In His Corner

by Alexandra Warren

  I honestly shouldn’t have been surprised that Chris was making his way around the office, trying to screw his way into a power he would never actually have because, regardless of how I felt about her getting rid of me, Sharon was that bitch. Sure she’d let him be her toy, give him a better than good position for the site. But actually taking her place wasn’t going to happen. And it seemed as if he knew it too, going back to his original reason for being here as he said, “Look, Bella. Just think it over and get back to me, alright?”

  He didn’t even take a step before I replied, “Thought about it. It’s a no from me, dawg. Thanks for playing.”

  While I wasn’t sure why he expected me to take his offer even remotely serious, I could tell it upset him that I hadn’t, his face scrunched when he said, “Yeah alright. Don’t let becoming the news get to your head.”

  “Becoming the news?” I thought to myself, keeping my face steady until he turned to leave. But the second he disappeared into the distance, I finally found my phone to do a quick Twitter search of my name to see what he was talking about. And when nothing out of the ordinary came up, I switched the search to Princeton’s name and found a collection of articles featuring pictures of us from the night of his birthday with the headline, “The Prince’s Royalty. Our five favorite pictures of #boxerbae’s new love interest.”

  “Shit,” I whispered as I scrolled through the article, grateful that they had at least chosen some of my favorite Instagram pictures. But being tied to Princeton in such a public way made me feel uneasy enough to copy the link and send it to him, even if I wouldn’t get an actual reply for hours.

  To my surprise, it only took a few minutes for a response to come, though it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.

  “You’re so beautiful, B. Good pics.” - Princeton

  “Not better than the ones I’ve been stockpiling though ;).” - Princeton

  While I was flattered by his positive outlook - and happy to hear from him, period - I couldn’t help reminding him of the real reason I had sent the link.

  “Our business is out there for the world, and you’re only thinking about how good I look in the pictures?” - Bella

  I balanced on my boots as I watched the screen flash with the collection of dots to signal he was typing out a reply before the full message appeared.

  “Nah, I’m actually thinking about the fight I have coming up instead of getting wrapped up in something we both already know is true.” - Princeton

  Even through text, I could sense him giving me attitude. And since I understood the intensity of what he was putting himself through in order to be prepared for his upcoming bout, my next text reflected that.

  “I’m sorry. I miss you. I hope camp is treating you well even though I know it’s not.” - Bella

  “I miss you too, love. The mountains are mad gorgeous. Can’t wait to bring you here.” - Princeton

  Just the thought of spending time with Princeton on a romantic getaway made me warm all over, the last thing I needed to be feeling since I still wouldn’t be seeing him for a few more weeks. But the rate of his texts let me know he must’ve been on a break which meant I could also get his opinion on the other thing that had gotten my attention today.

  “I know I’m not supposed to be bothering you, but I just have one more thing. Fullest Disclosure asked me to come back.” - Bella

  It still blew my mind that it was Chris of all people to come give me the offer as if he didn’t understand his role in all of this; as if he wasn’t the one responsible for this mess to begin with. Then again, maybe his actions had been a blessing in disguise since the wrench he threw into my life plans had been exactly the thing that redirected me to Princeton, redirected me to something that was blossoming at an uncontrollable pace with no signs of slowing down any time soon according to his latest response.

  “You’re never a bother, Bella. But where’d that come from?” - Princeton

  “Said they’ve seen the work I’ve been doing and made a mistake.” - Bella

  “They definitely made a mistake. How do you feel about it though?” - Princeton

  “I already told him no.” - Bella

  “Him? They sent trash ass head game after you?” - Princeton

  The message made me laugh out loud, thinking back to our time in the gym when I had let that information slip. And I was grateful that Princeton had already proved himself to be the exact opposite in that category as I typed out a reply.

  “Why do you even remember that?” - Bella

  “Cause the shit was hilarious ‘til you took it out on my poor eye :(.” - Princeton

  Even though I had apologized to him about his eye more times than I could count, it still made me smile as I thought about what had come from it. And I couldn’t help but share my feelings about that in my next message.

  “Did I tell you I miss you already?” - Bella

  “Miss me or my dick?” - Princeton

  “Both. Which, speaking of dicks, you were wrong about that baby girl. My period finally showed up and ol’ bitter ass mother nature is wreaking havoc on my boobs.” - Bella

  Just thinking about them had me secretly trying to adjust them for comfort in my bra as the basketball practice was finally coming to a close meaning it was game time for me to take on Bryson and Miles Harris; siblings who just so happened to end up on the same professional basketball team even though Bryson was a few years older.

  I had a feeling the interview would be a fun one, but not nearly as much fun as what Princeton was talking about in my text messages.

  “I’d rub ‘em for you if I was there.” - Princeton

  “Which means I’m distracting you too much. And my next interviewees just finished practice so I have to go.” - Bella

  Even though I was dismissing the conversation, I still kept my phone in my hand to catch Princeton’s response since I wasn’t sure when I’d hear from him again. And he made sure to remind me of one of our means of communication with his last text.

  “Aight, B. Kill that shit. And don’t forget my picture tonight. Ass on the counter if you’re taking requests.” - Princeton

  Smiling, I sent him a quick reply before dropping my phone into my purse for good.

  “Roger that.”

  &

  “Can you gain weight from working out?”

  I wasn’t sure why I was asking Gina since the girl hadn’t lifted anything more than her purse since I’d known her. But after getting on the scale during what was only supposed to be a quick trip to the bathroom and seeing it at a number higher than I had ever seen before, I probably would’ve taken advice from just about anyone.

  The way Gina was already smacking on her handful of Hot Cheetos told me I might’ve been better off doing a Google search when she replied, “I think so. Like, if you’re putting on muscle, it’s possible. Why do you ask?”

  “I’ve been busting my ass in the gym and the scale just took a sharp turn in the wrong direction,” I explained as I plopped down on the couch next to her, tempted to snag a few of her chips even if that meant contributing to my current problem.

  But it didn’t seem as if Gina was really interested in sharing anyway, licking her fingers before sticking them back in the bag as she suggested, “Maybe you just hit a plateau. Or... maybe you’re pregnant.”

  I immediately tensed up, more annoyed than anything when I huffed, “Jesus, what is up with you and Princeton? Why do y’all keep trying to speak that into existence?”

  Of course my annoyance meant nothing to Gina, her only focus the mention of Princeton as she gushed, “Awww, “The Prince” already wants a baby with you?! How cute!”

  “Not cute. And I’m not pregnant. I just got off my period like two weeks ago,” I told her, knowing I had never been so relieved to see period blood in my life as I had been that day.

  Still, Gina somehow managed to turn all that relief into panic when she suggested, “Just because you bled doesn’t mean you aren’t pregnant, Bella.
Was it a regular period?”

  I shrugged. “For the most part. Maybe a little spottier than usual, but I figured that was because of the Plan B I took.”

  For whatever reason, the mention of a Plan B made Gina sit up straighter, crunching her chips in the process as she said, “So, wait… you took a Plan B and the nigga still knocked you up? Wow. He really is a champion at all things.”

  The laugh I let out in response was a mix of amusement and wanting to calm my own nerves since… she can’t be right, can she?

  I mean, even if we hadn’t been ahead of the game with contraception, we had still followed up the act with an option that would ensure I wouldn’t conceive a child. And not only had my period came, but it was on time, meaning… nah, she can’t be right.

  Instead of getting wrapped up in her antics, I asked, “Will you chill? I’m not pregnant.”

  “Allegedly,” she quickly suggested before popping another chip into her mouth. But a full mouth wasn’t enough to stop me from side-eying her, though she only shrugged when she added, “I’m just sayin’. Men lie, women lie, pregnancy tests don’t.”

  “So if I take a test, will that shut you up?”

  “Absolutely,” she answered, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she licked her fingers clean again.

  But just the thought of being wrong about this - the thought of actually being pregnant - made me sick to my stomach, forcing me to back out when I whined, “I don’t wannaaaa.”

  My uneasiness only made Gina more excited as she challenged, “Why? Cause you’re scared of what it’ll say?”

  I released a deep breath, putting on a confident front so that I could answer, “No. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

  “Except for carrying Princeton Lattimore’s child. I mean, you see how big he is. That baby is gonna rip your pussy hole to shreds.”

  “Gina!” I screeched, holding my stomach as I laughed.

  Oh my God.

  Do I always do that?

  Or is that a… nah.

  I was grateful that Gina hadn’t caught on to my internal panic, still stuck on her ludicrous claims as she said, “What? Don’t worry. They’ll sew you back up like nothing ever happened. And hell, it may even make you tighter than a virgin. Princeton will probably like that.”

  “Princeton won’t like anything because a baby isn’t coming out of me because I’m not pregnant,” I assured her even if I was no longer as confident as I had been before. And I shouldn’t have been surprised that Gina didn’t let things blow over, instead hitting me with another challenge.

  “Well prove it. I have an extra pregnancy test in my purse.”

  She was already digging through it by the time I asked, “Who in the hell casually carries pregnancy tests in their purse?”

  “You never know when you’ll need to pull a fake out for extra weave money. Or when your friend will be ready to find out their fate,” she replied before pulling out the kit and tossing it my way with a giddy smile.

  Actually having it in my hand only made my heart start racing, though I still managed to match her smile with a smirk of my own before making my way back to the bathroom that had started this mess in the first place. And after forcing out the little bit of pee I could since I had already relieved myself a few moments earlier, I sat on the toilet and waited for my “fate” to be revealed.

  The clock seemed to be ticking in slow motion, the three minute wait time feeling more like an hour. But eventually enough time had passed for me to check and only discover one line which meant, “I’m not pregnant…”

  I busted out of the bathroom to find Gina waiting right outside of the door, damn near shoving the pee stick in her hand as I cheered, “I’m not pregnant! Ha! Told you so!”

  But my excitement didn’t last long when Gina didn’t join me in my celebration, instead wearing a sly grin when she said, “Uhhh… congratulations. You played yourself. Two lines means you are pregnant.”

  “What the… no!” I shouted, snatching the stick from her hand to see another, fainter line had appeared, the news settling in with a heavy thud on my chest as Gina took off in a celebration of her own.

  “Yes! Bella, you’re having a baby!” she squealed, grabbing me by the shoulders to express her excitement.

  Though my eyes were still stuck on the stick as I whispered, “No, no, no, no…”

  “Bella, you should be happy! This is great news!” she shouted, once again trying to get me as excited as she was.

  But there was no way in hell I could join her, pulling away as I shouted back, “This is horrible news! I’m just getting back on my feet, just getting situated into this new world. And not only that, how the hell am I going to tell Princeton?!”

  She shrugged off my concerns as nothing when she replied, “You already said Princeton wanted to have a baby with you.”

  Still, I knew better than to get caught up on his lip service since, “Yes. The same Princeton that grabbed me a Plan B on his morning run like it was a fuckin’ bagel!”

  I could feel my shoulders beginning to shake which meant a nasty cry was soon to follow. Though Gina was quick to try and console me, pulling me into a hug and suggesting, “Bella, you have to relax. I mean, at least make a doctor’s appointment to confirm things first. This test has been in my purse for a while now. Maybe you got a bad read.”

  “Yes! A bad read. That’s exactly what this is. The line came up late because this test is… expired,” I replied with a forced laugh, willing to take just about any reasoning that would turn this into some sick joke.

  But that didn’t mean Gina was going to give me an out, shaking her head as she said, “It’s not expired, Bella.”

  “Well the box was still bumped and battered around in your purse like loose change which means the settings could’ve gotten knocked around too,” I told her, once again trying to piece together an alibi that would prove this was only a bad dream.

  It was clear my story wasn’t as convincing as I desperately wanted it to be when Gina kept her voice steady and insisted, “Sweetie, just make the appointment, okay? It’s the only way you’ll know for sure.”

  The tears I had been fighting off finally began to flow, my throat knotted as I nodded to agree since I didn’t really have much of a choice. Then I picked up my phone and scrolled through my contacts to find the number to my doctor’s office and make the phone call that could quite possibly change my life forever.

  Princeton

  I missed her.

  Being away from Bella during fight camp felt like punishment in the worst way, especially now that I could tell it was beginning to affect her too. She wasn’t as wordy in the texts we shared, wasn’t as talkative nor cheery in the few phone calls I made, and even the pictures she used to send every night had become more sporadic, meaning she was either super busy with her new solo gig or straight up mad at me. And since I hadn’t been there to give her a real reason to be mad at me, I assumed it was the distance between us that was finally catching up to her which meant I had to make something shake before I lost her.

  So I did, sneaking off to her spot the second my plane landed back in town even if I wasn’t technically supposed to see her until the pre-fight weigh-ins next week. But this… this was an urgent matter. And while I knew my father would probably try to rip me a new one if he found out what I was doing, it was a risk I was willing to take for my girl.

  I tried my best to stay low-key, though I was sure I stood out like a sore thumb walking through her building that didn’t exactly make their ceilings with people like me in mind. But I eventually made it to her unit, giving the door a knock, then a second heavier one to increase the urgency. And I was just getting ready to knock again when she yanked the door open, her angry expression from my disturbance falling flat once she realized it was me.

  “Princeton, what are you…”

  The rest of her question fell right against my lips as I pushed her back into her apartment with my steps, keeping my lips locked wit
h hers as I shut the door behind me before pulling away to take a good look at her.

  While I hadn’t been away that long, I still noticed small things that had changed in our time apart. Her pixie cut was a little longer than usual, but still wildly attractive. Her boobs looked even fuller than I remembered under her oversized tank top, the thin fabric enough to see her hardened nipples through which was always a plus. And there seemed to be a glow about her, even brighter than her usual radiance.

  She was beautiful.

  “Those pictures didn’t do you any justice,” I said, grabbing her hand for a kiss that made her blush meaning not all was lost. But she still didn’t seem as thrilled about my presence as I expected her to be, so I decided to turn it up a notch, swooping her up into my arms to carry her to her bedroom and make good of my impromptu visit since I knew it couldn’t last long.

  “Princeton, are you crazy?” she asked with little giggles of disbelief until we made it to the destination. And instead of answering, I set her down on the bed, making quick work of my hoodie and sweatpants before climbing on to join her.

  My lips immediately went at her neck as she pressed her hands into my chest and groaned, “Princeton, wait… I need to tell...”

  But once again, I didn’t let her finish, pushing her tank top up so that I could continue my attack of kisses down her body and using them to punctuate my words as I told her, “I can’t wait, Bella. I fuckin’ missed you. I missed this. And I’m about to show you how much.”

  While I wasn’t sure if it was the aggression I had built up in preparation for the fight or just my pure desperation to be connected to her, I felt like a savage as I devoured her pussy, spreading her as wide as she could go to give me better access as I licked her clit and every crevice in between. Her legs shaking in my grip gave me a similar rush to what I’d get from an arena of people cheering me on, a roar that only fueled me to give everything I had. And that wasn’t changing here as I continued my assault with my tongue, flickering at varying speeds that had her digging into my shoulders for leverage until she finally let herself fall.