Page 64 of Caught off Guard

I lay in bed restless until around 2 a.m. I hadn’t been able to contact Cairo on his phone. When I received a call on my cell phone with Luther’s name, I picked it up immediately.

“Dr. Langston, I’m sorry to call so early, but Cairo insisted I let you know he’s alright. He was in the most pain I’ve ever seen, yet he called for you. The doctor said he has a patellar tendon rupture and will be out the rest of the season. He’s heavily sedated and resting comfortably.”

The heaviness of Luther’s words lingered as I took in what that meant. Basketball had been Cairo’s life, his normalcy after Cece’s death. Without this, would he be okay?

My thoughts raced to my schedule for the day. I would text Whitney to cancel my appointments as soon as I got off the phone. I’d take my laptop and work remotely from the hospital.

“I’m canceling my meetings and booking a flight to Phoenix as soon as possible.”

“Don’t do that. Cairo’s chartered a flight back and will be home midday. We’ve already hired medical staff to take care of him at home. I’ll call when we’re back in Atlanta.”

“Okay. Please let him know I called.” I bit the tip of my finger and closed my eyes. “And that I’m sorry and love him. Safe travels.”

“Thanks, Doc. I’ll keep you posted.”

The rest of that morning, I was a mess. I still hadn’t heard Cairo’s voice. Luther texted general updates saying he was recovering as planned, but I wanted to hear it from Cairo. I kept my eyes glued to ESPN as they replayed the moment Cairo got injured. Because I knew the outcome of the hit that tore his tendon, I refused to watch replays of the game.

A former ball player turned named Stuart spoke directly to the camera with drawn brows. His piercing gaze had me hanging on his words.

“Reps say Cairo Kinney is healing as expected after surgical reattachment of the tendon, but it could take up to a year for him to recover. The rehab and work to come back from a rupture like this are intense for older players. This is probably the end of the road for Cairo.”

An older guy chimed in next.

“Never say never, Stuart. The mountain to recovery for Cairo is a big one, but in a year, I could see him back on the court. Everything about him points to resilience. If anyone can defy the odds, it’s Cairo Kinney.” The anchor offered a weak smile and absently tapped his pen on the table several times.

A string of “we hope so” and “thoughts and prayers” echoed from the other three commentators on the platform.

This wasn’t a good look. Cairo’s mental health was probably a mess. Basketball had been his life. Although he told me retirement was imminent, I was positive he didn’t want to go out like this. He deserved better.

I hated that my last words to him were in anger—about something stupid and insignificant. Nothing in me believed he was a cheater or didn’t care for me. Unfortunately, it took a tragedy for me to see that.

Although Luther said he would call me, I dialed Cairo’s number. My message went directly to voicemail. I texted him immediately.

Me:

I’m so sorry for everything. Stay strong, love. *heart emoji*

When I didn’t get a response, my mind wandered. Was he able to respond to messages? Was he monitoring them? Why hadn’t I heard anything from him after being with him every day since we made our relationship official?

I closed my eyes and prayed for us to move past this bump in the road. I was so mean to him.

As if evil knew when it was best to stir up mess, an email from Geoff popped up on my phone. Since I blocked him on my phone, he must have been itching to gloat at Cairo’s demise. The message read,You reap what you sow. Your man got what he deserved.

I was tempted to unblock Geoff’s number and go off on him, but that was what evil people wanted. Since he was a snake of the first order, I wouldn’t be surprised if this contact was a setup to catch me in another university violation. I wouldn’t let Satan win today, so I ignored Geoff’s message.

I returned to my bed and then engaged in my daily routine as much as possible. I still hadn’t heard from Cairo, so I busied myself with work until later that afternoon. Luther finally texted me that Cairo was accepting visitors and wanted to see me. It was hard to believe that in a day, I went from sucking Cairo dry to feeling like a stranger.

When I pulled up to Cairo’s mansion, a medical van and several cars were parked outside, reminding me of our press conference. I clutched the steering wheel and considered leaving. Instead, I closed my eyes and channeled my therapist, speaking to myself out loud.

“Stop catastrophizing this situation. Yes, you messed up, but you’re here now. You’re not a coward, Zora. What you said wasn’t so bad that you can’t recover. Cairo is a reasonable guy. You deserve love and grace too.” I took several breaths and closed my eyes.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I jumped as Luther stood outside my passenger window. Where had he come from so quickly? When I unlocked my door, he opened it. I stepped out and instinctively reached for hishand, knowing that a touch from him would confirm that Cairo was okay.

“How is he? Tell me the truth.”

“Doctors say he’ll be out the rest of the season. Cairo is optimistic but still quieter than usual.”

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