Epilogue
Six months and some change…
Kove.
It was loud as hell in this arena. I still couldn’t get over the way the city showed up for our team. That also put a lot of pressure on us to make sure we got the dub every time we hit the court.
So far the season had been straight. This game would secure our spot in the playoffs so there was no fucking around and OKC was on our ass.
With thirty-six seconds in the fourth quarter we were up ninety-eight to ninety-four and so damn close to locking this shit down but I knew better than to ease up.
Kameron inbounded the ball and we did a rotation from Tyriq to Meyer back to Jabari before it ended up in my hands. My defense pressed close and I could see the frustration on his face. He had been talking shit all night but kept getting shut down. Neither of us wanted to end our seasons tonight.
“Twenty-eight on the clock, Kove. Let’s go,” Coach yelled from the sideline and I tossed my chin, dribbled low, but kept my eyes on defense while still making sure I had a clear view of the court.
Meyer was posted up on the left waiting for the ball but I noticed Tyriq move under the goal, creating enough space to get an easy shot.
They expected the ball to end up with Jabari or Meyer so they were guarding them body to body.
Instead of forcing a pass to Meyer which would be expected, I sent the ball in the opposite direction to Tyriq who caught it and tapped the glass when he laid it up and it dropped through the net.
Up by six…
OKC called for a time out so we moved to the sideline. When I looked behind the team where my brother was sitting I sent a two finger salute which he returned before my eyes landed on Xiah. I winked and her pretty ass blushed before I focused on what Coach was saying.
“We’re right there. Don’t fuck this up.” Coach looked around the team then walked off.
“Damn, Coach, that’s all you got?” Jabari said with a grin.
“What the fuck else does he need to say.” Tyriq smiled and repeated the speech. “Don’t fuck this up.”
“How ’bout you go stretch so you don’t pull anything and can make it through the end of playoffs,” I said and Tyriq chuckled.
“Nigga, fuck you. How about you stop looking at the sideline so you don’t miss another gotdamn three.”
I glanced at Xiah who was talking to her dad. “Aight, you got that.”
As soon as we were back on the court, I was defending their guard as he brought the ball down court.
They ran a screen, trying to get their shooter open, but I fought through the pick and managed to stay attached to my man.
He ran out of options for a pass and pulled up a jumper which I blocked, sending the ball behind him which Jabari caught and passed to Meyer who dunked, causing the crowd to lose their shit.
They rebutted with two quick threes, one from an inbound and quick release and the other from a steal and shot from damn near half court. That tied us, but on the next play, with six seconds left on the clock, I was fouled shooting a three.
Three fucking free throws that could win this for us.
I stepped to the line without a doubt in my mind that I had this. Wasn’t no way I would lose this spot for us. First one money, second one bounced off the rim and dropped in. Everything went quiet around me while I bounced the ball twice, spun it in my hand, and released it.
All fucking net.
They had six seconds to try and get one more shot off. With a quick inbound, they moved the ball down the court fast as hell and pulled up a three that bounced off the rim. Tyriq rebounded and that was muthafucking game. The final buzzer went off and the bench rushed onto the court celebrating.
After doing my rounds with the team, I made my way to Xiah and her father. He addressed me first.
“That was a good ass game, son. A close one. You had me worried for a minute there but you pulled it off. You did your thing tonight.”
“’Preciate it.”
He offered a handshake that transitioned into a brief hug. Over the past couple months, he and I became close. Xiah’s mother was on my side from day one but her father wasn’t an easy sell. He needed to be sure I wasn’t on any bullshit with his baby girl after the last man he trusted her to.
Xiah bumped him out of the way and damn near jumped into my arms. Them shits were tired as hell from the work I put in on the court but I caught her and she looped hers around my neck.
“I thought your girl was coming with you tonight?”
“She was, but she had a date and didn’t think sitting courtside with her new man watching her jump-off play ball was a good idea.”
I nodded to agree, knowing she occasionally fucked around with Kameron. His hot headed ass would have for sure been acting up even though there wasn’t shit between them. He kept women in rotation.
Xiah tightened her arms around my neck. “Congratulations, sir. Your performance was decent out there tonight.”
I smiled amusedly and kissed her. “Decent?”
“I mean, you missed some pretty easy shots and you let defense get past you a few times. I’ll give you an eight out of ten.”
Her father laughed from beside us while he removed his phone and stepped away as soon as he had her mother on the line.
“You aren’t letting me have any damn grace.”
“Nope, in your words, I’m a baller so all I do is win.”
“The fuck is that supposed to mean, Xi? We did win.”
“Ehhh, barely.” I kissed her and she brushed her thumb over my lips to remove her gloss before I set her down.
“If you stop climbing on my dick before game time, I might be able to deliver better.”
“Okay, Mr. I need my tongue in your pussy to get my head right before the game. That’s all you. If you start it, I’m going to finish.”
I chuckled and glanced at the media crowding the court, wanting to get their time in before our press run.
“Let me go handle this so I can grab my shit and get out of here. Tell your pops I’ll holla at him.”
“I will. Good game ten,” she said, acknowledging the number printed on the jersey she was wearing, smiling and stepping back.
I was on my way off the court when my brother called my name. I glanced at River Malone who covered post-game interviews for the team to see Tyriq had her occupied and I paused to give Yoel time to reach me.
“You know those highlights are about to be on repeat. You secured that shit tonight, Kove.” He dapped me and I nodded.
“It wasn’t just me.”
“Nah, it wasn’t but the last play is what anybody ever remembers. I’m just glad y’all got that shit done.”
“Hell, me too.” I smirked.
“I’m about to head out though. I got something to get into before I make that drive back to D-Ville.”
“The fuck you getting into over here?”
He grinned and I frowned hard as hell and added, “And it damn sure better not be my agent.”
“Stay out of grown folks’ business, Kove.”
“Bruh…”
He chuckled. “Go do your media shit.”
We hugged before he pushed through the crowd. Tyriq was finishing up with River, so she caught me before I could make it past her. I hated this part of the job. River was pretty cool about things but these reporters asked the dumbest questions.
“Yaakov Vaughn. That was a hella of a performance out there.”
“’Preciate that.”
“How does it feel being the one to secure the playoff spot?”
“It wasn’t just me. There were five of us on that court tonight.”
She wasn’t about to catch me with a clip that they chopped up, making me look like I thought I was the whole team.
“Agreed but you have to admit you played with a different urgency tonight.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I did but mostly because I refused to be the reason we didn’t make it. That damn sure doesn’t mean I get to take credit for the win.”
She nodded. “Tyriq has been back for three games now. The two of you had some pretty impressive seasons on the court at CFU. Is that what we can expect moving forward?”
“That’s my people. We’re definitely gonna run them numbers up.”
“We’ll be looking forward to seeing the dynamic duo in action. Congratulations again on the win.”
I headed to the tunnel knowing this was just one game. We still had work to do but for now, I was about to take my ass home and celebrate with a few rounds in Xiah’s pussy then chill for the rest of the night.
When I made it to the house, I showered and dressed in a pair of shorts, heading to the kitchen where I found my baby chilling in just a cropped tee and boyfriend panties that had me behind her with my hands on her ass.
“What are you making?”
It smelled sweet as hell in here but that was always because Xiah stayed baking some shit.
“Apple walnut brown sugar bites. I need them for dinner with my parents tomorrow and I have a busy day so I decided to make them tonight.”
“Do I get some?” I moved my hands up her thighs and let them rest on her stomach.
“Yes, tomorrow at dinner.” She grinned over her shoulder and I stole a kiss before I backed away and leaned against the counter, watching her move around the kitchen. Everything about her in my life and in my space felt good. Even though she was going with the flow, I was stepping with intention.
She refused to move in with me, because she needed a sense of security if things didn’t work between us, but was here damn near every night.
I was pissed and when we argued about it, her mom pulled up and talked that shit out with me.
She asked me to understand the space Xiah came from and how that made it hard for her to fully trust her heart with me.
I understood, I simply didn’t like that simp muthafucker still fucking with her head.
I was going to love Xiah into a space of trust because that was what she needed and what I made up my mind to give.
Her heart was with me but fear was a muthafucker and a part of her that still held onto the fear of her world falling apart again.
As her man, I had to do the work to give her the confidence that I was really in this with her and I was more than willing to, for multiple reasons.
I loved that damn girl and wasn’t letting up on her and she loved me too. Her actions proved to me where she stood, in this relationship and with me. I wasn’t an insecure nigga so I let her navigate this at her own pace, but trust and believe, she was my end game and I was hers.
“You’re just gon’ utilize all my shit but not let me benefit from it?”
I couldn’t see her face but I knew her ass was smiling and that was confirmed when she turned and made her way to me with one of what she was baking in her hands. She lifted it to my mouth and I opened up, sucking on her fingers after what she offered hit my tongue.
“Damn, this shit is good. Let me get a few more.”
“I thought you didn’t do sweets like that.”
“I don’t but you force my hand, always in here making shit.”
She was about to cross the kitchen to retrieve another one but I dropped one hand to her ass, pulled her into me, and stole a kiss before I let her go.
When she returned she moved the bite to my mouth but I caught her wrist and held her hand up.
“Hold on. Put it in your left hand and let me see something.”
“See what?” She arched a brow.
“What this hand is gonna look like when you’re feeding me in here with my diamond on your finger.”
I waited for her reaction, because again, I needed to let her move at her own pace but I also needed her to know that my plans with us were certified and hadn’t changed.
Was I ready to get married today? Nah, not really, because I needed to find my footing with the Royals and that was going to take some time.
But did I want to marry Xiah? Hell yeah. No doubt about it.
Xiah switched the bite to her left hand and moved her fingers to my lips. Just like before, as soon as it touched my tongue, I sucked her fingers before she removed them, but this time focused on her ring finger. I planted a kiss to the spot where I planned on putting a diamond one day.
“And what does it look like?”
“Looks like you’re mine, Xi.”
She rolled her eyes and leaned into my chest to kiss me. When she pulled back, I dropped my forehead to hers. “You know I fuck with you, right?”
“Yep, and I fuck with you too.”
“Yeah you do because I fuck you.”
Xiah laughed.
“But real shit, the end game is us. You know that, right?”
“Yes.”
“Aight, long as you know what we’re working toward, I’m good,” I asserted.
“I love you.”
That was her confirmation that she was in this with me too. She showed up for me and held me down, so the words weren’t necessary, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t happy as fuck to hear them.
“I know.” I kissed her again. “Now let me get something sweet. You’re either gonna have to let me get those…” I pointed to the counter where the tray of bites were, “Or come up out of these.” I hooked my finger into the front of her panties.
Xiah smiled, stepped back, and pushed them shits down her hips. I let my tongue glide over my lip, nodding.
Game muthafuckin’ on…