Page 84 of Playing to Win
Chapter 27
It was the final game in the series. After his continued subpar playing in games four, five and six, the Thunder had lost two and managed to eke out the win three nights ago, tying the series three-three. This was it. The defining moment. Make it or break it. If Kyle didn’t get his head out of his ass and pull himself together, he was going to blow his team’s chance for the NBA title. And he owed it to them to get Callie out of his head.
In order to do that, he had to give it once last try to see if she would acknowledge him at all. Ever since he had dropped the L-bomb, he had gotten nothing but dead air on her end. She wouldn’t even talk to him after her practices. He had tried numerous times. She would just look at him with hurt eyes, shrug him off, and walk away. He was at a loss, because he honestly didn’t know what he had done. He had never gotten this reaction from any woman in his life. Okay, he had never told a girl he loved her, but still, he doubted he would have gotten this reaction from another woman. Who knew though. Maybe all women went crazy after they were told they were loved and they didn’t feel the same.
He was going to try one last text, just so he could get her out of his head. If she didn’t answer, he would really come to grips that he had lost her for good and call it quits.
Curly, really wanted to talk to you before the game. I miss your voice. I miss the smell of your hair. I just miss you, he texted.
Kyle waiting for what seemed like hours. With a sigh, he started to put his phone down as he got an incoming text. With a smile on his face, he picked up his phone, knowing Curly had finally decided to return his text.
His smile quickly turned to a frown, however, when he saw it was from an unknown number. And it simply said: This is Aria. Try to contact my friend again and I will cut off your balls and feed them to you for breakfast.
“Sheesh. All because you told her friend you loved her? That’s harsh, man. Your girl got’s some crazy friends,” Trevin told him, reading the text behind his back.
“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would Aria hate me just because I told Curly I loved her? I don’t get it.”
“You told a girl you loved her?” Garrett came into the locker room from the showers, a towel draped around his shoulders and nothing else. “What a pussy.”
“Yeah, I did. And I do. I’m not a man-whore like you, Troy,” Kyle said with a glare Garrett’s way. “Besides, last I checked, this wasn’t a conversation I was having with you.”
“Well, it might be one you want to have with me, seeing as a cute, perky little blonde knocked on my door in New York and Tatiana answered it. She might have given blondie the impression that it was your room, but I can’t be sure of that.”
“What?” Kyle went flying off the bench, slamming Troy against the wall.
“Hey, hey, hey! Stop acting crazy!” Jamal yelled, pulling Kyle off of Troy. “Garrett, is that true?”
“Why would I lie, man?”
“You prick! Why didn’t you say anything before now?”
“Jeez, Kelly, calm down. I didn’t think it was a big deal. The only reason I mentioned it just now is because I walked in on your sad little story about being in love.” Garrett batted his eyelashes and held his hands up to his face in what he was trying to pull off as flirty but just looked creepy. “And then I figured I’d jog your memory about how you had switched me rooms that night because of my minibar being out of liquor. Even though I should have just let you forget her. Why anyone would do love anyway is beyond me. Love only exists in fairy tales, man. One night stands are the way to go.”
“I can’t believe I forgot about that! I am such an idiot! No wonder she won’t return my texts! She thought I slept with that girl who tried to proposition me after she slept with you! So help me, Troy. If the championship game wasn’t tonight, I would send my fist through your face right now.”
“Hey, man. Don’t kill the messenger.”
“What do I do?” Kyle turned to Trevin, heartbreak in his eyes. “Do you even think she’ll believe me?”
“I don’t know, man. But if you really love her like you say, you might at least want to try. I think I saw them on the floor practicing the new number for the game tonight.”
“Thanks, bud.” Kyle started to run out the door, but stopped short. “Hey, how do you know their number is new?”
“Well, let’s just say I’ve been eyeing a leggy auburn-haired beauty on that cheer team. I can’t seem to get her out of my head,” Trevin said, his eyebrows waggling.
“Just a friendly warning, man. That leggy auburn-haired beauty is the one who just threatened to feed me my balls for breakfast.”
Kyle laughed at the look on Trevin’s face as he ran out the door. If his friend did decide to go after Callie’s best friend, he was willing to bet she would give Trevin a run for his money.
“Callie,you are way off on your timing,” Vanessa called out from the front of the squad, a frown on her face. “I don’t know where your mind is at, but it better get on the game and this number tonight, or I don’t know if I’m going to let you go out there.”
Callie sighed in defeat. Since seeing that blonde woman draped in a sheet answering Kyle’s hotel door, she had been in a funk. A heartbroken funk. The tears she had cried over Matt didn’t even compare to the ones she shed over Kyle. She didn’t think she would ever love again. She’d become the crazy cat lady and be alone for the rest of her life. Or marry for convenience. Maybe she could be a trophy wife for a man who would let her shop for whatever she wanted.
Who was she kidding? Ninety percent of her wardrobe consisted of t-shirts and sweats or Nike shorts.
“Come on, girl. You’ve wasted too many tears over that loser,” Aria said, coming up to Callie, draping her arm around her shoulder and planting a kiss on her cheek. “We need to hook you up with some random hottie. That will cure your Kyle Kelly blues.”
“I’m fine, Aria. Really,” Callie said, planting a fake smile on her face.
