Living For Tomorrow

Chapter 5 • I'll Be Waiting

Nuriel's POV

'How many drink would it take you to leave with me? Yeah you look good, and I got money but I don't wanna waste my time.' The music was blaring loud, my body was hot and there was so much going around me. Cassie and Treasure both had managed to leave me alone, leaving me stuck in drunk explicit thoughts of TJai. The party had reached it's peak and disappointment was far from what everyone came here got.

The basketball players were interacting with the social media personals and the instgram models were in full effect. Barely dressed, in every direction, girls with botched plastic surgery were taking pictures for the internet. "Hey, you plan on talking to anyone tonight at all?" Looking up I was broken from my observations.

Standing next me was one of TJai's teammates, D'Angelo Russell. He was dressed pretty causal for an all white event, but looked very nice none the less. His dreads were freshly twisted and his skin glowed. He actually had a really nice sex appeal, "no I came with my friends and they ditched me a few drinks ago. FYI I won't be partying with those bitches for another few months again, how do you just get someone drunk and leave them to fend for themselves at a random party?" The liquor was hitting me in waves, one minute I would be okay, the next I would be sad, or very angry.

D'Angelo laughed and took a seat on the couch next me where I sat. "Damn ma, I ain't a random, you know me. I can keep you company if you don't mind." Looking D'Angelo over once again, I smiled a bit before standing ready for my departure of the whole evening.

"Uhm actually I was just leaving. I'm kinda really drunk right now and don't need anything too drastic happening tonight, besides we're only mutuals through a friend if I'm being honest, I don't know you D'Angelo, thanks for the offer though." Turning to leave D'Angelo caught my wrist.

"Hey well let me drive you home at least. Yeah we're really not friends, but TJai my nigga and he got love for you. If you crashed or something tonight that wouldn't sit well with me. I'm a good guy."

"I'm taking an uber D'Angelo, but thanks again." Hearing D'Angelo mention TJai having love for me made my heart flutter a bit in my chest, he talked about me to friends. It made me happy and I was drunk just enough to text Tanajai.

D'Angelo still followed me through the crowd until we reached a clear area on the yacht. I wasn't worried about him trying anything because he always was such a sweetheart. D'Angelo was one of the only few of TJai's teammates to actually not be mean to me due to the fact that at most games I sat courtside I almost always cheered for the other team. D'Angelo would actually be someone I was attracted to if I wasn't so invested in being with TJai in my head. Taking my phone from my clutch I sent TJai a quick text.

"You want me to wait with you for your uber driver?" D'Angelo had a cup in his hand and drunk from the straw occasionally as he looked me up and down. "Nuri not to be disrespectful, but can I ask you a question?" Giving my full attention to D'Angelo who was starting to churn a fire in my body the more I looked at him, I awaited for his continual, "why you waiting on that nigga? You know how many niggas want a chance just get you in they presence, me included?"

Slightly taken back by the question I smacked my lips and rolled my eyes, "D'Angelo nobody's waiting on TJai, that's my best friend and that's that. He has a family, a whole girlfriend and baby on the way. Y'all niggas just ain't shit and I prefer to keep my time unwasted and wait for the right one to approach me."

D'Angelo took a step closer, closing the space between us, "trust me Nuriel, if I was TJai you'd be mine. Shit if you gave ME a chance you'd be mine–no games. If you really don't care about TJai, kiss me." The tone at the end of his sentence was a dare, condescending almost. D'Angelo was teasing me and daring me to prove I didn't have feelings for TJai and it scared me a lot, because not only did I want to kiss him, I could see the want in his eyes. The same want I had in my eyes plenty of times when TJai and I were alone. D'Angelo's words held nothing but truth and I could barely handle it.

Leaning down D'Angelo led the kiss and stupidly I followed. It started off slow as if he was testing to see if I would pull away and the longer we kissed the more he continued to deepen what was going on. There were the sparks, millions of tiny butterflies dancing amongst themselves in my abdomen, my mind was fogged, and most importantly I was no longer thinking about Tanajai Stewart. D'Angelo was my antidote to the famous TJai virus that had taken over my body, but I wasn't ready to for healing.

Pulling back to catch some air I smiled into D'Angelo's palm as he cupped my face. "Still wanna wait for that uber?" Shaking my head no, he pulled his keys out and took lead to the docks. "You wanna go get something to eat?"

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We ended up eating a twenty-four hour diner on the southside of Malibu and I was actually enjoying myself. When I would was with Kyle it was exclusively household activities only, no evening dates outside of the house, in order to make sure paparazzai didn't label us an item with Kyle being a high profiled attorney. He didn't want the media labeling me as his girlfriend and then always being seen with TJai when he was gone handling business. Kyle and I were fuck only buddies and he just so happened to fall in love with me during the process. I couldn't just sit here and lie saying that there had been no emotions on my end attached to Kyle, but when in comparison to TJai he didn't make me feel the same way.

Laughing at D'Angelo as he whispered into my ear, I tried not choking on the pancakes in my mouth, "so wait, not only did you miss a wide open layup, you also missed the game winning free throw?" Nodding D'Angelo took a sip of his drink from the glass.

We were sitting side by side, I was closest to the window and he sat on the outside. We were in a booth furthest in the back of the diner alone and I was enjoying his company. "It was one of the reasons they traded me to Brooklyn, they just hadn't expected me to make it to the playoffs. I mean yeah we got put out after the first round, but they didn't even make it that year, so I mean who really won? Shit TJai put em back on for real and then the team fell into play once Lebron retired. I really only came back this season to change the scenery, I was tired of the east coast winters."

Leaning up I placed an unexpected kiss on D'Angelo's face, "thank you for not taking me to your place tonight. If we're being honest here, TJai and I are going through this really complicated stage, where I wanna be there for him as a friend, but growing up how we did I feel like it should be something more. I know it's not love because if it was I wouldn't be able to kiss you the way I did earlier. Just when I think about him, I see myself being in Syven's spot. I see it being me he comes home to, then yet again I can feel myself falling in love with someone else, say it be you or anyone else. I really think I need to space myself away from him for a minute."

D'Angelo didn't say anything and I thought I had scared him away, "my basketball season doesn't start for another few months. Let's travel Nuri, as friends. Hear me out before you say anything; I want a fair chance at you, but not if you're in love with Tanajai the way you think you feel. It wouldn't be fair to anyone. So what I say is take a break from it all and travel with me; everything paid for, we have seperate rooms for the sake of us being just friends, but Nuri at any point if you feel I have a shot at us be honest and tell me. I'll give you the world only if you let me." Tears formed in my eyes, partially because I was drunk- half because I was saddened. Why was another man willing to do what the one person, I thought I wanted, wouldn't.

"D'Angelo I don't know what to say, you're just so sweet and so nice to me." He took his thumb and wiped my tears as I tossed my head back frowning, "oh my god, I'm crying in front of you too."

D'Angelo chuckled and caused me to smile, "NurI you deserve to be waited on hand and foot, for you I'd wait and I will. Just say the words and we can leave tonight or whenever you want wherever you. Just please don't turn me away."

"Okay, we can go." I sat up and wiped my face some more smiling, "we can leave tonight D'Angelo- as friends."

(Tip #5. Love makes you do crazy things, but when it's real you gotta be crazy enough to walk away. - Syven Aortez)