Page 44 of Intercept My Heart

“This is crazy. There is over two thousand dollars here.”

“Aww, yeah. Graduation dinners are lit. It’s the reason I didn’t want you to miss out. You deserve to be celebrated.” Butterflies filled my belly as I stared up at him.

“Thank you so much, baby. You and Tootie went above and beyond for me today, and I’m so grateful.” Tears were threatening to fall, but I held it together. Dinero noticed my struggle as he walked over to kiss my lips. He stood me up so he could take my spot while I sat on his lap.

“You don’t need to thank me, baby. My job is to make you smile and celebrate you at all times so you never forget how special you are. You’ve overcome a lot of shit and never let it get in the way of your education. Now, you’re about to head off to college and make more steps toward making those dreams of yours a reality.” His lips pressed against my temple, making my insides melt.

“How did I get so lucky to have a man like you in my life?” I nestled deeper into his arms, winding down for the day.

“Ain’t no such thing as luck when it comes to us. Our love story was already written in the stars before we knew each other. You were destined to be mine, and when I make it to the NFL and win my first Super Bowl, I’m gonna dedicate my win to the only woman I’ll ever love. Charae ‘Sunny’ Sutton.” I snickered at the name he created for me. I dreamed about us being together for the long haul, but the idea of us getting married seemed like a fairy tale. I stopped believing in those a long time ago, but he made me want to believe in the impossible.

My eyes shot open, and I realized I was still in the tub. The water had turned cold, and my fingertips were wrinkly. Dinero had only been back in my life for a few seconds, and he was already infiltrating my mind and shaking things up. My only hope was that my boys wouldn’t end up hurt by the return of my past.

“How are you holding up?”Dre inquired after we took our seats on the bleachers. The coaching staff provided us with breakfast and coffee, so I made sure to take full advantage.

“What do you want me to say? I got about three hours of sleep last night, so don’t expect much from me today. My mind is all over the place, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions, so I’m trying to keep an open mind.” In my heart, I kept telling myself there was no way her children could be mine because she would have told me. The alternative was what left me feeling uneasy. It was one thing for her to sleep with my former best friend, but was it possible they continued their relationship, and she gave birth to his children?

From the time I met Charae, I stepped up for her, and I never allowed her to fight her battles alone. Regardless of what was going on in my own life, I had her back. Outside of being lovers, I thought we were friends, so this shit really fucked with me. Then there was that lingering thought that questioned if her sons were mine. A part of me hoped that maybe she cheated to get back at me and got pregnant, because accepting the fact that she intentionally kept my children away from me didn’t make any sense. The woman I fell in love with would have never done something so spiteful. Right?

“Look, I understand why you might be upset about it because it really would be foul as fuck if she ran off with your kids. However, I think it’s best to get the whole story before you react. I know how your ass gets, and the last thing we need is for you to tear up these folks’ equipment,” Dreis joked. While I tried to calm down my aggressive nature, I had a bit of a reputation for being a hothead. In my defense, I only reacted when a mothafucka tried to play with my intelligence.

I would never put my hands on a woman, especially Charae, but I couldn’t promise this building would remain intact if she gave me the news I expected today.

“Try to take her side into consideration. I know that shit is easier said than done, but right now, you need to get to the bottom of things. We haven’t been around Charae in years, but the person I remember would never do anything malicious to hurt anyone. Try to keep your feelings out of it until you hear the whole story. Then you’ll be able to assess how you should handle things,” Dreis coached.

“You’re saying that because you aren’t in the same boat as me. She has two fucking kids, Dre! She had years to tell me what was going on, and she chose not to. I don’t care how you slice it, that shit is bogus as fuck.”

“And I agree with you on that. If she did keep the kids away from you, then she was wrong. However, you have to take into consideration that the two of you didn’t break up on good terms either. Maybe she felt like she couldn’t talk to you about it.”

“Are you taking her side or mine?” I questioned.

“I’m riding for you always, but I also know how much you loved that girl. Regardless of what happened, she was your first and only love. I want you to handle this with a level head before you do something you can’t take back. You saw how protective that young bull was over his mother and brother. If you are his father, you won’t be able to build any type of bond with him if you’re on the outs with his mama.” I nodded. His advice made a lot of sense. Moolah already had a chip on his shoulder when it came to me, so I needed to handle this with the utmost care.

“Man, this shit is crazy. I don’t even know what to say anymore. Never did I imagine that we would even be having this conversation.”

“It’s all gonna work out. I believe all of this happened for a reason. Maybe this will bring the two of you back together.”

“I don’t know about all of that. I haven’t forgotten about the fact that she fucked my best friend. Well, my ex best friend. I don’t care how mad you are at a person; you don’t get them back like that.” I huffed. I might have been drunk, but I hadn’t forgotten about the fight between Drake and me. When I got that call from Sunny, I prayed she would tell me it was all a lie, but instead, she cried and tried to explain to herself. That shit crushed my soul in a way I could never explain.

“You still don’t know the full story behind that either. I know you said she basically admitted to it, but something seems off with that shit. Charae and Drake never got along with one another, and after what his father did, I don’t see her wanting anything to do with anyone in that family. Even if she was upset about the breakup, I don’t see that being her response. Besides,I’m way finer than Drake, so if she wanted to get some revenge, I would have been the obvious choice.”

“Dre, get the fuck out of my face with that bullshit.”

“I’m just saying. Maybe it’s time for the two of you to finally sit down and hash everything out.” I hated to admit the fact that he was right. There were a lot of things we needed to lay on the table.

“Yeah, I guess. Let’s get to work.” Sunny and I were originally supposed to meet to talk, but I suggested that we wait until after the training. Based on what she had to tell me, I might not have been in the right headspace to continue with the practice, and I needed to be completely focused. These boys deserved my full attention and commitment, and that was what I would give.

“You ready to play against your son again? He got that fire in his eyes. He might actually beat your ass today,” Dreis joked.

“I’m glad you find this shit funny. That boy hates my fucking guts, and I don’t even know what to do. He looked at me as if I had shit on my hand when I tried to dap him up yesterday. I wasn’t sure if I was offended or proud.” Moolah reminded me of myself as a young boy. When my parents first died, I was angry at the world. I hated everyone and everything because I couldn’t take my frustrations out on God.

I wasn’t sure how to approach this situation since I was on the outside looking in. On one hand, I could understand if he was upset at me for not being around, but that was completely out of my hands, as I had no idea he even existed. I guess I would have to deal with things once I got the answers I needed.

“Alright, guys. You guys played well out there today. I’m proud of the work you’re putting in and the fact that you have taken the advice from these men and applied it. A great leader is one who is teachable. There is no such thing as perfection, but you must always strive to get as close as you can to it. Have a great night. I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” Coach dismissed the boys for the day, and my nerves were getting to me. The idea of seeing Sunny excited and stressed me out at the same time.

Moolah and Cash played their hearts out today, and I couldn’t help but feel pride in how advanced they were. I’d never seen so much passion in boys their age. It reminded me of how hungry I was as a young boy. Football was in my blood, and no one could convince me I wouldn’t be playing professionally. My father told me that if you had a dream, you had to study your craft and put all of your effort into it. He said you could never allow anything or anyone to get in the way of what you wanted.

From that day forward, I stayed training to perfect my craft. The twins possessed the same determination. Even though I wasn’t Moolah’s favorite person, I noticed him applying the tips I’d been giving him. Regardless of his feelings toward me, his desire to be great exceeded his hatred for me.

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