Page 29 of Set me Free

Sevyn laughed. "Oh, I like her."

I sighed, already knowing Egypt wasn’t gonna let this go.

After I hung up, she turned to me with a serious look.

"Yeah, I’m marrying into the Bradshaw family. Just letting you know now."

"Oh my God," I groaned, burying my face in my hands as Averi cracked up.

The apartment was already packed,the sound of music, laughter, and conversation filling the space as people danced, drank, and celebrated. But as soon as I stepped inside, I could feel the attention shift toward me.

I didn’t blame them. I looked damn good.

My Tinkerbell costume was everything—a soft green, off-the-shoulder mini dress hugging my curves, delicate wings glittering behind me, my curly hair pinned up in an elegant updo with gold clips accenting my natural highlights.

"You out here breaking hearts tonight, Tootie," Arielle teased, pressing a drink into my hand. I glanced at her tight black leather catsuit, leather boots and the pointed ears on top of her head.

"Damn right," I smirked, taking a sip. “You look fuckin’ amazing Ari.”

“Thank you.” She bumped her hip out. “This is going to be a good night.”

“Yeah, it is. Keep Egypt away from Sev, please.”

I scanned the crowd, catching sight of my girls first.

Averi, dressed as Cleopatra, was sipping on her drink, smirking at something Egypt said, who looked flawless in her Princess Tiana costume, her green dress flowing effortlessly as she laughed. Brodie was nearby, watching Arielle like she was the only person in the room, dressed as batman. I even spotted Donovan and Trenton, lingering around talking to two women in a corner.

And then—I saw him…Creed. I knew he was coming, but seeing him was something else entirely.

He stood near the back, dressed in all black, a thin gold crown sitting on top of his short curls, his caramel skin glowing under the dim party lights. His eyes flickered toward me, and for a moment, everything else blurred. The air between us crackled, thick with that thing we had been dancing around for months. But before I could fully process it, a familiar voice pulled me back to reality.

"Damn, if I would’ve known you were going as Tinkerbell, I would’ve planned this better."

I turned to see Malcolm standing in front of me, dressed as Peter Pan.

I smiled. "Oh, so you’re saying I’m the star, and you’re just my sidekick?"

He grinned, his eyes warm. "Something like that."

Malcolm was cool. We had been hanging out a lot over the past two weeks, grabbing coffee between classes, texting when we had time. He was funny, easy to talk to, and had a laid-back confidence that made him easy to be around.

"You look good, Serenity," he said, eyes scanning my costume. "Really good."

I tilted my head, sipping my drink. "You clean up nice yourself, Peter."

He smirked. "I was hoping you’d notice."

I laughed, shaking my head, but before I could say anything else, I felt Creed’s eyes on me again. I glanced over my shoulder, and sure enough, he was watching. Our eyes locked, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe.

He wasn’t saying anything, didn’t have to. Because the look in his eyes said enough. And for some reason, that look made my heart race in a way Malcolm’s compliments never did.

"You good?" Malcolm asked, pulling my attention back to him.

I blinked, nodding quickly. "Yeah. Let’s dance."

I was having a good time partying with my friends, celebrating my birthday. My 19thyear on this earth and it was a fresh beginning with new people who were important to me.

It had been an amazing day in general. Besides, this party, I had gotten several deliveries throughout the day. My Uncle Leo and Aunt Aimee sent me a new Chanel purse. My grandparents had sent me a diamond necklace and My daddy (and Sienna, if you want to be technical) had purchased shares of some of my favorite brands, including Disney.

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