Page 14 of Full Court Press

“What do you mean?”

“I’m just curious as to why you want to be nice to me all of a sudden.”

“A nigga can’t just be nice to you?”

“Not a nigga like you.”

“I told you we got off on the wrong foot. You asked me about my character, which I’m sure was a dig since I was giving you attitude. I’m trying to show you who I really am . . . if you’d stop being mean to me long enough to see for yourself.”

I pushed one of her fly-aways out of her face while she continued to look at me awkwardly. My eyes scanned her face, noticing more of her striking features. Her eyes were brown with specks of gold in them. Those eyes and lips had me feeling shit I knew I shouldn’t be.

I wondered if she knew she could have a nigga eating out of the palm of her hand. Preferably a nigga like me.

She took a step back away from me and cleared her throat. “Thanks for walking me. Bye.” With that, she snatched the door open and hurried inside.

I laughed and shouted, “You’re welcome!” Then I turned and headed back toward the parking lot to my car. I liked Piper. She was definitely a fiery woman, but I knew, deep down, she had to be a sweetheart.

I was now going to make it my mission to bring out the beautiful person I knew she could be. Even if it was just for her friendship.

As soon as I walked inside of my house, I was met by my nana, moms, bonus father, and my little sister. A huge smile came upon my face just because I saw them sitting in my living room with my moms holding Kiyanne in her arms, my pops stretched across the couch, with Kyani laying on him, playing with her iPad, and nana in her favorite chair sipping tea.

“Oh, snap. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” I asked, walking into the living room.

“Lilo!” Kyani yelled in excitement as she rushed me. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her cheeks.

“We missed you!” Kyani exclaimed.

I chuckled. “I literally just left y’all two weeks ago.”

“So? That’s too long,” Kyani sassed, tossing her hand on her hip. I laughed and moved over to my nana and parents. I kissed my nana on her cheek, then looked at my mom, who had a big smile on her face.

“I swear, every time I see you, you’re getting taller and not looking like my baby no more. I want you to go back to being that little boy who used to carry a basketball everywhere he went.”

I chuckled, planting a kiss on her forehead. “I miss you, lady.”

“I miss you more, baby. And I miss my little nugget,” she said, cooing at Kiy.

“I swear, if I had to hear your sister and mama say how much they been missing you one more time, it would be too damn soon,” my pops said, standing, giving me a dap, then a hug.

“How shit going down here?” he asked once he pulled away.

“Shit sweet.”

“Hey, language,” Moms scolded.

I chuckled. “My bad. Everything is cool.”

“And Nia?” Moms asked. I sighed and sat beside her, and Pops reclaimed his seat.

“Still Nia. No real change.”

Moms huffed. “I don’t know why you even deal with her, Khalil. It’s clear the girl wants to be a part-time mother. You don’t have to keep allowing her to come and go as she pleases. You’re doing perfectly fine at being a father without her around.”

“I know, but . . . I guess I’m just holding on to the Nia I knew before. She was never like this until she had Kiy⁠—”

“Which should tell you something. The girl doesn’t want to be a mother, and it shows. What about when Kiy gets older, and she continues to fade in and out of her life? That type of mess could emotionally damage my baby, and she doesn’t deserve that.”

“Hopefully, by then, I’d have found her a substitute.” I smirked.