Chapter 8
Luke
I stood there staring at Hollis as she slept in the oversized recliner, allowing the dim light from the hallway to give me the perfect view.
I had been home for about twenty minutes and had yet to wake her up.
It was a selfish act on my part. I couldn’t remember how long it’d been since I had been able to steal this type of moment.
You should remember though.
That was on me. No matter how bad Hollis’s words cut me deep earlier, they were true.
My baseball schedule kept me away, especially before I got scouted.
After high school I tried playing in an open division league before I fully committed to doing summer leagues to help grow and keep my skills sharp, but it was traveling for tournaments consistently for two years that finally had scouts’ eyes on me.
To me, things were finally working for me and Hollis. I was finally going to be the man she deserved and described me as when it came to being a provider.
When draft day came, I had no idea what team would pick me up. I was already out of town, planning a surprise for Hollis when I got the call that Pittsburgh wanted me. Even though she celebrated with me, I believed that was the ultimate decision that forced us apart.
I knew the distance was a lot for her. Shit, it was a lot on me too. That was another reason I didn’t fight her on the decision to end us. I figured she had found another nigga to keep her warm at night since I didn’t.
That one major decision changed my life and now had me waking up the woman who owned my whole soul with a shoulder tap and not the kiss I longed for it to be.
I leaned down and briefly closed my eyes as I inhaled deeply.
“God, I missed how fucking good you smell, Hershey,” I said lowly, or so I thought. Hollis shifted and mumbled my name with a few chosen words that had my face twisting in confusion.
There’s no way she’s being nice to me.
I stilled, watching her face to see if her eyes opened. It wasn’t until a light snore moan combination slipped that let me know Hollis was having a sex dream. I chuckled lightly at the thought of her having it about me.
I decided to let her sleep and just carried her to bed myself. I almost forgot she talked in her sleep until more words came out.
I locked my arms around her body so I could lift her bridal style.
“Mmm… no, Luke, don’t kiss it right there,” Hollis moaned as we made our way out of the room. Of course I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t entertain her right now.
“Then tell me where, Hershey,” I said lowly as I climbed the steps, playing into her dream world.
“You know where.” I guess dream me got to work because the sexy ass whine that escaped her lips almost had me jealous of the muthafucka, like it wasn’t me.
I mean nigga, technically it’s not.
Shit, my dick couldn’t tell as I started to grow in my sweats.
I said a silent prayer, hoping it would go down. It was only night one of having her back in my presence and I was about to turn my shower to cold already.
I reached her room at the perfect time as she snuggled into my chest more. I would give anything to have my wife back in my arms, but not like this. I wanted her aware of the man she was dreaming about and for her to want me the same way I did her.
So I hurriedly laid her down, going for a throw blanket to lay on top of her. A reflex had me leaning in to kiss her forehead but I stopped when she grunted, shifting to her side.
I took that as my sign that I was tripping.
Yeah, Hollis is my wife, but not my woman anymore.
And I don’t even like how the fuck that shit sounds.
I didn’t but there was nothing I could do about it.
She didn’t want me and I was the only one still in love.
I headed back downstairs to cool down my dick and my emotions.
The next morning I was up early, or so I thought. I made my way out of my room to see Hollis fully dressed with a phone in her hand, pressed to her ear as she talked lowly.
My mind went to her potentially talking to another man in my house, then I snorted at the fact that even if that were true I was the one she was dreaming about last night.
I caught her attention as she gasped, turning around with a look of horror.
“Callie, he’s up. I have to go. Yeah, yeah, love you too and thanks for the statements.” She spoke in her normal tone.
“Morning, Hershey,” I sang louder than needed just in case she was lying about talking to her sister. That nigga on the line was gon’ know about me.
Know about you? Fool, you sound dumb as hell.
She barely knows about you.
She must’ve known something because she held her head to the side, pressing her plump lips together as she put her phone on the island and Callie’s voice came through the speaker.
“Holli, I don’t give a damn that Deacon’s ass is up, you need to be telling me you love me like your ass means it.
Mad because your ass got drunk and can’t remember how you got in your bed last night, knowing it was him, and you’re welcome.
” My smile was wide as I put my back to her, going for a bottle of water from the refrigerator, laughing to myself.
“Ugh, you stay doing too much.” Callie’s rebuttal instantly ended as I turned around, putting my eyes on hers.
“I don’t know why you got that ugly as smile on your face. I ain’t said nothing was good about this morning.” She went to get up and I called out to her.
“Holls, it’s early and I don’t want to be on the opposite end of you today.”
The nasty glare she shot me had me damn near choking on my water.
“Well, you should’ve thought about being on my opposite end when you sent Kay over here yesterday. Day one and I got the intentions conversation, as if I was the one who did you wrong. Tell me, did you tell her we need a statement from her when you ran over there to tell her our business?”
I groaned, closing my eyes as I recalled Kay’s pop-up when I wasn’t here. When I didn’t get an angry voicemail from either, I assumed the visit went well.But hearing her tone and seeing the steam radiating off her now, I knew Kay fucked up.
“I didn’t tell Kay to come over, Holls, and I apologize for that. What can I do to fix it? And yes, I got her email this morning.”
“Ugh, but you knew she was and didn’t even give me a warning.
I get it. It’s been a while, so let me remind you, that low shit won’t work with me between us.
If we’re going to do this, it needs to be just like when we were married, just us.
No one else gets in. I don’t want Kay over here criticizing nor giving me lectures on how to be a good wife to her little cousin, Deacon.
And telling me what I need to be doing to help sell our love to the media as if I don’t know. This has to be done our way.” I nodded.
“We are married, Holls.”
She kissed her teeth and rolled her eyes.
“You know what I mean, Luke. Like for real. Just us. Even if we have to fake this shit to make it work.”
Fake it?
I didn’t appreciate the harsh ass truth behind her words. I mean, technically, we were faking a relationship in our marriage.
Nigga, you about to fake date your wife.
Even thinking that didn’t sit right with me.
“Just us.” I reached my hand out, hoping for hers.
“Uht uht, I ain’t shaking shit. Do better. You earned your first strike, Mr. Deacon.”
I smirked at her baseball reference.
“Meaning what?”
“You get paid to play the game, you already know how the rules go. Two more and I’m out. Back to my life and sending those lovely papers fresh off the printer.”
“Well, let me fix some shit because I’m only hitting home runs from this point on.”
“I don’t know about all that. I ain’t seen your game to confirm or deny those allegations, and two, you are a catcher. So just make sure to not drop the damn ball again.”
“Girl, you stay lying. Anyways, when can I expect you to come to a game? Remember, the sooner the better.” She rolled her eyes.
“Ugh, I don’t know. Are you playing tonight?”
“Yes, Hershey. I’m not off no time soon.”
She groaned. “I wrote us a piece to help us come out to the public, and my boss ate that shit up, so they are running it in a couple weeks. I told him to push it back a few weeks to give us time together. Dropping it right after the meeting with the lawyer would’ve been messy as hell.
So… um… I guess, tonight then, to get a head start to better sell the story.
It’ll look good for us to be out and about a couple times outside of the games before it drops to help remind hoes like Talisa Storms you’re a taken man. ”
I snorted at her sly jealousy sneaking out at the mention of Talisa.
“C’mon, Hershey, 'member nothing happened with that girl. She ain’t gotta be all that. We both have a past outside of us. You don’t see me talking shit about the bum ass niggas you were fucking with when you left me.”
“You’re working on your second strike, Luke. Defending another woman you claim you did nothing with isn’t a good move now is it? And you just did, but this isn’t about me. None of my hoes can be identified, so it only looks like you stepped out on your fine ass wife.”
“Who said you fine? You average at best.” I joked with her as I finished my bottle of water.
Hollis snapped her fingers. “I keep forgetting that old people’s eyes be fucked up for real. Don’t worry though, when I go shopping today, I’m sure a couple of your teammates will help you see how fine your wife is once I make my presence known.”
And not one of them fools better open their mouths to say anything slick.
The thought of anyone on the team playing with me like that had me over this conversation real quick.
“Anyways, is shopping the only thing on your list for this morning?”
She nodded as she typed away on one of the phones.
“If you don’t take all day, I can be your chauffeur if you want,” I offered. She was moving out of my space and I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to be a creeper trying to carry on a conversation.
She looked me up and down as she squinted.
“Fine, only because like you and Kay said, public appearances need to happen now more than ever. It’s only a few stops, no more than two hours tops. You have ten minutes or you’re getting left.”
“Girl you ain’t leaving me,” I said as I pushed off the counter, tossing my empty water bottle in the trash, heading toward the garage with Hollis following.
Three hours later we were at BJ’s since by the end of shopping for two and half hours both of our stomachs were growling.
I watched as Hollis dipped a few fries into her vanilla shake then ate them. It was something I got her started on way back when we were kids. I snickered at the memory of her little whiny ass voice telling me how nasty I was for mixing the two until I forced her to try one.
“You put a girl on once and it’s a forever thing.
” Hollis's face twisted while my eyes moved from her fries to the cup.
Once she caught on, I watched her whole demeanor change and her face fell, making me hate myself for even bringing it up.
She dropped the next set of fries, not even finishing her second dip.
“God, why a nigga always gotta ruin my food? Is it because they pay for it?” She grabbed her napkin, wiping her hands then tossing in on her tray, indicating she was done.
I snorted at her dramatic ass reaction.
“Holls, I was joking. Finish eating, please.”
“No. Because why would you even bring it up. I don’t care if it’s small and harmless as fuck, stop.
You don’t have to keep taking me down a fucked up memory lane of you and me, Luke.
Trust me, I know every stamp on the map of us.
I don’t need reminders of touches, looks, smells, habits that still dwell between us. ”
We both released a series of frustrated breaths. I opened my mouth to apologize then stopped my words and said something else instead.
“Because they aren’t just your memories, Holls. You don’t get to say when I can or can’t reminisce on the days when I was your favorite person.”
“It’s not fair though.” Her voice cracked a bit. Of course, in true Hollis fashion, she caught it, clearing her throat.
“Why not? You act like all of our times were bad. We had a lot of good ones too.” I had an idea and hated myself for even asking for her to say it.
“Luke, I’m trying to forget them all. You’re everywhere and it still hurts.”
There was a pregnant pause before I broke the awkward silence that laid heavy between us.
“We should go. I need to get to the field soon.” I barely got the full sentence out before she was up, leaving me sitting there.
Yeah, it was small but she was right. With us growing up here and her staying after everything transpired between us, Hollis had to constantly live us after our divorce…well, ended relationship, and it was clear she was in pain from it.
But so I was. I wasn’t over my wife and probably never would be.