⚠️ CONTENT WARNING ⚠️
MATURE READERS ONLY (18+)
The late-afternoon sun hung low over the campus basketball court, turning the asphalt gold. Anissa wiped sweat from her brow, chest heaving as she dribbled past Nelly with a quick crossover that left her friend stumbling.
Nelly threw her hands up. "Girl, you better stop before you catch a cramp!"
Anissa grinned, the expression feeling foreign and precious. "Better a cramp than your sorry defense."
Mary, lounging on the bleachers with a bottle of water, shouted between laughs, "She's not lying, Nel! You got cooked!"
They burst into laughter—loud, breathless, real. For one rare, beautiful moment, Anissa wasn't the girl drowning in debt, watching her mother fade, or carrying a secret that could ruin everything. She was just Anissa—wild, untethered, alive. The ball bounced rhythmically against the court, the sound grounding her in something simple and clean.
Early evening found them in the library, books and notes sprawled across a large table like battlefield maps. Mary groaned dramatically at the laptop screen.
"Okay, someone explain why anatomy is harder than actual surgery?"
Anissa laughed, shaking her head. "Because they want us to memorize every artery and nerve before we even hold a scalpel."
Nelly snorted. "Mm. Who needs nerves when rent's due anyway?"
The table erupted again. But Anissa's smile slipped almost immediately, her fingers tracing the edge of her notebook absentmindedly.
She took a breath. "Speaking of… I got a call from Terry last night. Mum's getting worse. The cancer's aggressive now. Doctors say she needs the stronger meds—the really expensive ones—or…" Her voice cracked. She couldn't finish.
Silence fell heavy.
Nelly reached across the table, covering Anissa's hand with her own. "You know we've got you, right? Whatever you need."
Mary nodded fiercely. "Say the word. Fundraiser, GoFundMe, robbing a bank—whatever."
Anissa managed a watery smile, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Thank you. Really."
Her phone buzzed then, sharp and insistent.
She glanced down.
TEXT FROM STEVEN:
Come over. Now.
The warmth drained from her body. She stood abruptly, grabbing her bag.
Nelly frowned. "Where you off to?"
"Just… something I need to handle."
Anissa was out the door before they could press.
The Derulo mansion loomed under a star-strewn sky, softly lit windows glowing like watchful eyes. Steven met her at the entrance himself—no driver, no bodyguard—just him, shirtless in low-slung sweats, expression unreadable.
"You took long," he murmured, but there was no bite in it tonight.
"I came straight from the library."
He studied her for a long beat, eyes dark and unreadable, then led her upstairs without another word. Fingers laced loosely with hers.
In the bedroom—dimly lit, city lights glittering beyond floor-to-ceiling windows—he stepped close, fingertips brushing her jaw, tilting her face up to his. His thumb traced her lower lip, slow, deliberate.
"Let me show you something else tonight," he said, voice low, velvet-rough.
Then he kissed her.
Not the bruising, claiming kisses of before. This one was deep, lingering, tasting—like he had all the time in the world and intended to use every second. His tongue slid against hers in a slow dance that made her knees weaken.
Anissa's hands found his bare chest, palms sliding over warm muscle. He groaned softly into her mouth, the sound vibrating through her.
He undressed her like she was something precious—fingers grazing every inch of skin he exposed. Shirt lifted over her head, tossed aside. Bra unclasped with a flick, breasts spilling free into his waiting hands. He cupped them gently at first, thumbs circling her nipples until they hardened into tight peaks, drawing a shaky gasp from her lips.
Steven dropped to his knees in front of her, mouth closing over one nipple, tongue swirling, sucking slow and deep. His hands skimmed down her sides, hooking into her leggings and panties, dragging them down in one smooth motion.
She stepped out of them, trembling.
He looked up at her, eyes hooded, lips wet from her skin. "You're so fucking beautiful when you let go."
His mouth trailed lower—kisses across her stomach, teeth grazing her hipbone, until he parted her thighs. One slow lick through her folds made her knees buckle. He caught her, hands gripping her ass, holding her steady as his tongue delved deeper—circling her clit, flicking, sucking, relentless.
Anissa's fingers tangled in his hair, hips rocking against his mouth without permission. Pleasure coiled tight and hot in her belly, building fast. He slid two fingers inside her, curling just right, stroking that spot that made her see stars.
She came with a broken cry, thighs shaking around his head, wetness coating his fingers and chin.
He didn't stop until she was boneless, then rose slowly, licking his lips like he'd tasted heaven.
Steven guided her to the bed, laying her back on cool silk sheets. He stripped off his sweats—thick, heavy erection springing free—and climbed over her, settling between her thighs.
Their eyes locked.
He entered her inch by agonizing inch, stretching her slowly, letting her feel every ridge, every pulse. When he was fully seated, he stilled, forehead pressed to hers.
"Feel that?" he whispered. "That's me inside you. All of me."
Then he started to move—long, deep strokes that dragged over every sensitive spot. Slow at first, savoring, building. His hand slipped between them, thumb circling her clit in time with his thrusts.
Anissa's nails raked down his back, legs wrapping around his waist, pulling him deeper. The rhythm built—faster, harder, but still controlled, still deliberate. Skin slapping skin, breaths mingling, her moans rising with every drive.
He flipped them suddenly—she on top now, straddling him. His hands gripped her hips, guiding her as she rode him, grinding down, taking him to the hilt. His eyes never left hers, dark and intense.
"Ride me just like that, princess," he growled. "Show me how much you need this."
She did—hips rolling, circling, chasing the pleasure only he could give her now. He sat up, mouth latching onto her breast again, sucking hard as he thrust up into her.
The second orgasm crashed over her like a wave, clenching around him, milking him. Steven followed seconds later—hips bucking, groaning her name low and raw as he spilled deep inside her, pulse after pulse.
They collapsed together, sweat-slick and breathless.
Afterward, he didn't roll away. He pulled her against his chest, one hand lazily tracing circles on her bare back, the other tangled in her hair.
"Stay," he said quietly, almost like a question.
And against every screaming instinct… she did.
Morning light filtered through half-drawn curtains. Anissa woke to a wave of nausea so violent she barely made it to the bathroom before her stomach emptied.
Steven appeared in the doorway moments later, arms crossed, watching with sharp eyes.
"Bad food?"
She rinsed her mouth, avoiding his gaze in the mirror. "Must've been something oily from the cafeteria."
He stepped closer, hand settling on her lower back—gentle, possessive. "Come shower."
She hesitated, then let him lead her under the steaming spray.
He pressed her gently against the tiled wall, water cascading over them. No urgency—just soft kisses, lips brushing lips, hands roaming slow and reverent. He washed her body with careful hands, thumbs grazing her nipples, fingers slipping briefly between her thighs in a teasing caress that made her gasp.
Anissa clung to him, battling the storm inside—hate, confusion, the terrifying pull of something that felt too much like want.
"Don't make this harder," she whispered against his mouth.
He didn't answer. Just kissed her deeper, like he could erase the words.
Later, his driver dropped her near campus. As she stepped out, her phone buzzed.
$7,000,000 RECEIVED
Her stomach twisted again—this time not from nausea.
In the middle of a packed lecture, the sickness struck again—sudden, merciless. Anissa clapped a hand over her mouth and bolted from the hall. Nelly followed seconds later.
In the bathroom stall, Anissa dry-heaved over the toilet until her ribs ached.
Nelly waited outside the door, voice soft. "Yo… what's going on with you?"
Anissa emerged pale and trembling, splashing water on her face.
Nelly's eyes narrowed with quiet knowing. "You need to take a test."
The words hung between them like a guillotine.
That afternoon, another message from Terry—a photo attached.
Their mother in a hospital bed, frail and hollow-cheeked, oxygen mask fogged with shallow breaths, eyes barely open.
Anissa's throat closed completely.
She texted back immediately: I'll come.
Nelly, peering over her shoulder, didn't hesitate. "Come on. Let's go."
The hospital corridors smelled of antiseptic and despair. A kind-faced nurse led Anissa into an exam room while Nelly waited outside.
"What symptoms, love?" the nurse asked gently.
"Fatigue. Constant nausea. Vomiting mostly in the mornings. Dizziness. Tender… chest."
The nurse's brow lifted slightly. "How long?"
"About a week. Maybe more. I thought it was stress."
Nelly, now in the doorway, muttered, "You always think it's stress."
The nurse smiled softly and handed Anissa a specimen cup. "Let's be sure."
Minutes later, the nurse returned with a sealed envelope and sat beside her.
She took Anissa's hand. "You're pregnant, sweetheart."
The room tilted. Sound rushed in Anissa's ears like ocean waves.
Nelly gripped her other hand instantly, steady and warm.
"Is it… Steven?" Nelly asked quietly.
Anissa's lips quivered. A single tear slipped free.
"I… I don't know what to do."
Nelly pulled her into a fierce hug. "We're gonna figure it out. Together. You're not alone in this."
But as Anissa buried her face in her friend's shoulder, the truth settled like lead in her chest.
A child—his child.
The one thing his barren wife could never give him.
The one secret that could finally break his hold…
Or bind her to him forever.
To be continued…