Page 39 of Free to Fall

“Oh my God, that’s the sisters fromThe Coven.” I turned and offered a smile, but I could already feel the energy shifting. Phones were being pulled out, whispers turning into louder excitement.

Averi grabbed my arm gently. “We should dip. I ain’t got the energy to be somebody’s viral moment today.”

“I’m not even in glam,” Serenity muttered under her breath, pulling her hoodie up.

We slid back into the SUV just in time, and I was lowkey relieved. I needed to get to soundcheck anyway.

When I got back to the suite, after a long soundcheck, I kicked my heels off at the door and walked into the main area. The space was quiet, dim lights, soft music playing from the Bluetooth speaker. Our luggage sat neatly along the side of the wall. I’d barely dropped my purse on the couch when I heard Nasseem’s voice from the bedroom.

“Nigga, I said I got it handled, why the fuck you callin’ me like this? I said—” He stopped abruptly.

I stayed still for a moment, my chest tightening. I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. But the edge in his voice, the heat in histone—it said more than he probably ever would if I asked. I waited a moment, then stepped toward the room just as he opened the door. His jaw was tight, shoulders broad and tense under his black tee. When he saw me, he paused. Didn’t say a word. I didn’t either. Instead, I walked right up to him, wrapped my arms around his waist, and pressed my cheek against his chest. He let out a slow and measured breath.

“I’m not asking questions,” I murmured. “Just letting you know… I’m here if you wanna talk.”

His hands wrapped around my waist. “I know,” he said quietly.

“C’mon,” I whispered. “Shower with me.”

By the time we stepped out the shower, steam rising around us like we were wrapped in clouds, my heart felt… lighter. We didn’t say much, but the way he held me under the hot water said everything. I towel-dried off quickly, wrapped in a plush white robe, while Nasseem threw on a pair of sweats and a tee. There was a knock at the suite door, soft but quick.

“That’s glam,” I said, grabbing my robe belt and cinching it tight. “Don’t scare them off.”

Nasseem smirked and kissed my temple. “Only one scared of me in this room is you.”

I rolled my eyes, but my smirk matched his as I opened the door. “Y’all on time for once,” I greeted my team—Amaya on makeup, Tiffani on hair, and Kaia on styling.

“Only cause we knew you’d threaten to replace us if we weren’t,” Amaya joked, already unpacking her brushes and palettes. They breezed in like a glam hurricane, turning the suite into a temporary dressing room, lights and mirrors going up fast.

Nasseem came up behind me, still drying his beard with a towel. “I’m finna go holla at Creed for a minute, grab a drink.”

“You leavin’ me with this madness?”

He leaned in, kissed my lips soft and slow. “I’ll be right back, baby. Don’t miss me too hard.”

“I make no promises.” He left smelling like my soap and fresh cologne, and I sat in the highchair they’d set up in front of the window.

“You doin’ Fallon and an arena concert in the same week?” Tiffani asked while curling the top section of my hair. “Celebrity flex if I’ve ever seen one.”

“You love to see it,” Amaya added, blending my concealer like I was about to walk a red carpet. “How you feelin’? Nervous?”

“Nah.” I smiled, closing my eyes. “I’m good. Excited. This feels right.”

“Your glow says otherwise,” Kaia teased, sorting through my outfit on the rolling rack. “You in love or something?”

I kept quiet, just chuckled to myself. They didn’t need to know that the man I was in love with had just lathered me up in the shower ten minutes ago. Tiffani finished the last curl and let my thick, wavy hair fall down my back, full and soft. Amaya dusted highlighter across my cheekbones and pressed a final coat of red gloss on my lips.

When I stood up, robe still on, they helped me into the catsuit. It was jet black, body-hugging but tasteful, with rhinestone embellishments that traced my silhouette from collarbone to hip. I stepped into open-toe heels that made my legs look endless, and Kaia handed me a small black clutch and spritzed me down with Marc Jacob’s Daisy.

“Chile, I wish I was somebody’s fantasy like this,” Amaya said, stepping back to admire me.

“You are,” I told her, flipping my hair. “You’re gorgeous.”

Just then, the suite door opened, and Nasseem walked in, looking down at his phone. “I’m back, y’all—” His voice cut off. When he looked up and saw me, I saw his whole soul pause. His gaze dragged from my curls down to my hips, then back up to mymouth like he couldn’t decide which part of me to worship first. “Y’all can go.”

Tiffani blinked. “Huh?”

“I said y’all can go,” he repeated, not even looking at them. “She good now.”

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