Page 46 of Heavy Is The Crown

“Ohhh shit, wait—You was at Tez’s spot the other week, right?”

Krys inwardly groaned.

Tyra’s eyes went wide with excitement as she turned back to Krys. “Oh, so this really your man for real, for real? You just met him and got him locked in like that? Damn, cousin, teach me the game!”

Krys sighed, already exhausted. “Tyra, can you be quiet?”

Kenyatta leaned all the way into it. Smirking, he pulled Krys a little closer, thumb grazing the inside of her wrist like they really had something established.

“She was on me heavy,” he admitted, looking way too pleased with himself. “I ain’t gon’ lie.”

Tyra gasped, placing a dramatic hand over her chest. “Ohhh, say it ain’t so, Krys! You sprung?”

“Girl, shut up,” Krys muttered, cutting her eyes at Tyra, but the laughter from the cousins around them only fueled it.

On top of Tyra’s dramatics, she could feel Zahir watching all of it. She wasn’t surprised to see him in attendance. He was always at family functions, probably riding in off her cousin, Trevor’s invite, hoping to show up and slide back into her space like he meant something. Apparently, he thought it would be business as usual that night. In his mind, he probably figured he’d show up, pull his usual tricks, let the family hype them up as a “cute couple” like they always did, and ease back into her good graces.

Not this time. She threw him for a loop and didn’t show up alone. She didn’t sit next to him like old times. And she damn sure wasn’t making it easy.

She brought Kenyatta, and now Zahir was sitting there, tight. Watching. Stewing. Probably debating whether he was bold enough to make a scene.

Krys hoped he did because she wasn’t holding back if he tried it.

**********

The first game: Couples Trivia.

The rules were simple: Get a question wrong about their partner, they had to take a shot. If they get it right, they earned bragging rights.

Krys wasn’t worried. She was quick-witted, sharp, and smooth under pressure. If there was one thing she could do, it was finesse.

Kenyatta, though, was walking in blind. No prep. No background. No inside knowledge.

First question:“What’s your partner’s favorite food?”

Kenyatta didn’t even blink. “Easy. Pasta.”

Krys’ head snapped toward him.

Itwaspasta.

She narrowed her eyes, a flicker of suspicion creeping in. “How you know that?”

Kenyatta smirked, leaning back lazily in his chair. “I pay attention, Bae.”

A couple of murmurs rippled through the room.

Krys was thrown. There was no way he guessed that. Coincidence? Maybe. But something about the way he said it made her wonder.

Zahir, sitting nearby with his drink, scoffed loudly. “Nah, that’s cap. Krys don’t even really like pasta like that.”

Krys cut her eyes at him. “Excuse me? Since when?”

Zahir frowned, gripping his drink tighter. “Man, you used to order steak every time we went out.”

Krys frowned. “That’s because you only took me to places that served steak, dumbass.”

The whole table erupted.

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