Page 27 of Free to Fall

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 & Secrets.I laid back, pressed play, and let her voice wash over me ‘til I passed out with the sound of her hums in my ears. After the first verse, I knew they were all going to be about me.

The next morning,I was trying to keep my head straight. I’d woken up thinkin’ about Egypt—how she’d smiled at dinner like nothing between us was real. Then again on FaceTime last night, twisting the corner of her lip when I asked about the music. She was too smooth, too guarded. But that just made me want her more. I told her to pull up tonight. After the week I’d had, I needed her. Needed the peace I only seemed to find when I was wrapped around her.

But right now, I had to lock in. Reg was waiting for me at the gym. We had rounds to run, mitt work to knock out, and film to study on Sadiq. I was two fights away from that belt, and I wasn’t about to let some outside noise throw me off. At least that’s what I kept telling myself. Until Nate showed up.

I was mid-combo on the bag—sweat drippin’, breath steady—when I caught that familiar energy shift in the room. Like heat rising outta nowhere. I turned around and there he was. Nate, my big brother that I once looked up to, but now I didn’t even recognize him.

He was posted by the door like he had a fuckin’ membership. Hoodie pulled low. Chain swingin’. Same crooked grin he always wore when he was up to no good. Reg saw him too and looked at me. “You want me to handle that?”

“Nah,” I muttered, taking my gloves off. “I got it.” I walked over, slow and calm. I was tryna give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he came to talk like a man this time. “Why you here?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

“Just checkin’ in,” he said. “Lil’ bro on his way to greatness, huh?”

I didn’t smile. “You ain’t gotta do all that. What do you want?” I was tryna avoid the bullshit and cut straight to the chase.

He shrugged. “Ain’t shit changed, Nas. I still need that bread.”

“I told you I’d help.”

He smirked. “You offered crumbs. I need cake.”

I sighed, already feeling that headache building behind my eyes. “Tell me what it’s really about, Nate. Who’s pressin’ you? You in deep with somebody?”

He looked away, jaw flexing. “It ain’t like that.”

“Bullshit. If it wasn’t like that, you wouldn’t be showin’ up where I work like a fuckin’ bill collector.”

His nostrils flared. “I came to you like family. Quiet and private. You the one actin’ like a stranger.”

“I gave you money already. Put money on your books while you was locked up. You think I owe you somethin’?”

He stepped closer. “I took that charge for you, remember? You’d be doin’ life right now if I hadn’t.”

That was it. The whole gym got quiet. Folks stopping their reps, taking off their headphones, pretending like they wasn’t eavesdropping.

My jaw locked. “You really wanna air that out here?” I asked, voice low and dangerous.

“I’m just remindin’ you,” Nate hissed. “Remindin’ you who had your back when shit got real.”

“You remindin’ me who keeps tryna use that shit like leverage,” I snapped. “I been payin’ for that since before you got out. But I ain’t throwin’ no fuckin’ fight. I’m not losin’ my career cause you can’t get your shit together.” He shoved me. Hard and I stumbled back but caught myself. My fists balled up before I could stop ‘em. “You betta back the fuck up,” I growled, taking a step forward.

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