Page 86 of Definitely Not a Thing
“Cross – Sierra and Janiyah are fuckingpressedabout getting you over for dinner. Janiyah says she needs you for a Tiktok?”
I frowned, shaking my head. “Hell no – she has more followers than me, and them damn teenagers are mean as fuck.”
“Tell her yourself – Sierra is getting takeout from Honeybee…”
Still, I shook my head. “Tempting offer, but I think I’m gonna hit the recovery room, then head home. Today took it out of me. Tell them tomorrow though – they have my word.”
Kev shrugged. “Okay, but when they start throwing the subliminal shade online about you being ghost, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“He can’t sayshit, cause he knows he’s been a recluse,” Thierry chimed in, earning a side-eye.
Although… he wasn’t wrong.
My Summer in the Heights hadn’t beenonlyabout getting out of the spotlight – Ihadwithdrawn from my friends in the industry as well. I could admit now that the shit had been hurtful – borderline traumatic if I was keeping it completely transparent. Being so far removed from the team, and team-adjacent friends, have given me space to pretend it wasn’t really happening.
Not that it worked that well, but still.
It had been a decent enough exercise in solitude, and what my life might look like if I never got to rejoin the team. I’d even purchased the building, trying to get a foot into a different source of income just in cause I didn’t get anymore professional basketball checks, so my savings wouldn’t be affected.
Well…tooaffected.
The building needed remodeling, and probably better “maintenance” than Arthur was providing, but he’d come with the building and I didn’t have the heart to replace him.
Not that my loyalty got me any damn respect.
“Not too much of a recluse – what’s up with shorty you brought to the mixer?” Kev asked, and a grin bloomed on my face before I could school my expression.
“Yeah, youshouldbe cheesing, she was bad as fuck – where you find her?” Thierry questioned. “Better yet – are you finished with her?”
“Nigga, don’t even play with me like that,” I told him, the smile dropping from my face… and he picked that shit right up.
“Ohhhh, she means something to him – you see how serious he got?! Look at his face!” Thierry cackled. “Aye, you got her vetted, right? Or she already got her hands in your pockets?”
Kev scoffed. “You know damn well Cole wouldn’t be going for that – as many headlines as she’s savedyourass from.”
Thierry tossed his arms up. “Hey, Iwelcomethe villain edit, it don’t mean a thing to me.” He shifted to toss a smirk in my direction. “I keep trying to tell you – just let them paint you as a bully – keeps people from messing with you.”
“In both directions,” Kev added on. “Don’t get boxed out of endorsements getting influenced by this nigga.”
“Me?!” Thierry feigned confusion. “If anything,Crossis the bad influence – sleeping with trainers, punching coaches…”
“Wow, not you making it sound like it’s a habit?” I spoke up, laughing. “It was a one-time lapse in judgement.”
Thierry sucked his teeth. “You hitonetime?”
“Fine – seven or eight,” I admitted. “Butstilla lapse in judgement. I’m a changed man.”
“Nottoochanged, I hope,” Kev said. “We needCrossover Calvinback in the damn paint.Bad.”
I chuckled. “Yeah… I saw the film from those last games of the season.”
“Whoa – no shit talking until you’ve racked up some stats,” Thierry said, and I chuckled.
“Fair enough.”
We shot the shit a bit longer before peeling off to the showers, and then on to the recovery room for me. Ice baths were never fun, but they made it where you’d actually be able to move the next day, which was good enough for me.
It wasn’t until I was heading to my car, leaving the practice facilities, that I was able to check my phone. I had morenotifications than I cared more, mostly from social media, which was getting closer by the day to annoying me so bad I just took it all off my phone.
