Page 61 of Free to Fall

“I wouldn’t have played it for you otherwise,” I smirked. “I’mma send it to you. Add your vocals, send it back in a couple days.”

“Say less. Send me the stems.”

Once he stepped away, Averi was back solo on my screen. “So…how’s everything going?”

“It’s goin’,” I exhaled. “Nas and my Nana act like old friends. It’s lowkey cute, high key annoying. But I guess I’m glad he’s here. It helps.”

“You gonna get back with him?” she asked gently.

I didn’t answer at first. “I don’t know,” I said finally. “I won’t rule it out. But for now… I’ve made peace with him. That’s all I got in me.”

“Well, I love that for you,” she smiled. “I’ll see you in LA?”

“Yeah, we’re flying back together in a few days.”

“Okay good. Kiss my god baby for me.”

I blinked. “Bitch how? I ain’t that fuckin’ flexible.”

We both cracked up, still laughing as we hung up.

My studio session wrapped around eight. As I stepped outside into the evening humidity, I saw a sleek black truck parked by the curb, windows rolled down just enough for me to spot him in the back seat.

“Seriously?” I raised a brow as I walked up.

“Surprise,” Nas grinned. “Figured I’d take you out, just us. Nana’s eatin’ with your aunt tonight, so she don’t need me babysitting.”

I smirked, slipping into the back seat next to him. “So, you stalkin’ my family dinner schedule now?”

“Something like that,” he said, as the driver pulled off. “You look too good to waste that outfit on studio acoustics.”

“Stop flirting with me Nasseem.”

He shrugged. “I can’t help it; it’s like second nature.”

We drove to Memphis Jamaican Kitchen, a spot near Beale Street. Real lowkey, hole-in-the-wall, but the smell coming from that back kitchen was hitting like a childhood memory. We placed our order, but didn’t eat there, too many eyes. A couplepeople had already recognized us, and I wasn’t in the mood for whispering and camera phones. So back to Nana’s we went, plates in hand, shoes kicked off in the living room while we sat on the floor and ate out the cartons like college students.

“So…” Nas looked over at me, wiping his mouth. “You comin’ to the fight?”

I raised a brow. “You want me there?”

“You the only one I want there,” he said, dead serious. “Front row, cheering like a groupie.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t play with me. I’ll never be nobody’s groupie.”

“I’m deadass,” he grinned. “You gon’ come?”

I chewed slowly, heart beating in my chest. “Yeah… I’ll come.” His shoulders eased like he’d been holding tension all day. I glanced down, pushing some rice around with my fork. “I’m still mad at you though.”

“I know.”

“I’m still hurt.”

“I know that too and I’m sorry.”

I looked at him again. “You should be.”

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Whatever I need to do to make it up to you, I will do. What do you need from me to fix it?”

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