Ballers 2: His Final Play

by Blue Saffire

  “Bella, I am reserving my first dance for you,” he says with a big smile. “Now about this celebration. I was thinking in two months or so, I should be ready to really show my moves. Annabella will be back in the States by then as well.”

  “You are close to your sister, closer than with your brothers,” I ask curiously. Nico talks about his sister much more than he does his brothers.

  “We are twins, so I guess I am naturally closer to her. I’ve always been protective of her,” Nico shrugs. “She sees the world through her own lens, I think you would say. Sometimes that leaves her vulnerable, so I have always been there to look out for her when I can.”

  “It had to be hard when you had to travel for soccer,” I ask.

  “Football, you Americans with this soccer business,” he teases. “Yes and no, it was hard in the beginning, but Annabella would sometimes travel to my games. It was her way of keeping us all connected. She would follow me and report what was going on with me to Uri and Michael.”

  “That’s so sweet,” I say with a smile. As an only child, I have always been spoiled by my parents, but I longed for siblings for as long as I can remember. I guess that’s why I wanted a house full of my own children.

  “Depends on who you’re asking. If you were me, wanting to party with your teammates and have a good time, not so much. Like I said, I’m protective of my sister. So I couldn’t really get into too much debauchery with her around. Annabella is gorgeous, I had to warn off my teammates and beat away the rest of the horny bastards that tried chasing after her,” the distant look in his eyes speaks volumes of the type brother Nico is. I can tell he is thinking back to that time in his life with warmth.

  “Which one of you is older,” I ask.

  “I am, by a whole eight minutes,” Nico says with a proud smile. I note that his Italian accent is heavier as he talks about his sister.

  “I know Uri is the oldest, so where does that leave your other brother? Michael, right?”

  “Michael is the baby, but you wouldn’t know by seeing him. He and Uri could go for twins. They’re about the same height and are closer in looks. We have good genes in the family, so we all look younger than we really are,” He says with a crooked smile.

  “Yeah, I have to say I was shocked to find out that Uri is forty and you are thirty-six, right,” I say in amazement. Both Uri and Nico could pass for late twenties, early thirties at best. “Valentina is a bit younger than your brother, isn’t she? She and I are closer in age.”

  “Yes, actually, they are thirteen years apart. Val is twenty-seven, how old are you,” Nico asks as his eyes roam my face.

  “I’ll be twenty-four in a few months,” I say into my plate.

  Nico sits back and whistles. “Wow, Bella, I knew you were younger, but I thought you were at least twenty-five. You have too much sadness in your life for only twenty-three years,” Nico says with compassion set in his eyes.

  I stare back down at my plate as if I can see my life in it. He is right, but I don’t want to admit it. A reflective silence fills the air as we get lost in our own thoughts. I think about the call I received from Ty this morning.

  He too sounded so sad as we talked. I have been thinking of suggesting counseling. We are both so unhappy. I think it would at least, free us to move forward to make whatever decisions we need to make.

  “I want to share something with you,” Nico says breaking me out of my thoughts.

  I smile up at him ready for one of his stories, but he stands from his seat instead. I look at him questioningly and his smile broadens. He winks at me.

  “Come on, Bella, just trust me.”

  “Fine, but I have to use the bathroom,” I say as I stand as well.

  Nico nods. “Just follow the music when you are done,” he says with a beaming smile.

  “O…kay,” I say and laugh as I head for the restroom.

  I take my time freshening up as my thoughts wonder. When I step out of the bathroom, I am still thinking about my life and where it is heading. If Ty doesn’t agree to counseling, then I am ready to ask for a divorce. I can’t keep going like this. He says he doesn’t want to lose me, but he keeps pushing me away.

  My brows furrow as the sound of music fills the air. It is not just any music. It is the sound of a grand piano. I would know, my grandmother, on my father’s side has one. She used to make me take lessons as a little girl. I loved and hated those visits. I loved to bake with her in the kitchen, but I wasn’t the fondest of her teaching methods when it came to the piano.

  The memory makes me smile, but I become more than curious as I walk towards the sound of the music. When I first walked out of the bathroom, the tune playing was a classical piece. Now a familiar tone drifts to my ears. I gasp as I place the tone. It is All of Me, by John Legend. I love that song.

  I am stunned, frozen, in the doorway of a room I have never been in before. Nico’s apartment is quite large. I haven’t been in many of the rooms, but the ones I have been in are impressive. I have often wondered who decorated for him.

  This room is no different. It is lined with white bookshelves and white walls. The floors are even a light, washed out, grey and white hardwood. To liven up the room, there are royal blue drapes that frame the windows and draw the eye to the beautiful views. All of the bookshelves are full, offering the room a warm cozy feel, despite the size of the room. Comfy looking benches, line the right side of the room here and there.

  There is a gorgeous full length, wide intricate mirror mounted to the wall across from the piano. But what is breathtaking about the room, especially right now, in this minute, is the midnight blue polished baby grand with Nico seated on its plush navy and grey bench seat. I can see him through the mirror on the wall. His head is bent and his eyes are closed, as his fingers fly over the keys. He is playing the song perfectly and looking gorgeous while doing so.

  His dark hair is spilling onto his forehead and the tight t-shirt he put on, after his shower, is clinging to his skin and muscles, allowing me to watch them flex as he plays. From this angle, looking directly at him and not through the mirror, I can’t help but to admire the way his strong back flexes with each movement. He has been growing so much stronger with the laps he has been swimming.

  I’m more than satisfied with his road to recovery. Even now, as I stand in awe watching him play, I know this is not something that would have been easy for him a few weeks back. I feel the tears prick the backs of my eyes, when I realize I am really going to get him back on the field. He doesn’t know it, and I wouldn’t dare tell him yet, but he is going to make a comeback, if it is the last thing I do.

  As if sensing me in the room, Nico lifts his head, turning slightly towards me and opens his eyes. Those intense blues lock with mine in the mirror. I’m drawn in by them. I move across the room to stand beside the piano. Nico doesn’t break eye contact and he doesn’t stop playing.

  You can feel the tension flowing through the room. The air is electrified and neither of us can look away from each other. I start to hear the words to the song in my head and as if knowing my thoughts, Nico starts to sing them. Once again, stunning me.

  His voice is beautiful. Deep, rich and husky, but mellow and soothing at the same time. He could give John a run for his money. I am mesmerized by his voice and the lyrics he is singing. I would never have thought he would have a voice like this, let alone actually use it to sing to me. Nico is just full of surprises.

  When he ends the song he is still staring into my eyes through the mirror and I stand there lost in his blue gaze. I don’t know what to say. A million thoughts are running through my mind, but I can’t express a thing that I am thinking at the moment.

  “Now you know another of my secrets,” Nico says first, turning to me and winking.

  “That was beautiful, Nico. I …,” I begin, but I’m cut off by the pitter-patter of little feet.

  “Nic-nic,” Vita squeals as she comes zooming into the room.

  She is growing so fa
st. Her little light brown legs propel her forward as her dark blonde curls bounce on her head. A tired looking Valentina comes into the room seconds later. Her belly is bulging out nowadays.

  “That little girl,” Valentina huffs.

  The moment and the spell between Nico and I have been broken. I know it is time for me to leave. I have enough on my plate without letting my feelings for this man cloud my decisions. Nico will not be the deciding factor in my marriage or the end thereof.

  “I will see you tomorrow,” Nico says as he stands from the piano. Once again, I feel like he is reading me. Knowing that I need to put space between us.

  “See you tomorrow,” I murmur and turn to leave quickly.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Not for You

  Nico

  “I worry about you, little brother,” Uri says as he sits on my couch sipping at a glass of scotch.

  “What is there to worry about? I am getting well. I am starting to feel like myself again. I have your wife to thank for introducing me to Reese. I don’t think anyone else could have done what she has. I don’t understand half of it, but it is all working,” I shrug.

  “This,” Uri waves his hand at me and frowns. “This is how you repay my wife. By lying to my face. Don’t pretend to not know what I am talking about. She is not for you, Nico. She is married.”

  I sigh and sit further back in my seat. “I know she is married. I have known that from day one,” I grumble.

  “And yet you have fallen in love with her,” Uri lifts a brow.

  “Who says…,” I start but close my mouth when Uri gives me a pointed look. I know that look. I sigh again. “Fine, I have feelings for her, but I know they can go nowhere as long as she is married.”

  “Are you sure? I see the way you look at her. Tina says you two spend a lot of time together. Is that wise?” My big brother asks me as he looks me in the eyes.

  “I like spending time with her. I think it is something we both need,” I say looking down into my palms. “We get each other.”

  “Yes, I can see that. That is my point. I just want to make sure you are not setting yourself up to get hurt. This… what you want and what you are getting, are two different things. It is my hope you don’t mix the two, yes,” Uri says.

  “I am doing my best not to confuse the two. I don’t want to be the cause of her marriage falling apart,” I pause to think. “But I swear to you, Uri. When he fucks up, I’m not backing down. I want her and if, no. When, I see my chance, I’m all in.”

  “Yes, this, I know. Promise, you will call me if I can help,” Uri says as his eyes soften in a way that happens when he is being a big brother.

  “Of course. You will be the first I call,” I say with a grin.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Revealing Secrets

  Reese

  A month later…

  “Baby, listen, I know I haven’t been here like you need me to be. I’m trying to work on that. It’s just with the team and my endorsements. I have so much shit going on,” Ty pleas.

  It is the first time he has been home in months. Three to be exact. I am so over this. The one time he asked me to fly out to Miami, I cancelled all of my appointments to jump on a plane to see him, only to have him cancel at the very last minute with some lame excuse.

  “See, that’s the problem, Ty. Your shit always comes before me. I don’t even know what’s going on in your life right now. I have tried to be patient. I have tried to be understanding. I have done all I can. This is just getting worse, not better,” I say in frustration.

  “Look, I’ll make myself available for counseling. I’ll come home more. Baby, I know we can work this out. You mean so much to me,” Ty says with a look of panic on his face.

  “At this point, Ty, I don’t even know if counseling will help,” I snort.

  He closes his eye and runs a hand down his face. When he looks at me again, I can see the anger in his eyes. I think it pisses me off more to see that he is angry. I am the one that should be angry. Today is our wedding anniversary, that is why he has suddenly appeared. As if acknowledging our marriage today will change a thing.

  “Reese, I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m trapped and all I want is you, but the more I try to make my way back to you, the harder this shit gets. I’m in so fucking deep,” his last words come out as if he is talking to himself.

  I look at him skeptically. Ty has been talking in circles for so long, I am starting to spin. I go to open my mouth, but the doorbell rings. Ty growls in frustration and glares at me.

  “What,” I demand, not liking the look he is giving me.

  “We need to talk. Tell whichever one of those meddling friends of yours that is, to come back another day. I’m not in the mood for their bullshit,” Ty huff.

  My head whips back and this time I glare at him. I have something nasty right on the tip of my tongue. When the doorbell rings again, he shakes his head in disgust and turns for the bedroom.

  “Un-fucking-believable,” I mumble under my breath.

  I pad to the door and open it. I knew I wasn’t expecting any of my girls, but I wasn’t expecting what I find on the other side of the door either. A thin blonde, with big boobs and bright red lips, is standing on my doorstep, with a little boy at her side and an infant in her arms. The little boy looks to be about three or four and the infant can only be a few months old.

  She is staring back at me with her lips twisted tightly. Her eyes roam over me like she is appraising something nasty. This bitch is at my door looking like I owe her something.

  “Hi,” the little boy says happily. “Mama said daddy is here. Do you know my daddy?”

  I look down at the little boy to really see him this time. I feel all the air leaving my lungs. My knees buckle and I have to hold onto the door to keep from hitting the floor.

  The little boy has Ty’s eyes and dark hair. He even has that one dimple my husband has in his right cheek. I have no doubt that I am looking at my husband’s son. My body starts to shake and my vision blurs.

  “What the fuck,” Ty bellows from behind me. “Fuck!”

  That is all I need to hear for the sob to tear through my body like an explosion. I can no longer stand. The blonde bitch in front of me smirks as she watches me crumble to the floor, but I don’t even have it in me to lunge at her and rip her hair out like I want to.

  Ty’s arms wrap around me, catching me before I hit the floor. “I’m sorry, Baby. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you to find out like this. I swear, I never wanted you to find out like this. I never meant for it to happen. I fucked up. I fucked up so bad,” Ty sobs into the top of my head.

  All I can do is look at his son through my tear blurred vision and see our son that would be about the same age. So much is becoming clear as the truth stares me in the face. My eyes go to the little one cradled in the woman’s arms. I look to her and she smiles viciously.

  “I just wanted to bring your boys to see their father. Jr. misses you. You promised him you’d take him to the zoo,” she says in a sugary sweet voice that holds so much hidden venom.

  “Aurora, I can’t believe you did this. I’ve given you everything you asked for, everything. Even when it was hurting my wife. I asked you to stay away from her,” Ty says, sounding as if he is so torn up.

  “You gave me everything, but one thing I wanted most. I told you I wasn’t going to raise your children without their father. She can’t even give you kids. Why can’t you just leave her and be with your real family,” the whiny bitch snarls.

  The severity of the situation slams into me with her words. She knows all about me and here I am just finding out that she and her children exist. I go to pull away from Ty, but his arms tighten around me.

  I start to come to myself and rip free from his arms. “Baby, please let me explain,” Ty says as I move away from him. I climb onto shaky legs and move out of his reach.

  “I think I know all I need to know,” I say with a calm I don’t feel.

>   “Babe, it was one night, I was on the road at an away game. I was feeling so lonely. I had too much to drink. A few months later, she shows up at a game to tell me she was pregnant. You were pregnant too. I couldn’t tell you some shit like that while you were carrying my baby.

  “Then when you lost the baby, I really couldn’t tell you. I love you so much. It was stupid. I made a mistake,” Ty pleads.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” the woman growls. “Honey, I am not the first and I know I haven’t been the last. And if I am such a damn mistake, how do we have two sons and not the one mistake, Ty,” she says bitterly.

  I pick up a vase off the table by the front door and throw it at Ty. “I hate you. I hate you so fucking much. I hate you,” I scream-sob.

  “I know, Baby, I know,” Ty sobs as he ducks out of the way.

  “Daddy,” the little boy cries out with fear in his eyes.

  It is the only thing that stops me from attacking Ty and this whore that has dropped herself on my doorstep. I grab my purse from the table and shove pass Ty’s babies’ mama. I can hear Ty calling after me in between yelling at her for ruining his life. Typical, none of this is his fault.

  I play his words in my head as I ride down in the elevator. He was lonely. That was his choice, he was the one that wanted me to stay in New York. I take my phone out of my purse and stare at it. I don’t know who to call. Anyone I call will just tell me I told you so.

  Tears flood my eyes as I exit the elevator and then the building. I don’t have a clue where I am going. I just keep moving, allowing my feet to take me to safety, far away from Ty, far away from here.

  ~B~

  Nico

  I sigh with relief when the doorbell rings. I know Uri is right about my feelings for Reese, so I decided to go on a date. I’m still not ready to be seen in public, limping around like I have been, so I invited my date to my apartment for dinner.

  She is a friend of the wife of one of my teammates. I wasn’t expecting much, but this date has been a disaster. She isn’t a bad looking woman; she is just not my type. Her voice has annoyed me from the time she said hello. Her perfume is like a thick fog, I wish would part and move on.