Chapter 17
Kove
I sat in my car feeling the ache in my muscles from practice. I had not a damn clue why the hell my coaches thought one on one with a focus on shooting then a full court practice with the team was a good idea, but that was exactly how the last four hours played out.
My gotdamn arms were sore as hell, my legs felt heavy as shit from all the damn running I had to do to keep up, and my back was aching like a muthafucker.
Jabari and Meyer were both in their early thirties but them niggas could run that damn ball.
I had to work to keep up and I was at least five years younger than both.
I held my own though. They gave me my props and Coach even pulled me to the side before I left to let me know if I kept showing up like I did today, I could make the starting five.
That was damn sure motivation to put in work, because with the way I was feeling right now, I was close to saying fuck all this shit.
My body was screaming at me to crawl up under the bed and stay there until I had to hit the court again.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t happening and the reminder was flashing across my screen. I looked at Xiah’s building where I had been parked for the past ten minutes but too damn tired to move then lifted my phone to answer my brother’s call.
“What’s good, Kove? You still coming through, right?” he asked as soon as I had him on speaker.
“Yeah, I’ll be there. I’m heading that way in a minute. I have a stop to make first.”
To collect the woman I was about to bring home to see how she fit into that part of my life.
Royals was what my world looked like now but D-Ville was the foundation of what made me the man I am.
If she couldn’t navigate both, wasn’t no way this shit would last. I needed to see that in real time and I also needed the people who knew me best to tell me if I was making the right decision by giving Xiah access.
I didn’t want my thoughts clouded by good pussy.
My mind might have been second guessing what I was doing but every other part of my being knew she was supposed to be mine.
“Aight nigga, be safe.”
“Always.”
I ended the call and worked on convincing my body to move but Sovoya hit my line right after Yoel.
“Yo…” I answered and she sucked her teeth.
“We aren’t friends, Yaakov.”
I smirked, folding an arm to grab the headrest behind me. “You sure? Because friends care and shit. Last night proved that you actually have a heart in your chest and not a damn battery.”
“Are you calling me heartless?”
“Nah but I am saying you ain’t handing out fucks freely, ’cause I’m pretty sure you have none to give.”
“I have fucks to give. They’re just very rarely shared and also situational,” she said with amusement in her voice, making me laugh.
“What’s up?”
“Jase is handling your little problem, but in exchange for the favors he’s calling in, you’re going to the ballet and making a very nice donation to Liberté Abstraite.”
“What does the ballet have to do with what went down last night?”
“Jase called in a favor. Your girl is getting an expedited divorce, thanks to a connection Cress Omari has, but in return, she’s requesting a donation to her ballet company and your attendance at the next performance to show support.”
“Why the fuck do they care about me being at a ballet?”
“That’s a whole thing right now for athletes and not just ballet. Yoga and Pilates too. They facilitate balance, coordination, flexibility, and strength. Cress believes with more support from players on the local teams, she can increase the enrollment for young men.”
“How the fuck that look though? I’ve never done that shit and I’m not about to start.”
“That’s not a requirement, you just have to outwardly support the theater and donate.”
“That sounds like some fraud shit.”
“It’s not. You’re not misrepresenting yourself by saying you’ve danced. You’re only showing support for young male athletes who would like to. Small commitment with a huge return.”
“What the hell is the return then? I’m giving my time and my money.”
“You get the girl.”
Xiah…
She knew I wasn’t going to deny a damn thing that could help her.
“The divorce is guaranteed if I do this?”
“Yes, whatever she asks for, she’ll get.”
I was seconds from saying she didn’t need a damn thing from that simp ass muthafucker but had to keep the thought to myself.
Even if that was the case, I wasn’t putting Sovoya on game because that meant she would use Xiah to get me to agree to whatever she wanted.
She already assumed that was the case but I refused to confirm.
This league shit wasn’t much different than the streets.
Xiah was my weakness and Sovoya was the muthafuckin opps.
Only difference was Sovoya made me a lot of money and was in my corner.
“Aight, do what you gotta do. This gonna take long?”
“The ballet or the divorce?”
“Shit, both since you’re asking.”
I could suffer through a ballet and even hold up my end of the commitment with supporting the arts, but Xiah having a man who felt he could stake claim to her wasn’t something I could tolerate.
She was mine, without a doubt, but having him attached even on paper irritated me. I needed that wrapped up.
“The ballet is one hour max and you have to stay and meet the dancers for the after show photo optics. The divorce will be quick. Once everything is submitted to the court, Judge Crawford will file it and it’s a done deal. You’re no longer dating a married woman.”
“Bruh…”
“Don’t bruh me. That’s exactly what you’re doing. She’s legally married, Yaakov.”
“Nah, the minute I dropped my dick in her, she was officially mine. The paperwork no longer mattered and he damn sure no longer had a claim to her.”
“We’re not discussing where your dick has been. I’ll let Cress know you’re on board and I’ll reach out to her friend Koa with the details so she can do her part to get the paperwork submitted.”
“Aight. ’Preciate you.”
“As you should, and you’re close to preseason, can you please keep your nose clean for now? At least until you can hit the court and prove to the front office that you’re worth the money they invested in you.”
“Yeah, I can do that.”
“Thank you.”
I ended the call and willed my body to move so I could go get my girl. As soon as she opened the door, I forgot all about how the muscles in my arms were burning from shooting one hundred free throws in my one on ones because I grabbed Xiah at the waist and lifted her around mine.
She locked her legs and smiled when her arms circled my neck.
“Miss me.”
“A lil bit,” I confessed.
My mouth was on hers and my tongue took over tasting something sweet that had me kissing her deeper. When I pulled back, she smiled.
“That felt like more than a lil bit.”
I chuckled and looked around before lowering her to the floor. “Your spot is nice.”
“Thank you. Would you like a tour?”
“Nah, but I’m gonna look around.”
She smiled wide and arched a brow. “You’re just going to violate my space.”
“Bruh, word choice. Come the fuck on?”
She laughed. “Okay, you’re just going to forcefully snoop.”
“That shit isn’t any better.” I smirked “But nah, I’m not snooping. I’m ransacking your shit with a thorough investigation. Gotta make sure you’re not a queen pin, Xi. I need proof that I can safely lay my head at your spot. I can’t afford to catch a stray charge.”
“Okay, have at it. I’m going to put the s’mores into a container.”
“That’s what it was?”
“What do you mean?”
“You tasted sweet. I couldn’t figure out what it was.
” I followed her to the kitchen, enjoying the way her ass was sitting in the jeans she had on.
They hugged that thang real nice. The bottom of the T-shirt was ripped, so I had a full view.
I moved to the counter behind her and brushed my dick against the ass I had been admiring.
She grinned over her shoulder. “I thought you were snooping.”
“I am but let me get one of these first. They mine?”
I reached for the s’mores and she shrugged. “By default, yes.”
“Fuck you mean by default?” I said, shoving the small square into my mouth and immediately reaching for another. These shits were banging. I looked at it trying to figure out what I was eating but gave up and asked.
“What’s in this?”
“Graham cracker mixed with dark chocolate at the bottom, vanilla cheesecake for the center, and roasted marshmallow on top with chocolate and graham cracker crumbles sprinkled over it.”
“These shits are good.”
“Thank you. It’s a new recipe. My first time making it.”
“And who did you make it for since it’s only mine by default? I noticed you skipped right over that shit.” I grabbed another while she was busy loading them in the plastic container.
“I didn’t skip the answer. You asked another question before I could respond. I made them as a celebration for the sale I made today, which means by default, they’re for you. I sold a house to Oni and Krew and you gave me the hookup.”
“I guess you took my advice about not driving them around in that baby ass car.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I did not take your advice but they did drive because I didn’t want to get stuck and not be available when you were ready for whatever you had planned for us today.”
“Nah, you knew better than to have that man’s knees in his chest while you were trying to take his money.”
“You need to stop hating on my car and learn to appreciate small things.”
I grinned, moving my hand to her stomach then further down, cupping her pussy. “I do. I appreciate the fuck out of this. It’s fat as hell but still small ’cause it fits in the palm of my hand.”
I kissed her neck and reached for another s’more.
“I would disagree but you do appreciate her in the very best way.”
I chuckled. “Grab them shits and let’s go. We have a long drive and the longer I stay here, the more I’m feeling like changing my mind about going.”
“Where are we going?”
“Home.”
She angled her head back and frowned. “Home?”