Too Close

Chapter Thirty Eight

Philadelphia's weather wasn't anything short of blazing but Gianna felt like a breeze.

The past years were good to her, but she was beginning to feel additional waves of happiness as the tour carried on. And it was flying by quickly, with only four weeks left of being on the road.

Or in the sky since the House had a partnership with an airline company and managed to get flights to and from every city for every traveler.

Uncle Gio: I'm so happy to have you in Philly Baby G! I can't wait to see you in your element at the book tour. Mona made me the best T-shirt to surprise you with, and of course, it's embarrassing. It'll be my evidence when I pass out copies of your book to strangers and prove that I'm related to the best author there. Love you.

Auntie Mona's not right for feeding into your delusions! I also can't wait to see you, the GOAT in action on the field. Love you too.

Gianna grinned, her uncle's sweet message making her heart smile. Right after herself, her family was the thing she loved and cherished the most in the world.

"I'm inspired." Kylo announced, making her look up at him. "I'm thinking something like Poison Ivy, Mother Nature-esque. A misunderstood queen who just wants to protect the Earth from humans with her powers and run her flower shop." He waved his hands in the air, dramatically gesturing all of the theatrics that the story could potentially hold.

"And what has inspired this?" Gianna laughed, finding his sudden outburst amusing, but relatable too. Inspiration came from the most unexpected and deranged places. She once thought of a story when she saw her mom shaving her dad's head.

The two of them grabbed breakfast at a nearby café before going to work and were sitting in the outdoor seating area. Kylo discreetly pointed at a whimsical, fairy-favoring Black girl who was across the street, watering an abundance of floras under a sign that read Stemz.

Gianna bit the pastry on her plate before turning back to him, "You're crazy. What makes you think she's misunderstood? How are you going to just give her a new life like that?"

"Aht! Don't try to get on me girly and call me crazy, when you lied straight to my face! I thought we were closer than that." Kylo joked as he sipped on his latte.

"This again?! I never said whether I knew him or not, you just assumed that I didn't and I didn't clarify."

"Girl please, I'm just jealous that it's not me." He rolled his eyes, making her laugh. "You won't have to not clarify anymore because Dessi sure is milking it. The whole country's gonna put y'all's names together forever, fooling around with her."

"Yeah, she's kind of dragging it but we don't have that much time left, so I'm letting her have it for now." Gianna could clearly see the difference now that her and Miles' names were attached to each other, but she also didn't want to forever be known as his student.

"Don't let her walk all over you, Gianna. She's not your boss, you guys are a team and at the end of the day, it's your image that's being broadcasted. Don't let her call all of the shots." Kylo urged her to take control of her narrative and Gianna heard him, loud and clear.

After sipping coffee and eating sweet breakfast delicacies and fighting over who was treating who, they walked back to the convention center in Philly's summer heat which was thankfully sided with a few gusts of wind. 

*

"Hey, Lance!" Gianna flagged him down as he walked past her.

"Hey, Gianna. How can I help you?"