just knew that lone dimple was showing in the left side of her cheek.

“Well, I hope when we’re both on the same coast I get an invite to this famous apartment that’s been causing you so many problems with ya Moms.”

“You’ll be the first person I invite. Is it bad to say that I can’t wait to see you again?” My heart skipped a beat as the words left her mouth.

“Same SB, same!”

I pulled up outside Nas’s house, cutting the engine and stepping out.

I had told myself I was just coming to check on him, make sure he was good, but the second I saw Nate posted up outside, I knew it wasn’t gonna be that simple.

"Look who it is," Nate smirked, leaning against the porch railing. "Mr. Big Time."

"Nigga, shut up," I muttered, dapping up Nas before nodding toward the house. "You good?"

Nas nodded, but I could tell he was tense.

"You still think you better than all this, huh?" Nate taunted. "Think you too good for the city that made you?"

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm.

"I ain’t better than nobody. I just know I ain’t tryna stay in the same cycle."

"That why you out here saving Nas?" Nate smirked, eyes dark. "Telling him he too good to make his own choices?"

"Ain’t nobody saving nobody," I shot back. "I’m just making sure my brother don’t waste his life running behind yours."

Nate’s smirk disappeared, but I was already done talking.

I turned back to Nas.

"You know where to find me."

And with that, I walked off, making my way back to my car.

I had better things to do then to sit here and deal with Nate’s bullshit.

As much as I had missed my boy, being in his brother’s presence was the last thing on my mind.

So instead, I made my way to see the one person I had been avoiding since I got back.

"Finally," Gianna sighed, wrapping her arms around my waist as soon as I stepped out of my car in front of her parents’ house.

I let out a slow breath, hugging her back, my hands resting against her small waist as she squeezed me tight.

She pulled back, hazel eyes searching mine, pouting slightly. "You didn’t come see me as soon as you got back?"

"I was with my people, Gi. You know how it is."

She sighed, shaking her head, but she was already dragging me inside before I could say anything else.

Gianna Holloman had been my girl since middle school.

She was beautiful, light-skinned with short red hair that always looked effortlessly perfect, always put together. Always knowing exactly how to present herself.

She was the kind of girl my mama loved, the kind she thought was perfect for me. And maybe, for a long time, I believed that too. But lately, when I looked at her, I saw things I hadn’t noticed before.

The way she always talked about image—how we looked together and how we fit the idea of what people expected from us.

The way she only seemed to be interested in what I could do for her, rather than how I felt.

The way she always talked about the future like it was already written, like I had no choice but to follow the script that had been laid out for us.

"So, what’s the plan for tonight?" she asked, sitting on the edge of her bed, crossing her legs.

"What you mean?"

"I mean, we finally have time together, and I wanna do something. Take me out."

I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Gi, I just got home. I’ve been running since I landed."

"And you couldn’t make time for your girl?" she countered, raising a brow.

"I’m here now, ain’t I?"

She narrowed her eyes but instead of arguing, she let out a small sigh before standing up, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I just missed you," she murmured, looking up at me.

I forced a small smile, leaning down to kiss her.

But even as my lips pressed against hers, my mind was elsewhere. And I hated that I knew exactly where it was.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out and looked at it. As if she could sense me thinking about her, a message popped up on my phone.

Serenity B: I did it

The message accompanied a photo of her in her cap and gown, holding on to her diploma case. I smiled at the image but before I could type a reply Gianna’s eyes were looking over at my phone.

“Who is that?”

“Nobody.” I replied sliding my phone into my pocket. I turned my attention back to her. “So what you tryna do tonight?”

“Besides go out?” Gianna smiled seductively, licking her lips. “Stay in and be up under you all night I supposed. My mama ain’t gon be back until late and my daddy is out of town so it’s just me and you here for a little minute.”

“Word?”

“Yup.” She nodded with a sly grin on her face. “And I missed my man. Let me show you how much.” Her arms slid down my chest before they landed on my belt. I smirked knowing what she was trying to do and having no plans on stopping her.