8. Nasseem #2
She blinked. “I’m starin’ cause I’m waitin’ for it to turn green.” Everybody laughed. Even I did, low and under my breath. Damn, I loved her mouth. Even when it was trying to fight me.
Later, as dinner was winding down, the topic shifted to music. That’s when Averi, big-mouth and nosey, dropped it.
“Egypt was in the studio this week,” she said, smiling. “She was in her bag, y’all. I ain’t never seen her that locked in.” My head jerked toward Egypt. She hadn’t told me that.
Serenity perked up. “Oh really? What inspired it?”
Averi grinned. “That’s what I wanna know. She came in actin’ like she had just stepped outta somebody’s arms. Asked her if it was Wall Street and she immediately said no, that’s how I knew the date didn’t go well. But something had her up in there inspired.”
The table went quiet for a half-second too long. Egypt gave Averi a pointed look. “You so messy.”
“I’m just sayin’! Your pen was penning.”
Serenity leaned in. “Who had you singin’ like that?”
I tried not to smile. Egypt’s eyes slid to mine for a split second before she rolled them and sipped her drink. “Nobody y’all know.”
“Yet,” I muttered, under my breath. Her foot definitely kicked mine under the table.
After dessert, we all started heading out—everybody loud and tipsy, shoes in hand, hugs flying all over the front porch. I was heading toward my car when I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.
“Let me holla at you,” Creed said, pulling me to the side.
We stepped off to the edge of the driveway, just out of earshot.
He had that older brother look on—arms folded, brow slightly raised, not judgmental but definitely not playin’.
“You gon’ tell me how long you and Egypt gon’ keep playin’ hide and seek? ” he asked.
I frowned. “What?”
“Bro, you watched her all night like you was starin’ at a home you couldn’t afford.”
I sighed, dragging my hand down my face. “I told you that in confidence.”
“I ain’t tellin’ nobody. Not Serenity, not nobody. You my brother. That ain’t how I move.”
I nodded, appreciating that. “It’s just…not the time. We tryna figure out what this is, without everybody weighin’ in.”
“I get it. But y’all ain’t slick.”
I laughed low. “Guess not.”
Creed looked me dead in the eye. “When you’re ready, be ready to stand on it. Cause Egypt ain’t the type you halfway love.”
My chest tightened. “I know,” I said quietly. “The kind of love I have for her ain’t halfway.”
He nodded once, solid. “Then don’t waste time pretendin’ like you do.”
We dapped, and I walked back to my car feeling heavier than before. Not in a bad way, just in a real way. And in the dark of my truck, with the scent of Egypt’s damn perfume still in my hoodie? All I could think was—He’s right.
Later that night, I was back at the crib, fresh out the shower, laying on the bed with the TV playing low when I pulled out my phone and hit her on FaceTime. She picked up on the second ring. Bonnet on, skin clean and glowing.
“Hey,” she said, voice soft.
I propped the phone up on my pillow. “You alone?”
She smirked. “You expecting somebody else besides you to be sleepin’ in my bed this late at night? Of course I’m alone.”
I exhaled through my nose. “How long you think we can keep this up?”
She didn’t answer right away. Just laid back against her headboard and stared at me through the screen. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I like it this way, like it’s ours, a bubble nobody else can touch.”
I nodded slowly, knowing what she meant even before she said it. “You know once it’s out there…” I started.
She finished for me. “Things change. People get in your ear. Expectations shift. It stops being ours.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “You comin’ over tomorrow?”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
We were quiet for a moment, just looking at each other.
She was so fuckin’ beautiful, mesmerizing even.
I bit down on my lip, those three words on the tip of my tongue yearning to be freed, but I wouldn’t let them.
It wasn’t the right time, and I didn’t know if she felt the same.
I didn’t want to be the first to say it.
Then I cleared my throat. “So, what’s this I hear about you bein’ in the studio? What kinda songs you over there singin’?”
Egypt smiled like she had a secret. “Mind your business, Nasseem.” Then she hung up on me. I stared at my screen for a second, grinning like a damn fool.
Five minutes later, three files hit my inbox: Dangerous Vibes, Outta Body and Silk Sheets arm stretched across my chest. “Yo’, Nas, chill.”
Other trainers moved in too. A few of the other fighters started escorting Nate toward the door. “Don’t come back here,” I barked after him.
Nate twisted in their grip. “You can’t run from me forever! One of these days, you gon’ owe the wrong person and I ain’t gon’ be there to take the fall.” I stepped forward again, but Reg shoved me back. “Let his ass go, I’mma show you who big dawg.”
That only pissed me off more and it took five more people to hold me back from beating his ass.
Nate was always the little- big bro. I was always taller, more solid and Nate was a solid dude.
I was faster, and threw a bigger punch which he knew, but that never stopped him from trying me and tryna pull my hoe card.
That hoe card refused to be pulled because I handled Nate, hand to hand, fist to fist and I knew that all 20 people in this gym wouldn’t keep us apart once we started.
“Get his ass outta here,” Reg said pointing to the door while barely holding on. “Nasseem, he ain’t worth it. Look at me…” my neck snapped in his direction. “He ain’t fuckin’ worth it. You got too much to lose and he ain’t got shit to lose, don’t let him win.”
Slowly, I backed up. Just watched as they barely carried my brother out of the gym.
The door slammed shut behind Nate. The gym stayed silent for a moment before slowly returning to normal.
Bags hitting, trainers shoutin’, music rising.
But my heart was still jackhammering. My hands were still shaking.
And my whole damn chest felt like it was about to crack open.
I went back to the locker room, stared at myself in the mirror, and tried to breathe. I wasn’t that dude anymore. I wasn’t that nigga from The Grove. I wasn’t seventeen and scared and angry and ready to die for nothin’. I was Nasseem Walker; top-ranked contender, a man building a future.
And if Nate wanted to pull me back into the fire? He was gonna learn real quick… I wasn’t burning for nobody.