Chapter 45
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
maddox
My knee bounces under the table as I sit in front of Roger Hudson, the NBA commissioner. He’s the person responsible for overseeing fines and disciplinary action against players.
He steeples his hands underneath his chin, staring at me with beady eyes. “After carefully reviewing your case, the League Office has come to an agreement in regards to your technical foul in game one against the Houston Phoenixes.”
Pausing, he takes a sip of water.
I adjust my tie, feeling suffocated as I wait for his response.
“Because of the severity of your actions, you will be fined $15,000. Violence in the NBA will not be tolerated.”
The air returns to my lungs and I relax a little in my seat.
I was expecting to pay a larger amount—or worse, face suspension.
“Understood. I am deeply sorry for my actions, and I am aware that it was a poor error in judgment. I’ll learn to keep my temper under control, and I assure you it won’t happen again. ”
Rising from my seat, I stick my hand out for him to shake it and smile at him. “Hopefully this will be the last time we meet during my career.”
He doesn’t take my hand, nor does he return the smile.
Clearing my throat, I shove my hand in my pocket. “Well, if that’s all, then I will be on my way. Have a good day—”
He cocks a brow. “I’m not done yet, Mr. Kamado. You will also be suspended for two games.”
Clouds fill my vision and my throat goes dry. “You can’t be serious! These games are crucial. I need to play! Please reconsider.”
“My decision is final,” he says, his voice firm.
“But if I’m not there, we might not make it to the final round,” I protest.
He simply shrugs and replies, “Not my problem. You can go now, Mr. Kamado.”
Trying hard to keep my cool, I pivot on my heel and make my way out of the building.
Once I’m in my car, I finally let loose the frustration that’s been building up inside me.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” I yell, pounding my palm on the steering wheel.
“I bet he’s embarrassed to see what a failure you turned out to be.”
Alex’s words ring loudly in my head.
This is supposed to be the year I bring home the championship trophy and win the MVP award.
Otōsan would’ve finally told me he’s proud of me, and realized that my choice to pursue a basketball career wasn’t a huge mistake.
Now, I don’t think I’ll ever hear him utter those words to me.
I will not only be a failure to Otōsan, but to the whole world.
My phone lights up with an incoming call from Annalise, and I press the green button to answer it. “Hey, Rosie.”
“Hey, Dimples. How did it go?” she says softly.
Despite the sour mood I’m in, hearing her voice puts a smile on my face.
“They fined me and suspended me for two games.” I sigh, raking my hand through my hair.
“Two games? That’s just cruel!”
“If Chandler weren’t injured, they’d probably have a better chance without me. If we lose these next two games, we have to win four in a row, and I don’t see that happening.” I exhale, the weight of defeat heavy in my chest.
“Don’t lose hope, Maddox. It may seem impossible, but I know you’re capable of making the impossible happen.”
I stare out the window, shaking my head. “I don’t know if I have any hope left, Annalise. Everything is so fucked. What if this person makes me throw the next game I play in? I don’t think they’ll stop until the NBA drops me.”
She lets out a heavy sigh on the other line. “I’m sorry, Maddox. I hate that this is happening to you.”
“Will you still be with me if I’m not an NBA player?”
She lets out a laugh, and I can picture her eyes rolling. “That’s not gonna happen, but don’t be ridiculous. I’ll be with you regardless of what your career is.”
“Even if it’s flipping burgers at In-N-Out?”
“Yes. I’m sure they’ll make you a manager in no time.”
I chuckle softly. “Do you have any plans when you get off work?”
“I actually made plans for us tonight. Meet me at my apartment at seven. Make sure you wear long pants, long sleeves, and closed-toe shoes.”
I scrunch my brows. “What the hell are we doing?”
“Just trust me.”
“Are we almost there?” I glance over at Annalise as we cruise down the highway.
Her eyes flick to her phone. “Yeah. You’re gonna take the next exit and then make a right on 27th Street.”
Annalise continues to direct me until we reach our destination. I park next to a grey building marked by a bold blue sign that reads Wreck It. A towering sledgehammer stands next to it.
“Is this one of those rage rooms?” I ask.
She nods. “Yeah. I saw an ad for it the other day and thought it would be fun. I figured we could both use some de-stressing.”
Leaning forward, I pop a kiss on her lips. “You are the best.”
After we sign the waivers, the worker gives us hard hats and goggles and leads us to our rage room.
The room is filled with several different objects—monitors, game consoles, glass bottles, and more.
“Alright, so you have an hour. Feel free to use any of those objects”—the worker points to the side, where baseball bats, sledgehammers, and golf clubs line the floor—“but please, don’t use them on each other.”
Annalise gives him a smile. “I’ll try my best not to.”
The guy chuckles. “Have fun!”
Grabbing a glass bottle, I chuck it against the wall. A small wave of relief washes over me seeing it shatter into hundreds of pieces.
Annalise picks one up too, and a smile tilts her lips when she smashes it.
I grab the sledgehammer and swing it down onto a computer monitor with all my strength. The sharp sound of impact echoes in the room. I smash it repeatedly, completely destroying it to the point where the monitor is unrecognizable.
With every swing and strike against the inanimate objects, the anger simmering inside me—toward my father, the blackmailing, being suspended—begins to dissipate.
By the end of our session, I feel the tension melting away, and the stress I’ve been carrying is replaced by a profound sense of tranquility.
“I really needed that. Thank you, Rosie.” I say, wrapping my arms around Annalise. “I had a lot of fun.”
“I’m glad you did.” Getting on her tiptoes, she plants a kiss on my lips. “I had too much fun.”
“Were you imagining the objects as Veronica’s face?”
“Oh, one hundred percent.” She lets out a laugh. “All of that wrecking burned all my energy. I’m starving now.”
“Wanna get some In-N-Out, go back home, and watch a movie?” I pull the car door open for her and she climbs inside.
“Fuck yeah!” She smiles.
Rounding the car, I climb into the driver’s side and put in the directions to the nearest In-N-Out.
Even on a weeknight, the drive-through line is long, wrapping around the building. Reaching over the console, I lace my fingers through Annalise’s.
“So, I have some news,” she says.
“Oh? What is it?”
“Bay City Marketplace reached out and asked if I would be interested in having a pop-up shop for my clothing line.” A huge smile stretches across her face and her eyes light up with pure joy.
“Wow, babe, this is huge!” I beam, giving her hand a squeeze. “When is this supposed to happen?”
“It’ll be the last weekend of the month, so a few weeks from now. If it goes well, they’ll continue allowing me to use the space on the weekends. I do have to pay a fee, but it’ll be a great alternative until I have enough money saved up to open up my own boutique.”
“I am so fucking proud of you. You’ll be able to leave Dauntless in no time.”
“I think I’m finally catching my break.” Her face splits into a wide grin. “Having an online shop is great, but it will make me so happy seeing people buy my clothes in person.”
“You’re gonna sell out within the first hour.”
The car behind me blares his horn. “You’re holding up the line!” he shouts.
I was so excited about Annalise’s big news, I didn’t even realize the line had moved. “What do you wanna eat?”
“I’ll take a combo number two with a Coke.”
“Animal style?” I ask.
She nods.
“Thank you for choosing In-N-Out. What can I get for you?” the worker says through the intercom.
“Can I get a Double-Double combo with a Sprite, and a combo number two with a Coke? Make it animal style.”
“Okay. Will that complete your order?”
“Should I ask them if they’re hiring, too?” I whisper to Annalise.
She shakes her. “You’re an idiot.”
I pull my car up and the worker—a teenage boy—pushes open the window. “Okay, sir, your total will be—no fucking way!” His eyes widen and he does a double take when he sees me. “Maddox Kamado, going through a drive-through? I have to be dreaming.”
Chuckling, I shrug my shoulders. “I like the food here. And just because I’m famous doesn’t mean going through a drive-through is beneath me.” I fish out a couple of hundreds from my wallet and hand them to the kid. “Keep the change.”
“Thank you.” He smiles at me with a mouth full of braces.
“Can I get your autograph?” he asks, handing me a napkin and a pen.
“Sure,” I reply, taking the pen from him and scribbling my autograph on the napkin.
“I’m going to frame this. I can’t believe I got to meet my favorite player tonight.”
I thought everyone would hate me for how badly I fucked up the last game, but seeing how happy this kid is brings me joy.
“Here’s your order,” he says, handing us the bag of food. “Have a great night!”
“You too, kid!”
“Man, this smells so good!” Annalise says, taking the bag from my hands.
“I know. I can’t wait to dive in.”
Annalise’s phone starts ringing and she grabs it from her purse. “Oh, it’s my mom.”
“Tell her I say hi.”
She swipes the phone to answer it. “Hola, Mami. Maddox says hi.”
There’s a beat of silence before Annalise speaks again.
“Wait, wait, slow down! W-what happened?” Annalise sits upright. The smile slides off her face and her expression turns serious.
The paper bag crumbles in her hand and her face loses its color. “I’ll be right there.”
She hangs up the phone, her hands shaking as she sets it down. “My abuelo, he…” She swallows, tears forming in her eyes. “He collapsed. They’re rushing him to the hospital.”