Page 69 of Hood Legacy

“Damn, you can’t share?” she asked with a laugh. “I’ll give her back.”

“I share her with Xoey and all her personalities,” Mercy said, shaking her head. “That’s enough.”

“Listen, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Archer, Helix, and I had a meeting yesterday after you tried to run point in practice and came to the conclusion that, one: that can’t ever happen again. Don’t get me wrong, you have handles, but you aren’t her.” Vine pointed to me and smiled. “And, two: you’re going to have to share her. We didn’t just come here to be on your team.”

“No,” Mercy said, shaking her head. “It’s not happening.”

“Sorry, Cap, but it is,” Vine laughed as she stood. She tapped Mercy on the knee twice and smiled. “We are the starting five, remember that.”

“But I’m the captain,” Mercy replied.

“But, she’s the point guard,” Vine replied, then dropped her goggles onto her face like I do and turned to walk away.

“I love the fact that she has no clue you and Givens are a silent owner,” I laughed and shook my head.

“I know,” Mercy laughed. “I’m going to trade her if she keeps talking shit, though.”

“No, you aren’t,” I laughed, and Mercy shrugged. “Plus, you have to admit that she’s one of the missing pieces we were looking for.”

“She’s alright,” Mercy said, waving me off, which only made me laugh harder. “You doing okay?”

“I’m alright,” I answered with a nod. “I’m more concerned with Aceyn and Bowlin than I am myself. I only knew her for a few months, which is nothing compared to them.”

“I understand,” she said, nodding. “What are you doing when you leave here?”

“Going to my house to grab some more clothes, then heading to Aceyn’s house.”

“Givens and I will come to the house in the morning before the funeral for extra support,” she said. I returned to the court to watch Vine and Archer play one-on-one.

“I appreciate you,” I said, resting my head on her shoulder. “I don’t know what I would do if it weren’t for you.”

“Live a boring life,” she answered with a giggle. “That 9-5 shit you are always yelling about.”

“True,” I laughed. “And now that I think about it, I can agree that the 9-5 is boring.” I lifted my head, reached under me to grab my gym bag, and stood. “I’m going to go drag Aceyn out of his office and take him home. “I’ll call you later?”

“Okay,” Mercy said, standing. We hugged, and then I left the gym and went to Aceyn’s office.

I knocked on Aceyn’s office door and waited for him to answer. He pulled the door open with a mug on his face, and I stepped into his space. “Hi,” I greeted him, resting my chin on his chest and looking up at him.

“Hey,” he replied, then kissed me. “You done?”

“Yes, sir,” I answered, wrapping my arms around his waist and pushing against him to make him walk backward. “Are you ready to go?”

“I have a few more reports to look over before I can head out,” he said, shaking his head. “You can go to the house, and I’ll meet you there.”

“I rode with you, remember?” I said, shaking my head. “I can wait; I’m good with that.”

“Baby, you ain’t gotta wait,” he sighed. “I don’t even know how long I’m going to be. “

I let go of his waist and cupped his face. “Aceyn, I’m going to wait, okay?” he opened his mouth to say something, and I pulled his face down to mine and pushed my tongue into his mouth. Over the last few days, he’d been stuck in his head, and while I understood that he was hurting, I needed him to realize that I was here for him and that he wasn’t alone. “I’m going to shower."

“Alright, Point Guard.” He rested his forehead against mine and sighed. “I appreciate you.”

“I got you, baby,” I said, then kissed him again. “No matter what, I got you. You took care of me when I didn’t realize I needed it. Let me take care of you.” He nodded, then kissed me again before I let his face go.

I grabbed some yoga shorts and a top from my bag, then went to his ensuite to shower. Once I handled my hygiene, I came out of the bathroom to find him sitting at his desk with his eyes closed and swaying. The lights were dim, and music played from his phone. I put my clothes in my bag, rounded his desk, and sat facing him. I put my feet on the arms of his chair to keep him from moving.

“I need you to tell me what you need, Aceyn,” I said, watching him. “I’m here, but I need you to tell me what you need from me.”

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