Fallon
One month later.
I sat in the cafeteria as my students ate their lunch. I had finally decided to stay with second graders. They were sweet, and last year was amazing. Even though my heart wasn't really in teaching anymore, for now this was what I wanted.
It's been a month since I've seen Rylan. We spent a beautiful night together, talking and basking in each other's love. And I hadn't seen him since. As a matter of fact, I hadn't seen any of them. I know what happened that night, and I figured they all were dealing with the consequences of their actions on their conscious, but shit was weird. I was still staying with Rico and Sevyn because I didn't feel like my home with Rylan was still a home. And plus I was helping Sevyn go through her pregnancy since Rico was gone majority of the time. It was hard for me to watch her pregnancy flourish but I loved her, and she deserved every bit of happiness she was getting.
Trey was running past me with his friends, and I grabbed his arm.
"Hey!" I said.
"Oh hey auntie Fallon." He said wrapping his little arms around my neck. I missed him in my class. Trey was my baby. And I loved him so much I wanted to teach third grade just so I could teach him but they wouldn't let me.
"Hi baby. Why you running?" I asked.
"I was headed to recess but I'm late because my uncle came to see me in the office." He said smiling.
"Rylan?" I asked and my heart skipped a beat.
"Yep." He said smiling. He came to see Trey, and that was sweet of him but I also worked here.
"How's he doing?" I found myself asking.
"He said he's good, he wanted to come see me before he leaves again." He said and I grew sad. "Can I go play please?" He begged.
"Oh yeah I'm sorry see you later." I said kissing his cheek and he ran off.
Calling his phone. I listened to it ring.
Ry 🖤
"I ain't dodging you." He said laughing as he answered the phone.
"Now you're just lying." I said.
"I'm not, it was more so for me. I know I had to come catch this flight, and I wasn't even tryna leave you like that." He said.
"Where you headed this time?" I asked.
"I'm actually in Cali." He said and I nodded semi relieved he wasn't in Mexico. He told me that night he told Fabe he was done after that. And as far as I knew, he was doing just that.
"When are you coming back?" I asked.
"Tomorrow night, I actually want to talk to about something." He said.
"Okay, you want me to come over?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Okay just call me when you touch down, I'll be there." I said as my heart was skipping. I felt like a school girl who had a crush. The only difference is, that this crush was actually suppose to be my husband and the father of my children but life happened but he was still everything to me.
"I will, be safe Fal." He said.
"You too Ry." I said as we hung up.
I couldn't even lie, I was geeked to see him tomorrow.
I needed to tell him how I feel.
Rylan
"So you asked her to come over for what? So you can break her heart? Just keep it real with her and let her decide." Fabian said as we all sat around the large meeting table.
"For real, cus if you're so convinced that she ain't gone want no parts why you not giving her the option to choose?" Rico added.
"Cus it ain't no option. It ain't about if she wants parts, I don't want her apart of it. How can I say I love her then keep dragging her through this? I'm not doing that." I said shaking my head.
"Man I'm telling you now if I know my sister she ain't gone let it go that easy." Fabian said.
"Honestly. Come on think, you did this same shit the night you went to jail and look at how devastated she was behind it. Just take that into consideration." Rico said.
"I said no. I know me leaving her alone is going to hurt her, hell it's killing me. But I looked her in the face and told her I was done with the game. And granted shit ain't gone be the same, but it damn sure ain't gone be no place for her in my life. So no it ain't up for discussion, not with her and most definitely not with y'all." I said irritated. Why did every decision I made in my life have to be such an argument?
Looking at Bella she said nothing. Which was abnormal she hardly ever was this quiet.
The door opened and the three white men walked in.
"Gentlemen, and lady." One of the men said. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm David Wayne." He said taking a seat with the other men right behind him.
"Pleasure is ours." Fabian spoke.
"I want to get straight to the point. This is my lawyer Alec, and my financial advisor who is also my daughter Ivey." David spoke. And we nodded. "So my daughter tells me you want to buy us out." He said indeed getting straight to the point.
"She is correct. We want this entire team to be ours. Coming from the hood we never had anything like this, and this a great opportunity to rebrand ourselves." Fabian said semi telling the truth. And David nodded.
"It takes alot of heart, time and discipline to manage and own a basketball team. And the four of you look to be a strong crew but what makes you think you're up for the task?" He asked.
"If you let us buy the team out, it will only be the three of us on a day to day operations. We will do just fine. The question is if the money is right, what does it matter to you what we do with the team?" I asked ready to stop talking about meaningless shit.
"Rylan Henry, it is a great honor." He smiling at me. Weird ass. I said nothing just continued mugging this weird ass nigga. "I used to watch you play, as a teenager. I dreamed of having you to play for me one day. When you went to jail I was devastated. You had so much raw talent, and drive like I've never seen before." He said like he was reminiscing or something. Looking at Fabian I was already ready to back out this shit. This nigga was weird.
"But I'm no fool. I've done my research also which is why I have Alec present. What you do with this team is your business. But y'all are a liability. And this team is my legacy and I won't have it tarnished." He said growing serious. Now we were talking business.
"I can guarantee you, we will not tarnish your legacy. We're just trying to build ourselves up." Fabian said and David nodded. Passing David the check, his daughter took it looking over it. Her eyes grew wide before showing it to her father and his lawyer.
"All this for my little ole team?" He asked.
"Do you want it or not?" I asked.
"Just chill." Fabian said lowly to me.
"You boys really know how to make a deal." He said chuckling. Whispering to his lawyer I wanted to slam they ass on this table.
"One condition." David said.
"No conditions." Fabian said. We didn't have time to be partnered up with the white man, not with what we had to do.
"The team will still be yours 100%, only under the condition that Rylan plays and starts at every game." He said.
"No." I answered with no hesitation. I ain't no basketball player. I'm a hit man, and about to be a tattoo artist, basketball team owner and a bunch of other stupid shit. I ain't have time to be playing Steph Curry.
"The way our other businesses are ran, he can't commit to that obligation." Fabian said.
"I want him as a starting player, whenever it's convienent for him. And I want to rebrand the team around his face." David said.
"Hell no." I said growing angry. "I'm not plastering my face across no fucking basketball team. You say did your research, then you know why I went to jail. I'm nobody's roll model, and I don't want no kids looking up to a nigga like me." I said.
The room was silent for a moment.
"I'll give you 48 hours to sleep on it, but that is the only way I'm signing over my team. Deal or no deal. I'll have Alec draw up the contract." David said as they all left the room.
"It's not a horrible idea." Isabella said.
"Fuck no! Did y'all hear anything I said? I'm not doing it, so fuck it find another team." I said walking out the room. I was pissed. And David stood outside the door.
"What?" I snapped at this goofy nigga.
"I know what landed you in jail, and I know that you were sixteen years old. You don't have to let that shape the rest of your life. I'm giving you the opportunity to rewrite history. Change your story. No other team will let y'all have 100% of the team. This is the best deal you're going to get. I'm not trying to anger you young man, but I see so much potential in you, and I think you and your crew will be a great asset to the team. Just think on it." He said walking away. And how words were ringing in my ears.
