I collided with him at the top of the steps, just a few inches from where Brittany now stood defensively at her door. He struggled underneath me but had zero upper body strength as I pinned his arms behind him.
Without thinking, I turned to Brittany. “Call the police!”
“I’m already on it,” she shot back.
The venom in her voice was evident, but I was hopeful in thinking that it was because of the attacker. He tried to get away, but I quickly punched him in the back of the head. I didn’t expect for him to go crashing forward, knocking himself unconscious on the cement platform. I climbed off him and brushed myself off, a stinging pain in my shoulder telling me I hadn’t come out the other end unscathed.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Brittany asked me.
“Is that really what we should be focusing on right now? Do you know him?”
I could see that she was scared, but I had to know what was going on. Brittany nodded her head, wrapping her arms protectively around her body.
“He’s been watching the vlog I do a lot. At first, he just made comments, but a few months ago, he started to write letters.”
“This is that creep from online?”
“How do you know about that?” Brittany asked.
I shrugged. “I’ve been watching your vlog. I like to read the comments, and I noticed one guy’s seemed really creepy.”
“That would be him,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I filed a police report and a restraining order against him the first time he showed up at the studio.”
“I don’t think it did much good,” I offered.
“No,” she said with a laugh. “I guess it didn’t. Then the phone calls started. I don’t know how he got my private number, but he would call and just breathe into the phone. It was the creepiest thing I’ve ever had to deal with.”
“You shouldn’t have had to deal with it alone,” I said. “Listen, I’m sorry about everything that’s happened.”
Brittany shook her head. “I don’t want to do this right now. I was calling you to talk when this happened.”
I looked down at my phone and smiled. Her name popped up as a missed call. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No, but maybe wait for the police before we have this talk.”
“Okay,” I said softly.
We stood in an awkward silence for a few minutes before the sound of a baby crying pulled me out of my thoughts. I wanted to tell her everything once the guy was gone. The crying became louder, and Brittany looked back at her apartment. My mind moved slowly, connecting the pieces.
“I’ll be right back,” she said quickly before disappearing into the apartment.
“What?”
As soon as she was gone, the crying stopped. After a few more minutes, she reemerged with a small baby wrapped in her arms. The little girl looked just like her except for one small detail. Her ears had a unique bow to them. It wasn’t noticeable unless pointed out. Or unless you’d seen it before. I had not only seen it before. I had the same curve. My fingers went to my ears, feeling the soft fold that wasn’t as defined as most.
“You have a baby?” I whispered.
Brittany nodded, her eyes glowing as she smiled down at the infant. “I do. Her name is Penelope. I had her last week.”
“That’s why you didn’t call me back?”
“That and a few other reasons. I needed time to think about things.”
“Oh?”
She looked at me and took a deep breath. “She isn’t just my baby, Corey. Penelope is your daughter, too.”
My mind was spinning. How could I be a father when I didn’t know anything about it? Why wouldn’t she tell me about the baby earlier? I had so many questions, but they were going to have to wait. The flashing lights of a patrol car blinded me just as the stalker groaned. He was starting to wake up, but in a flash, the officer was on the ground next to him, securing him in handcuffs.
They could have been miles away and it wouldn’t have made any difference. My eyes were locked on the little girl in Brittany’s arms. Her eyes caught mine and I knew that my world was going to change forever.
13
Brittany
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
I shook my head. I didn’t know what to say to him. Nothing had gone as planned. There was going to be a meeting in a neutral location, where he would see me looking fantastic with makeup and heels on. Instead, he was sitting on my sofa as I fiercely brushed back a wayward strand of hair. It had been days since my last shower, and I was almost positive a strange odor was starting to waft from me.
“I was going to. That’s why I told you we would talk when you called last week.”
“You called me today,” he muttered. “Were you really going to tell me over the phone?”
“Of course not. I would have told you something like this in person. I just didn’t know where to start. So much has happened over the last nine months.”
“Did you meet someone else?”
“No,” I whispered. “I’ve been focusing on my career more than anything. I’m sorry that I waited so long to tell you. I don’t want her life to be in the spotlight, though.”
He seemed to think about my words for a minute before getting up and coming to sit next to me. “Can I hold her?”
I nodded and gingerly handed him the sleeping baby. I had to admit that it pulled at my heart to see him holding her in his arms. The smile on his face was one I knew well. It was love, pure and simple. All the feelings I’d buried deep down came flooding back to me in an instant. He was so loving and caring. Maybe now that a child was involved, he could learn to grow up a little bit and there could be something real between us. Still, I didn’t know if my heart was ready for that again.
“She’s the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered. “I love her name.”
“Thank you. I wanted something classic,” I offered. I cleared my throat. “I put your name on the birth certificate. I hope that’s okay?”
He looked up at me, his eyes glossy with tears. “Of course it is. I was hoping that we could talk at some point. Admittedly, I didn’t expect it to go quite like this, but I think this is so much better.”
“Corey,” I cautioned.
“It’s okay. I know there’s a lot going on in your life. Especially with this little princess now. I would like to be a part of her life, though, if you’re okay with that.”
“I would love it. She deserves to know who her father is. I was hoping that you’d want to be here for her.”
“I want that and so much more,” he pressed.
“I don’t know,” I said carefully, shaking my head. “I just don’t know right now.”
“Then please just give me a chance. I’m not looking for a guarantee. I know that I’ve hurt you in the past. Let me show you the kind of man I am now.”
“We have a child together now. We will always be a part of each other’s life.”
“You know that’s not what I want. I want us to be a family. I’ve wanted you back from the moment I ended things like a coward.” He hung his head. “I live with the regret every day of my life.”
“Is that why your game has been so off?” I asked quietly.
Corey nodded slowly. “I wish it didn’t affect me, but losing you changed something inside me. Nothing seemed right anymore.”
“I know how you feel. After you broke up with me, I sank myself into work. It was all I could do to keep the pain at bay.”
“Then why fight it now? You know you want to be with me.”
I stood up and carefully took Penelope from him. She was as much a security blanket for me as anything else. With her in my arms, I didn’t feel so alone. Of course I still loved him. He would be a fool if he didn’t know that. But I wasn’t ready to open myself and my daughter up to heartbreak again. What kind of parent could I be to her if I was busy crying over a man I’d let dump me a second time?
“There is just too mu
ch at stake,” I told him. “I’m sorry, but she needs us to be co-parents, not on-again, off-again boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“You won’t even give me a chance?”
“Why should I?”
He stood up, taking Penelope gently from my arms and laying her down in the bassinette. I couldn’t believe how gentle he was with her. I couldn’t resist him after he pulled me into a warm embrace. It had been so long since we had touched. Instantly, shots of passion rolled over my body, reminding me of one of the many things I loved about him. He was passionate and always hot for me.
“Because I love you and I think that you still love me too,” he said confidently. “I know that this is a risk, but I promise it won’t be one that turns into a mistake. You are my everything. Please don’t tell me ‘no.’”
“But—”
There was nothing more that I could say. He saw the desire and passion for him in my eyes. As he tilted his head down to me and our lips touched, sparks started to fly inside me. I didn’t want to let go of him ever again, but I knew that things were different now. Using what little self-control I had left, I pushed him away from me and took a large step back. Shaking my head, I wiped my lips and glared at him.
“Just because we have a daughter together doesn’t mean we’re going to pick up right where we left off. Things didn’t really end well.”
“I’ve apologized for that so many times.”
“And you can keep apologizing, but it won’t change how I feel. We are stuck together now, but that doesn’t mean I want a relationship with you.”
“I’m sorry.”
I took a deep breath to calm my fried nerves. “Listen, it’s getting late and she’s going to wake up soon to be fed. I have an interview in the morning that I need to be on top of.”
“It sounds like things are going well for you,” he muttered.
“Corey,” I said carefully, “I don’t want things to be like this. We are still parents to Penelope. I was going to take her to the park this weekend. Would you like to come with us? I know it’s not as exciting as the club, but . . .”
“I would love to!” he blurted out. I jumped and the baby stirred at the loud noise. Corey blushed a deep red. “Sorry. I just . . . yeah. I would love to go to the park with you guys.”
“You know this isn’t a date, right?” I said carefully.
“Yeah, but still,” he said with a sly grin, “It’s a start, and that’s all I wanted. Saturday seems so far away now.”
“It’s Thursday,” I offered with a giggle. “I think you’ll survive two days. Don’t you have a game Sunday? Will you be able to get away from the stadium that close to a game?”
“I’ll find a way,” he promised.
My heart skipped.
* * *
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were dating him again,” Gloria grumbled.
“I told you, we aren’t dating,” I whispered, a smile plastered on my face. “You told me to bring a plus-one to this, so that’s what I did. He just happened to be around.”
“Yeah, but last time I checked, Penelope was at home with the sitter, so why is he here?”
“It’s been a really great few months, okay?” I told her. “And to be honest, he looked heartbroken when I told him we couldn’t go to the park today with Penelope because of this event. I didn’t want to ask anyone else so last-minute.”
“Awful nice of him to cancel his plans for the night to come to this,” she muttered.
“Why are you so against this?” I shot back at her. “You’ve been pushing me since the day Penelope was born to get back out there, and now I am.”
“Going back to the guy who broke up with you after knocking you up isn’t what I had in mind. I just want to make sure you’re happy with this decision.”
“I haven’t made any decisions yet because there’s nothing to decide. He hasn’t asked me out again, and I’m not going to push it. Things are good right now. Why ruin the good luck?”
“Because I know that you care about him. This has to be killing you to see him so much.”
“I haven’t had the time to think about it,” I lied.
Of course, I’d thought about asking Corey out again. It was the truth that things were going great. Even his game had totally changed since that first fateful meeting at my place. He was back on top and we had a good relationship. Still, every time he left, I wanted to beg him to stay. My bed felt empty without him there, and my body ached to be touched by him again. I hadn’t forgotten how skilled he was between the sheets. It kept me awake most nights.
“You know that I love you. I just want you to be happy and safe,” she said, touching my arm lightly. “If Corey makes you happy, then go for it, but only if you’re sure he isn’t going to bail on you again. I don’t want to see you so broken ever again. That’s not what you want for Penelope, is it?”
“No, of course not,” I told her. “But what happens if I’m passing up on a perfect relationship and father for Penelope just because I’m scared?”
“You have to weigh the odds, I guess. Do you think that he’ll mess everything up again?”
“No, I really don’t. We were both so different a year ago. We’ve changed for the better, and this time, he seems really serious.”
“So, are you going to ask him out?”
“I’m not sure yet. I want to give it a little more time before I think about it. Why ruin a good thing, right?”
“Right,” she whispered as Oliver and Corey made their way to where we were standing.
“So, are you two having fun?” Gloria asked.
“Yeah,” Oliver said with a smile. “I never knew how much I was missing with basketball.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be a professional before long,” Corey joked.
Oliver reached out and took Gloria’s hand, tugging her toward the dance floor as she laughed. I watched them go and stood silently for several minutes next to Corey.
“Do you want to dance?” he asked me.
My heart started to race as I nodded my head. “I would love to. I didn’t know that you knew how to dance.”
He grinned. “I made a point of learning after we got together. You said you loved to dance.”
“I can’t believe you remembered that.”
Corey pulled me close to him as we took to the floor. “I remember everything about you. I miss all of it.”
“Corey,” I whispered, tingles of pleasure coursing through me.
“Give me a chance,” he whispered. “If not as your boyfriend, as an intimate friend you can trust. Let me make you feel pleasure again.”
His fingers ran down my spine and I let out a quiet moan. My eyes rolled back in my head. I would never be able to resist him.
14
Corey
The crowd roared as we left the court. It was deafening but the elation was well worth it. We had wiped the floor with the opponent again. In the weeks that I’d gained Brittany back in my life, along with Penelope, my game had transformed. Today was a special day, though. Today, I was going to ask Brittany out on a date for the first time. The sparks between us had grown into a wildfire. Every time we saw each other, the passion threatened to burn the room down around us.
As soon as I was in the locker room, the guys started to clap me on the back and tell me what a good game it was. Even the team had changed since news of Penelope broke. It was a crazy few days, but once the media learned we wouldn’t be asked about her, they got bored and let it go. The only show Pen was ever on was the occasional vlog with her mom. Watching them together was the highlight of my life when my team was on the road.
“I barely saw the court,” Antwan grumbled as he stormed past me.
Some things would never change. Antwan and Jimmy were largely on their own in the witch hunt against me. The rest of the team was not only pleased with my performance and attitude, but they loved having Brittany and Penelope around. Several of them had even shown interest in giving up the p
arty lifestyle.
I felt someone shove into me and I lurched forward. I quickly braced myself and spun around to glare at Antwan. “What the hell, man?”
He puffed up at me. “You think you’re so tough now?”
“Back up, man. I don’t have time to do this shit,” I hissed.
“Yeah, your whore and that baby. She was one hell of a lay, wasn’t she?” he spat back.
I shoved him in the chest. “Leave my family out of it, Antwan. Your beef is with me.”
“My beef is with this bullshit hero treatment you get just for showing up and doing your job.” He shoved me back. “You know I slipped it to your girl, right? Maybe that baby is mine.”
My instinct was to lunge for him. He was trying to get under my skin. Brittany had told me everything that had happened while we were broken up, and Antwan wasn’t a part of that. She even showed me the messages of her turning him down repeatedly and declining to have him on her show. Antwan was a liar and no longer a threat. I had something worth fighting for now, and I wasn’t about to let him ruin it with lies.
I smiled and shook my head. “You aren’t worth it. Sorry your game sucks, but that’s not my problem. Have fun hating yourself.”
Turning away from him, I shut my locker and headed for the door. I had a playdate with Penelope that I wasn’t going to miss for Antwan or anyone else.
* * *
“I swear, she grows more each time I see her,” I said as I kissed her feet. She smiled and squealed, my heart melting in her hands. “Has it really only been two days?”
Brittany nodded. “She’s growing all the time, though. I should get her new clothing tomorrow. I swear, she outgrows things before I even get to try them on her.”
“Do you need money for anything?” I asked quickly.
Brittany laughed and shook her head. “No, but thanks for offering. Maybe you can go shopping with me, though.”
Slam Dunk: A Second Chance Sports Romance Page 8