Chapter 9 #2
“Why don’t you look miserable as hell? Did you get some pussy?”
“Man, what?”
“Don’t try to lie your way out of it. Why the hell are you smiling? You don’t smile.”
“What the hell do you mean? I smile.”
“Yeah, that fake ass medication induced smile. I’m talking about this shit eating grin you’re wearing. You fucked Harper.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about, but you should seek help. Therapy works wonders, Bro. I swear.”
“Your soft ass would never kiss and tell. I respect it, but it’s on now.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s bringing Cameron to basketball practice this morning.”
“So, you put in a little work over there. I see you,” he teased.
“Bitch, where’s the sausage?” I asked, shoving past him to get to the stove.
I removed the lid on the pot and was pleased to find that Jase made cheese eggs and chicken sausage.
We didn’t exactly eat healthily, but we liked to stay away from pork and carbs.
It helped me to not have to work out so much and kept my numbers in check.
I wasn’t a health nut just because I was a doctor, but I did consider myself health conscious.
My dad was the perfect example of what living a healthy lifestyle looked like.
Well, that was until he had his heart attack.
I still felt like his conniving ex-wife had something to do with that.
He wasn’t concerned about it, so who was I to push the issue?
For a man in his sixties, my dad still looked like he was about fifteen years younger.
You couldn’t pay me to tell him that though.
He’d already married and divorced a woman who was my sister’s age.
I didn’t need him thinking he could pull another young girl.
He barely made it out of the last marriage alive.
“Don’t think I’m not on to you, bitch,” Jase said as he picked up a sausage and bit into it.
“I’m not hiding. You know what my goal is.”
“Just be careful,” he said, pointing at me with his sausage before leaving the room.
I just shook my head. I knew what he was thinking. Jase was right to be concerned because my obsession with Harper never waned. Still, I had never felt better, mentally. All I wanted now was my woman back in my life.
Between the kids yelling, the whistle, and their shoes squeaking on the floor as they tripped over their own feet, the gym was as loud as usual when I walked in. It always felt nostalgic to come to the court. My mom made sure we were well rounded, so we all had a sport. Jase and I chose basketball.
We were actually pretty good, and both ended up with partial scholarships.
It put some distance between Harper and me when she got into a school in South Florida.
The plan had been for Jase and me to take care of her and pay her tuition.
I had already put aside enough money to cover her first year of school.
She finished school a year after us and was lucky enough to receive a full ride.
As salty as I was about her not coming to live with us, I was proud of her.
We made it work by putting a lot of miles on our cars and racking up all kinds of frequent flyer miles.
I stayed monogamous throughout college only to fuck up right at the end.
I would never forgive myself for what I did that night.
Usually, coming to the gym gave me that comforting feeling of being home.
This time, it was different. This time, she was here.
Harper was right in front of me, on her feet with her arms folded tight across her chest. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a tight bun.
The black leggings clung to the deep curve of her ass, making me wish I brought a coat to tie around her waist. The oversized sweatshirt did little to hide the softest part of her.
She must have felt my eyes on her because her posture turned slightly until she spotted me.
For a moment, everything in the room faded away.
All I could focus on was the feeling of her soft, warm body wrapped around me, moaning my name in my ear and further twisting up my thoughts.
Harper felt even better than I remembered.
Time had been a thief, but I planned to reclaim every single second of my time with her.
When our eyes met, something unrecognizable passed between us. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was, either panic or regret. It didn’t matter; both were to be expected after last night. My feet didn’t stop moving until I was next to her.
“Relax, champ,” I said as I moved up and took a seat on the row right behind her. I wanted to be close enough to be present, but far enough away to give her a little space.
“He better not get hurt, JoJo.”
“You were a boxer, and you’re worried about him getting hurt playing basketball?”
“Yes, I am, because that’s my baby.”
“And you were my baby, but I learned to let you do what you had to do to grow.”
“He better not get hurt,” she repeated, making me laugh.
Cameron looked in our direction, waving at Harper once he spotted her.
I could tell when he noticed me because his face lit up even more.
I had to admit that felt good. I looked forward to getting even closer to him.
I didn’t know about Harper, but I could already see improvement in Cameron’s behavior.
“Doctor JoJo, you came!” he shouted as he jogged over to us.
“I did. I thought I would come by and see your first practice.”
“Doctor Jase said he’s the best when it comes to basketball, not you.”
“He knows I’m rusty right now, so I won’t argue with that.”
My brothers and I played basketball every other weekend if we were in the area. I was nowhere near as competitive as Jameer and Jase, but I could still hold my own. Jase clapped his hands, calling all the kids over to him. Cameron turned to run away but paused before taking off.
“Are you staying, or you just came because you like my mama?” Cameron asked me.
I laughed, flashing Harper a look before giving him an honest answer. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes were glued to her son.
“I like your mom, but I came to watch you practice because I like you too. You’re a cool kid, and you like nerd stuff just like me.”
“Good. I want you and Doctor Jase to both see that I can shoot hoops.”
“I look forward to seeing your skills,” I told him before he ran off to join the huddle.
“You know you didn’t have to come, JoJo.”
“I realize that, but I wanted to. I told you. I’m not trying to be his father. I just understand that the two of you are a package deal. If it’s too much—”
“It’s not. I’m just adjusting to having someone other than Kendrick around him I guess.”
“I get that, which is why I don’t mind taking things slow. I just need you to know I’m not going anywhere.”
“Thank you for always being so patient, Jordy. I’m not gon’ lie. I expected things to be so weird.”
For a while, we focused on the kids and the coaches going through the drills. I was always surprised at how good some of the kids were. Cameron wasn’t the best out there, but he seemed to catch on quickly. Hopefully, things would continue to get better for him.
“He seems to be doing a lot better.”
“He definitely seems much happier lately.”
“That’s because you’re doing an amazing job with him, Harper. I always knew you would be a great mother.”
“You definitely said it.”
“You still owe me two sons. Technically, we already have Cam, so you’re still on the books for one more.”
She burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hands when we gathered the attention of a few people in the room. “I’m pretty sure that contract is null and void.”
“I happen to have it in my possession, and it is, in fact, still good.”
“I’m still processing last night, JoJo. Just because we had sex doesn’t mean we’re jumping right back into the past and picking up where we left off.”
“It should.”
“But it doesn’t, Jordy.”
“I’m not going to rush you, Harper, but like I said, I’m not going anywhere. I know I can earn your trust.”
“All I need from you is consistency, Jordy. Give me time to make the best decision for me and Cam.”
“How can you do that without giving me a real chance?”
“I’m trying. I’m really trying. I’m just so scared.”
Her declaration made me put my hand on her shoulder. “I’m here to ease your fears, Harper. I’m not muscling my way back into your life. I’m standing at the door and waiting for you to let me back in.”
She nodded quickly just as Cameron looked over and flashed up a broad smile.
“I’m glad you came, JoJo.”
My heart unclenched, and my breathing shallowed as I felt myself relaxing. Finally, I didn’t feel like I was chasing something unattainable. I was exercising patience as the woman I loved slowly let me back into her life. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.