Basketball is Not Life

Chapter Thirty-One

He is about to open his mouth. Probably to tell me goodnight, but instead, I pull him into my room. He hesitates slightly, and part of me wonders if it's because he knows my past.

I tug on his arm harder, and he finally gives in, walking into the room. "Why?" He asks.

"Because this is almost near a perfect Christmas, and I would like to end it as close to perfect as I can. Plus..." I hesitate.

He finishes my thought for me. "You sleep better when I'm with you." I nod, looking down at my feet. He kisses me on the cheek, surprising me. "Good because the same is for me." His words send goosebumps throughout my body. And I wonder if I'll ever get sick of this feeling. Parker holds me as I drift off to sleep.

Unfortunately, we had an early start, and in the morning, we are scrambling to throw our clothes in wherever they fit and presents being tossed about. Jim was drinking coffee as he watched the two of us scrambling about. It was bittersweet leaving. I think I could have stayed another week and been content. Everyone else was staying a few more days.

I waited in the car as Jim and Parker had a brief conversation. There are stressed lines around Parker's eyes when he gets into the car. He is quiet and does not play any music, his hands gripping the steering wheel. I reach over and grab one of his hands. He doesn't react at first, and I realize whatever he and his dad was talking about was terrible.

He sighs and lets go of the steering wheel with his right hand, and leeches onto my hand. "He wants me to find a new roommate." He laughs out. "Doesn't think this is in my best interest."

"By this, do you mean me?" I wince.

"He thinks you are great. Just with basketball right now, he doesn't think I should be thinking about anything too serious."

I swallow and nod my head, not knowing what to say to that. Because did I really need to be getting into anything serious after the very long and horrible three-year relationship I had been in.

"I understand." I nod again; it was a habit I needed to quit doing. I remove my hand and place it in my lap.

"Ren. Don't."

But it was already too late. I was closing in on myself.

"I told him that his opinion was noted. And that I did not give a damn what he thought on the matter. I don't give up, Ren. And trust me, I'm not giving up on whatever this is. I'm in." He grabs my hand again. As he tosses his phone to me and tells me to find music or a podcast. And even though I turned it to some sports podcast I knew he liked, all I could think about was how in he seemed to be. And honestly, it scared me a little.

Giddy was an understatement that we would have a house to ourselves again. We just had to make it through basketball practice.

The door didn't close fast enough after we got home from the gym. I don't know if his mouth was on mine first or if I had thrust myself onto his. It was messy, and it was fast. He had my back pushed up against the wall by the stairways. His hands were roaming in all the safe spots, but he was touching as much of me as he could. My adrenaline was pumping more than I had ever felt. I wanted him in the worse way.

Clapping echoed behind us not shortly after our lip-locking had occurred.

"I knew something was going on, but I never would have imagined this," Melissa said, perched at the kitchen counter. She glares over at Parker. "Dad had me come home early. And you know what I'm going to say...."

"No" Parker stands there, slightly out of breath shaking his head.

"You know the rules, Parker. No dating during basketball. He's been pretty lenient on all the other rules. But he's not willing to bend on this one." Her words are soft. She looks at me finally, and I can see the look of mistrust in her eyes. Our friendship was on thin ice if we even had one left. "You have to move out."

My mouth drops open slightly. And then I start to nod my head.

Parker's eyes go wide. "No. I just got you. No."

"It's fine," I say, but my eyes are holding back the tears that want to spill down. She had asked about his dating life enough times that I should have assumed it was part of the contract I have signed.

"No." He shakes his head again at me. He walks over to Mellisa. "I'm out."

Melissa's face goes slack for a second, and then her poised face is back. "Really?"

"I will quit basketball."

I'm standing watching both of them. Did he just say he would quit...

"Parker, basketball is in your DNA more than dads. There's no way." She's calling his bluff.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I couldn't quit basketball, but I could go play for Duke next year or any other D1 team that will take me. Remember, Michigan State is dad's dream. I hear Duke needs a point guard." He pauses, looks over his shoulder at me, and smiles. "Heck, the more I'm thinking of this idea, the better it sounds."

I stay by the stairs, not moving.

Mellisa scoots off the chair, looks at him, and then at me. "At least make sure you are using protection." And then she leaves out the front door.

I'm sinking down onto the stairs, and Parker walks back over to me. The crazy frenzy we had found ourselves in mere minutes before is long gone. Parker slinks down to be on my level. "Well, that was a turn of events." His forehead lands on mine. I nod, lost in thought.

"She said no dating during basketball."

He nods. "It's normally the rule, yes. I haven't had a girlfriend long term ever." He shrugs in front of me as if he's saying the sky is blue, and I push his shoulders, so he lands on his butt in front of me. "What was that for?"

"The bet... I bet you no dating during basketball and this whole time... that's why you laughed at it. Because you knew."

He's got a goofy maniac grin on his face. "Out of everything I just said. That was what you heard?" He comes closer to me. His hands resting on my knees. "Also, I was laughing because the whole time I thought what it would be like to date you. And because I knew you would have to go to every single basketball game of mine."

I roll my eyes at him.

He looks at me. Really looks at me. "Ren. I would do it."

"Do what?" I asked.

"Give up basketball." I shake my head at his words. "I would."

I hold my hand up and arch my back to give me some space from him. "Parker. Stop. I would never ask that or you. You barely know me."

He gives me a deadpan stare as if I'm dumb. "I know enough. Yes, I keep finding things out about you, but I'm all in. Wherever this goes."

"Why?" He raised his eyebrows at my question. "Why me?"

"When you know, you know." He smiles at me. "Not to be unattractive or anything, but I smell, and I'm going to go shower." His eyes get a glint in them, and I'm wondering if he is wondering about asking me to join him. And part of me is tempted. But he kisses me on the lips, stands, and goes upstairs. I sit there thinking about how he sounded when he told Melissa. It didn't sound like a bluff. 

Parker finds me later wrapped in a blanket in my PJs, watching a Christmas movie. I had popped popcorn and wondered if I should appease his family and find a new place to stay. We would never get past this later on with his family if I didn't.

"Whatcha thinking about?" He asked, plopping down next to me, his arm snaking around me.

"That I wish I could stay here forever." I snuggled into his arm. He wrapped his second arm around me, and we stayed like that until he lifted me up and carried me to bed.