Chapter 23
A Week Later . . .
“Did you really force me to shut down my store and get on a plane to attend this game?”
“Yep. I’m sick of you whining and crying about this man.
Now, had you been on that fuck that nigga, train this wouldn’t be happening.
I’ve caught you making enough googly eyes at his pictures and watching him in game highlights to know that I needed to take matters into my own hands.
Thank me later, bitch.” Tracy rolls her eyes while exiting the door of the airport as I follow behind her like a sad puppy.
I want to be mad about Tracy dragging me to Tampa to attend Kaeden’s game, but my stomach is doing cartwheels, and my conscience is twerking with every step. I wish I could say that I don’t want to be here or see Kaeden in action, but if given a polygraph, I would fail.
“How are we getting to the stadium?”
“I have everything un—”
“Please tell me you didn’t set me up.”
A man wearing all black is standing in front of a black-on-black luxury SUV holding a sign with our names on it.
His face is unyielding, making me wonder what expression is shining in his eyes behind the shades he’s wearing.
He looks like he’s either a bodyguard or should have been a linebacker on one of the teams we’re about to see in action.
“Stop being dramatic and come on.” Grabbing my elbow, Tracy drags me toward the hulking man who nods before opening the back passenger door.
“What’s good, ladies. I’m Martin, and I’ll be escorting you to the stadium. If you need anything between now and then, let me know.”
Wordlessly, I nod at Martin and climb in the vehicle before shooting daggers at my traitorous bestie.
“Does he know I’m coming?”
“Nope,” Tracy says.
Staring blankly, I wait for her to give me another answer because clearly Kaeden is aware of my attending today’s away game. I mean, who else could have arranged for transport and a bodyguard if it’s not Kaeden?
“He doesn’t, so stop looking at me like that.”
“Then who? I know you didn’t go out of your way to hire this man to chauffeur and play bodyguard.”
“All you need to know is I have friends in high places. Now just sit back and enjoy the ride. You’re going to need your energy for later.” Winking, Tracy secures her seat belt and stares out the window, effectively putting an end to our conversation.
Huffing, I snap my belt in place and slam against the back of the seat and then cross my arms. My mind starts wandering with thoughts on Kaeden’s reaction to seeing me after our last encounter.
Although I got his apology text, I’m unsure what he thinks since it didn’t make me respond.
I felt the heartfelt sincerity within the words of his message, but all I could do in response was cry.
I can’t deny missing Kaeden or Mica, because it feels like I’m ripping out my heart with every passing day.
I just need to be sure . . . of what I’m still trying to determine.
The crowd seems louder than the last time I attended one of Kaeden’s games, causing my adrenaline to rattle through my body.
Electricity is surging in my feet, making them tingle and perspire in my socks.
My pulse is racing, and my eyes are darting everywhere, taking in the fanatic people shouting toward the field.
The game is at the beginning of the third quarter, and the Bobcats are down by three points.
Kaeden’s energy seems to be off, which is causing me to be antsy.
My eyes are glued to the field as I watch the home team gain ten more yards.
“Come on, defense!” I shout, jumping to my feet, shifting my weight as Kaeden lines up in front of the offense.
When the ball snaps and the opposing quarterback drops back into the pocket, my eyes scramble to keep up with Kaeden. Biting my bottom lip, I stare at the field as my heart hammers in my chest.
“Oh God! No!” I scream when I see Kaeden collide with another player.
“Where the hell are you going, Kyelle?”
I didn’t realize my feet were moving until hearing Tracy’s voice behind me, but I’m unable to stop because Kaeden hasn’t gotten up.
Only a miracle has prevented Kaeden from seeing me up to this point in the game.
Although without his knowledge of my attendance, Kaeden hasn’t once paid attention to the onlookers in the stands.
I could audition for special teams with how fast I shake the people trying to stop me from running onto the field.
Yet I have tunnel vision and need to make sure that Kaeden is okay.
The ball cap covering my head, the number twenty-one jersey, jeans, and tennis shoes give me the ability to move with ease.
I’m glad I didn’t wear the jersey-style dress Tracy wanted me to put on for today.
“Whoa! Who is this woman sprinting onto the field running toward Evans?” I hear echoing around the stadium, but Kaeden is my only focus.
“Ma’am. You can’t be out here. Get the f—”
“Hold on, Dalvin. This is Kaeden’s woman.”
My vision is blurry from the water rapidly falling from my eyes, but I can somewhat make out Rickey shoving someone out of my way.
“Ka—baby, please.” I cry, dropping to my knees beside Kaeden, whose eyes are slowly blinking like he’s coming to.
“D-damn, dreams do come true. Did you miss me, Ms. Ky?”
“Ma’am, please let us get in so we can assess him,” a masculine voice says like a plea, causing me to scoot back to allow the team physicians to get closer. “How many fingers am I holding up, Evans?”
“Who cares? Where’s my Ky?” Kaeden says in a groggy and lazy tone.
“Let’s get him off the field and to the locker room,” one of the team’s personnel says as I bite my lip upon seeing a cart moving toward us.
“Where the f—”
“Calm down, Evans. She’s not far. We’ll make sure she rides with you,” another member of the team tells Kaeden.
When the cart is next to Kaeden, I bite my lip hard, seeing the effort it takes for them to load him up without too much movement. My brain is on overload, and my eyes release the turmoil within me as I quickly wipe my face.
“Come on, mama. This nigga ain’t gonna let them leave this field without you,” Rickey says, taking my hand and helping me onto the cart.
Before looking at Kaeden, my eyes roam around the stadium that is eerily quiet, causing a chill to slide down my spine. Columbus Bobcats’ players and the opposing team’s players are kneeling with their eyes, watching the cart as it slowly leaves the field.
“Ms. Ky?” Kaeden’s low voice forces me to discontinue spectating as I ease closer to him.
“I’m here.”
“Good. Give me a kiss.”
“I-I—”
“Shut that shit up and kiss me, my baby.”
Needing no other urging, I lean down and connect our lips as my heart skips a beat, and electricity zaps me upon feeling the familiarity of Kaeden’s soft lips. Thunderous applause and shouting happen in the stadium as the announcer’s voice hits my ears.
“Well, I guess if Evans is engaging in PDA, that means he’s awake and should be good.”
“You scared the hell out of me, Kaeden.”
The team doctor and other personnel have checked Kaeden over, and although they believe he’s fine, they aren’t allowing him to return to the game. Clearance or not, my pulse and heart rate are still racing as I sit beside the cot Kaeden is lying on.
“Had I known you were here, I would have done a better job at staying on my toes. My bad. Come here though.”
Kaeden’s eyes aren’t the clear hazel I’m used to, which has me hesitant to do anything that could potentially harm him.
“Stop worrying. I’m good . . . I promise. I just need you closer. I’ve missed the fuck outta you.”
Warmth spreads across my chest as Kaeden’s eyes clear as longing and love shine bright like a diamond.
“I got your text,” I say, moving my chair closer to the makeshift bed as my fingers lightly dance up and down his arm.
“I’m sorry, Kyelle. After the first headline, my dumb ass didn’t consider the levels I need to go to prevent folks from coming for our happiness. I swear to—”
“I get it, and I’m sorry for not hearing you out. I guess I was just triggered by who she is and—”
“She doesn’t mean shit to me or my baby. You mean everything to me, and I love you too much to let you go. Tell me how to fix us. Do I need to kiss your funky corn chips, eat your pussy from the back . . . What do you need?”
Giggles escape my mouth at the outlandish things Kaeden is suggesting because there is no way we’re having this conversation with him in the position he’s in.
“You’re laughing, but I’m serious as fuck. I’ve been in Hell since you tried to leave me. Y—”
“I didn’t try . . . We broke up, Kaeden.”
“Shid. You tried, but I never agreed to that bullshit you were talking about. We together like a mothafucka, so I’m glad to know you’ve come to your senses.”
“You’re special.”
“Thank you.”
Giggling more, I cover my mouth with my hand as Kaeden gives me a challenging look like he’s daring me to dispute what he’s saying.
But I’m a glutton, so I push back a little more to see how far this goes, especially because this back-and-forth is fueling my soul after seeing him lying on the ground.
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Sure, it was. But you aren’t just special .
. . You are the love of my fucking life, and I’m not coming off of you.
So, are you ready to agree to disagree so we can put each other out of our combined misery?
I see the lackluster color of your skin, so I know you’ve missed my black ass, even if you won’t admit it. ”
Biting my lip, I ponder whether or not to tell Kaeden exactly how much suffering I’ve experienced since the scandal that caused our separation.
“All I need is for you to say that we’re good. Nothing else matters. I know that irrelevant mothafuckas will try to throw you off your square, but trust what I show you, not what they attempt to make you believe.”
Silence envelops us, and the only noise that can be heard is from the game that is still being played. My eyes shift toward the locker room door and linger for several minutes as excitement enters my body upon hearing some of what’s being said.
Touchdown, Bobcats!
“The only Bobcat that should be holding your attention is right here, waiting for you to give me an answer. Fuck my teammates and that game right now. Where are we going from here, my baby? Am I going to Heaven or hiring a hitman to send a mothafucka to Hell?”
Licking my suddenly drying lips, I return my gaze to Kaeden to see his eyes darkening, causing my stomach to flip.
“How about neither? If you can agree to—”
“I’ll agree to—”
“Let me finish, please. I’ve heard you and even read your message to know where you stand, but I need you to hear me out.”
Kaeden’s forehead wrinkles, and the area around his eyes becomes tight as he gives me a nod, permitting me to continue without him interrupting.
“Before you, I was just a woman working to gain some notoriety from the bookstore she’s been working to the bone to make successful.
The only celebrity I know is the one I made my father out to be in my world.
I have zero experience with maneuvering your world or all the ugly that can be tied to it.
Falling in love with you wasn’t on my bingo card.
Yet neither was trying to cut my heart out of my chest by distancing myself from you.
Promise to consider me in every encounter, and I’ll promise to never make you regret it. ”
“You got that and my word that I’ll never make you regret choosing me and the bullshit that I come with. Can I have a kiss? It’s the only way to make me believe you’re serious.”
Smirking, I stand and lean down, connecting our lips as Kaeden’s hand grips my waist, instantly settling the uncertainty within me. I guess this kiss means . . . I got my man back.