"Ouch."

"Shh." I hushed her. "You tryna get us caught?"

"Sorry, you know I'm clumsy." She whispered.

It was 1 am and everybody in the house was sleep, or at least in for the night. Hallie had been gone for a couple weeks on vacation and finally came back yesterday. I missed her so much I wanted her to come see me as soon as possible, but with both our parents being strict about us seeing each other, they weren't really going for it. Like a month prior we were 'banned' from seeing each other when they found out we were messing with each other. I don't really give a fuck about that banned shit but Hallie a good girl, so she been abiding by the rules. I gotta get here outta that shit.

I peeped my head around the corner looking down the hall before motioning her to come on. She quickly ran across into my room jumping on the bed and kicking her slides off. I smiled watching her get comfortable wrapping herself in the striped comforter.

"Your bed is always so comfy." She smiled reaching her arms up, signaling she wanted me to cuddle with her. "That's a California king for ya." I laughed, falling into to her placing tiny kisses all over her face making her giggle. It was so cute how she just turned into a lil baby when she was with me. "I missed you." I looked into her eyes, than to her lips. "I missed you to pooh." She grinned rubbing the back of my neck playing with the curls in the back of my head.

I leaned down kissing her lips again, but jumped when I heard knocks on my door. "Melo, boy who you talking to?" The doorknob twisting and the door opening. Damn I thought I locked the door.

Hallie quickly scrambled to the floor and sliding under the bed and grabbing her slides to hide them.

"What you mean?" I asked watching my dad peak his head in the door looking around.

"That girl not in here is she? She better not be in my house." He scoffed.

I rolled my eyes. "She not here. You said I can't see her remember." I shrugged pretending to be annoyed grabbing my remote searching through Netflix to avoid any and all contact with him. Nigga could always tell when I was lying when he looked in my eyes. Shit was weird.

"Since when you started doing what I say." He laughed sarcastically. "Dad whatchu want." I groaned annoyed.

"This is my house I can be anywhere I wanna be."

I sighed heavily. "I can't wait to leave that way I can be with whoever I want."

"Son, I'm doing you a favor."

"You don't even know her!"

"I know her people and her people not worth shit, so she not by association. She was probably just using you to get to us anyway."

Here he go with the conspiracy shit.

"Dad you and her family's beef has nothing to do with us."

"You got my last name don't you boy? When one Ball got beef, we all got beef. Don't tell me you getting like Lonzo and switching up on family once you touch a little money."

"I'm in love with her. Don't that mean anything?"

"Love?! Boy you need to love that basketball not no girl you sound crazy. You too young to be worried bout love."

"Aight." I shook my head. There was no use saying anything to him once his mind was made up. I love my dad but that nigga head thick as hell. Nigga wanted me to be an emotionless robot that plays basketball. "I'm finna watch a movie so..." I looked at him. "I love you." He said walking out. "Yeah." I nodded.

Once he closed the door, I quickly got up to lock it.

"You can come out now." I chuckled, sliding back on the bed and waiting for her to appear. "You need to clean up under there." She made a stank face climbing back on the bed. "Clean it for me."

"Boy fuck you." She laughed. "Did you really mean what you said though?"

"What? Cleaning it?" I pulled her body on top of mine.

"No, that you love me." She looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. "You've never told me you loved me."

I smiled. She was making me soft, and I wasn't gone lie I liked it. It was giving me another purpose in life besides basketball. She meant the world to me and I wasn't finna let no fucking family beef fuck that up.

"Yeah, I love you kid."

🪐🤎💫

I be making melo so sweet in my imagines I feel like he's a dickhead in real life.

Xoxo Retro