Page 10 of Never Want to Love Again

“No.” She shut that down quickly.

Laughing into my fist, I could tell she was serious, but it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t try to change that.

kupid love

. . .

Crown was laughing,but I was so serious. As much as he looked and smelled good, I wouldn’t put myself in that position right now to be in a relationship where a man felt I wasn’t enough. There were a lot of things wrong with all of this. Crown was now my employer. I couldn’t go there with him even if he and I wanted to. I just left a relationship and wasn’t looking to get into another one. Even if shit blurred, Crown was a celebrity with females throwing themselves at him every day. I’ll pass.

What I wasn’t prepared for was being seen in public with Crown, and then blogs made me out to be some hoe or something. I knew that’s what was going to happen. I can hear my mama now.

Alec opened thedoor, and Crown slid out first. He extended his hand toward me. For a moment, I just stared at it.

Crown’s head cocked. “Come on.”

Letting out a soft sigh, I placed a hand in his calloused hand, and he assisted me out of the Hummer.

“Thanks,” I breathed out

Alec nodded at Crown before rounding the vehicle and getting back inside. I wanted to get back inside, too, and go home. Basketball was my favorite sport, and I was excited when he asked, but now I hate that I didn’t think it through.

We walked in sync to the back door. A security guard was smoking a cigarette right outside it.

“Crown Heart,” the burly guy chuckled.

“’Sup,” he spoke with a head nod. The guy opened the door and allowed us in. I kept my head down, not giving him any eye contact. When I say I didn’t want to be seen, I didn’t want to be seen, but it would be impossible in a large arena full of people. The main focus was the ballplayers, but I just knew as soon as Crown stepped in sight, the folks would go crazy. I was going to be in the spotlight right along with his ass. My anxiety was going through the roof right now.

The people in the hallway spoke to Crown as we passed them. I kept my head straight with a slight smile on my face. I was sure they were all wondering who I was to the biggest rapper. It was like my heart started beating harder and harder the closer we got.

“Where…Where are we sitting?” I quizzed, panicking on the inside.

“Floor seats, Kupid. I promise you’ll be alright. Who gives a fuck what story mothafuckas spin if we know the truth. I’m not knocking you down.”

He chuckled, but I didn’t find it funny becauseIgave a fuck.

We were walking onto the floor, and as soon as fans spotted Crown, phones came out. I told myself to keep my composure because I’d be on the blogs looking like a deer caught in headlights. I wished they’d focus on the game since that was why they were here. Crown waved at the people and even stopped to take a picture with a kid who was in a wheelchair. That made mesmile. Once we got to our seats, I gave the game my attention. The Hawks were up by ten and still in the first quarter.

Halftime, they’d put Crown on the jumbotron, and I acted like I didn’t know. I kept my head down on my phone, texting Asia. She was asking questions about Crown, and I welcomed the distraction. Asia and Shamar loved his music. They even went to the concert he had last year, so imagine the scream she screamed in my ear when I told her who my client was.

“You want anything to eat?” Crown leaned over and asked. I quickly shook my head. He rubbed his chin and grinned. “Damn, is it a bad thing to be tied to me? What the streets sayin’ ‘bout a nigga?”

I shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t be into blogs like the Shaderoom. They are too messy for me,” I let him know. And why would I want to be tied to you when I’m not?”

“That nigga traumatize you?” he asked. His brows furrowed.

“I guess you can say that. You know how you can think y’all are in love, but a video can prove you wrong. Like, it all has been a lie.”

“You gon let one nigga ruin it for you?”

“I’m not looking to jump into a relationship with anyone after getting out of one,” I replied.

Around us, shirts were being thrown into the crowd, the dancers were doing a dance routine on the court, and fans were yelling. Why Crown wanted to talk about a nigga traumatizing me at a place like this was beyond me.

“Are you hungry? If you don’t want to grab anything from here, I can take you somewhere afterward,” Crown said.

I shook my head from side to side slowly. “Maybe we can grab something to eat.”

I noticed a hitch in his cheeks and turned my head from him. Crown was fine, and I couldn’t tell if he was flirting with me ornot, but I was good on him and every other man in this damn world.

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