End Zone Love (Connecticut Kings Book 4)

by Love Belvin

  “Oh, I’m complying alright. Just enough to get clearance to travel. Taking Nicki somewhere in a few weeks. Somewhere nobody can pronounce Jordan or Johnson without fuckin’ it up.”

  “That’s what’s up.” I tossed my chin to his shoulder in a sling. “How’s it coming along?”

  He looked down at his folded arm, but Wally, a Hotep Black Financial Bank Stadium groundskeeper, approached us, pushing a big trash can. Jordan and I stopped speaking and backed away from each other to give him room.

  Wally was…different. It was hard to explain what his deal was. He was short with a small head, big ears, eyes, mouth, and nose. Dude also had a crazy lisp. He wasn’t nice to the players, but crazy accommodating to the cheerleaders. They treated him like the damn mascot. He was the eyes and ears of Hotep Black Financial Bank, knowing everything going on in the stadium.

  Wally dragged his feet, coming our way, and walked with his head to the side as always.

  “Oh,” JJ started, a grin at play on his face, “if it ain’t the innkeeper.”

  I tried to fight the laugh shooting from my throat. It didn’t come all the way out, but I couldn’t keep from snorting like a pig.

  Wally didn’t stop, kept with his slow stroll. “No. More like the zookeeper.” He didn’t look at either one of us. “But I ain’t doing a good job at keeping your soft, rabbit ass from getting hurt out here. A fuckin’ boo-boo here. A fuckin’ injury there.”

  A big one shot from my throat at that. I hurled over, laughing my ass off.

  He made it in between us with his crooked face ahead. “And, Trent, I ‘on’t know what the hell you laughing at. Your parole officer discharge your dancing, convict ass yet? Charity ass jailbird.”

  JJ and I both fell out laughing. My head went backwards and his went forward as he held his shoulder. Wally had breezed past us at this point, still moving toward the sideline at a snail’s pace.

  “You had to start with him!” I couldn’t stop, holding my damn stomach.

  “You know Wally stay fuckin’ with us. It was either me or him.”

  We stayed that way for a few seconds, trying to stop hollering.

  “A’ight, man.” I wiped the tears from my eyes. “I gotta go check on these kids. I’mma let you go before Cole has my ass.”

  Jordan managed to straighten and tossed his chin to me for my attention.

  “As far as my shoulder: I’m dealing.” He looked down at his sling. “This thing here is supposed to help facilitate my healing after the surgery to realign the broken collar bone.”

  I nodded. “You know I got you in prayer.” I extended my arm, offering my closed fist.

  Jordan met it with his own.

  “I know ya stubborn ass think you curbed me on that situation with Jade, but I’m used to your shit. You heard what the hell I said.”

  I took a deep breath, all amusement from Wally forgotten about.

  He got me. My eyes danced around my most favorite playground in life. The one I worshipped as a kid and an adult. The place that felt like a refuge at this point in my crazy world. My eyes swept up into the stands, brushed over the end line then goal post before landing on my feet.

  “You see where we are right now?”

  Jordan’s eyes circling around in the air. “At the office?” There was a joke in there.

  “Yeah, but more specifically where we’re standing? The end zone. This is where my relationship—marriage is with my lady. Ezra told me back in 2015, just before I met her how God was about to deliver me from that chokehold I was in right after my release. ‘Member that?”

  Jordan snorted. “Yeah. I thought I lost you, G. I ain’t even gone front. You was good the first couple of months out, then you went to Alpine and didn’t wanna come out for shit.” His words were low as he reflected back to that time. They were also pretty accurate.

  “E told me I was in the red zone. I was that close to my breakthrough. That close to the period of my life where I could breathe.” I jerked my neck. “My nigga, I’m breathing again. Not only did I get my job—my passion back, I got the one thing I never had before it and damn sure can’t live without now that I’ve gotten a taste. I got a chick that loves even the invisible parts of me.”

  “The hell is invisible on you?”

  “The shi—stuff I can’t see, but she can.” I pounded my chest. “She touches places I can’t even name.” I shook my head, frustrated by my lack of words. “It’s just something you gotta have been through or felt before to understand. You feel me?”

  Jordan gripped his flared nose and yanked it while looking away. “Yeah. I feel you.” His words were fast, but hard.

  “Well, now that I got her, I need to keep her. I gotta keep her happy. Her happiness takes me where I wanna be: scoring. And it seems like we’re close. So.” I pointed to my feet. “We’re in the end zone and I’m dragging everything I got to score. You feel me?” I demonstrated with my thumb and index finger inches apart. “This close.”

  My presentation and stance was more dramatic than I was used to. But if I could get loose with anybody, JJ was that dude.

  He took a deep breath, eyes out into the stands. Then they rolled back to me as his voice was low when he advised, “Then don’t fuck it up. Let her in, TB.”

  There was a long pause as I considered his words. JJ’s stare was burning a hole in the side of my face as he challenged me, and like a sucker, I looked away.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, ace. I got you.” I scratched the back of my head and started towards the tunnel for the locker room. “You just make sure you have ya ass at the charity ball in August.”

  “Oh, for sure. Rest in peace, Shank!” he yelled across the field, walking off himself.

  “Oh, my god! I can’t believe how much you did with this place,” April complimented on the elevator. “Me and Shank was here… What? A year ago? And even then, we loved what you did, but now…” She shook her head and her face fell, but I caught her crestfallen expression before it did. The elevator was almost at the second floor. “I wish he was here to see it, is all.”

  I moved to grab her hand moments before the elevator tolled our arrival.

  “I have full faith you’ll connect with him here. Your head will clear and your heart will unclog while you’re relaxing and retreating. I’m going to do whatever it takes to make you comfortable.”

  The door opened as our eyes were locked. April’s looked ghostly. Her desperation for a connection to her late husband that palpable. I, myself, was at a sensitive place emotionally and could empathize with feeling raw.

  I moved to leave, tugging her hand to join me.

  “Jade…” she hesitated. “I…don’t mean to be a both—”

  My body retracted as I heard Trent and Kyree nearing the top of the stairs. I inched close to April’s rotund frame, our foreheads centimeters apart. “This is for Trent, too. He may seem perfectly adjusted without his only father figure, but he isn’t. He’s never grieved. His recent turnaround success never allowed him the time. He’s been distracted. Shank was a huge chunk of his steely resolve,” I whispered. “He’s passed now. I need Trent whole.” My eyes narrowed pleadingly, and my chin ducked. “Do you understand?”

  With her eyes still stretched hauntingly, April nodded. “But I won’t overstay my welcome. I promise—”

  “I will do anything necessary to preserve the good of his heart, April.” Yet another unforeseen change could be happening in his world right now. Trent had a history of battling depression. The only person who allowed him space to explore and address it was his pastor. It wasn’t a pretty state, but as his wife, I would guard whatever parameters he needed to regroup and heal. “If it means inviting his loving aunt into his home to grieve and heal together, it would be nothing more than an extended sleepover for me.” My brows rose for emphasis as I heard the guys approaching from behind.

  “Mommy, we beat y’all, taking the steps with bags!” I heard Kyree inform excitedly from behind me, out of breath.

&
nbsp; April’s eyes skirted over my shoulders to the two guys, I knew when I felt the energy of a six foot five, two hundred forty-five pounder in close proximity.

  Suddenly her eyes lit up like the fourth of July. “You give me just a few days and I’mma be beating you up those steps,” she challenged Kyree. April stepped around me to leave the elevator. “Mommy wanted to show off that elevator. But no more! From now on, I’m beating you up those fancy steps, buddy!” Kyree laughed heartily. “Now, show me around. This place is big enough for me to duff you in this great big ole hallway!”

  She reached for Ky’s hand and he led her around the curved walkway, towards the bedrooms. Trent was just outside of the elevator, waiting for me to join them. He grabbed my butt the moment I was at his side, squeezing it possessively.

  “You gotta see the man cave,” Kyree declared. “But wait…” He tossed a cursory glance back at Trent, who was still gripping me, but appeared to be no more than hugging me. “You’re a woman. No girls are allowed in there. Man rules.”

  “Well, if ain’t no girls allowed, that means I can come. I ain’t been a girl since O.J. Simpson was white,” April outwitted my kid.

  “Who?” Ky asked.

  “Your buddy, Trent, shoulda schooled you on him. Now tell me: is this where I’ll be staying?”

  “No.” Ky shook his head. “That room’s empty.”

  I’d still been trying to figure out what to do with that last guest room. Now with April occupying a room, there was just this last empty guest bed left on this floor. The remaining two were downstairs, and would soon be taken by security.

  I exhaled as we neared the spa room. Trent ironically pulled me into him for a kiss on my forehead. I stopped as April did with Kyree in front of us. Trent continued down the hall.

  “Is this my room?” April asked.

  “No. That’s mommy’s spa room.”

  April opened the door and gasped almost immediately. “Oh, my word!” Her eyes went wild at the brilliant yellow-green walls. The hue was strong enough to awaken your senses during the day and muted enough to relax you for treatment. “Jade, this is beautiful! How’d you do this?”

  Staying outside of the room, I smiled proudly. “I don’t know. Just went with my gut.”

  “You give massages in here?” she asked excitedly, I guess noticing the table.

  Kyree picked up a Quartz stone, studied and shook it before dropping it back into the bowl.

  “Yeah,” I answered, watching him.

  “You gotta give me one! Oh, this ole back of mine been acting up!” Her hand reared to reach her back where she rubbed.

  A big boom ignited over my head. “Not in here, April. Maybe in your room, she can hook you up.”

  “Wha—” April tried, confused by Trent’s cold tone. “But Kyree said this was Jade’s spa room. I thought she—”

  “Nah.” Trent shook his head. “Ky had it wrong. It’s my spa room that she uses to help me out when I get banged out on the field.”

  April’s head swung back. “You pay her for those services? I know the league got people on their payroll to help you with stuff like that.”

  Trent nodded. “After every session. Even tip her during. Trust me, she’s well compensated for her spa services in here.”

  April’s face fell at the realization. Then her eyes circled the room, this time not with amazement and wonder, but with betrayal and scandal. I hung my head in shame.

  “C’mon, Kyree.” She crossed the room for his hand. “Let’s get outta here.”

  As they joined us in the hall, I shot Trent the most derisory scowl I could manage. He returned it with a deadpan expression that didn’t fit the occasion.

  And he talks about me being alpha and territorial…

  She stood in one place, staring all around. I can’t front: I was a little nervous showing my wife my outhouse where I stored party equipment. We had bouncy house castles that wreaked of liquor, sweat and other bodily fluids that had to be sprayed down by my old maid before I had them deflated and put back in here. We had trampolines and blowup dolls, laser guns and waterslides, paintball gear and inflated obstacle courses. I say we because JJ and I planned, plotted, and executed the best adult parties around. There were fireworks and twister boards and an inflatable limbo stand.

  I snickered when I caught the electric bull in the corner. I remembered having Sharon on there at our spring party. She was an editor for Vogue and swore she could ride me and the bull. JJ dared her to take it up a notch while handing me a rubber. She looked out at the small group we invited over and called Tomeka, a makeup artist from the Good Day show. Drunk off her ass, Tomeka stepped up on the bull with us. I had no idea where this was going. I just knew I was down for it. Sharon whispered something in Tomeka’s ear then giggled. Next thing I knew, they were tasting tongues as Sharon motioned for me to strap up. Then she was on me, riding me while her face was buried in Tomeka’s ass. Jordan set the bull to a low stride while Sharon worked Tomeka and me until we both blew. No one fell off; JJ made sure of it. After we were done Larry Winn got head on there, skeeting all over.

  No way I’m letting Ky and his friends use that. It’s got semen and puss—

  “So, this is the funhouse, huhn?”

  Hearing Jade’s snippy voice definitely cut the fun of the memories. Her face was without expression, but the lean in her head told me she wasn’t in the mood to go down memory lane. I didn’t slip. My eyes were on her, waiting for instruction. While April was in the house getting settled and Ky was doing homework, I brought her out here for party theme ideas. Jade had been acting cold since I got in last night. I’d been too tired to ask her why. I figured it was her period. Yeah… Had to be. She still hadn’t apologized for spazzing like she did up in Connecticut the other day.

  “Let’s just grab a few things. I sent out the invitations a few days ago without a theme, figuring between the bowling room and gym, I’d make something happen.”

  I cleared my throat. “Anything catch your eye?”

  Jade turned. “Yeah. These glow in the dark columns.” She reached up to a high shelf and strained to speak. “I’m assuming these lanterns go with them—” Jade’s arms shot back down and she curled over a little and grabbed her belly.

  “Cramps?” I asked, trying to do better at understanding women.

  Jade was a damn puzzle if I’d ever known one.

  “Can’t have cramps if I ain’t bleeding.” Her tone was slick.

  I was confused.

  “You just told me up in Connecticut your period was on.”

  “Apparently I wasn’t flowing; I was just spotting again.”

  My face tightened, still stumped. “What does all that even mean?”

  “It means I had a revelation later that day when trying yoga. We moved to a cobra pose, and I almost choked on my spit when I felt an unforgiving pull. My body automatically recoiled—almost snapped into a fetal position in pain.”

  I knew what a cobra pose was. Coach Lou encouraged some of us to try yoga to improve performance, and even hired an instructor.

  “Why?”

  “The pull is what…” she licked her lips, eyes falling to the floor. “It’s like what a woman feels when she hyper-extends her abdomen when she’s pregnant.”

  My heart fell into my Timbs.

  Things went quiet, and painfully so. My mind literally couldn’t move to think for a few seconds.

  “Sa—so, you’re pregnant?”

  Jade blinked as she took a deep breath. It was like she was trying to keep from crying. I caught it. I saw a glimpse of scared Jade. The one I’d seen a day or two in my life. The one many didn’t know because they were more familiar with the feisty fighter. This Jade was the one I saw the day she was being evicted from her apartment with everything she owned on the curb for pickings. This one was the one I saw that night I invited her to stay just a few days at my house with her young child after helping her get those things off the street in East Orange.

  She
tried raising her chin in the air, fighting for pride.

  “I don’t know,” she damn near whispered. “I can take a test, but instead, I made an appointment to see the GYN on Thursday. I won’t know for sure until then.”

  My eyes went to the party strobe lights on the lowest shelf, mind racing back to that night in January when she warned me about this in Lowes.

  “What’re you saying?”

  “Nothing, but we should be more careful.”

  “Ain’t you on the pill?”

  “No. I told you I switched to different ones over the years, because I have an allergy to them. Some made me nauseous, gain weight, moody, gave me headaches, dizziness, made my boobs sore…all kinds of stuff over five or so different brands.”

  “C’mon, J. There has to be one that works for you.”

  “The one that didn’t give me any of those symptoms wiped my libido completely out. That issue suit you? I’m not trying to be funny here. It’s just been on my mind a lot because…it’s what we do…a lot. And when we do…we’re so wild with it, the last thing on our minds is prevention.”

  “What other options are there?”

  “C-o-n-d-o-m-s,”

  “Oh, hell no!”

  “Trent!”

  “I’m just saying… It’s officially mine now. If I wasn’t suiting up before I put a ring on it, I ain’t doing it now.”

  “Trent!”

  “My bad. Let’s table this for now.”

  “Until when? After Ky goes down and you swell up?”

  I let go of a heavy breath as I took two steps to the side, scratching my forehead. Then I yanked my beard. I didn’t know what to say. I felt…guilty all of a sudden. I couldn’t make this all about me. I’d deal with that later. If this was our reality, it was my fault.

  I turned back to Jade, finding her in the same position. Her eyes were low as though she was dealing with her own thoughts.

  “How’re—” I cleared my throat. “you feeling?”

  Her hazels shot back up to me. “Worried. Angry. And disappointed.”

  I stretched my eyes, blocking that jab. “I get why you’re worried. But who are you angry with?”