Page 74 of Love & Streetball

Mr. Stone’s eyes shifted toward me, then back to his son. I lowered my fork to the plate, no longer hungry. I didn’t need Kane defending me, but I loved that he did it without hesitation. He never allowed anybody to make me feel less than, not even the man who helped create him.

“Love?” Mr. Stone repeated with a humorless chuckle. “You’re about to enter the NBA, Kane. Your entire life is about to change. The last thing you need is to be tied down before your career even starts.”

My heart thumped hard against my chest. Kane had told me he loved me plenty of times, but hearing him declare it in front of his father hit differently. He was standing ten toes down on it in front of the one person who constantly questioned every decision he made.

“Tied down?” Kane’s face twisted. “Slim ain’t holding me back from shit. If anything, she one of the reasons I made it this far, and she’s going pro too, so… This is my life anyway.”

“I’m sure that’s what you believe right now.”

“Nah, that’s what I know,” Kane spat.

“Kane,” his mother warned softly.

“Nah, Ma. I’m tired of the disrespect he gives Slim. That’s a grown ass man, and…”

“You’re gotten real bold with your mouth,” Mr. Stone said, taking a step toward Kane, but he stopped. My head turned toward Kane and I saw why he stopped. Kane’s facial expression was menacing. His eyes were dark and his jaw was tightened. I just knew it would crack at any second.

“Kane, I’m not worried about how anyone feels about me, you shouldn’t either,” I let him know. Mr. Stone was just trying to scare me away and I wasn’t doing it. I was addicted to Kane now. There was no way I would let him come between that. If he couldn’t make us stop being friends back then, he definitely couldn’t stop our relationship now.

“Honey, we should leave so Kane can get ready and be on time. This is too much right now,” Mrs. Stone advised, now standing and smoothing out her yellow dress.

Mr. Stone’s nostrils flared. For a moment, I thought he was going to say something that would send Kane completely over the edge. Instead, he pulled one hand from his pocket and checked his watch.

“Today is not the day for this,” she said. “Our son is graduating from college. We’re supposed to be celebrating him.”

“I am celebrating him,” Mr. Stone argued.

“Then act like it.” She turned toward me. “Scottie, I’m glad you’re here to support him.”

I just nodded. Her warm smile eased some of the tension sitting on my chest. She grabbed her purse and walked toward the door. Mr. Stone followed, but he paused before leaving.

“We’ll see you at the center.”

Kane didn’t answer him. The door closed, and silence filled the apartment. I slowly turned toward Kane. He stood beside the table with both hands pressed against the back of the chair, his head lowered.

“You good?” I asked.

“I’m straight.” He released a hard breath. “I’m tired of that shit, Slim. Every time something good happen for me, he find a way to make it feel like I’m fucking up. I finished college. I’m about to get drafted. I ain’t got no kids running around, no criminal record, no scandals, nothing. But somehow, who I love is still a problem.”

I stood and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind. Kane’s body relaxed beneath my touch.

“Don’t let him ruin today,” I said against his back. “You worked too hard for this.”

“I’m not.”

“You were about three seconds away from cussing him out.”

“I still might.”

I laughed and pressed my cheek between his shoulder blades. “Not until after you walk across that stage.”

Two months later

WNBA Draft night

The lights were so damn bright that I felt like everybody in the building could see the sweat forming beneath my makeup. Cameras were everywhere, moving from table to table, waiting to catch somebody crying, celebrating, or looking disappointed when their name wasn’t called.

I sat between Mama and Kane with my hands locked tightly beneath the table. My agent and coach sat across from us, trying to keep me calm, but nothing they said to me was registering. All I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears.