Chapter 7 Hymn
HYMN
My phone vibrated in my pocket. Surprised that I even felt it over the vibration of the bass from the music blasting in the club, I saw that it was a notification from my alarm system.
Swiping the notification, I unlocked my phone and opened it.
Huncho was coming in the house. He entered the passcode to shut the alarm off and walked into the kitchen.
He had indeed been expelled, and I wasn’t sure if he was going back to Atlanta or if he was going to stay in Diamond Cove.
His grades were trash and without being able to play football, he lost his scholarship. The university was done with his ass.
I wanted to tell myself that he was an adult and that his life was his to live.
He had to learn his own lessons and walk his own path.
But I couldn’t be one hundred percent okay with that.
I didn’t want Huncho in the streets. If I could keep him out of them that’s what I would do.
It had been on my mind to call my manager and see if they could find a way for me to try and get him connected with a team overseas.
I doubted the league in this country would reach out to him.
He was good, but he wasn’t that good. The NFL had enough bad boys in it and unless a man played his ass off and was guaranteed to take his team straight to the Super bowl, I doubted many coaches would be arguing over which bad boy to sign.
I pushed my phone back inside my pocket just as a pretty ass dark-skinned chick sauntered over to me.
Her friend had come to the club with one of my teammates, so they had access to our section.
Most times when we were in different cities, we left right after the game, but our flight wasn’t leaving until five AM, so we decided to step out for a bit.
It wasn’t the entire team. There were only about six of us present.
“Hi, Hymn. You played really good tonight. The game was good and intense.” While shorty complimented me on the game, her eyes screamed fuck me. I for sure didn’t have anything against influencers or Instagram models, but I stayed away from the ones that had been passed around too damn much.
I didn’t know shorty’s face, but when I asked her name, if it was one that I’d heard too many times, I wouldn’t be busting a nut with her.
“’Preciate that. “What’s your name?”
“Samantha.”
I checked my mental Rolodex and didn’t recognize the name. My eyes poured over her frame, and she was a baddie for sure.
“You live in California, Samantha?”
“No. I live in Charlotte. Ken invited my girl out, and I came with her.”
My head bobbed as I glanced over at Ken getting real cozy with Samantha’s friend.
The only issue was his wife was at home six months pregnant.
She didn’t want to fly anymore because flying made her feet and ankles swell so bad.
Ken swore to her that he completely understood and not to worry about coming to the games.
This was the second away game that he’d flown one of his side chicks out to, but that wasn’t my business.
Ken was a few years younger than me, but that wasn’t really an excuse.
I couldn’t understand why men got married then cheated on their wives.
And in the event, they got left, they cried about having to pay alimony and child support.
Checking my watch, I saw that I had to be at the airport in three hours.
“You about to head back to your hotel room?” Samantha inquired with stars in her eyes.
“Yeah, I am. We’re going to be leaving soon.”
“You want some company? A release after such an intense game has to be relaxing.”
Licking my lips, I took her in once again.
Groupies could be dangerous as fuck. From the ones that tried to trap men with babies to the ones that hollered rape.
Dealing with the wrong woman could mess up a man’s entire life.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I unlocked it and hit record.
I didn’t give a damn if Samantha realized I was recording her or not.
“I only have two hours before I have to leave for the airport. If you come back to my hotel room, what is it that you want to do?”
A devilish grin lifted the corners of Samantha’s lips. “I want to make you cum as many times as I can in the amount of time that you have left.”
“Bet.”
I ended the recording and made Ken aware that I was about to get an Uber. He said he was leaving too, and we could all ride in an Uber black together since we were going to the same hotel.
The women already knew what it was. They couldn’t wait to record themselves and post videos on social media, but they knew better than to get us in their videos.
Ken was married and although I was single and didn’t have to answer to a soul, I didn’t want to be on the social media page of any groupie.
The hotel wasn’t far from the club, and we were there in less than ten minutes since traffic was light.
Inside the hotel room, I placed my jewelry in the safe, pissed, and got undressed. Until I found the woman that made me want to be with her and only her, my orgasms would come from freaks with little to no morals. It was what it was.
The next day, I woke up from a much-needed nap and searched the condo for Huncho.
My flight home only lasted four hours, but I slept the entire time.
As soon as I got home, I showered, ate a quick breakfast sandwich, and hit the bed.
Football season was hard on the body, but I got it done by any means necessary.
Huncho wasn’t in the condo, so I sat down on the couch and went to the Door Dash app.
I needed food, and my chef wasn’t coming by until later.
After ordering my food, I called Divine to get the latest update on our mother. “What up, sis?” I asked after she answered the phone.
“Hey. I just finished meeting with the nurse from the agency you chose. She seems really nice. I want to meet with one more, because she’s going to need at least two. I want nurses to be there for overnight and the first part of the day. I can do the rest.”
“You still don’t know when she can come home?”
“Tomorrow, and I know it’s going to be hell. She hates physical therapy. Even though she can barely talk, she gives those people hell. Sober and in pain ma is a mean ass woman, do you hear me?”
“Well don’t feel bad if you hire nurses to be there around the clock. I’m paying for it. Make it easy on yourself. I know you love ma, but don’t stress yourself dealing with what you don’t have to.”
“That’s the problem. She’ll halfway do right when it’s me with her. I think that’s her not so subtle way of saying she wants me to take care of her, but I can’t be there twenty-four seven.”
I could already hear the stress in Divine’s tone.
“Don’t let her guilt trip you. I love her, and I know you do too. But she’s not exactly up for any mother of the year awards. We don’t owe her shit. When you need a break or have to do other things let the nurses do what I’m paying them to do. Got it?”
“Yeah, I got it. Thank you, Hymn. Now, where is Huncho? He’s not answering the phone for me, and his mother is asking about him.”
Where Divine and I tried to give our mother grace, Huncho gave no fucks. He didn’t deal with her like that, and I couldn’t blame him. It was hard to respect a woman that kept having kids and giving them to other people to raise.
“He wasn’t here when I left, and he wasn’t here this morning when I got in. More than likely, he’s avoiding me, and that might not be a bad thing. I’m trying to help his lil’ ass, but I’m sure it’s coming across as preaching.”
“Well, he for sure doesn’t want to hear what I have to say. He needs some guidance. I don’t care about him being over the age of eighteen. He isn’t grown. However, I’m not going to keep blowing him up. He knows what happened to ma and if he doesn’t care, that’s his right.”
Pushing out a sigh, I refrained from responding. Huncho was going to be Huncho. “She still on strong ass pain medication?”
“Yes, so I’m pretty sure she hasn’t even gone through withdrawals from the heroin because she’s been getting narcotics around the clock.
Once the doctor takes her off that, I’m going to have to deal with the aftermath of her going through withdrawals.
The only good thing will be if she can’t walk or get around by herself, she can’t go looking for it.
And Lord knows all respect for her is going to go out the window, and she’s getting cursed out and put out if she tells someone to come to my house and bring it to her. ”
“I keep telling you, sis. The nurses will be getting paid. You don’t have to deal with anything. If she starts doing too much, tell her I’ll put her ass in a home until she’s fully healed. If she doesn’t give a damn, then I don’t give a fuck.”
Divine laughed. “And I know she knows you don’t. Thank you for all that you do.”
“No matter how many times I tell you not to thank me you just can’t stop doing it, huh?”
“I sure can’t because you don’t have to do anything. You’re not obligated to do anything for anybody, but you go above and beyond for all of us. I’ll never not say thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sis.” Her comment actually made a nigga smile because she was the minority when it came to people not acting entitled.