Alani Marie Castillo.
Oakland, CA.
It's been a whole month since the whole the Klay-Wardell break up. Neither one of them are talking to me, by the way. Wardell doesn't talk to me unless it's about the baby and it truly hurts my soul. I tried to reach out to Klay a few times but then I saw that he blocked me.
He fucking blocked me???
I mean I understand that we broke up but going as far as blocking me. Kinda sassy if you ask me.
[Flashback.]
1 month earlier.
"You need to make a choice, Lani. Now!" Klay urges, staring deep into my eyes.
Do I really have to make this choice now?This sucks because it doesn't matter who I choose, someone is going to get hurt. I looked between Klay and Wardell, then my dad. He shrugged his shoulders, letting me know he couldn't help me.
Alright, it's now or never.
"Klay." I grabbed his arm.
"Ally, seriously?" Wardell protested, looking devastated.
"Haha, hold that L bitch!" Klay triumphantly clapped his hands beside me.
"I just want to talk to him." I clarified to Wardell who seemed to calm down a bit. I left him with my dad in the foyer then dragged Klay into my home office.
"Are you gonna tell me what the fuck is going on? You invited me over here for what exactly?" He grilled me as soon as we were behind the doors of the office.
"Klay-"
"Nah, listen to me." He cuts me off. "How many times are you going to allow him to disrespect me and our relationship? He punched me in the face for God's sake and you keep smiling in this nigga's face. This shit is foul, Lani!"
"Klay-"
"I'm not finished!" He cuts me off once again. "I'm sick of him, I'm sick of all this bullshit. You belong to me now, he needs to make peace with that. Look, I know Stephen is your child's father but you need to set some boundaries. I'm the man in your life now. Its bad enough that I live in his shadow on the court now I gotta share the woman I love with him too. Fuck that! Why can't I just have something he doesn't?" Klay sighed deeply as he finished.
"Can you let me talk now?"
He nodded.
"This isn't about me anymore. It's about you trying to compete with Wardell. You and him care more about one upping each other than how I'm feeling right now. This shit is hard on me too, Klay. You think I want to be stuck between the two of you? I'm almost seven months pregnant, I don't have the energy to be dealing with this drama anymore. I'm done!"
Klay's eyes widened in shock. "So you're choosing him?" His voice becoming shaky.
"No, I'm not choosing either of you! See, this is what I'm talking about. You hear me but are you truly listening to a word I'm saying?"
Klay shakes his head and starts to frantically pace around the room.
"I'm so sorry, Klay."
"You led me on!" He muttered. "Not only that, but you cheated on me with him."
"In my defence, you knew I was pregnant with Wardell's baby. You knew there was a chance this could happen. You could've left at anytime but you chose to stay with me knowing I might still be in love with him."
"Now, you're just deflecting from what you're doing." Klay rolls his eyes. "How many times did you promise to give us a fair shot? How many times did you say that you were done with Steph? Forgive me for trusting the things you said to me. Those words came from your mouth!"
I stayed silent for a second, not knowing how to respond to that. He was right and I couldn't argue with that.
"I don't know what else to say other than I'm sorry, Klay."
"Keep your apologies to yourself, honestly. Just know that you and Steph will never be happy together. He cheated on his wife to be with you and you think you'll have your happily ever after?You're trying to build your happiness on another woman's pain, it never ends well!" He slightly raises his voice and walks closer to me.
"I get that you're upset, but you don't have to talk to me like that."
"You don't have to worry about me talking to you cause I never want to see you again." He glared at me one more time before slamming the door shut on his way out.
What have I done?
[End of Flashback]
"Yo! Did you hear anything I just said?" Jordan snapped me out of my thoughts as he wags 2 different pairs of baby shoes in my face.
"I said I was getting these shoes for baby sis." Jordan added.
"Thanks, JP."
Jordan and I are shopping for some last minute baby stuff since I'm 8 months pregnant as of today. Valentine's Day passed by and I felt so stupid waiting for Wardell to at least text me but he never did.
"So how are you feeling post break up?" He asked as we reached the register to pay.
"I'm just taking it one day at a time." I replied, not really wanting to elaborate on my rollercoaster of emotions.
"I don't know if you know this, but Klay unfollowed you and Steph on IG today. All the tea pages are going crazy right now." Jordan explains.
"Klay is immature as hell." I shook my head. Every time I start to feel guilty about how we ended, he proves why I potentially dodged a bullet with him. So fucking childish.
"I guess he isn't taking it well." Jordan said.
"The media is already grilling me trying to find out who Raelyn's father is and now this bullshit. Klay might as well put our business on blast at this point."
Jordan shakes his head as we make our way back to my car. He quickly opened the door for me then put all the bags in the trunk. I went to call Klay again then remembered he blocked me.
Pregnancy brain is crazy.
"Alright, Lani. Stop stressing over this. It's not good for the baby." Jordan urges. I sigh heavily before putting my phone away for good.
"How is Wardell doing?" I asked Jordan.
"I haven't see him in a while either."
"What the fuck am I doing, man?" I held my head in my hands, feeling that same pain in my chest. If I knew I how negatively i would impact so many lives, I would've never moved here in the first place.
"Hey, you did what you thought was best. If they don't like it they can go to hell." Jordan said, shocking me a bit.
"You know Wardell and Klay are your vets right?"
"I don't give a fuck. That doesn't excuse how they've been treating you. They let their egos get in the way now look at them, single as fuck."
"You're crazy, J." I smiled warmly at Jordan. It feels to good to know at least one Warrior doesn't hate me. "But that still doesn't make me feel better. I hurt both of them because I couldn't make a choice. Now I'm back to being single too."
Jordan violently shook his head. "You're not alone. You know I got you!"
"Thank you, JP."
Now I actually need to find a therapist to help me on this healing journey. If I truly want to make change, I needed to unlearn my bad habits. I need to learn how to be alone. I've never been single for too long. Now is the perfect time for me to start a new chapter of my growth.
"So, what are you in the mood for? McDonald's, Chipotle or do you wanna go somewhere bougie?"
"I went grocery shopping the other day. We have food at home."
Jordan rolled his eyes. "You sound like a mom already."
"I actually want a burger." I said. "I have some in the freezer."
"Sounds good."
"But I also want Mac n cheese." I added.
"Seriously?" He stared at me blankly.
"We can just have both." I shrugged. "Matter of fact, we can put the Mac n cheese on the burger."
"I don't know how that'll taste but I'm down." Jordan fist bumped me as we drove back to my house.
I don't know how I'll get through this pregnancy without Wardell. It's only been a month and I feel like I'm going crazy without him. This is the life I chose I guess.
Wardell Stephen Curry.
Oakland, CA.
Alani got me fucked up.
She's been finding every excuse to text me as of late and it's becoming annoying. She's the one who wanted to break up after all. Call me petty, but I know I can't be just friends with her.
I can't be her friend when I'm still madly in love with her. The past month has been tough. It's been hard to resist the one person I yearn for the most but I had to respect her decision. I'll be the first to admit that my ego got in the way with all the arguing Klay and I were doing. I just knew I couldn't lose her to him. I was willing to go to any lengths to show Alani that would be with her through anything but I guess I just hurt her instead.
But I still believe that everything happens for a reason. So, if this little hiccup makes us stronger in the long run, then I'm all for it.
I pushed my thoughts to the side and finished assembling baby Raelyn's bassinet. I struggled at first but I seem to be getting the hang of it.
"Stephen, you're still at?" Ayesha chuckled.
She came over to drop the kids off since they were staying with me for the week.
"I'm almost done."
My co parenting relationship with Ish has been great considering how we ended things. I'm grateful for it, cause lord knows I don't need any more drama in my life.
"Hey, I need to tell you something." Ayesha said softly as she shifted to sit closer to me.
"You okay?" I asked, noticing her nervousness.
"Yeah." She smiled. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be going away for a few weeks so I won't be able to help you the kids."
I felt myself calming down a bit. I was expecting something totally different. "Are you filming another show or something?"
"No. I'm checking myself into a mental health facility."
I furrowed my brows at her revelation. "I don't understand."
"How I've been acting these past few months has been inexcusable. How I threatened and manipulated you, how I used the kids against you, conspiring against Alani. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything!"
I'm lost for words. Ayesha admitting she's wrong???
"You were my first love and the thought of you leaving me for someone else drove me crazy. I didn't want the humiliation that comes with having a failed marriage, especially with how everyone idolised our marriage. I was too focused on what other people would think rather than looking at what was right in front me. You didn't belong to me, you never did. Alani always had your heart, and I've finally made peace with that." Ayesha smiled warmly as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I want to be a better person, a better mom. Just hold the fort down while I go do that."
"Wow, Ish. I don't know what to say." I pulled her in for a tight hug. "It takes a really strong person to admit their mistakes. I'm proud of you."
Ayesha had a wide smile on her face as we pulled away.
"Are you okay, though? Maybe you should join me." Ayesha wiggled her eyebrows.
"No, thank you. I can't do all that therapy shit. I'll be good." I said, my mind drifting back to Alani and the conversation we had about healing.
"I'm guessing you and Alani aren't together."
I shook my head. "Not really. She's kinda going through the same thing as you, with this whole therapy/healing thing. I don't understand why we can't be together while she does all that."
"It's journey you have to go through on your own, Steph. Just try to be there for her as much as you possibly can." Ayesha advised.
Everyone keeps saying that.
"I just hope she comes back to me. I truly can't live without her." I said, noticing Ayesha's body language change. "I'm sorry, I didn't mea-"
"It's okay." She cut me off. "I'm gonna head out. You have fun building... that." She chuckled.
We hugged one last time before she left. "Good luck, Ish."
I truly hope she come back a better person.
Omniscient.
Ayesha left Steph's house feeling like a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders. She wanted to make some big changes and there was only one person in the way of that.
Wesley Graham.
The drive to his condo seemed longer than usual. That's probably because Ayesha was nervous.
She entered Wesley's condo, seeing him on the couch watching Sports Center.
"Ish, you're finally here!" Wesley notices her presence and gets up from his seat to show her some important documents. "I have something to tell you."
"Me too." Ayesha said.
"I'll go first then." Wesley said. "I have the paperwork. I closed the deal on the house and opened an offshore bank account. Alani and I should be good to fly to the Caymen Islands this week." He smiled triumphantly.
"About that." Ayesha trailed. "Wes, I can't help you go through with this plan anymore."
"What?"
"Steph and Alani aren't even together anymore. I think we should call it off." Ayesha pleaded. She realised how far this plan was going and didn't want anyone else to get hurt. Not after now supportive Stephen was of her decision to seek help. "They aren't together anymore and that's all we wanted, right?"
Wesley scoffed, he couldn't believe Ayesha wanted to pull out now. Not when they were so close to their goal.
"Just because Steph hates you doesn't mean Alani feels the same way about me. She loves me. She wants me back. I know she does."
"Wes, she doesn't love you. It's okay." Ayesha attempted to explain, but Wes wasn't having any of it.
"She loves me!" Wesley yelled, startling Ayesha.
"I have to go." Ayesha dismissed herself but Wesley quickly grabbed her and slammed her body against a nearby wall.
"You're not going anywhere! It's a little too late to back out now. Don't forget it was you who came up with this entire thing." He said through gritted teeth.
He forcefully grabbed her chin, making Ayesha wince in pain. "Now be a good girl and sit down so I can brief you about tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes, tomorrow. Alani is 8 months pregnant. That baby could come at anytime. We need to move quickly!"
Ayesha shook her head in disbelief. There has to be something she can do. Alani can't get on that plane tomorrow.
Authors note.
Exciting chapter ahead. Filled with emotions. There's roughly about 3 chapters left of this book. I'm sad.
Don't forget to vote and comment.
- Kelani 💕💕💕