Chapter 21

A few days passed, and the fight drama started dying down—at least online. Selena had been chilling, focusing on her content and minding her business, but she could tell people were still watching her a little closer now. Whether it was from curiosity or respect, she wasn't sure.

Tonight, though, she wasn't thinking about any of that.

Ray had hit her up about a block party happening on the north side, and after some back and forth, Selena finally agreed to go. She wasn't big on being outside just to be seen, but she figured she could use a night of fun.

She pulled up to Ray's house first, the bass from inside rattling the windows.

Ray stepped out as Selena parked, looking fly in her fitted romper and fresh braids. "Damn, you took long enough," she teased, climbing into the passenger seat.

Selena smirked. "Girl, I had to get cute."

Ray looked her up and down, nodding in approval. "You did that."

Selena had on a cropped black tank and camo cargo pants, her hair sleek in a half-up ponytail. Her black and white Dunks matched the fit perfectly.

Ray pulled out her phone. "Aight, we following them," she said, nodding toward a black Jeep pulling off.

Selena backed out and fell in line, following the Jeep through the city. As they got closer, she could already see the crowd spilling into the street. Cars lined the block, speakers blaring, the whole scene alive with music and energy.

Ray grinned. "Oh yeah, this about to be a movie."

Selena found a spot to park, cutting the engine. As soon as they stepped out, the night air wrapped around them, thick with bass, laughter, and the smell of barbecue and smoke.

Ray led the way through the crowd, stopping to dap up a few people. "This my homegirl, Selena," she introduced when necessary.

Selena nodded at a few of them, keeping it cool but observant. She wasn't new to being in scenes like this—she just wasn't the type to jump into everybody's face.

They made their way toward a group posted near a few cars, the Jeep they followed parked nearby. A few guys stood around, smoking and talking, while a couple of girls sipped drinks and vibed to the music.

Ray dapped up one of the dudes, a tall, brown-skinned guy with a fade. "What's up, Kel?"

Kel nodded, pulling her into a quick side hug. His eyes flicked to Selena, and he gave her a slight chin lift. "What's good?"

Selena nodded back. "What's up?"

Ray turned to Selena. "This Kel. He cool."

Selena just hummed, noticing the way he and Ray moved comfortably around each other.

A few minutes later, another voice cut through the music. "Look who outside."

Selena turned her head just in time to see Von walking up.

Her stomach flipped. She hadn't seen him since their little food run, and she sure as hell didn't expect to run into him here.

Von looked good—black tee, fitted jeans, diamond chains catching the streetlights. His usual serious expression softened just a little when he saw her.

Ray smirked. "Not you showing up right when we do."

Von ignored her, his dark eyes locked on Selena. "You good?"

Selena crossed her arms, tilting her head. "You always asking me that."

Von smirked. "And you still ain't answered."

Selena rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the small smile tugging at her lips.

Ray laughed. "Oh yeah, I need a drink." She grabbed Kel's arm. "Come on."

Kel just shook his head, letting her pull him toward the drink table.

Now, Selena and Von were standing there alone, the party moving around them like background noise.

Von studied her for a moment, then nodded toward the street. "Walk with me."

Selena hesitated, but curiosity won over. "Aight."

They strolled past the crowd, the music fading just enough for them to talk without yelling.

Von slipped his hands into his pockets. "So you just out here chillin' tonight?"

Selena shrugged. "Ray talked me into coming. I wasn't really in the mood for all this at first."

Von nodded. "Yeah. You don't seem like the 'standing around just to be seen' type."

Selena smirked. "I'm not."

Von glanced at her. "Then why you let that shit the other day get to you?"

Selena's smirk faded slightly. "Because that wasn't about attention. That was about respect."

Von nodded, like he understood exactly what she meant.

They reached the corner, stopping near a car posted with a few more people. Von pulled out a blunt, lighting it with ease. He took a slow pull before passing it to her.

Selena took it, inhaling deep before blowing the smoke out smoothly.

Von smirked. "You be smoking like that?"

Selena gave him a look. "What that mean?"

Von chuckled. "Just sayin'. You don't seem like you do it often."

Selena shrugged. "I don't. But I'm not new to it either."

Von hummed, watching her take another pull before she passed it back.

The air between them was thick, charged with something unspoken. Selena didn't know what it was about Von that pulled her in, but she felt it every time they were around each other.

Von tapped the blunt against his finger, watching the ember glow. "You tryna stay out of trouble?"

Selena arched a brow. "Why you ask?"

Von glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "'Cause trouble seem to find you either way."

Selena smirked. "I could say the same about you."

Von just chuckled lowly, taking another pull before exhaling. "Guess we got somethin' in common then."

Selena didn't say anything, just held his gaze.

The bass of the music thumped in the background, the smell of smoke, food, and the city surrounding them.

A few days passed, and the fight drama started dying down—at least online. Selena had been chilling, focusing on her content and minding her business, but she could tell people were still watching her a little closer now. Whether it was from curiosity or respect, she wasn't sure.

Tonight, though, she wasn't thinking about any of that.

Ray had hit her up about a block party happening on the north side, and after some back and forth, Selena finally agreed to go. She wasn't big on being outside just to be seen, but she figured she could use a night of fun.

She pulled up to Ray's house first, the bass from inside rattling the windows.

Ray stepped out as Selena parked, looking fly in her fitted romper and fresh braids. "Damn, you took long enough," she teased, climbing into the passenger seat.

Selena smirked. "Girl, I had to get cute."

Ray looked her up and down, nodding in approval. "You did that."

Selena had on a cropped black tank and camo cargo pants, her hair sleek in a half-up ponytail. Her black and white Dunks matched the fit perfectly.

Ray pulled out her phone. "Aight, we following them," she said, nodding toward a black Jeep pulling off.

Selena backed out and fell in line, following the Jeep through the city. As they got closer, she could already see the crowd spilling into the street. Cars lined the block, speakers blaring, the whole scene alive with music and energy.

Ray grinned. "Oh yeah, this about to be a movie."

Selena found a spot to park, cutting the engine. As soon as they stepped out, the night air wrapped around them, thick with bass, laughter, and the smell of barbecue and smoke.

Ray led the way through the crowd, stopping to dap up a few people. "This my homegirl, Selena," she introduced when necessary.

Selena nodded at a few of them, keeping it cool but observant. She wasn't new to being in scenes like this—she just wasn't the type to jump into everybody's face.

They made their way toward a group posted near a few cars, the Jeep they followed parked nearby. A few guys stood around, smoking and talking, while a couple of girls sipped drinks and vibed to the music.

Ray dapped up one of the dudes, a tall, brown-skinned guy with a fade. "What's up, Kel?"

Kel nodded, pulling her into a quick side hug. His eyes flicked to Selena, and he gave her a slight chin lift. "What's good?"

Selena nodded back. "What's up?"

Ray turned to Selena. "This Kel. He cool."

Selena just hummed, noticing the way he and Ray moved comfortably around each other.

A few minutes later, another voice cut through the music. "Look who outside."

Selena turned her head just in time to see Von walking up.

Her stomach flipped. She hadn't seen him since their little food run, and she sure as hell didn't expect to run into him here.

Von looked good—black tee, fitted jeans, diamond chains catching the streetlights. His usual serious expression softened just a little when he saw her.

Ray smirked. "Not you showing up right when we do."

Von ignored her, his dark eyes locked on Selena. "You good?"

Selena crossed her arms, tilting her head. "You always asking me that."

Von smirked. "And you still ain't answered."

Selena rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the small smile tugging at her lips.

Ray laughed. "Oh yeah, I need a drink." She grabbed Kel's arm. "Come on."

Kel just shook his head, letting her pull him toward the drink table.

Now, Selena and Von were standing there alone, the party moving around them like background noise.

Von studied her for a moment, then nodded toward the street. "Walk with me."

Selena hesitated, but curiosity won over. "Aight."

They strolled past the crowd, the music fading just enough for them to talk without yelling.

Von slipped his hands into his pockets. "So you just out here chillin' tonight?"

Selena shrugged. "Ray talked me into coming. I wasn't really in the mood for all this at first."

Von nodded. "Yeah. You don't seem like the 'standing around just to be seen' type."

Selena smirked. "I'm not."

Von glanced at her. "Then why you let that shit the other day get to you?"

Selena's smirk faded slightly. "Because that wasn't about attention. That was about respect."

Von nodded, like he understood exactly what she meant.

They reached the corner, stopping near a car posted with a few more people. Von pulled out a blunt, lighting it with ease. He took a slow pull before passing it to her.

Selena took it, inhaling deep before blowing the smoke out smoothly.

Von smirked. "You be smoking like that?"

Selena gave him a look. "What that mean?"

Von chuckled. "Just sayin'. You don't seem like you do it often."

Selena shrugged. "I don't. But I'm not new to it either."

Von hummed, watching her take another pull before she passed it back.

The air between them was thick, charged with something unspoken. Selena didn't know what it was about Von that pulled her in, but she felt it every time they were around each other.

Von tapped the blunt against his finger, watching the ember glow. "You tryna stay out of trouble?"

Selena arched a brow. "Why you ask?"

Von glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "'Cause trouble seem to find you either way."

Selena smirked. "I could say the same about you."

Von just chuckled lowly, taking another pull before exhaling. "Guess we got somethin' in common then."

Selena didn't say anything, just held his gaze.

The bass of the music thumped in the background, the smell of smoke, food, and the city surrounding them.

And in that moment, standing on the corner of a block party, Selena realized something—

She wasn't just drawn to Von.

She was already in too deep.