whatever it takes - odell beckham jr.

chapter eighteen

the smile that spreads across his face should be enough to make me take my answer back. except, i know deep down, my situation is already bad enough and i won't be able to get back to my stable state by myself.

i don't have a job, i'm not in school here, and let's be honest. i'm terrified at the thought of going back to my apartment.

i could go back home to michigan. but, then i would have to admit my defeat to everyone and anyone there. plus, my dad doesn't exactly know that i dropped out of school and the last thing i wanna do is disappoint him.

⚭

"we're here." odell glances over at me, flashing a small smile before punching in a code at the gate.

"good. the excitement was just about killing me." i tell him unable to keep the dryness out of my voice.

"yeah." he rolls his eyes as the gate starts to swing open. "i can tell. the enthusiasm is practically radiating off of you."

i've been nothing but quiet since the moment our plane touched the ground. and once i was alone with odell in his car, i've kept my mouth clamped shut the entire time.

i lean forward slightly in my seat as the large black wrought iron gate opens wide enough for the car to fit through, and we begin to drive through slowly.

the driveway is black asphalt, completely shaded by the massive mature trees that surround both sides of the driveway. as we drive a little bit further, i sit a little more forward in my seat as the trees become sparser and everything opens up.

as if we've just transpired into another world, instantly i'm met with a lush green lawn, areas of large dune grass and other plants meticulously maintained in multiple different gardens. we are now back in full sunlight and as we turn the corner, the house comes into view. i'm smiling wide and staring out of the window as the scene surrounds me. it's just too beautiful to keep a straight face at.

"this is my home." he tells me proudly, and still i can do nothing but stare in awe.

ahead of me lies a white tudor style home that seems to go on for miles; it's pretty enormous. there's a large front porch, all red brick, and it covers the entire middle of his home.

"garage is back that way." he nods his head towards the back of the house. "we can park here for now to unload."

"great." my once piss poor attitude has changed significantly. and now, i don't really know what to feel.

"i'll grab the suitcases if you wanna grab the lil man." he smiles towards adonis, who fell asleep just a few minutes into the ride. i nod my head in agreement as i step out of his car on shaky legs.

glancing around, i can barely believe it. i expected his home to be nice and i also expected it to be large. but this–

never did i expect him to be living in his own damn fortress, in a mansion on a piece of land large enough to require its' own zip code.

i exhale loudly, giving my head a shake and reaching down into the backseat of the car to unbuckle adonis and lift him into my arms. i wobble slightly, adjusting to the weight that is my two-year-old, steadying myself and waiting for odell to grab the bags. i follow behind him, watching him enter a code for the door.

"every door and every gate here are all a number code, okay? so, no keys, which makes life a lot easier."

"alright."

"the code is the same for every gate and door." he adds, leaning his body against the door in order to open it as soon as it unlocks.

once i get inside of his house, i suck in air. "wow, odell. it's beautiful."

he glances back at me, his eyes meeting mine briefly before a smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "thank you, it's taken a long time to get to this point. i've done almost all of the work here by myself."

"really?" my eyes try to take everything in but there's so much for me to see.

"yeah, i have a lot of time in the off-season. i like to spend it here, working on this place. since i never really had a home growing up, it's important for me to make this place my own. it's my first home, ever."

his words squeeze my heart, but not as much as the look on his face does.

while the world only sees one version of odell beckham jr, i know better than anyone that there's a whole other version that would never be uncovered to the public.

"well, you've done a good job. it's very nice."

he smiles before setting down our bags. "i can give you a tour if you want or if you're real tired, i can show you to your room."

as much as i dislike the man, still. the eager look on his face to show me his house is evident. and i am curious to see it, especially since i will be living here. so, i nod. "sure."

"good." he grins, before reaching over to me and grabbing adonis out of my arms. "he looks heavy."

i open my mouth to argue, but snap it shut just as quickly. i agree with him. adonis weighs more than a ton, and i think this tour might take some time. so instead of arguing i simply follow behind him, letting him show me around.

trying to pay attention to the house tour does pose just a slight difficulty. it's impossible to ignore the fact that the view of his behind is rather spectacular. i try to force my eyes up, doing my best to pay attention and keep track of where everything is.

we walk through the living room which looks like it's never been sat in. shortly after, he leads me into the kitchen, where my eyes widen over the beauty of all the high-end appliances.

he shows me his gym, study, and game room, too many bathrooms to count, several guest bedrooms. and then finally his award room.

i pause in the doorway, my eyes scanning the scene.

jerseys hang in shadow boxes, covering the walls along with various trophies and medals stacked on shelves. i feel my eyes widen with surprise once they land on his high school jersey, the same one that i used to sit in the stands and watch him play in before my eyes connect back with his.

he's watching me. and when i turn my head, our eyes meet. "you remember that one?"

i give him a nod. he holds my gaze for a bit longer, and i had to be the one who pulled my eyes away before things got a bit too intense for my liking. as i spin to leave the room, i catch sight of his college jersey displayed on the opposite wall.

"i never did get to see you play in that one. but, then again, you were pretty much over me."

he steps in front of me, blocking my view of the jersey prior to staring at me hard. "see, that's where you're wrong. i've never gotten over you." i couldn't stop the disgusted sound from leaving my mouth. but as i try to get past him, he moves again, causing me to nearly run into him. "i mean it."

"oh, for real? forgive me for having a tough time believing you, odell. you seemed to have no problem getting over me even while you still had me."

"it wasn't like that, ira."

i snort. "i saw you with my own two eyes. it was exactly like that."

his jaw tightens, a look flashing in his eyes. and it's enough for me to swallow hard before taking a big step backwards.

"hear me out, let me explain what was going on through my head back then. i'm not making any excuses at all. but, i think that if you would just let me–"

"no." i disagree. "listen, i really don't wanna do this. can we just finish this tour already? i'm tired. and the only thing i wanna do right now is to take a shower, unpack and then go to bed."

he stares at me for just a second longer, finally sighing with a nod of his head. he slides to the side, moving out of my way and letting me creep past him.

this whole thing is turning out to be a lot more harder than i pictured it out to be. for one, i would kind of liked to hear him out. not that there's any excuse for what he did to me, but even after all this time some kind of explanation would be nice.

however, if i think about it, i don't think it's a good idea. it doesn't matter at this point anyhow, so why keep reliving the past?