Game Changer

Golden Rose

Aliyah POV

It was about that time for Christmas break and I was feeling bittersweet about going to New York. I'd been waiting to go to New York for a while but, it was also my first Christmas with Cameron. I knew it would be tough on us both. Plus, during break Cam would be super busy, traveling for away games in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Utah. Because we knew things would get crazy during these couple weeks apart, we decided to have Christmas early. We were both pretty bad at keeping secrets so, celebrating early was perfectly fine with the both of us. 

Cameron asked me to get her shoes, of course, and something special. When I asked her what something special was she told me whatever I could think of. We celebrated at my house under this Christmas tree we'd picked out together, it was fake but it smelled real. Sitting on the floor next to the fireplace with cups of hot chocolate and blankets wrapped around us, we started to open our gifts. 

Cameron got me some shoes that matched the ones she was wearing, a couple of gift cards to my favorite clothing stores, and a gold necklace with a rose on it. She wouldn't tell me what the rose meant when I asked about it, she just told me to never take it off. After I'd given her the gifts I bought, we watched This Christmas, and every other black Christmas movie we could think of, then we fell asleep under that Christmas tree next to that fireplace. The moment we had during our little Christmas was just what we needed before we left each other for two weeks

...

It's been a week plus since I've seen my almost girlfriend. New York has been so fun but all I can think about is how much better it would be if Cam was here. I and Cameron talk on the phone a lot, more than a lot but I still miss her. I was supposed to leave here in the next two days and meet Cam in Arizona but my family has plans I was unaware of before, and they want me to stay longer.

I'm not sure how to even bring it up to Cam, I know it'll make her upset. She never asks me to come to her games but, this time she asked and I said I would be there. I don't want to let her down or break her trust. When we talked about it she tried to play it cool but I knew she was hurt. She said she didn't mind if I stayed with family but, I could hear the hurt in her voice. I guess I have a tough decision to make.

Cameron POV

Liyah and I decided to do early Christmas at her house, she lived on her own which made everything easier. It was so hard for me to decide what I should get her but, I found some good stuff eventually. She opened her gift first then I opened mines. She got me shoes, Nike gear and something else that hadn't come yet so she wouldn't tell me what it was. That night felt like one of the best nights I'd had with any woman I was dating.

 Without any physical interaction, we were both becoming closer to one another. For the rest of the night, I and Liyah just talked about any and everything. I was not excited about her going to New York for Christmas break but I wasn't too concerned, we'd both be busy. The last away game of my long road trip during the break was in Arizona, Liyah said she'd be there. The next morning, we ate breakfast and prepared for our trips. I dropped her off at the airport that afternoon then went to the school and hopped in the team van.

...

These past two weeks without Liyah have been hard but I think we are handling it well. I told her we have to come back and visit these places in the summer, especially Oregan. Not to toot my own horn but I've also been hooping in these away games, averaging about 25.7 points a game and 5.9 assists. In the Arizona game though, when my baby is here I am going to play my best game ever I just know it. 

Aliyah texts me and asked me to call her so, I did. When she told me, she wouldn't be able to make the Arizona game I was disappointed. I couldn't ask her to choose me over her family, that's selfish. However, I so badly wanted her to choose me. After that conversation, we spoke a little more than I had to go to bed because of team curfew.