Picture Perfect

8.

~Kyler~

Last night was selfish as fuck on my part. This woman is literally in an abusive marriage that she's really going to have a hard time getting out from under and I put her safety at risk by engaging with her while her husband and other potential witnesses were just a few floors down in the same hotel.

But she felt good, so that shit felt good to me. Hearing her moans that sounded like little cries of joy. Such a sweet feeling to know in that moment she needed me. That was one thing I never really felt from my ex, her need for me. But it doesn't matter, I shouldn't be making comparison between my ex and Sam.

She's not mine to have or want. I'd be doing everyone a favor by staying as far away from her as possible.

I try to keep myself focused on my warm up but I'm stuck in that room. On top of her, between her legs, the heat from her body counteracting the cool air beating my back. The softness of her skin tantalizes the tips of my fingers. And she smelled so damn good I had to tell myself not to chew her skin off. I know I left a mark.

She's going to have to cover it up. Or she did. That's a bruise I don't mind her hiding. Damn.

"You good bruh?" Jabari approaches me while dribbling the ball back and forth between his legs.

"Yeah, I'm straight." I lie looking into the stands and seeing Samantha sit with her head down as she scrolls through her phone.

I look over to Garrison who is playing a quick game of around the world with Ty and Ramon, that's usually how they get in game mode.

Jabari follows my eyes.

"Let that shit go."

"Nah, it's not that."

"Then what is it, cause you told me you were good. We need you on your grind Ky."

I nod throwing the ball down.

"I am. I'm good."

~Sam~

The only time Garrison is not a monster to me is when he's on the court. Sitting courtside is the only time I can genuinely say my love for him is real. I can't help but support him and all the records he may break, or personal accomplishments he's achieving because I've been here from his baby baller days on the Mavericks court, which was our high school team.

How shitty of a husband he is can never cloud how I perceive him as a player. And while lately, he hasn't been at his best. He's always going to be a great player to me.

Tonight, he's having a bit of trouble though. The Magic's big, Carlos Guevara is one of Gare's toughest competitors. He's also a dirty ass player who looks like he's on the verge of trying to hurt my husband tonight.

Gare has the ball and is deep in the paint trying to put it up but he can't break free of Guevara. He tries to push off and Guevara who's slightly bigger than Garrison pushes his chest forward at the same time causing Garrison to lose his balance and fall back. But since the ball is in his hands he can't break his fall and hits the back of his head on the court.

A foul is called and both Kyler and Jabari get into a shouting match with Guevara and one of the other players. I'm pretty sure it's about how excessive their contact with our players have been on the floor.

The ref has a talk with them as well and we get back to the game. Garrison is unstoppable once a fire is lit under his ass and I know he's pissed.

Jabari tosses him the ball from damn near half court and he jumps up to slam it down just over Guevara's head and the ball comes down on him.

What a dummy. Guevara just thought my man was just gonna let that goofy shit slide.

I get up and cheer as loud as I can. I like talking my shit to the fans sometimes to. It feeds into my "overly-supportive-wife" facade.

And then something happens. To Ky.

He was making his way back to the other side of the court when he tripped and fell. Before he could get up though, Guevara steps right on his ankle and he screams out in pain.

"Oh my God. Kyler." I gasp whispering to myself in shock.

I take a few steps down to get a better look onto the court. Kyler is face down on the floor smacking his hand up and down and something in me hurts for him. My heart beats so fast as I try to figure out whether or not he has it in him to get up.

"Why would he do some shit like that? Eject his ass!" I yell.

It may look like I'm just taking up for my team but I'm genuinely concerned for Ky's well-being. I hope he's okay. He has to be okay.

~Kyler~

It's been four days since the Magic game and my team has had to continue their road trip without me. I have an ankle fracture as a direct result of Guevara's fake "accidental" step on my leg.

He saw me there, and even if it was an accident, any normal person would've maneuvered out of the way, but he decides to use the excuse that I fell too close to where he was and he couldn't respond by moving away in time and "accidentally" stepped on me.

"How you feeling broski?" Jabari asks while taking a sip of his green juice.

"I'm alright, you know you don't have to call me everyday to ask me this shit. I'm fine, just gotta rest it so it can heal properly and it will be right back to regularly scheduled programming."

"Thank you Ky, he's been stressing. I think he loves you more than he loves me." I can hear Eli through the phone. He grabs her face and forces a kiss out of her.

"Never that, now grown men talking." He laughs kissing her again. "Go watch your show or something." He smacks her ass it sounds like. These two, I swear.

She gasps.

"I didn't fly all the way out here to watch a show. And you know better than that. Hang up the phone. He's fine Bari, let him rest." She starts going off on my boy.

"Bruh my baby trippin' right now."

The front door opens and it's Sam.

She flew back the same day I did and got my number out of the group chat with Bari and Eli from an event we all went to together a while back.

She wanted to check up on me and that turned into her coming over to cook for me, eat with me, and I kind of wanted her to stay the night.

So she also ended up sleeping with me, again.

She's offered to help me out as much as I need her to while I'm down. But the problem is, it's not her place to help me out. I just can't seem to find the self control necessary to send her home.

Whenever she gets up to go back, I tell her she doesn't have to because I don't want her to be alone. I don't want to be alone either.

"Tuna Wrap and Strawberry Passion Smoothie secured." She smiles dropping the bag next to me and it registers to me that we are doing something we shouldn't be.

"Then listen to her. I'm fine bro. I gotta go. Handle that. Love." I hang up.

Shit.

"You okay?" Samantha asks with a frowned expression.

"Yeah, it's just...what are we doing?" I ask wondering how the hell we think we can keep some shit like this a secret from not only our teammates, but our best friends too.

She frowns and takes a seat next to me.

"What do you mean?"

"How long do you think we'll be able to keep this up? When he gets back, when all of them get back, everything goes back to normal. This can't, it won't happen. Are you going to be good with that?"

She rubs her eye with one of her knuckles and then moves it down to crack it out of nervousness.

"I won't have a choice but to be, are you going to be good with it?"

"I won't have a choice either. I guess for right now let's just enjoy whatever this is while we can."