2. Nasseem Walker #2
“You ever feel like no matter how far you get, your past still tryna grab your ankles and drag you back?” I muttered, staring into my glass.
Creed looked up from his phone. “You talkin’ bout Nate?”
I gave him a nod. “That nigga showed up at my door the other day, smilin’ like shit sweet.”
“What he want?”
“A fuckin’ favor,” I said with a bitter laugh. “Told me I should throw my fight against Sadiq. Bet on the loss, flip the money. Said I still get paid regardless.”
Creed blinked once. “He deadass said that?”
“Like he ain’t lost his damn mind.”
Creed let out a low whistle and shook his head. “Nate always been bold, but that’s next level.”
“He told me I owe him,” I said, my jaw tightening. “For takin’ care of me after Ma Dukes died and for that charge he sat down for.”
“You don’t owe that man your whole fuckin’ future though.”
“That’s what I told him,” I muttered. “I held him down the whole time he was locked up. Made sure he had what he needed. But now he out, he tryna drag me into some dumb shit like I ain’t spent the last ten years buildin’ somethin’ real.”
Creed nodded slowly, the silence stretching between us. “You right to shut that down, bro. You too close to the top. One fight away from the belt. He throwin’ shadows over everything you worked for.”
I sat back, shoulders still tense. “Reg said my head ain’t in it. Almost kicked me out the gym.”
“Why? That situation stressin’ you that bad?”
My lips pressed together. Then I exhaled slow. “It ain’t just Nate.”
Creed gave me a look. One brow raised. “Then what is it?”
I hesitated. This was the part I hadn’t told nobody. And when I said nobody, I meant absolutely nobody knew. Not Serenity, not Averi, not Brodie, not even Creed, and he was my day one. But it was eating at me now, and I didn’t want to keep carrying the weight alone.
I leaned forward, rested my forearms on my knees. “You remember after y’all wedding... the reception, the after party?”
Creed nodded. “Yeah. Beautiful night. What about it?”
I dragged a hand down my face, then looked up. “That was the first time me and Egypt ever… crossed the line.”
His eyes widened. “Wait—what?”
“Yeah.”
“ Egypt Egypt? As in my wife’s best friend? As in the Egypt you always argue with like you can’t stand her?”
I gave a dry laugh. “Yeah. That one.”
He stared at me for a long second before shaking his head slowly. “Damn.”
“I didn’t plan it. We ain’t even like each other for real, or that’s what we told ourselves. But that night... somethin’ shifted. Shit got outta control. We dipped out together, didn’t say nothin’ to nobody.”
Creed let out a low whistle again. “And that was it?”
I shook my head. “Nah, bro. That was the beginning.”
He leaned forward, mouth twitching like he wanted to laugh but knew better.
“So y’all been sneakin’ around ever since?”
“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Always the same secret meetups. I took her to that club ole girl introduced me to, Pleasure. We usually meet there a couple times a week. She dips before the sun comes up like I don’t mean shit. And I let her. Cause she don’t want nobody knowin’. Says it’s just physical.”
Creed nodded slowly. “And it ain’t?”
I looked at him, voice low. “Not for me.” He didn’t say nothing.
Just sat back with a thoughtful look on his face.
“I want more,” I continued. “I’m tired of hidin’.
Tired of her treatin’ it like it ain’t real.
I wanna pull up to her crib in the daylight.
I wanna wake up with her still in the bed, not slippin’ out like I’m just some side mission she ashamed of. ”
Creed took a sip of his drink, then finally spoke. “You in love with her?”
I didn’t answer. Because I didn’t know. I had honestly been grappling with those feelings for a while. I felt like I did. I didn’t feel like this with nobody else and them bitches was for real situationships. “Ion even know.”
His eyes softened. “I can’t lie—I ain’t shocked. Y’all chemistry been suspicious for a minute. Serenity and Ave been lowkey speculatin’.”
I laughed once. “Egypt would lose her shit if she knew people were catchin’ on.”
“Then why not just tell her what you want?”
I shrugged. “She don’t trust love. Neither do I. But I’m tryna figure out how to.”
Before Creed could respond, we heard the front door swing open, followed by the familiar chaos of kids’ footsteps and bags dropping.
“Daddy! You home?” Cree’s little voice echoed down the stairs in the basement where we were. “Uncle Nas here too?”
Seconds later, she came flying downstairs into the mancave, long braids swinging, wearing leggings and an oversized hoodie that almost reached her knees. Giovanni followed behind her, taller now, deep into that preteen energy with his basketball shorts sagging and socks halfway off his feet.
“Uncle Nas!” Cree beamed leaping onto the couch beside me and throwing her arms around my neck.
Giovanni fist-bumped me, then dropped into the recliner like a grown man.
“You still comin’ to my game next week?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t miss it, young king.”
Serenity appeared at the bottom of the steps, car keys in hand, looking equally tired and relieved. She took one look at us and smiled.
“You wanna feed them?” she asked Creed.
“They came in like they already ate,” he replied smirking. “But I got you baby.”
Serenity walked over giving Creed a quick peck before she gave me a small hug. “You good, Nasseem?”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “Just needed some real energy tonight.”
She smiled, knowing exactly what I meant.
She always did. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t even be here.
Wouldn’t be in these rooms. Wouldn’t have a name.
Creed had told her about my ambition with boxing and she relayed the information to her pops then her he opened the doors for me.
He put me on in Vegas for a while before I moved to LA and then he let me live in their house when I had nowhere else to go. I owed her more than she’d ever know.
Giovanni leaned his head against my shoulder, eyes already drooping. “Damn, lil’ man,” I said softly. “You knockin’ out on me already?”
He mumbled something incoherent before snoring gently, his big ten-year-old frame leaning into me like I was his whole peace.
“Let me get him upstairs.” Creed stood from his seat and lifted Gio’s big ass without much effort. “I’ll be right back after I get them settled.”
“Take your time Bro.” I replied. With Gio in his arms, he and Serenity walked their kids back to the stairs.
I looked at them, him, Serenity, Gio and Cree—and felt it.
That ache. The quiet reminder of what I wanted.
Not just the belt. Not just the legacy. But a family.
A place to land. And God help me, the only one I wanted to build it with was Egypt Armstrong.