Page 3 of Saved By the Game

“Really? You would do that for me?”

“Yes, beautiful. I want to see you happy. You deserve everything your heart desires. What other hobbies do you have?”

“I love to bake. I bake all types of sweets, like cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and candy. I plan to open a bakery one day. Although, my ex took the fun out of my love for baking. I used to bake at home often. He would throw my desserts against the wall every time he was angry.” She shook her head in recollection of the violence. “Still, I love making delicious treats for others to enjoy. My mother taught me how to bake and she gave me all her recipes. I promised her that I would never share her recipes with anyone else, but I think she wouldn’t mind if I sold the desserts from them.” Bella replied with a soft tone.

“Yummy. I can just imagine your cakes now.” Licking his lips and rubbing his hands together. “I bet your desserts are good. I can’t wait to give them a try. Whenever you’re ready to open your bakery let me know. I can help you make it happen. Plus, your ex is weak for throwing your desserts. I would never do such a thing. I was raised to never disrespect a woman. So, I just don’t understand when a punk does it. It’s absurd to me.” He replied shrugging his shoulders.

“Would you like to see some of my treats?” She asked as she pulled out her phone with trembling hands. Bella’s hands trembled, haunted by the echoes of a past filled with pain and fear, each shake was a silent reminder of the abuse she once endured.

“Yes, let me see your work, baby.”

Adonis eased closer to Bella as she opened her Instagram page and showed him all her posts.“I usually bake for friends and the girls on the team. Here is a gender reveal cake I did last week for my teammate, Olivia.” She showed him a big three-tier cake with blue on one side and pink on the other. There were two miniature baby bottles in the middle to reveal that she was having twins.”

“Damn, girl that cake looks delicious. You’re talented. Is it okay if I check out your other pic?” He asked.

“Sure, go ahead.“ She replied with an uplifted spirit. He was allowed to look through all her Instagram pictures. As he continued to scroll, he seemed intrigued, but he stopped with a look of shock. As his fingers scrolled aimlessly on the screen, a sudden message alert popped up, cutting through the silence with a sharp chime. Adonis glanced at her and immediately put the phone down. She cleared her throat, “What’s wrong? Why did you put my phone down?” She asked frantically biting her nails.

Adonis could visibly see the tension in Bella’s shoulders and arms. He began to rub her arm. “I loved all your work, but I just saw a threating message from your ex-boyfriend. You might want to block him baby.”

“Excuse me? What did the message say?” Without waiting for a response from Adonis, she took her phone to view themessage.I will kill you when I find you.She had already blocked him on her cell phone. So, after reading the Instagram message she immediately blocked and deleted her ex’s Instagram account. “There. I’ve had enough of his harassment.” She was exhausted, mentally and emotionally drained, tired of his constant harassment that never seemed to end. “I’m not scared of him though. He’s blocked. I have screenshots of it for my records just in case I need it for a police report.”

“God got you Bella. She nodded gently, confirming with a smile as Game recited, “In God, I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” from Psalm 56:4 King James Version (KJV). It says, God is on the side of the oppressed and abused. The scripture expresses God’s desire for a transformation for those who are burdened or unjustly treated. Don’t worry about that guy. He is obviously a coward. I will pray for him. Although I’m a praying man, I will protect you when needed. I’m trained in boxing, and I’m licensed to carry. You have nothing to worry about when you’re with me. Everything will be alright. I promise you.”

“I appreciate you, but I don’t want to put you in my drama. I’ll get far away from him and keep you out of my mess.” She responded while rubbing her throbbing head. The sudden harassment made her blood pressure rise, causing a headache.

“Bella, please sit back down.” He pulled her toward a seat at the table. “You can’t hide for the rest of your life. You have a life to live. You have a gift inside that the world needs. Girl, you have too much talent to let that guy make you lose it all. If you don’t use it, then you’re doing the world a disservice by leaving your gift wrapped up.”

“You’re right Adonis. I feel everything you’re saying. As a fan, I always admired your talent, but I had no idea you were sowise until speaking with you today.” Bella said. Neither of them go around to finishing their dinner. Her eyes were low from exhaustion. She was exhausted from fighting and all she had the energy to do was rest.

“I can tell that you’re tired beautiful. Would you like to lay down on the bed and take a nap? I promise I won’t touch you.” Adonis said as he threw his hands up as if surrendering.

“Actually, I wouldn’t mind laying down in your king size bed. My body is aching and I’m sleepy. I don’t believe I’ve gotten a full night’s rest in days.” She replied, rubbing an eyebrow to ward off her headache.

“Why haven’t you been able to sleep?” He asked. His posture and the look in his eyes gave cues that he wanted to touch her, but he was a pure gentleman.

“I haven’t been in good spirits. My ex-boyfriend Brian wasn’t doing anything but insulting me. His coach was giving him a tough time at practice and benched him, and of course he took all his frustrations out on me. I was everything but a child of God to him. It’s exhausting being verbally, emotionally, and physically abused every day.” She folded her hands across her chest.

Adonis fluffed up his pillows and pulled the white duvet back. “Please lay down and relax. Here’s the remote. Put the television on a movie to help you fall asleep. I’ll stay here if you need me. Okay, sweetie?”There was silence in the room. A mental comparison between her ex and Adonis came to mind. All she could think about was the times Brian would curse her out and make her go to bed. Adonis’s approach was much different than Brian’s. She smiled and agreed to Adonis’s offer to let her rest in his bed.

She nodded her head and took his advice. Then she relaxed in his comfortable bed. It didn’t take long before the television was watching her. Even though Adonis was a stranger, it was like she’d known him for years. He made her feel comfortable and loved. The feeling he gave was one that no one else had given her. They vibed. He loved the Lord as much as she loved him. They were grounded in the same principles.

2

Adonis Ferguson (Game)

He sat beside Bella until she fell asleep. It didn’t take her but ten minutes to do so. Adonis was happy that she was able to relax in his room. Earlier today, when he first met her, she was hurt, now he felt happiness in his chest to see her settled. It was like God sent him an angel, but with broken wings. He couldn’t help but try to fix her. He’d always been a fixer. Which is why he chose to major in engineering at Harvard University. Harvard insisted that he help with the NASA program at the MIT Media Lab. His mother always told him that he was born to fix things. He’s now the recipient of the largest contract ever awarded in the NBA. The contract pays him three hundred and four million dollars. He was having his way in life at the age of twenty-seven, the only thing he was missing was a wife. Before he gave his life to Christ, he’d had his fair share of Instagram models, but they were just fun girls. Adonis was looking for someone to settle down with. Bella came into his life at the right time. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he felt like she was the missing piece in his life.

Since she was sound asleep, Adonis snuck away to go for a swim in the hotel pool. He put on a pair of swim trunks under a pair of basketball shorts, along with a white t-shirt. He grabbed his bag and headed out the door. He usually didn’t goswimming after eating but he needed to clear his head. Each stroke through the water washed away his stress and allowed his thoughts to drift into calm. It also helped him stay in shape. His lean, muscular frame was a testament to hours spent gliding through the water and sprinting across the basketball court. His endurance and agility honed by both sports. He didn’t smoke or drink alcohol. Since he’d already put up shots in the morning, swimming was his next option.

∞∞∞

As he made it to the lobby, the staff greeted him. “How is your stay Mr. Ferguson?” The alluring, inexperienced front desk clerk asked with a flirtatious smile.

“It’s great. I’m just going to the pool for a quick swim.”

“Excellent, I just put some fresh towels in there. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to let me know.” The clerk expressed herself with a wink and a smile. To avoid sparking rumors, he minimized interactions with hotel staff. As he went into the pool area he received a few looks from a couple of men. It was awkward but he paid them no attention. Adonis just got into the pool as planned. He did a couple of stretches and overheard a conversation.

“Yo, I seen dude with Brian’s girl. I think she with him. Brian been looking for her. I’ll have to hit him up to let him know dude is in the pool area now.”Brian’s teammate said loudly. Brian’s teammate Phil knew Bella was Brian’s girlfriend since she was staying with him at the hotel.

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