whatever it takes - odell beckham jr.

chapter thirty-six

i totally cave. i can't imagine sitting here for another second without a release.

"excuse yourself to the bathroom and wait for me in the main hallway. i'll be right behind you."

i shove back my chair as quietly as i can, before turning on shaky legs, totally ignoring all the heads that turn in my direction. by the time i make it to the hallway, i'm panting and shaking. odell wasn't kidding. he's no more than thirty seconds behind me.

without a word his arms wrap around my waist, and i'm pulled down the hallway. a door is opened, and i'm tugged inside. we're in a small coat closet, but at this point, i really don't care.

in a split second, i'm pushed against the door whilst his lips ram on mine. i hear his zipper about a second before his hands are on my thighs, shoving my dress up to my waist. he grabs my ass and lifts me high, moving his hips forward and sliding into me.

my head falls back against the door as i moan, not long before his mouth covers mine to shut me up, whilst he swallows down my sound. it's so dark in here that i can barely see him, i can only hear the soft grunts leave his mouth, and the sensation of him fucking me hard against the door.

"i love you." he breathes into my mouth. "i love you so much, baby."

"i love you too." i groan, meaning every word. and i do. all my walls come crashing down, as we finish together, whilst he grips me tightly, his ragged breath coming in pants against my skin.

"does your offer still stand?" i finally manage, once i can catch my breath enough to speak.

"what offer is that, baby? you mean my mouth right here?" his finger trails my sex, causing my hips to buck against him.

"what? oh, god. always that." i feel his smirk against my neck as i continue to cling tightly to him. "but that's not what i meant."

his whole body freezes as his breath catches in his throat. "what offer do you mean then, ira?" he sets me onto my feet before fumbling in his pocket for his phone, turning on his flashlight. our eyes meet, as he leans in closer. "tell me, baby. what offer?"

"what you asked me last night."

"do you mean–"

i nod as his face breaks out into a huge grin. "hell yeah, it does. what are you saying to me then, ira? you wanna marry me?"

"yes." i bite my lip, waiting for his reaction. his entire face lights up and i'm wrapped back up into his arms.

"you're gonna marry me." he repeats, plastering three kisses against my lips.

⚭

"i'm gonna go and get another drink." i nudge odell, who pulls his attention away from one of the seemingly million people i've met tonight. he hesitantly releases his hold from my waist, before glancing up towards the bar.

"fine. but don't be gone for too long." he presses a quick kiss to my lips, turning his attention back to the group of older men.

i nearly float to the bar, high on life right now, and feeling like nothing in the world could bring me down. except, the feeling is short lived. the second i receive my glass of wine from the bartender, i'm nearly bombarded by a sea of obsidian.

a beautiful woman with a head full of black curls in a navy dress—so tight it literally leaves nothing to the imagination—steps in front of me before levelling her piercing brown eyes at me.

"i thought that i should come and introduce myself." she tells me, her eyes trailing the deep v in my dress before she wrinkles her nose and her eyes snap up to my face. she sticks out a manicured hand, taking mine limp into hers, the same way you would grab something sticky. an instant distaste for her fills my mouth.

"i'm braelin." she tells me, pulling her hand back with another wrinkle of her perfect, small fake nose.

"i'm ira."

"i know who you are. i can read." at my confusion, she sighs dramatically. "it's not like your picture hasn't been in the media."

"right." i take a step back from her, glancing over her shoulder and spotting odell, who's in deep conversation and not paying me any attention.

"i'm not sure what exactly this is that you have going on here, but i will have you know, that odell is a very eligible bachelor. and my friends and i–" she nods her head to the right, towards a table filled with women, all beautiful and dressed very similar to her in gowns that are incredibly tight. "well, we don't think you're good for him."

"excuse me?" i reel back as if i've been slapped, before shaking my head. "frankly, i don't care what you and your friends think. odell and i are happy–"

a scoff leaves her lips. "you think that you could make him happy? oh, my precious. look at him, and then look at you! he could do so much better for himself, and i think you know it."

my stomach drops at her words, as she once again glances over me with a look of pure hatred.

"i'm not sure what made him go digging at the bottom of the barrel this time, but we both know he'll bore out of you quickly. so, you might aswell enjoy your short time with him, because that's all it could ever be for you. he'll come running back to me, the second you're not around, and then he'll realise that being stuck with someone like you is a prison sentence."

"i don't know who in the fuck you think you are–"

"oh, well let me tell you then. i'm the one that o spends time with when he's on the road, i'm the one whose bed he can't seem to stay out of, i'm the one who he begs for another night with. you may think you have him, but trust me. he's always gonna want to make his way into my bed. and i'm always gonna let him."

i wanna say something back to this. really, i do. but, what do i say? i could tell her that she's insane, and dell loves me. but the fact remains, that we are talking about a man who has cheated on me in the past. the same man who professed his love for me before, and still cheated multiple times. 

and now? knowing that i will literally will be in competition with this woman, and probably countless others, for the rest of my life? everything that had been rose coloured and seemingly perfect has melted down around me. and i realise that i am nothing more than a utter fool, for ever allowing odell beckham jr back into my life and back into my heart.

"enjoy tonight, ira-reice. because after this? i'm taking that delicious man back, and there isn't a damn thing for you to do to stop me."

"good fucking luck." i growl at her as he throws her head back, letting an icy laugh leave her botox injected lips.

"i don't need any luck in that department. odell messes around here and there, but he always comes back to me. always." she emphasises, giving me one last snooty grin before sashaying off towards her group of friends, who are all watching the scene unfold in front of them with huge smiles.