“Would you be up to moving out of the city since you’re moving out of here?” I asked.
“Move out of the city?” Her words were slow. “Wait… you mean to New Haven?”
I licked my lips and looked her in the eyes. “Possibly, yeah. We haven’t talked about what comes next for us.”
Nakyra’s eyes shifted and she tucked the corner of her bottom lip into her mouth. A crease formed on her forehead.
“I guess we haven’t.” She cleared her throat and adjusted her body. “I don’t want things to end between us. I know it’s fast, but this space we’re in feels good, feels safe, feelsright.I want to end things with Rome, cancel the wedding, and be with you.”
My mouth split into a crooked grin. “Yeah? You sound sure about that.”
“And you’re not?” She frowned.
Amused, I moved the laptop out of the way and grabbed her hands. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just know all of this is a lot happening at once and I don’t want you to act off emotions. If we do this, then we’re doing this for real. When I’m with someone, I don’t have half-ass it, Nakyra. I jump in the pool full force without getting my toes wet first. Do you understand that?Understand that the moment we announce we’re a thing shit might get messier, and if you have any doubt about anything, tell me now so we can work it out.”
“Creed.” Her hands rotated and wrapped around mine. “I know in the beginning I was hesitant about everything, but I’m not anymore. I don’t care what anyone thinks about us being together either. You make me happy and make me feel seen for the first time in my life. There’s nothing I want more than to follow this feeling and see where it can lead.” She paused and suddenly uncertainty transformed her face. “I’m falling for you, Creed, and I hope to God you’re there to catch me in the end.”
I gripped her hands tighter. “That’s not something you have to worry about. I don’t normally believe in coincidences, baby, but I believe we were brought together for a reason, when the time was meant to happen. The circumstances surrounding us might be fucked up, but that doesn’t mean they’re wrong. I’m not here to let you down and make you false promises. This thing between us is just as real for me as it is for you.”
Nakyra swallowed hard and the smile returned to her face. “Then what should we do about the living situation? I love living in West Pier, but I know you moved away for a reason. I don’t know if I can handle a long distan?—”
Leaning in, I cut her off by pressing my lips against hers. She sat there frozen for a second before recuperating and opening her mouth, inviting my tongue inside.
“I moved away because I felt like there was nothing left here for me. If I had a reason to come back, then I would consider it. My home office is originally here in West Pier, and Ken, my manager in New Haven, is more than capable of running things there.”
“So you’re saying you would move back here?”
“I’d keep my house in New Haven because I would have to travel back there at times, but moving home isn’t off the table either. I kind of miss living by the water anyway.”
Her eyes beamed and her face lit up. Pulling her hands from mine, she grabbed my face and pulled it into hers.
“If you keep acting like this, you’re gonna spoil me.” Her lips brushed across mine with each word.
“What’s the harm in that? I’m just doing what should have been done from the beginning.”
The connection between me and Nakyra seemed to grow stronger each day. She was a breath of fresh air to me. After my break up, I didn’t plan on taking anyone seriously anytime soon, which was why I often kept things surface level and went to the club. We came from two different backgrounds, but our stories were similar, so maybe that was what drew me to her and made it easier for me to fall for her too.
Chapter 28
Nakyra
“What do you think?” Creed asked. He stood with his hands in his pocket in the center of the kitchen and looked around.
“It’s beautiful,” I answered with a slight smile on my face.
I had narrowed down the houses I wanted and today the real estate agent was taking us on a tour. This one was down on The Shore. It was single-level, with four bedrooms, three baths, and a three-car garage. The thing I loved most about this house was the large windows circling the breakfast nook that offered plenty of natural lighting and a view of the water. It had an outdoor sitting area. This house also came with a private beach entrance. It wasn’t as big as my current house, but I think that was what I liked most. It was homey and cozy.
“What do you think?” I faced Creed.
This was the fourth house we had visited, the first two were in Ridge Valley, close to the marina. I wanted to be by the water this time around. It was something I’d wanted when me and Rome were picking out houses, but he was against it.
“I can see you living here. I think out of all the houses we visited, this one screams you the most.”
I grinned and walked toward him. Stopping in front of him, I grabbed his peacoat and tilted my head up.
“And what about you? Can you see yourself living here too?”
Maybe it was too fast and too soon to think about living together, but I didn’t care. I had grown used to living with Creed these past few months and I wasn’t ready to give that up. Plus, if I was being honest, I had no desire to live alone.
