Love and Basketball (LaMelo Ball Story)

~21~

"Zo, take me home." I say, and he gives me a look. "I'm not here for this."

"Well I am!" Nat says from the audience.

"You two aren't leaving until y'all work out your problems." Zo says.

"I already said what I needed to say. I'm done."

"It sounds like you had a lot of bottled up-" Dr. Phil starts.

"Anger, yeah, yeah." I say, rolling my eyes. "Obviously. This nigga jumped to conclusions before he even knew the full story, and he really thought I was the kind of girl to cheat on him like that."

"What was I supposed to think? That nigga was all up on you!"

"You're saying that like I had a choice!"

"Well, you're communicating, which is something. We have a back room if you two would like to talk in private." Dr. Phil says.

"I think I'm-"

"Yes, actually, we would." I say, cutting Melo off. He raises an eyebrow as I walk to the back room. Melo walks in after me and I close the door behind us.

"How did you go from not wanting to talk to coming into the back room with me."

"I want to give you my full side of the story. I kept telling him that I had a boyfriend. He wouldn't listen! All he saw was a drunk girl to take advantage of. And I know, it's my fault for allowing myself to be put in that position. But when I tell you I was being faithful to you the entire time, I mean it."

"What about when he was on you?"

"I couldn't move, LaMelo! I tried my hardest, but all I saw were those two guys... Beating me and..." I broke down into tears. I felt like the weight of the world was on me. I tried to keep these feelings bottled up, but I couldn't do it anymore.

I felt arms wrap around me, and I looked up to see LaMelo, giving me the saddest face. It was almost the same face he made the night we broke up.

"Babygirl, you know I'm stupid. I just... when me and Olivia broke up, it's cause I found her with another dude. I went to her house to give her a gift. She been bugging me bout some Gucci flip flops, so I got them for her and was gonna give em to her. When I got there, she was under some dude butt naked.

"I thought it was happening again, and I lost it. I didn't even think about your feelings, which was stupid."

"Yeah, it was." I say, letting out a small laugh. He lifts my chin so I was looking at him directly in the eyes.

"I don't know what the hell I would do without you. These past few weeks have been hell. I love you, Yara, with everything in me."

"I love you too, Melo."

"Will you please be my girl again? I won't mess up like this again, I promise. I'll love you every day, and I won't hurt you again."

"I don't know, Melo. I love you, I really do, but I dunno if I can handle this again."

"Please, babygirl. I need you." He says, tearing up. My hand moves to his cheek, and I kiss him.

"Okay." I say, once we pull away. "But if you fuck up again, it's over. It won't matter how much I love you."

"Thank you baby." He says, smiling. I smile back and kiss him again.

"Aw! My sons are back together!" Zo says, barging in.

"What the? Were you out there listening the whole time?" I ask.

"There's cameras in here. We were watching from the video room." Zo says, and I look at him in surprise.