Loyal

Chapter 17

Colin's POV

I close the door and turn to find Leah facing me, her arms crossed in front of her. She points towards the front door, her lips pursed. I walk past her, heading towards the parking garage.

Leave. That word matched with Vera's voice keeps replaying in my mind as I make my way to the elevator. A little boy hops out with his father as the doors open, jumping up and down with a football. I move to let them pass as I press the down button.

"Hey! Are you-" The little boy turned back to me, pointing his little finger in my direction. I smile at him and his dad.

"Colin Kaepernick? Nah....I get that a lot though," I smile, getting into the elevator. The little boy squints his eyes at me as the doors close.

It's not a lie. I don't feel like myself. I haven't felt like myself lately. As the elevator opens into the parking garage I unlock the jag, feeling like everything is going in slow motion around me. I get into the car and sit in the driver's seat, trying to piece together what the fuck just happened.

I think about her smile, the way she shyly looked at me when she thought I wasn't paying attention. Vera is it. She is worth it. She's talking like she doesn't deserve me, like she isn't be able to find a place in my world. But the reality is, I'm not good enough for her. I grip the steering wheel, taking my phone out of my pocket. I scroll through the contacts, knowing only one person I can talk to about this.

I click on DangerRuss and begin to text.

Bro, u there?

I sit there for a while, waiting for Russell to text me back. He's the quarterback for my team's biggest rival, but he's also one of the realest dudes I could talk to.

Kaep daddy! What's good baby?

I text back right away.

Gotta talk bro, u busy? lady troubles.

He answers almost immediately.

Yeah we can talk 4 a little, about to take Ashton out for din.

I press call on his contact under my phone, and it barely has to ring.

"Colin, what's good my man?" Russell's voice comes through, happy as always.

"Man bro, I've been having lady problems," I say, still sitting in the parking garage.

"Lady problems? As in some ladies won't leave you alone?" he laughs. I rub my face trying to figure out where to start. I explain to him my whole situation with Vera, everything that happened leading up to now. Russell listens, quiet on the other end.

"Dang bro, she's gotchu," Russell says finally. I nod, that's for damn sure. She has me and she probably doesn't even know it. 

"She said she wants space bro, but after today...after everything that happened. I don't know if I could do that. She ain't like other girls," I say.

"I never thought I would ever hear you say that," Russell lets out another laugh. "Look, I think if you don't give her space you'll push her even further away from you," he says. "Women are very complex creatures. I think she isn't used to the idea of a quarterback in the NFL bein sweet on her too. Give her some breathing room, let her figure it out," he finishes.

I sit back in the jag, my head leaning on the headrest of the driver's seat. Breathing room. Space. And I'm just starting to get close to her.

"But I gotta go bro, Ashton is givin me the eye," Russell says.

"Aight bro, preciate it," I say, ending the call. I put my phone into the cupholder, and pause before starting the car. Space. I shake my head at the word, reversing out of the Cedarcrest parking garage.