Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
maddox
Tonight is hands down the most embarrassing night of my entire career. I’ve lost games before, but it has never been this bad. Minnesota blew us out of the water and beat us by forty points at home.
Fans started leaving during the first half of the fourth quarter, and we threw out the bench for the rest of the game.
Lucas and I have not been playing well together—go figure.
Neither of us ever wanted to pass the ball to one another.
If we keep playing like this, there’s no way we’ll make it to the championship round, let alone the playoffs.
He isn’t entirely to blame, though. I haven’t been in the right headspace since Annalise and I kissed. I tried turning my emotions off during the game, but it was hard considering the kiss happened less than twenty-four hours ago.
Every time we take one step forward, we take two steps back. It’s giving me whiplash. I was in way over my head thinking everything would be okay after we kissed, but we clearly weren’t on the same page.
I know if I reach out to her, she’ll push me away even further, so I figured it’s best to give her some space.
Despite what she said, I know she doesn’t regret what happened. She wouldn’t have kissed me the way she did. Her body wouldn’t have reacted to my touch the way it did.
“So, how are things going with Annalise?” Chandler asks Lucas. He’s been bonding with Lucas since he joined the Dragons. Even though Lucas and I made it evident that there’s beef between us, only Elijah and Andrés know about our history.
“They’re going really well. We kissed the other week,” Lucas says, loud enough for me to hear. “And man, is she a good kisser.” He glances over at me, shooting me a smug smile.
I roll my eyes as I chug down a bottle of water. I want to wipe that stupid fucking grin off his face and tell him that he definitely wasn’t on her mind when my fingers and tongue were inside her. But I’ll just let him continue to be delusional.
“You’re a lucky man. She really is beautiful,” Chandler says.
“I know. And fuck, that body of hers is smoking. Those tits and that ass. I can’t wait to find out how good she is in bed. I bet she’s a real freak in the sheets.”
Red-hot rage flashes through me. Charging toward Lucas, I pick him up by his jersey and slam him into the lockers.
“What the fuck, Kamado!” Lucas winces, rubbing the back of his head.
“Keep running your mouth about her and see what the fuck happens!”
“Your threats don’t scare me. We all know you’re not going to do anything about it,” he scoffs. “You need to learn how to keep your anger under control. It’s not a good look for an MVP candidate.”
I drop him to the ground, my gaze burning into him. “If I hear you disrespect my girl again, I will fucking end you, Hilton. Annalise isn’t just some girl you take to bed. She’s so much more than that. You don’t deserve her, you piece of shit.”
Lucas tips his head back, laughing. “Your obsession with her is really unhealthy. You need some serious help. She’s moved on, man. You should too.”
“Oh, you think she’s moved on with you? Trust me, she’s not thinking about you.” I smile knowingly and that cocky grin slides off his face. “I don’t know what the fuck Annalise sees in you, man. Wait until she hears about what you’ve been saying.”
Shaking my head, I walk back toward my locker. I can’t believe I felt threatened by someone as pathetic as Lucas.
“Who do you think she’s going to believe? Me or the man who cheated on her?” he sneers.
My head whips around. “What the fuck did you say?”
“Maddox, walk away, man,” Elijah warns, stepping in front of me and holding a hand to the center of my chest.
Lucas leans against the lockers, folding his arms. “She claims the breakup was because of long distance, but I highly doubt that’s the case, given your reputation.”
My mind goes blank and all I can see is red. I shove Elijah out of the way and lunge at Lucas, punching him square in the jaw.
Being able to unleash all the anger I’ve built up toward him over the years is exhilarating.
Lucas staggers backward, rubbing the side of his face.
With fury igniting in his eyes, he comes at me swinging, striking me on my temple.
All hell breaks loose and our teammates clamor around us, trying to pull us apart.
I land a blow to the side of his mouth and blood gushes from his lip.
Elijah and Andrés grab my arms, pulling me back before I cause any further damage.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Coach’s booming voice fills the locker room. His eyes dart from Lucas’s split lip to the welt forming on my temple.
“These two idiots are trying to kill each other,” Darius says, shaking his head.
“Hilton. Kamado. My office. Now,” Coach demands, his nostrils flaring and face reddened from anger.
We round the corner, following him into the office. He slams the door behind him. “First, both of you play like garbage tonight, and now this? What the fuck is the matter with you two?”
“He punched me first!” Lucas points at me accusingly.
“Yeah, to get you to shut the fuck up. All you ever do is run your damn mouth and spread lies about me,” I say, glaring at him.
Lucas scoffs. “They’re not lies. The world needs to know what a—”
“ENOUGH!” Coach slams his fist on the table, causing us to jump. I’ve seen Coach angry before, but not like this. “I don’t give a shit who started the fight. I need y’all to grow up and stop acting like some goddamn teenagers.”
Lucas and I remain quiet, staring down at the ground. Seeing the disappointment on Coach’s face makes me feel small. He’s been a father figure to me since I joined the Dragons, and he was one of the players I looked up to when I was growing up. Being able to work under him is an honor.
“Do you know how many people would kill to be in your spot? Being in the NBA is a privilege, and you two seem to be taking it for granted,” Coach continues. “I need you two to work out whatever shit y’all have going on because I do not tolerate this on my team. Now, apologize to each other.”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” I mutter under my breath. Coach’s eyes shift to mine, his face serious.
I inhale deeply and look at Lucas. “I’m sorry for hitting you, Hilton.”
I’m sorry I didn’t hit you harder.
“I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” Lucas says, his tone lacking any remorse.
“If this happens again, there will be consequences,” Coach says. “Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir,” we say in unison, nodding our heads.
Coach scrubs a hand down his face. “I feel like I’m a principal scolding children. Hilton, you are free to go. Kamado, stay back.”
Lucas nods and steps out of the office, shutting the door behind him. Coach waits a few moments before turning to me.
“I know there’s some bad blood between the two of you, but you gotta learn to ignore him.”
“It’s hard for me to keep my cool around him. He knows how to push my buttons and constantly provokes me until I snap,” I say, squeezing my fingers.
Coach folds his arms across his chest, lifting a brow. “You think I liked every guy I played with? No. But I learned to put aside my feelings when I was on the court. Next time Hilton tries to rile you up, don’t react. Remain professional.”
“Yes, Coach.”
“You are one of the best players this team—hell, the NBA—has seen in decades. Don’t throw it all away over some stupid feud,” he says, his voice softening. “Focus on the big picture. Focus on winning a championship for our team.”
My chest tightens. Coach may be tough, but he has shown more appreciation for my hard work over the last few months than my father ever did during my twenty-two years of life.
“I won’t let you down, Coach,” I reply.
“I’m going to have a talk with him to make sure he doesn’t press charges. Don’t let this happen again. I don’t want you ruining your career before it even starts.”
“Yes, Coach.” I nod.
“I found you!” I yank the blanket off of Isaiah and he squeals with laughter. We’re playing hide-and-go-seek while Santiago uses the bathroom and Elijah cooks in the kitchen.
Once a month, Elijah tries to host something at his place. Today he’s making fried fish and gumbo—a recipe that was passed down from his grandmother, who grew up in Louisiana. Andrés has something going on with Katie’s family, so he couldn’t make it.
With everything going on with Annalise, and the fiasco with Lucas, hanging out with my boys is exactly what I need.
“I’m better at this game than you, Uncle Maddox. You took forever to find me.” Isaiah flashes me a toothy grin.
I found him a minute after the game started, but he doesn’t have to know that. “You sure are, kid. It’s not easy for me to hide with how tall I am,” I say, ruffling his hair.
“Food’s ready,” Elijah calls out as he sets the food down on his large kitchen island.
“Can we play again?” Isaiah asks.
“After we finish eating.” I smile and take his hand, leading him to the kitchen.
I lift Isaiah onto the stool and settle next to him. Elijah’s eyes are on me as I take a bite of the gumbo. “Do you have to do that every time?” I ask, rolling my eyes.
“Just wanna know if it’s good.” He shrugs and plops down on the stool next to me.
“Yes, it’s delicious. Bless Grandma Callahan for coming up with this recipe.”
Elijah’s mouth tilts into a smile. “Not everyone can follow a recipe and make it good.”
Santiago comes out of the bathroom cackling while staring at his phone. “Elijah, who is Riley and what did you do to her?”
Elijah arches a brow. “A cheerleader I hooked up with. Why?”
“She just tweeted: Elijah Callahan’s dick is so small you need a microscope to see it. It already has over ten thousand re-shares.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. I knew something like this would happen.
Elijah hops off the stool, plucking the phone out of Santiago’s hands. “Let me see this shit.” He presses his lips together as he frantically scrolls through the comments.
Santiago walks over to Isaiah and plants a kiss on top of his head. “Is the food good, mijo?”
“Yeah! Can we play hide-and-go-seek later? Uncle Maddox lost.” Isaiah lets out a little giggle. “I think you will lose too, Papi.”
“Geez, I think we need to stop hanging around you, Elijah. Your big ego is rubbing off on my son.”
“Based on Riley’s tweet, I guess that saying is true. Men with big egos have small…” I trail off.
Elijah sets down the phone, sliding it to Santiago. “Please. Lots of women can confirm that what she said isn’t true—your sister included.” He winks and stuffs his mouth with food.
“Shut the fuck up.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Asami wouldn’t want you even if you were the last man on earth. She can’t stand you. That’s why she doesn’t want to invite you to her wedding.”
Growing up, Elijah would often come over to my house. Asami didn’t mind him at first, but once he hit puberty, he drove her insane. He would constantly try to flirt with her, but she never gave him the reaction he wanted.
“She doesn’t want to invite me because if she saw me at the wedding she would know she made a mistake,” Elijah smirks.
“You’re an idiot. The day Asami wants you is the day hell freezes over.” I laugh.
Elijah shrugs and takes another spoonful of gumbo.
“So what did you do that pissed Riley off enough for her to post that?” Santiago asks.
Elijah grabs a napkin, dabbing the corner of his mouth with it. “Look, I thought we had a mutual agreement. That this was just causal sex. We never agreed to be exclusive. So I hooked up with other girls. And one of them happened to be her cousin…”
“Bro…” Santiago and I say in unison.
Elijah throws his hands up. “How was I supposed to know they were related?”
“Maybe it’s time you take a break,” Santiago says, lifting his brow.
He laughs so hard he nearly chokes. “And join you in your celibacy? No thank you. I still can’t believe it’s been over a year since you had sex. I don’t know how you do it.”
Santiago takes a sip of water and shrugs. “Between work and having to take care of Isaiah, it’s not something that’s been on my mind. Plus, the next person I sleep with, I want to have a connection with.”
I nod my head in agreement. “I feel you on that. Nothing compares to having sex with someone you love.” My mind wanders off to the only person capable of making me feel that way.
“So what’s going on with you and Annalise?” Elijah asks.
“It’s complicated.” I sigh, raking my hand through my hair.
“What’s so complicated about it? Y’all were eye-fucking each other last week and came close to actually fucking. She clearly still wants you.”
“We kissed a few days ago, and I thought—”
“Wait, what?” Santiago says, his eyes bulging out.
“Back the fuck up!” Elijah sits up straight, holding up his hands. “You kissed your ex-girlfriend and you failed to tell us. And we’re supposed to be best friends?”
They’re both staring at me with their arms folded across their chest.
“We were stuck in an elevator together, and it just happened.”
“An elevator, huh?” Elijah waggles his brows. “I know for a fact y’all did more than kiss.”
Blush creeps onto my cheeks, and I avert their gazes as images of Annalise coming apart and the sound of her moans fill my mind. “Nope. We just kissed—that’s all.”
“I never keep secrets from you,” Elijah says with a groan.
“Sometimes I wish you did, because I do not need to hear everything you tell me.” I roll my eyes.
“So, what happened after y’all kissed?” Santiago asks.
I stare down at my lap, twisting my fingers. “She said she regretted what happened. I’m just giving her space right now.”
“Have you told her how you feel? That you’re still in love with her? And don’t you dare deny it because we can all see it,” Elijah says.
“No, I haven’t. I was gonna tell her how I felt the night of Chandler’s birthday, but then I saw her kissing Lucas…”
“Is that why you left so early?”
“Yeah… But now I don’t even know when I should tell her. After how she reacted…” I trail off, scrubbing my hand down my face. “I don’t know if I can.”
“You need to tell her, man. Don’t let another day go by without letting her know. Maybe hearing you say those words again will make her realize that you two are meant to be together,” Santiago says, squeezing my shoulder.
He’s right. I need to stop waiting for the right moment.
I fish my phone out to text her and see a new message notification from five minutes ago.
Annalise
Hey. Can we talk tonight?
My stomach flutters and a grin spreads across my face. The boys hover over my shoulders and stare down at the phone.
“Talk about a fucking sign!” Elijah beams.
“Can y’all please not stand over me?” I ask.
“Fine. But you better tell us every single detail.”
“Whatever,” I say, shaking my head.
Me
Sure. Meet me at our spot tonight at 7?
Annalise
Okay. I’ll be there.