Page 42 of Full Court Press

I hated to admit it, but Lamar’s ugly ass was right. Nia had his baby, something I didn’t have with him and something that would always guarantee her place in his life. What if he decided to work it out with her? Where would that leave me? Nia was beautiful—a little thrown off, but beautiful, nonetheless. I saw how emotional she was at the restaurant. She loved him, and maybe, in some twisted way, he loved her too.

“Piper?” Braelyn called out to me, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“Fuck what he said. Do not let that get to you.”

“I’m good. I promise.”

She looked at me for a moment before nodding and turning her attention to the game.

Just a couple more months, and the students of True State University can kiss my fat, round ass.

I had finally gotten Kiy down to sleep in her crib after holding her for damn near three hours straight. Her having a cold was something I wasn’t prepared for, but I knew I had to get it together for her.

I hated that my baby was sick.

She just looked so miserable, but since I’d switched her from breast milk to organic formula, I figured it was what caused her immune system to weaken. As hard a decision as it was, I knew I had to do what was best for my baby.

Being a single father was hard as fuck. I’d never regret my daughter, but I often regretted who I had her with and slipping up with her ass.

I made the right choice to stop giving her Nia’s breast milk when I saw her Snapchat story with her tossing back shots and facing a blunt. Nia wasn’t the type to pump and dump, because she barely remembered she had a fucking baby, so I knew it was time to stop giving her that tainted-ass titty milk.

I turned on her little music player, grabbed one of the baby monitors, then headed downstairs to clean her bottles and make Piper and myself a snack for the movie night I had planned. Nana was out with some old dude I wasn’t aware she was dating, and she told me she wouldn’t be back until morning.

That shocked the hell out of me.

My sixty-year-old grandmother was in these streets dating.

I was overprotective of my nana and didn’t like that she was spending the night away from me. What was worse was that she never told me she was even dating anybody exclusive enough to spend the night out.

I didn’t like it, but I made sure she shared her location with me, just in case I had to pull up on that old nigga.

As soon as I pulled the pizza from the oven, my alarm system sounded. Already knowing who it was, I placed the pizza on top of the stove and went to answer. When I opened the door, I couldn’t help but just stare at her for a minute. Piper was pretty as fuck, and those long, braided extensions were doing something to me.

Without speaking, I pulled her to me and tossed my tongue in her mouth. Her kisses tasted like chocolate as my hand found her ass and squeezed.

I had to pull away before I devoured her right there in the entrance of the doorway. I pulled her inside, then shut and locked the door.

“I missed you,” I told her.

She smiled softly as she looked up at me. “Missed you too.”

“Come on. I made us pizza and set us up downstairs so we can watch a movie.” I held her by the waist and guided her toward the kitchen. I could feel the slight tension in her body as I held her.

“You a’ight?” I asked, looking down at her.

“Yeah . . . How’s Kiy?”

“She’s good for now. It took a minute, but I finally got her down. I’m hoping she doesn’t wake up any time soon.”

“Oh. And Nana?”

I chuckled. “Apparently, Stella got her groove back. She’s out on a date and told me she’s spending the night out.”

“Okay, Nana!” Piper exclaimed, snapping her fingers.

“You advocating for her is crazy.” I pulled two plates and cups from the cabinet, then plated a couple of slices.