The Choice ✔︎ Blake Griffin

32✔︎ Spilled Beans

I dedicate this chapter to QueenReignsSupreme! I can't thank you enough for your support of all of my writing. It's one thing for someone to comment once or vote once, but you voted on all of my stories and poetry, and you left comments, too! So thank YOU for motivating me to keep writing! I really appreciate it! 😩😂☺️😍🙌🏾❤💖

Blake

Sweat dripped from my forehead and down my arms as I rested my hands on my knees during another free throw. As to be expected, this game had gotten way too chippy, and both teams were already in the bonus with eight minutes left in the half. I was already on edge being in the same building as Trenton, but seeing his shit-eating grin every time I looked over caused an anger to build inside of me that I haven't felt in awhile. I was trying to figure out how I could keep from beating his face in, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head. If anything, I was recalling our last meeting when I told him I'd cause him lifelong damage if he even thought about Jubilee for too long.

I couldn't lie. I really wanted to keep my word.

But on the other hand, Jubilee's entire family was in the stands watching. I felt the pressure to do as her father said and show him that I could handle this Trenton situation, the pressure to be a great role model for Justice and Julius who planned to play professionally one day, and the pressure to continue to be the man Ford needed me to be and Jubilee wanted me to be. Not to mention this was my first game back, so my trainers and coaches told me to take it easy, but I was struggling with finding that balance because I just wanted to play like I always had. I quickly found out that that wasn't going to happen.

My arm got tired so fast that I ended up focusing much more on my defense than my offense and just ran the fast break when I could. I was so wound up by what I wanted to do, versus what I needed to do, versus what I could and should do emotionally, physically, and mentally. It wasn't even halftime, and this game had already taken more out of me than I could ever imagine.

I almost immediately got tangled up with DeMarcus Cousins on a fast break play in the first quarter. He did the cowardly thing, wrapping me up around the waist to keep me from being able to attempt a dunk and gave an extra shove when he let go. I normally tried to stay as far away from the Boogie circus as possible, but I wasn't letting anything slide tonight. I got in his face, and we exchanged some choice words and earned double techs. And then it continued to go downhill from there.

DJ was of course riled up because of what happened between me and Boogie, so a few plays later he swatted one of Boogie's shots into the stands and stared him down, which, unsurprisingly, led to two more techs. Austin Rivers and Rudy Gay got into it, too and then, Trenton finally decided to get in the mix right before halftime.

I had rolled out to the left corner in front of the Kings' bench after setting a pick for CP, so he drove into the paint before dishing out a pass to me for the three, and Trenton uttered his first words, "I'm back Griffin. You been takin care of my girl for me?"

A surprise to me based on the way my arm was feeling, I swished the three before turning around and staring him down, "Fuck off, stalker."

Of course the Kings' bench all stood up, and I smirked as I ran back down the court. The refs blew their whistles and paused the game, calling the coaches to the scorer's table to issue a warning to both teams to settle down or people would be ejected. I exited the gym and walked into the tunnel towards the locker room with my head down, frustrated, angry, and embarrassed at what had already gone down.

"BG?" Jubilee called my name as soon as I'd entered the tunnel.

My head shot up, and our eyes met, my heart sinking to my stomach when I saw the look of confusion, fear, and disappointment in her eyes.