Ups and Downs ✨One-Shots ✨

Deception? (P. 1) [Brandon Ingram]

This story is pure fiction. The events written in this chapter are not portrayed by the actual life of the characters. Vote. Comment. Enjoy.
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I watched as the sweat dripped from his shoulders. The concentration could be seen from a mile away as he frowned his eyebrows. The arena was dead silent. Other players stood their ground, waiting to get the rebound. The ball swished into the net as Brandon took his last free throw. Cheers roared all over the arena. The score was now 100-99.

Brandon pointed towards me in the crowd and mouthed 'love you' as he jogged to the other end of the court. I smiled and tapped my shoulder where our matching tattoo was etched into my skin.

"Defense! Defense!" I shouted along with the crowd.

I looked up at the time clock to see there were 9 seconds left in the game. Back down on the floor, the guys were defending home court as if their lives depended on it. 3...2...1... The game was over. Cheers erupted around the arena once again. I smiled as confetti fell from the ceiling and people began to file out.

I opened my messages and sent the regular one to Brandon, congratulating him on a great game and promising to see him at home.

I found the security that was assigned to me for tonight's game and we made our way up to the private boxes.

"Did you enjoy the game tonight Mrs. Ingram?" One of the guards asked.

"I did! They played great. Hopefully, we play like that during game four."

Once we got to the boxes, another guard checked my pass and let me through the doors. I looked around until I saw Brandon's father and brother.

"You ready pop?"

He turned towards me with Amara sleeping on his chest.

"Yes, ma'am. The little one's been out since the end of the third quarter."

I greeted him and Anthony with a hug and took Amara out of his arms. She started to move around and cry slightly.

"Awe. I know mama. We're going home right now."

We made our journey out of the arena. Pop and Anthony made their way to their rental. I said my final goodbye. They would be leaving in the morning to return to North Carolina.

I got Amara buckled into her car seat and got myself in the car as well.

It took about 30 minutes to got back to the house. I immediately got Amara bathed and clothed for bed. Once I got her to bed, I went about getting myself bathed as well.

Once I finished my hygiene, I heard my phone ringing from the bottom of my purse.

"Hello."

"Hey. You want anything before I pull in the neighborhood?"

I smiled at the sound of his voice.

"No, sir. I just want you home. "

"Alright. I'm almost there. I love you."

"Actually can you grab the mail." I laughed as I walked down the stairs.

"Alright, babe." He chuckled.

"I love you too."

After hanging up, I turned the oven on. I placed a few balls of frozen homemade cookie dough on a baking sheet. It was our after home game tradition to eat a couple cookies and talk about the game.

I heard the oven beep, telling me that it was finished preheating. I placed the baking sheet on the top rack and closed the oven door. I heard the door open as I did so.

"WIFE! HUSBAND IS HOME!" He yelled.

I ran around the corner. "Excuse me! Your child is sleeping." I whisper yelled.

His mouth turned into an O. He looked upstairs with a guilty expression. "My bad babe."

He walked up to greet me.

"Yeah your bad."

He placed his bag on the floor and his hands around my waist. He kissed my lips and my neck.

"Where my cookies at?"

I slapped his chest and laughed. "Is that all I'm good for?"

He laughed with me and checked the kitchen. "But they're in the oven so... yeah."

We laughed again. He handed me the mail and told me that he was about to check on Amara and change his clothes.

I started to go through the mail. Bills, bills, invitations... what's this?

I looked at the letter that was addressed to Brandon from Planned Parenthood.

What the fuck.

I opened it.

'Brandon Xavier Ingram is 99.999% the father of Amara Rose Ingram...'

THE FUCK.

"Alright, we got oatmeal raisin or lemon sugar?" Brandon entered the kitchen and stood next to me. I didn't look up. I continued to read the letter.

"Baby."

I couldn't believe this.

"Rayne..."

I looked at him with tears in my eyes. I shoved the paper on his chest. He looked at me questioningly. I began to pace around the kitchen.

"Baby I didn't do this."

"THEN WHY THE FUCK DOES IT HAVE YOUR NAME ON IT."

Brandon read over the paper. He started to walk closer to me.

"Baby, you know I would never-"

"Uh uh." I took a few steps back. "I'm about to have a reflex on you."

"Rayne listen to me for a second-"

"What the fuck could you possibly say to me right now..."

Tears streamed down my cheeks. They weren't even sad tears. They were angry black woman tears.

"What reason have I given you that would imply that I cheated Brandon?"

"Babe-"

"You got a paternity test on my daughter-"

"Hold up. Our daughter-"

"Well now you know she is! Right! 99.999 percent Brandon. Its right there on the paper! In black and white!"

I felt my chest become tight. I started to walk out of the kitchen. Brandon pulled me back.

"No no no. Stop."

I pulled my arm back. I looked into his eyes.

"Baby. I'm serious. I have no idea who did this but it. was. not. me. I knew Amara was mine as soon as I laid eyes on her in the delivery room. I love our family baby, Why the hell would I do this?"

I started at him blankly. "How would someone get a DNA sample of my child Brandon... we're the only two people she's been around 24/7 since she's been born!"

He rubbed his hand down his face.

"Are your teammates talking in your ear again?"

Before we got married, Brandon and I had communication issues. He would go to his teammates for advice and I would go to my girls. They would tell him constantly to leave me and join them at clubs all over the city every weekend.

"Baby...No. Did you not hear anything I just said?"

"Brandon. The letter was sent HERE. With YOUR NAME. And is that not YOUR signature at the bottom."

He picked the paper up again and looked.

"What the- babe."

I sighed and walked up the stairs.

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Thoughts?