Page 4 of In the Safety's Zone
I had some loyalty.
“Relax, you know anyone who is on the up and up will reach out. Whatever I can find out I’ll send over to you. But realize I’vegot you. This is my job and yours is to focus on the history you’re going to make this year, okay?”
I was nodding as she spoke and I felt completely at peace just that fast. There were times I wished she were my sister. We’d hung out when she’d been able to get up to New York and I appreciated it more than I think she even realized. I’d felt honored that she’d included me in her wedding dress shopping a few years ago even with all her family and friends.
“Thanks, Billy. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You could handle this all on your own. You got away from their bullshit without my help. But right now you pay me to handle the bullshit, so let me. Go be selfish and get your mind right. I’m ready for you to make Black History.”
“I hear you and I’m on it.”
ANTHONY
“THE FUCK IS this?”
I was looking at the paper reading it repeatedly, trying to understand what it meant.
The bitterness over my stupidity rose again but I was trying to tamp it down. There had been plenty of nights that I was furious over the shit that happened right after I got kicked out of school. The way players were getting paid now was nothing compared to what I’d done. Only difference was seven months. Seven fucking months between my getting kicked out and when NIL deals were made official. Now it was legal for college kids to have agents, get payouts for likenesses and get paid to play. The transfer portal was more lucrative than the NFL draft for some of the more popular players. Basically, it should’ve been this way the entire time. Schools had been using kids as slaves for the game for years and were finally being treated with the respect that they deserved.
The entire system fed on poverty, hell, everything in this country did. They wanted people to give their all in order to make it, while making the system rich, and then would discard them the second they needed help. Countless numbers of former athletes had gotten injured with no form of compensation for the money their bodies had made their respective schools. The situation was tragic because they were normally only encouraged to be one thing their whole life — an athlete; they didn’t normally have other skills to fall back on. And it led to a lot of negative behavior. I knew how it felt firsthand, and I had to learn to swallow my pride in order to keep myself together.
I was one of the lucky ones. I didn’t come from money, but my brother had been hardworking and talented enough to be one of the few who made it to college on a full ride. He ensured that we no longer struggled. My brother was getting Pell grants and sending the money home to us and being disciplined enough to budget while in school. People loved him so they always looked out and our Uncle Silas made sure he didn’t go without.
Silas sent me to the same school that ‘Twan had gone to and tried to keep me on the straight path. But I was too busy trying to get my parents’ attention and prove that I could be a star as well.
And look where it got me.
“What you got?”
Rye was looking at me curiously and I guess I’d spoken what I thought out loud.
“Something from an attorney or agency or ‘sum.”
I was sitting in the kitchen of the home she shared with my brother. As we usually did, we were gathering for a meal before the start of the week. Sunday dinner during the season was a big deal and Rye and Antwan kept the tradition going even through the off season. Grams was normally the one on the stove but sometimes ‘Twan and I would get in the pots and bring the flavor of home to the house.
Rye tapped my shoulder and wriggled her fingers for me to hand her the paper and I laughed and did it. Rye was damn near five foot nothing but that personality made her a giant. The way she saw my brother and loved him down would make sure she always got my respect. Her giving birth to the next generation of our family just launched her into a different stratosphere of love. She wanted what was best for my brother even before they were together. She handled his money and protected him in a way that no other woman had done. I understood how deeply that affected him, which is why his love for her was endless.
I was silent as I watched her dark brown eyes scan the paper briefly and she folded it back up and handed it to me. “Oh, you need to go see Billy.” She rested her hip against the countertop like that was the end.
I folded the paper up while shaking my head and tucked the paper in the pocket of my basketball shorts.
“I’m not about to bother that lady—”
Rye gave me that look like she would fuck me up. Which was crazy since she was the shortest person in the house next to my niece. “You not gone bother her but she’ll cuss you out if you say that to her face. At least call her up and ask her what it means.”
She spoke her piece and went to moving around in the kitchen like what she said was law. It was, but I damn sure ain’t want to give in that easily.
I hesitated and she gave me a look that said she wasn’t about to take no for an answer so I just gave her a nod.
“I’ll do it.”
There was no way I could tell her that her best friend scared the shit out of me. Not physically, but the lady was powerful. And I hadn’t been the most respectful to her when we first met. I’d been around her since then but I still felt fucked up about my behavior.
Rye folded her arms over the turquoise cropped sweatshirt she was wearing over matching lounge pants. “Oh, you ain’t have a choice.”
“Rye, why are you bothering my friend like that? Let him live.” Grams came walking in the kitchen from her room on the first floor with a smile on her face and gave me a hug.
“Hey, Grams.”
