“Maybe I lied,” I simply stated to Kelvin.
“What? Look, we ain’t got time now, but once this game is over and we win this shit, you and I are going to have a talk about this wife of yours. More so, this wedding I wasn’t invited to.” He frowned.
“Wife? Wedding?”
My face instantly contorted into a scowl at the sound of Leonard’s voice. “Your mother never taught you not to butt into private conversations before she left?” I stated, pointedly to Leonard. I grinned when he tried to step closer as if he wanted to take a swing at me. It was no secret that Leonard’s mother had abandoned him and his father before he was five years old. I suspected it was one of the main contributing factors to his obviously sour attitude toward the opposite sex. And while my comment was particularly assholish, I didn’t have any qualms hitting Riggs where it hurt. After he’d put his hands on my wife, all bets were off. As far as I was concerned the fact that he still had functioning legs and his trachea was still in place was a testament to my growing patience.
“Don’t ever mention my—”
“Fuck you and your mother, Riggs. As for you, don’t ever mention mywifeagain or question me about her. That goes for you and your piece of shit agent who failed to hold on to her. I won’t make his mistakes. Trust. And after this game is over, you and I have zero to discuss. Ever,” I growled.
Riggs would become a free agent after this season, and his likelihood of staying with the Cougars was slim to none, if I had anything to say about it. And I did.
“All right, let’s bring it in!” Mike shouted from the entranceway of the locker room, garnering all of our attentions.
Just as everyone was stuffing their unnecessary belongings into their lockers to make their way over to the coach, my phone buzzed. I figured it was Destiny and my family wishing me luck before the game. While I knew the team needed to huddle up and head out, something nagged at me to check the message.
I opened up my text message from my father.
Destiny still hasn’t arrived from the hotel. Will text when she gets here.
My entire body stilled. A million different thoughts infiltrated my mind as I wondered what could possibly be holding her up.
“Townsend, let’s go!” Mike yelled.
“Fuck!” I cursed as I tossed my phone into my locker and slammed it shut. This was not how I wanted to go into this game.
****
Destiny
I swear if I made it up off the floor, I was never going to have sex with my husband again. My phone rang from the bed of the hotel’s bedroom that we were staying in.
“Shit!” I cursed. It was probably the car service that was to take me to the stadium where the Cougars were playing the Hornets at the New Orleans field. The game was on neutral territory for both teams. I’d flown down with Tyler’s family the day before.
“Girl, what are you doing?” Resha bellowed into the phone. She had also come with us to cheer Tyler and his team on. My only other family member, my mother, had opted to remain at home, although I’d tried to convince her to come. She still got anxious being around people she didn’t know that well given her illness. But I knew she and a few of her neighbors were watching the game at her place. It comforted me knowing she wasn’t alone.
“Hurling up this morning’s breakfast,” I murmured to Resha.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“I’m on my way down there. Tyler’s whole family has left already. We need to go.”
I groaned. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.” I stood up from the bed and held my arms out, steadying myself. I’d been queasy for the past three days. That morning after Tyler had left for the game I’d thrown up once and began dry heaving throughout the rest of the afternoon. I’d snuck off to a local pharmacy to pick up a test. It’d confirmed what I’d already knew. I hadn’t told anyone just yet, wanting to give Tyler the news first. But that was if I could make it out of this damn room.
I took a couple sips of water to satisfy my parched throat, and after praying that it stayed down, I opened the door when Resha began knocking.
“Let’s go,” I rushed out, grabbing my coat and checking to make sure I had my wallet and bag.
“You don’t look so good.” Resha frowned at me.
“Gee, thanks.”
“I’m serious.”
“I’m fine. Just a little bug or something. We gotta go.” I hurried, shutting the door behind me and leaving Resha to catch up with me toward the elevator.
