Chapter 49
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
maddox
Dribbling the ball, I race across the court as the shot clock ticks down the last seconds of the game. I do a quick scan and spot Andrés standing by the goal, unguarded.
With only three seconds left, I pass the ball to Andrés and he slams it in the net, beating the buzzer.
Roars from the crowd fill the arena as everyone celebrates our win. We defeated the Phoenixes and are moving on to the championship round.
This is a big moment for me. I should be overwhelmed with an insurmountable amount of joy. But how can I be, when the most important person in my life isn’t here to celebrate with me?
My eyes move to the crowd of fans celebrating. The spot next to Okāsan and Asami where she usually sits is filled by someone else tonight.
It’s been weeks since I’ve heard from Unknown, so I assume they were just trying to see if I would fall for their twisted games. But I should’ve known they had another trick up their sleeve. They went after something that would damage me far more than my career.
I can deal with never playing in the NBA again, but losing her? I will never be able to recover from that.
“I regret letting you back into my life.”
Her words replay in my mind on an endless loop, twisting the knife in my heart.
I want to reach out to her, but I know I’ll be met with silence.
Elijah walks up to me, slinging his arm around my shoulders. “I feel like I’m on top of the world right now. A week from now, we’re gonna get our rings and hold that championship trophy.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait,” I reply, my tone lacking enthusiasm.
Elijah cocks his brow. “What’s going on with you, bro? We’re about to make history. You should be more excited.”
“Nothing’s going on,” I say, forcing a smile. “I’m just exhausted and ready to go home and pass out. These games have been brutal.”
“Come on, Maddox. I’m your best friend,” he says softly, his face etched with concern. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” I give him a wave and head to the lockers. “I’ll see you at practice.”
“Do you want some more?’ Okāsan asks after I take my last bite of wagyu.
It’s been a while since I came over here for dinner, and the only reason I came today was because she told me Otōsan would be working late.
I know seeing him would only further upset me and put me in a worse emotional state than I already am. With the first game of the finals being tomorrow, I can’t afford that.
“No, I’m okay, thank you. I’m already getting pretty full.”
Okāsan lifts a brow. “Okay, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Getting up from my seat, I gather all the plates and head to the kitchen.
Okāsan follows after me, walking twice as fast to keep up with my long strides. “Don’t lie to me, Masashi. You normally eat three times as much, so I know something is wrong. Is it because of Otōsan?”
I shake my head, placing the dishes in the sink. “No, it’s not. I don’t really care about trying to win him over anymore.”
“Is everything okay with Annalise?” She continues to prod. “I know she hasn’t been showing up to your games because she’s grieving, but did you two get in a fight?”
Turning on the water, I start rinsing off the plates and release a heavy sigh. “She told me she regrets letting me back into her life.”
“What brought this on?” Okāsan asks, her voice full of concern.
Grabbing a plate, I start scrubbing it with a sponge.
“Someone told the press that the reason we broke up back then was because I cheated on her.” I grip the edge of the sink, my chest heaving as tears fall down my face.
“She’s the love of my life, Okāsan. Life without her is meaningless.
But if she doesn’t want to be with me, what am I supposed to do? ”
Okāsan turns the water off and wraps her arms around me, rubbing soothing circles on my back as I sob onto her shoulder.
“Oh, Masashi, I don’t believe that Annalise meant what she said. She’s in a vulnerable state after losing her grandpa, and seeing that post must have been triggering to her. I know she loves you very much. She needs you now more than ever, so don’t give up on her.”
Her grandpa’s words echo in my head.
“I can leave this world knowing she’ll be in good hands.”
I promised him I would look after her and take care of her when he’s gone, and I intend on keeping that promise. I can’t let him down.
My phone dings and I spring up from the couch, hoping it’s a text from Annalise—but it’s a text from Elijah, in our group chat with the team.
I sent her a bouquet of flowers last night in hopes that she would reach out to me, but she hasn’t.
Releasing a sigh, I sink back onto the couch. I don’t want to bombard her with calls and texts because I know that would only make her angry.
Tsuki walks toward me with Annalise’s pink scrunchie in her mouth.
She sets it on my lap and starts whimpering.
“I know. I miss her too,” I say, petting her soft fur.
I open Instagram and scroll through it. I haven’t been on it since The Daily Tea made that post. I switched my account to private and turned off my message requests, since my inbox was filled with hateful messages.
The fans didn’t seem to care back then when I was sleeping around, but the claims of me cheating have ruined my image. Multiple people unfollowed me, and I noticed there were less fans sporting my jersey during the last game. Unknown wanted to ruin my image, and he succeeded.
My feed is mostly filled with highlights from the last game and predictions about which team will win the championship.
I’m about to get off the app when I see a post from Bay City Marketplace. The post features a list of all the new vendors that will be there—Thorny Roses being one of them.
I glance at the time. The marketplace closes around five p.m., so if I leave now, I can swing by before practice.
This could go one of two ways. Either she’ll be happy to see me and will want to be with me again, or she’ll tell me to leave and then never speak to me again.
I’m hoping for the former rather than the latter.
“Come on, Tsuki. Let’s go outside before I leave.” Getting up from the couch, I walk to the door leading to the backyard and open it, letting her out.
I head to my bedroom and change into my clothes for practice. Grabbing my sneakers, I stuff them in my duffle bag.
I’m opening my drawer to find a pair of socks when I hear the front door creak open. “Okāsan, is that you?”
Maybe she wanted to drop off some food for me before the game. I walk out to the living room and call out her name again, but there’s no response.
My heart hammers against my ribcage and goosebumps prickle my skin. The only other person who knows the code to get inside my house is Annalise, but I know it can’t be her.
As I fumble through my pockets, my fingers finally grasp the cool surface of my phone. My heart races as I begin to dial 911. Suddenly, a calm, almost chilling voice comes from behind me.
“Don’t even think about it, unless you want your walls to be painted with your dog’s blood.”
A knot tightens in my chest when I turn my head around and see Lucas standing there with a gun pointed at me.
“Hello, Maddox,” he says, a sinister smile stretching across his face.
“Lucas? W-what are you doing here?”
“You’re smart. I think you can figure it out.”
The puzzle pieces in my brain start coming together. “It was you, wasn’t it? You were the one who leaked my relationship with Annalise, and the one who’s been blackmailing me with the sex tape.”
Tucking the gun in his elbow, he brings his hands together, clapping slowly. “Congratulations. Perhaps if you weren’t so busy screwing Annalise, you would’ve figured it out sooner. I don’t blame you, though.” He pauses, licking his lips. “I would be banging that smoking hot body of hers nonstop.”
I step forward with my fists balled at my sides. “Don’t fucking talk about her like that, you sick son of a bitch!”
“Maybe I should pay her a visit,” he says, another smile sliding onto his face. “I would love to hear more of those pretty sounds she makes when she comes.”
“If you lay a hand on her, I will fucking kill you.”
He lets out a cold laugh, leveling his gun at me once more. “I don’t think you’re in any position to make threats, Kamado.”
“Are you really that jealous of my relationship with Annalise? Is that why you’re doing this?” I snap, my voice rising. “When are you gonna get it through your thick skull that she will never want you?”
“You’re really dense if you think this is just about Annalise. It’s much more than that.” His eyes grow cold and dark. “You took everything from me. You ruined my life!”
I stare at him, dumbfounded. “What the fuck are you talking about? You’re the one trying to ruin my life!”
“You’re just getting what you deserve!” he snaps, his voice brimming with fury. “You’ve made my life miserable ever since I met you. When you transferred to my school in first grade, everyone wanted to be your friend instead of mine.”
Memories of elementary school come rushing back. Being in a new environment was terrifying for me, so I tried my best to make friends with everyone. I remember trying to talk to Lucas, but he would always ignore me.
I shake my head slowly. “Lucas… I didn’t have any control over that. It’s not as though I went around telling people not to be friends with you. Are you seriously telling me you have a vendetta against me because of that?”
“It’s because of everything!” he snaps, voice shaking with frustration. “In high school, I busted my ass training and even stayed after hours to practice after everyone left. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never play as well as you.”
I throw my arms out in exasperation. “That was in high school! Why the hell does that matter now? You’re in the NBA, for crying out loud!”
“It doesn’t just end with basketball. You continued beating me at everything.
I had the biggest crush on Annalise for years, and when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to homecoming, you beat me to it.
” He takes a slow step forward, his fingers curling tighter around the gun.
“I thought she was gonna be a fling, like all the other girls you’d been with, but I was wrong.
I had to spend the rest of high school watching you be with the girl I was in love with. ”
For a second, I feel the smallest amount of sympathy for him. If the roles were reversed, and I had to see Annalise with Lucas every day, I would be devastated. I got a small taste of it when I saw them kissing, and that was enough to ruin me.
“It was never-ending!” he spits, his voice trembling with rage.
“You won prom king while I stood there clapping like a fool. I was so close to being valedictorian until you swooped in and stole that, too!” His jaw clenches, lips curling into a bitter sneer.
Years of resentment surge to the surface.
“You were always the star while I was stuck in the shadows. All I wanted was to be the best at something, but I never could because of you! I always came in second place.” He shakes his head slowly, exhaling hard through his nose.
“I can’t stand the fact that you’re living the life I dreamed of. ”
All this time, I thought his obsession was with Annalise. But it wasn’t with her at all.
It was with me.
“Why do you feel the need to always compare yourself to me? You made it to the NBA. You have talent. You can make a name for yourself, and be your own person.” My voice comes out low and calm. I’m hoping it has the power to change the course of the situation.
But the bitterness in his eyes only deepens.
“And yet you’re the one in the running for MVP. You’re the one fans chant for. You’re the face on every screen, the name in every headline. I’m so sick and tired of watching you get everything you want!”
His expression darkens, shadows swallowing whatever humanity is left in his eyes. “At first, I only wanted to ruin your career.” He pauses, eyes locked on mine, unblinking. “But then I realized… that wouldn’t be enough.”
The cold mechanical click of the gun being cocked echoes through the air. His finger settles on the trigger with a terrifying calm. “As long as you’re alive, I will always be miserable.”
A chilling wave of fear crashes through me, paralyzing me. I have never felt so powerless in my entire life.
“Lucas, please don’t do this. Getting rid of me is not going to solve anything.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” His voice is flat now. Final. “My life will finally be better with you out of the picture.”
As I stare directly into the cold, unforgiving barrel of Lucas’s gun, the reality of my imminent demise looms over me like a dark cloud.
The sharp crack of gunshots pierce the air, and the last thing I see is Annalise’s sapphire and emerald eyes sparkling as she smiles at me while the world around me slips away.