Maxwell ~ Present
"What was so important that you had to fly out here?" I greet my manager at the Atlanta airport and hand him the coffee he requested.
"Do you want to do this here?"
"Absolutely." I gesture to a seating area and walk that way.
I'm hoping this is good news. Best case scenario I'm getting traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Worst case, they're sending me somewhere I don't want to go.
"I've been vouching for you, but there is only so much I can do." He runs his hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "The Hawks didn't want you."
"Dammit." I grip my paper coffee cup hard and some of the hot liquid spills over. I shake it off and reach for the napkins. "Am I staying in New Orleans?"
"No." He sighs, "You're going to be traded to the Charlotte Hornets."
I sit back in my chair and let the information process. Charlotte is four hours away from Atlanta, but I guess that's better than New Orleans, which is almost seven hours away.
"It's better than nothing. Maybe I can finally win a championship with the Hornets."
"That's the spirit. I know Atlanta is your home, but Charlotte is still a part of the south and it's just a trip down I-85."
I nod at him, not telling him that it isn't Atlanta that's my home. It's Rylie.
Having to move to Charlotte in a few short weeks will make winning her over more difficult.
I haven't seen her in two weeks. Not since I told her what really happened.
I thought she would have more questions. The shit I said to her back then was awful, and it's been eating away at me for years.
I didn't cheat on Rylie. I asked that girl to take a video of me and post it, knowing Rylie would see it. I didn't want to hurt her, but I was also selfish. I wasn't going to be able to let Rylie go if she didn't absolutely hate me.
She had to hate me. In my eighteen-year-old mind, that was overwhelmed and potentially facing a murder charge if things didn't go my way, I needed Rylie to hate me.
Because I loved her so much. I never quit loving her, but I thought she was better off without me. I thought if I told her I'd done something as heinous as sleeping with another girl, she'd hate me forever.
My plan worked, but fuck, I wish I could take it all back.
If I would've known that everything would end up working out, I wouldn't have ever sabotaged us. But I had no way of knowing then, and what-ifs can go good or bad. If they wouldn't have gone in my favor, I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself for dragging her down with me. She didn't deserve to come to visitations while I was behind bars, but I know she would've. Instead of taking that chance, I let her go.
As the years went by and I'd hear how she was doing through my family, I always ached at the thought of her moving on with her life. To her, it seemed like I moved on, too. I even changed back my number, but not because I didn't love her. I changed my number because it hurt knowing that was our little secret and that she could've been creating more secrets with someone new.
To Rylie, I committed the ultimate crime. I cheated. The truth is, I haven't even slept with anyone else since her.
It's pathetic. I'm in the NBA. I'm richer than I know what to do with. Women throw themselves at me. I won't lie, when I found out Rylie had a boyfriend, I tried. I went out several times in search of someone who would pique my interest.
![](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/272755514-288-k91397.jpg)
YOU ARE READING
At the Right Time
RomanceMaxwell Rossi is a star. He's in the NBA and quickly becoming a legend. Until an injury takes him out of the game and ends his team's season. Now, he has to figure out his future while also coming to terms with his past. The one thing he wants more...