Mm, too young, too dumb to realize
That I should have bought you flowers
And held your hand
Should have gave you all my hours
When I had the chance
Take you to every party 'cause all you wanted to do was dance
"Is this how you do it?"
Jimmy laughed at himself as he tried to mimic the movements of his wife while salsa music played in the background. The NBA Awards after parties always meant her displaying the one thing, he wasn't good at, but he didn't mind because of the smile it brought to her face.
Joy Butler had walked into his life three years prior broken after a failed four-year relationship and he worked hard to bring back her light. So, when he'd finally managed to get to her heart , he didn't take it lightly. Matter of fact , he was the most protective husband ever which was why at events like this he kept her close.
Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant's feud was more an off the court than an on the court matter and as eyes focused on The Butlers it was hard to ignore the lingering stare of the NBA Champion in the corner, Kevin Durant.
"Man, you still staring at Joy , it's been years besides you won an award tonight Mr. MVP!"
Steph Curry clapped the shoulder of his teammate while Kevin waved him off. Her smile was what fixated him. He remembered the first day he met her that it was precisely that which had captured him.
"I didn't order this , there must've been some kind of mistake."
Staring up at the waiter , Kevin handed him the mysterious red cocktail while the server's face began to resemble it.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Durant, I'll fix this right away. What was it that you ordered exactly?"
The words rapidly spilled from his mouth and Kevin sighed before he began to recite his order.
"I ordered a blue Bombay on the rocks with an extra squeeze of Lime."
Eagerly the Waiter began to recite the order to himself just as a dainty hand settled on his shoulder.
"I believe this is yours then." She smiled at him as she handed him the blue drink and a wide round class before picking up the Martini out of the waiter's hand.
"And this is mine. Just got your tables mixed up is all."
Immediately the waiter became calm , giving her a warm smile before he rushed off , relieved to have been saved in that moment. Kevin on the other hand was now intrigued by the stranger strutting away from him.
"You gonna just look or get up man?" Klay teased him while he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend Laura.
"Man, I don't know if I should."
"Do you want to?"
"Hell, Yeah I do."
Klay Thompson rolled his eyes at his teammate before grabbing his drink out of his hand and placing it on the table.
"Then go up and do it" he took a sip of the untouched drink before nodding "And get yourself another drink because this one is mine now."
Brushing off his teammate's comments, Kevin found himself attracted to the young woman swaying carelessly to Summer Walker's CPR as he approached.
She softly sang the lyrics to herself.
"I don't want to talk about it , no one understands me. You're the only one I confide into darling..."
"You have a beautiful voice and smile."
Caught off guard, the young woman blushed as she turned and looked up at the handsome face the robust voice belonged to.
"Thank you, Joy Jackson and you are Kevin Durant."
"Oh, so you do know who I am, I couldn't tell a few minutes ago."
He leaned onto the rail next to her , getting closer to her warmth while she blushed.
"Yes, well the drink was the more important thing to me a minute ago, I've been waiting for forty-five minutes for it so, my apologies but my dad was a big fan of yours when you played in Oklahoma. He still hasn't forgiven you though , sorry to say."
"Well maybe I can make it up to him one day"
"Hmm" Staring at him wistfully , she passed him her card before flashing her smile once more "Maybe you can."
-
That was three years ago and now watching her in the arms of another man , all the moments they had flooded back to him. The days she'd cook his favorite meals after his team lost or how she'd tell him the wildest stories about her day and her eyes would seem to glow.
She really was rare and he'd let her slip away. He'd taken advantage of her, stayed out too long , gave up too easily and gave into his vices happily. He put the women , the partying and the drinks before her each and everytime even when she needed him. Even then she stayed by his side but he remembered her breaking point.
His phone had been ringing all night , but it still was no match to the pounding of his head as he finally picked it up two days later.
"Yo man where the fuck have you been?"
Looking around as Klay's voice beat his ear drum he tried to find his clothes as the two naked women in bed with him rolled around in the sheets as the sunlight beat into the room.
"Uhh, Beverly Hills I think."
"Man what the fuck are you doing out there? Joy got in an accident and she's been in the hospital for two days now."
"Shit"
Struggling to put himself together, Kevin rushed out to his car and began a mad dash for Saint Francis Memorial Hospital. As soon as he got there hours later , he rushed into the emergency room and to the receptionist.
"Joy Jackson , please which room is she in!"
Eying him suspiciously , the nurse cocked her head to the side before she checked her records on the computer then turned to him.
"She checked herself out an hour ago Mr. Durant."
Taking a step back , Kevin nodded before he raced back to his home where he pulled in just in time to see Joy's brothers moving her things out of his house. From the looks of the small items they were carrying they had been at this for a while and were nearly done.
"JOY! What is going on?"
He tried to call out to her but her brother's had already put up a wall as they put the last of what they had in the drunk of their G Wagon.
"Nah , you had your time. You've been fucking up too much bruh. Leave my sister the fuck alone."
Her older brother Jordan pushed him away while their oldest brother Jason started up the car.
"Man Jordan don't waste your time , get in the car."
He tried to open Joy's door but it was locked, he began to beat on the glass but she wouldn't even look his way. As the car pulled off and she finally hazarded a gaze his way , he saw the pain in her face.
He'd done that.
-
"I should've been better to her."
He muttered more to himself than anyone else as he watched Jimmy feed her a strawberry. The bright smile that spread across her face wounded him , but still it was no match for what he felt when tiny feet ran toward her and presented her with a bouquet of flowers he'd no doubt picked from the multitude of centerpieces around.
As Jimmy and Joy Butler looked at their two year old son JJ , Kevin Durant felt sick. The little boy looked just like his father but of course he'd have to get his mother's smile.
"That should be my family."
He told himself but from the way the people around him looked at him , he knew he'd said it out loud.
"Man did you ever appreciate Joy the way you should of?"
Klay who was now married himself queried as he sipped his drink.
"Not like I should have."
"Did you ever take her out?" Quinn supplied.
"Did you ever tell her you love her?" Steph added to the mix before his wife Ayesha put in her two cents.
"Did you ever surprise her with anything , flowers , a trip or even a compliment?"
"Okay , I know I didn't treat her the way I should've when I was her man but..."
Cutting their teammate off they all just gave him the same look and he knew what it meant.
"I didn't deserve her then and I still don't deserve her now. I guess I just have to accept the better man won."
Glancing over at their table again he witnessed Jimmy throw their son into the air while the little boy giggled before Joy , slightly terrified but still laughing grabbed her child and kissed all over his face igniting another round of laughter in the child.
She was better off but that didn't change the fact that he wished he'd been the one to make her happy.