Page 32 of Full Court Press

Yo’ cute ass about to fuck around and find out, I thought, eyes going to Jaylin with a raised brow, face set in stone.

“You still standing here?”

“My bad. I’ll see you around, Piper. Thanks for the⁠—”

“Bye, nigga,” I said, cutting him off. He smirked a little before shaking his head and walking off. Piper stood next and got her belongings as well. I didn’t say shit as I allowed her to walk away, and I followed. Once we made it outside, she spun around and looked at me with fury in her eyes.

“What are you doing, Khalil?” she asked, expression growing turbulent.

“I don’t understand your question, shorty.”

“You stare at me all day and then have the audacity to interrupt my study session, acting like you own me.”

I do own you. You just don’t know it yet.

I smirked at her. “Your words. Not mine.”

Her face softened a bit, and she let out an exasperated breath. “This isn’t a game, Khalil. What is it that you want from me? I have been avoiding you for a reason.”

“Yeah, about that. You let me get a taste of something good, and now you don’t think I want more of it? How that work, baby?”

“You have a girlfriend.”

“Who the fuck told you that? When was I present for that declaration, Mi Amor?”

“When the mother of your baby tried to square up with me. I’m not fighting over dick I haven’t even sampled yet.”

“You can have it whenever you want it, baby. But what you not gon’ do is try to play me like a sucka. I ate that pussy, so as far as I’m concerned, it belongs to me now.”

“No, it doesn’t,” she sassed. “And the sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.”

“Listen, I’d love to stand here and chat, but I have to get to Kiy. Come home with me. I’m not taking no for an answer either.”

“That sounds like a you problem. I’m not going anywhere near your house ever the fuck again.”

“She doesn’t live with me, Mi Amor. I would never play you out like that. Nana let her in because she didn’t know you were still there. I admit that we have sex from time to time, but I’m not on that with her no more. I want you.”

“Why?”

“To which statement, baby?”

“The last two.”

“Come home with me, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

She shook her head and looked away. I knew she was skeptical. I hated that she doubted what I was telling her, but I needed her to trust that I wouldn’t do that to her. In just one week, she had been living rent-free in my mind. I thought of the night we shared so many times. This shit had to come to fruition, or I would have to take drastic measures to make it happen. I wanted her. No matter what I had to do to get her, Piper was going to be mine.

“This is crazy, Khalil. You don’t even know me like that.”

“I do know you. Been knowing you. You want me to ruin my Versace jeans on this ground and beg you? Ain’t no shame in my game.”

I saw the mischievous smirk tickle the corner of her mouth, and I prepared myself to drop down on my knees.

“Don’t!” she exclaimed, grabbing me by my shirt and pulling me toward her before my knee hit the ground. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but . . . ugh! Come on. And I swear, if your child’s mother tries to fight me again, I’m going to beat both y’all’s ass.”

I smiled and pulled her closer. “I’m going to protect you. Always.”

“Yeah, . . . we’ll see about that.”