Page 67 of In the Safety's Zone
CHAPTER EIGHT
You owe me
APHRODITE
THIS WAS SOME bullshit.
I truly hated social media but when I woke up with over six hundred notifications I knew something was wrong. We’d been low key since we’d gotten back to Texas but I knew who had to cause this shit: my father, my mother or even Christopher.
Pictures from that ridiculous lunch my parents tried to spring on me surfaced and folks immediately started to put us together. With Anthony’s actions on the court, those rumors were immediately pushed to the back burner for our relationship taking the forefront. I had no problem as long as people kept it respectful but this new headline had me ready to go off.
“Don’t let it bother you, Phro.”
“Don’t let it bother me? It’s disrespectful as hell. I’m ready to call Bobby and have him take this shit down. It’s ridiculous.” My parents had sided with my enemy. My abuser, if you let Anthony tell history. At the very least, he was somebody who took advantage of a situation he shouldn’t have. When asked about the situation on the court where Anthony helped off, my parents tried their best to downplay it and make it seem like Christopher and I were together.
Not even in his fucking dreams.
We’d spent three days in Trinidad before flying back to Texas. Antwan had off-season training he had to do and was prepping for training camp in less than ten days. We didn’t have time for my family’s shit.
“It’s how social media goes, Phro. You know this.”
He was way too nonchalant about how all of this was happening. My father was trying to make Anthony sound like some overbearing thug who forced his way into my life. I was ready for the magazine to release our pictures so people could see that was a lie but they wouldn’t move the release up until after the result of the US Open. So I was stuck having people talk shit about my man when he didn’t deserve it.
“I know but I hate it. That shit is disgusting and I want to know what the hell he was thinking trying to stir some shit up. This is why I wanted to tell you about the meeting. I knew they were absolutely going to twist it around until it was something it wasn’t.”
For Christopher to act as though I was cheating on him with Anthony and trying to get a few minutes of fame and make us look bad pissed me off. We hadn’t even confirmed anything with our relationship but here he was talking shit about us.
Anthony pulled me closer to him by my hips before using his powerful arms to lift me up and put me onto his lap. I wasn’t short by any stretch, but he picked me up effortlessly every time.
There was little venturing out when we arrived in Texas. We got to his place and were lucky that the media wasn’t here waiting on us. Bobby had put out a statement that I was on vacation out of the country so people were on high alert to find us elsewhere. I was sure they’d be back, especially now that my dumbass parents were throwing us back into the spotlight.
With the way Anthony had his dick pressed against me, I was about to stop worrying about Christopher and think about getting some dick.
I wanted to be fresh so when he lifted my chin so I was looking at him; I thought for sure he was going to kiss me. Instead, he stared at me thoughtfully.
“What does dancing with the past get us?”
“I’m sorry?” He was being philosophical when I wanted to be stroked.
“What does dancing with the past get us?” He repeated it and I knew I wouldn’t get my way until I answered him.
“Nothing.” I rolled my eyes at him wanting to have a moment of growth when I just wanted to be young and wild. But deep down, it made me fall for him even harder because he wasn’t content with allowing negativity to fester.
“Then leave that nigga where he at.” Anthony was speaking like it was no big deal but this was the same man who threatened someone the first night we met because he was being disrespectful. Now he was out here hollering peace.Sounding like MLK Jr. when everybody knowns he’s Malcolm with the machine gun.
“But…how are you so calm?”
“I’m not. Truthfully, I want to go smash his face in with a racket and use his head to serve, but that won’t get me anywhere but away from you. Which is why he’s mad. I’m in the position he wants to be in. I ain’t ever gonna lower myself to deal with a nigga that’s envious of me. What’s the point in that? He can stay mad and I can stay blessed, it’s that simple.” He shrugged again and damn if a nigga calling you the prize wasn’t a boost to my self-esteem.Guess I gotta take back all that shit I was just thinking.
“That sounds wise.”
“It’s not wise; it’s just facts. He can say what he wants because his motive is clear: he’s jealous. Right now he’s harmless so I’m chilling. If he changes his position, I change mine.” The way he smiled let me know he almost wanted Chris to keep stirring up shit.
“Damn, is this type of maturity something that I need to be reaching for?”
“Nah, you're doing heavy lifting on your own right now. My job is to cover you. Just like I picked you up from the prying eyes of the world on the court I’ll cover you in our home. You yell, scream and holler and I’ll ensure that no one gets to witness your vulnerability but me. That way, you’re able to be composed whenever you need to leave the house.”
He had to be something I dreamed out of my brain. God plucked the man from my subconscious and put him in my presence. Who talked like this? Who felt like this? But more than anything, he backed up everything he’d said and I knew he would this time as well.
