Page 42 of Crossing the Lines for Love

“I thought your ass was dead for a minute,” Montrell said when I entered his living room.

“What time is it? Why was I in your bed?”

“It’s almost eight thirty, and I put you in my bed after you cried yourself to sleep in my arms.”

“Cried myself—oh shit! Niko! Where’s my phone? Has he tried to call or text?”

“Your phone is in the kitchen charging on the counter. The only person who’s called is your mother. After the fifth time, I answered and told her you were taking a nap.”

I went to the kitchen to retrieve my phone. After unlocking it, I went to my call log and saw my mother’s repeated calls but nothing from Niko. Unfortunately, there were no texts from him either.

“Wow. He hasn’t even tried to reach out.”

“You asked for space. He’s honoring your request.”

“But—”

“Nope. No ‘buts’ are allowed, Randi. Take some time to figure out your next move, but you can’t be mad at him for doing what you asked him to do.”

“You’re right. Thanks for being real with me, Trell. I’ve taken up your whole day, and I appreciate you being here for me.”

“You should because you’ve been treating me like the ugly duckling since that man fucked you on your desk, and I still let you snot all over my damn chest.”

“Oh my God! You sure did. I am so sorry.”

“It’s cool. I’ve already sprayed myself down with disinfectant spray, so we’re good.”

“Boy, stop. My snot ain’t that bad.”

“It might not be under normal circumstances, but you were a mess when you knocked on my door.”

“Well, thank you for consoling my snotty-nosed ass.” I opened my arms and headed toward him. “Can I have a hug before I go home?”

“A side hug because you ain’t washed your face yet.” I forced him to hug me, while he complained, and finally went to my apartment. The past two days had just about done me in.

The moment I stepped into the lecture hall for our Monday meeting before practice, I immediately felt Niko’s eyes on me. I avoided looking at him as much as I could, but the few times our eyes connected, he was already staring at me longingly.

Others noticed his unusually reserved demeanor, and some asked him if he was okay, while others conversed about him amongst each other. I prayed no one else observed him hyper-focused on me, but it would’ve been hard to miss.

Somehow, with all the craziness that occurred over the weekend, I managed to get some intel from the club where half the players spent their Friday night. When I shared the news with Coach Crawford, we decided practice would be hell. A few players, Niko being one of them, didn’t partake in the Friday night festivities, and I felt bad they had to be punished for their teammates’ irresponsible choices.

Coach Crawford handled the brunt of practice, yet I was mentally and emotionally drained when I left. I hadn’t spoken to my parents since I’d decided to put my relationship with Niko on pause, and I found myself parking in their driveway.

“If I didn’t hear from you today, I was prepared to use my emergency key,” my mother announced when I entered the kitchen.

“No need for all that, Ma. I needed some time to process.”

“I understand, sweetheart. It was a lot. Are you ready to talk about it?”

“Sure.”

“Dinner is almost ready. I know it’s almost May, but I had a taste for beef stew.”

“You know I’m not picky when it comes to your cooking.”

I washed my hands in the kitchen sink, and my father entered the kitchen just as I sat at the table.

“Hey, baby girl. I thought I heard someone come in. How are you feeling?”

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