Page 34 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

He flashed that cocky grin. “I don’t think it... I know it.”

I busted out laughing. “Your confidence need its own damn seat.”

He winked. “Confidence look good on a fine-ass nigga.”

I just shook my head and focused on the game, refusing to give his cocky ass the satisfaction of knowing he had caught me off guard with his comment. When the game started, I had my popcorn in one hand and my drink in the other. Every few minutes, Crow reached into the bucket without looking. The third time he did it, his fingers brushed against my hand. Neither of us pulled away right away. Instead, we looked at each other for a brief second before quietly reaching for another handful like nothing had happened.

“You gonna eat all the popcorn?” Crow asked.

I smirked. “You the one stealing it?”

“I bought it.”

“That don’t make it yours anymore.”

“Anything that I want, I get,” he said.

While I laughed, Crow grabbed another handful anyway. The game itself was straight trash, but I couldn’t even complain. I was enjoying my time with Crow, who made sure I was having a good time no matter what. We spent more time clowning each other than watching the players brick shots. Then, out of nowhere, that damn kiss cam started making its way around the arena. People were always so pressed to kiss on camera like they had something to prove. Half of them probably wouldn’t even be together six months later. I never understood the hype. And I barely paid it any attention until the camera landed on us. The second our faces popped up on the jumbotron, the entire arena erupted.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

“Oh, hell no,” I muttered, sinking lower into my seat.

The chants only got louder.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

I groaned and covered my face. “These people need to mind their damn business.”

Crow chuckled beside me. “You wanna shut ‘em up?”

Before I could ask what he meant, he gently cupped my jaw and turned my face toward his. My heart stumbled against my ribs as our eyes locked. Everything around us seemed to disappear—the screaming fans, the music, the announcer—until there was nothing but him. Then his lips met mine. It wasn’t the quick peck I expected. His kiss was slow, warm, and surprisingly tender, lingering just long enough to steal every coherent thought from my head. My fingers instinctively gripped the front of his jersey as electricity shot through every inch of my body. For one dangerous moment, I forgot we were sitting in the middle of a packed arena. I forgot we were supposed to be best friends. All I could think about was how right his lips felt against mine.

The crowd erupted, snapping me back to reality. Crow pulled away, wearing that same cocky grin he’d worn all night, like he’d just won another round of our usual banter.

“There,” he said with a shrug. “Happy now?”

I stared at him, completely speechless.

He turned his attention back to the court as if nothing had happened, laughing when the camera finally moved on to another couple. Meanwhile, I couldn’t hear a damn thing the announcer was saying. My lips still tingled. My pulse refused to slow down. Every time I stole a glance at Crow, he looked completely unbothered, cheering at a play and talking trash about the game like he hadn’t just kissed the hell out of me.

I hated how much I kept replaying it in my mind. And what pissed me off even more was how badly I wanted to know if he’d been pretending or if that kiss had shaken him too.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, the arena was buzzing with excited fans pouring into the concourse. Music blasted through the speakers while people laughed, celebrated, and argued over missed calls as they made their way toward the exits. Crow and I followed the crowd outside, taking our time instead of rushing. The cool evening air was a welcome change after being packed inside the arena for the last couple of hours.

“See,” I said, nudging his shoulder. “I told you they was gonna win.”

“You also said the referee was getting paid by the other team.”

“He probably was.”

He laughed and shook his head. “You impossible.”

“I’ve been called worse.”

We reached the sidewalk leading toward the parking garage when I heard a familiar voice. He stopped walking, and I looked over my shoulder to find his baby mama, Shameka, making her way toward us with another woman beside her. Both of them were dressed like they had planned on being seen. I chuckled when Crow let out a quiet sigh under his breath. I knew he didn’t want to be bothered with her ass.

Right away, his bitter baby mama came marching toward us with one hand planted on her hip, and her lips pursed so tight they looked like they’d been glued together. The hard look in her eyes told me she had an attitude, and judging by the way she was stomping in our direction, I had a feeling I was about to become her problem.