Memoir | Klay Thompson

28 // Puzzles

"Why even show up at my place,
when you knew I didn't want to see you?" Cameron stood in the Brown household kitchen as Michelle frowned at Maurice.

"Now why would you go over there?"

"Michelle, can you give us a moment?" Maurice asked. "In my house?"

"Chelle, let's give them time to talk." Jerome encouraged. The eldest Brown was sick of the shenanigans. Michelle loved Cameron and hated that her and Maurice didn't work out, but not enough to force them together to keep the friendship. Jerome just wanted his home to not be a battle zone.

Once Michelle and Jerome left the kitchen, Cameron shot daggers at Maurice. She wish he would've stayed away.

"Listen I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology. I would like to be done with this." Cameron didn't find a need to talk much longer. 

"You don't. Cameron I know you, you probably still hold hatred for your family." She shook her head, not wanting to talk about them at all.

"No. Don't talk about my family. It's not about them. This is about being done with you. And I am."

"If you were so done with me, why did Michelle send me those cups you gave her?"

Different levels of rage were being unlocked through this conversation. When Cameron thought something was off about everyone getting sick at the game, she took the cups to get tested for drugs. Michelle said she knew someone who could help. Cameron wouldn't have suspected enlisting Maurice.

"Why do you have the cups?" She groaned. "Because, I do investigative journalism and I have connects do you want my help or not?"

"I rather go without it."

"And risk it happening to your friends again?" 

Cameron thought about it, she would love the help, she knew that someway, somehow their drinks were spiked. But she didn't have the proof. And although many months have passed since that specific basketball game, every time she walked into the arena or saw a cup of alcohol being bought, she had this weird feeling. She would feel terrible, if this were to happen again, especially to the people she had love for.

••••

"It's not the same."

"Klay, you're not in the relationship. You could literally fuck who you want, what's the problem with that?" Gabby, his old flame asked while at a networking event.

"The problem is, I actually want to be in a relationship with my current partner."

Gabby yawned. She didn't believe Klay for a moment. The socially awkwardly man, was a menace behind closed doors. She enjoyed sex with him, and knew others did too. His sudden change on behavior felt like a rouge.

"Klay, please. I cannot take that seriously." She laughed sipping more of her cranberry and vodka. Gabriene Nesmith was an heiress to the Nesmith Editorial Coalition. They were heavily involved in the modeling world.

"Gabby, I don't need you to take it seriously. I just need you to respect it." He shrugged, he only came to this event to accompany Delia.

"So who is the mystery girl? Does she even know what you like?" Gabby flirted, by now her hand rested on his forearm. She knew how much Klay liked physical touch. This was a very private event. No cameras, no tabloids, no media. She leaned into him, whispering in his ear. "Does she fuck better than me?"

••••

Delia snuck off to call Jordan. She was drunk and upset he couldn't be her date. He was in Milwaukee doing a family thing on his small break and couldn't pass the chance to have both of his sisters home for the weekend.

"I miss you Lili too, I'll be back in two days." He laughed, Delia was being a brat. They were close, they just refused to admit any feelings to one another. Delia recently began being open with Cameron about it. The whole team knew Jordan was interested in Delia, no one understood why he hadn't said anything to her. It had been awhile since the new years kiss and they pretend it didn't happen.

"That's too long." She pouted. Jordan thought it was adorable that she had a reason to express herself. "What you want me to do?"

"Well I don't want you to leave your family, that's selfish. Umm, I don't know tell me you miss me again." She giggled. "How much you had to drink?"

"Glass of champagne, glass of wine, a rum and coke which was nasty. I don't know why I even drank that."

"And Klay is taking you right?" She nodded rapidly while smiling on the couch she sat on. "Yeah, he's taking me home. I don't wanna talk about him, I wanna talk about you."

"What about me?" Jordan adjusted his hoodie over his head. He had been playing 2K, but now how fully attention was on his iPad, looking at her. "What we doing when you come home?"

"We?" He questioned, "What you wanna do Miss Carter?"

Delia thought about it, her intoxicated brain working overtime. "I would like dinner."

"That can be done, what else?"

"Actually you know what... I don't care about dinner, we do that enough. We do everything together except fuck and I'm tired of it. So what's up Poole?"

Jordan was taken back by her sudden change in tune. I mean of course he wanted to do that with Delia. From the day he met her, he wanted her, but soon learned she was more than a good time between the sheets.

"Delia Juvelle Carter, for my mental health I need you to stop playing with me."

"I'm not."