Page 42 of Until He Scores

Is that what happened? Had he gotten scared? Was I partly to blame for him going back to who he knew or what he’d been accustomed to?

“I see your brain turning,” July murmured.

“Yep,” Ireland said, “that’s steam coming out of those ears.”

“You’re not to blame,” Kayan stated.

“Yeah, well, you don’t know my part in all this,” I replied. “I did some shitty stuff, too.”

“I’ve heard,” Ireland quipped. “So did Thierry. Neither of you is perfect. The only question you should ask is how do I—we—fix the mess?”

I nodded. Maybe. The thought of everything Thierry had been through over the years tugged at my heart. I understood the cycle of abuse. My father may not have hurt me or neglected my physical needs most times, thanks to my grandparents, but emotionally and mentally, he checked out the minute my mom died. It was why I left all those years ago. I couldn’t take it anymore.

Thierry, for whatever reason, stayed.

That pissed me off more.

I absently wondered if his parents knew and if they had, why they didn’t step in and help Thierry out. I snorted at myself for being so damn stupid. Thierry, even if his parents knew,wouldn’t want to bother them. So, he kept the issues to himself.Dumbass.

“We kick Derrick’s ass and bring Thierry home,” I said. “No questions asked.”

“That’s the thinking of a neanderthal,” Ireland muttered. “Me good man. Me take you from danger. Me fuck you. Claim what’s mine.”

July snickered while Kayan busted out laughing while high-fiving Ireland. She had a point. Going from a shitty situation to one of uncertainty would only make Thierry feel trapped, and that was the last thing I wanted for either of us. Of course, this was all contingent on Thierry and what he wanted. For all I knew, or they knew, he was fine. He used me to make Derrick jealous and now they got back together.

Pfft. Yeah, right? That doesn’t sound like Thierry one damn bit.

“Whatever we do tonight,” I said, “we won’t embarrass him. If what you’re saying is true, he has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need our added stress.”

“Agreed,” July said, pulling into the parking lot of the arena. “Ladies, you heard Pope. We’ll do this his way.”

“If it doesn’t work?” Ireland said, popping a brow.

“Then we’ll hit Thierry where it hurts and find someone for Pope.” July grinned. “And I know just the guy and gal to do it, too.”

I stared at her. July’s eyes sparkled with rascality, and I shook my head.Why me?

Once we were inside, and at our seats, I kept an eye out for Derrick. He was hard to miss. A peacock couldn’t help but preen for an audience. Jealousy and rage twisted my gut. The idea some dipshit has-been would hurt my best friend, tore me up. I should have known there’d been more to his outburst and the hesitant way he handled me. Yes, I took responsibility formy part of the mess. I’d had more than enough time over the last few weeks to think things through. He exposed his feelings for me at fourteen and feared I’d turn him down. Then, out of some misplaced panic and my issues, we pulled away, never addressing the elephant in the room.

This was different.

There’d be no more running for Thierry and me. Even if I had to lock us in my apartment for a month, we’d work this out. Fuck that prick, Derrick. He could rot for all I gave a damn.

“Excuse me,” a pregnant woman said, smiling at me. “Are you Pope?”

I stared at her for a moment then nodded. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Ohmigod, it’s been forever,” she said, sitting beside me while all her kids and her... Holy shit, the guy with her was the quarterback for theRaptors.

“Uh, yeah,” I said, trying to remember her name.

“Lily-Mae.” She pointed to herself then went down the line and named her four children before pitching her voice low, “and my husband, Rick...”

“Bashir,” I murmured, “Quarterback of theTennessee Raptors.”

“Oh? You know him?”

I stared at her as if she hadn’t realized how popular her husband was. “Um, sure. We’ll go with that.”

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