Page 113 of Beautiful Broken Love

Scottie was my barber, a heavyset dude with tawny skin and a thick black beard. The barbershop was light today, which I expected for a Tuesday, but those who were inside waiting or getting haircuts agreed with him.

“Yeah, man. Wasn’t my best game,” I said. “But the next will be.” At least I hoped it would.

My first game of the season was shitty because my mind wasn’t in it and neither was my heart. Coach Harrison chewed me out like a dog the day after, screaming at me across the office, spittle flying onto the papers on his desk.

“You’re supposed to be the star player! Act like one!”

If I didn’t pull out of this funk soon, I wasn’t going to have a career for much longer. I watched my phone until the vibrating stopped and the home screen appeared, then slid it into my pocket again. If I wanted to get my head back in the game, step one was to forget about Davina.

When Scottie was done and I dropped some cash with a hefty tip in his palm, my phone vibrated again. I took a selfie with a man who caught me at the door before I could escape, then whipped my phone out, seeing that same letter.D.

Why the hell does she keep calling me?Now she wanted to reach out, after damn near two weeks of not saying a fucking thing?

I worked my jaw and stuffed the phone into my pocket again. I hit up my personal chef when I was in the car so I could have a healthy lunch delivered to the condo, and on my way home, my phone rang again.

I expected it to be Davina—and this time I was prepared to shoot her a text and tell her to stop calling—but it wasn’t her. It was Javier.

“What’s going on, Valdez?”

“Hey, Deke.” His voice streamed through the speakers of my car. “I completely forgot that I have a meeting with Coach Harrison, and the sitter will not be here until seven. Do you think you can swing by with Aleesa for an hour or two? Only if you are not busy.”

“Oh, yeah. I got you,” I told him. “I’m on the way.”

“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.” He hung up, and I made a U-turn to get to his house. As I did, I couldn’t help glancing at my phone. I had the urge to call Davina back, to lower my damn pride and see what she wanted.

As badly as I wanted to, though, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. She’d made her point. At this rate, she was just playing games, and that was the last thing I had time for.

I drove through the iron gates of Javier’s house, the wheels of my car coasting along the cobblestone drive. His home was a two-story structure with a stucco roof. The exterior was ivory, and palm trees wereplanted around it. It felt very coastal for a home in Georgia. I supposed he wanted to stick with his roots.

I climbed out, headed for the front door, and gave the doorbell a ring. Javier answered in a matter of seconds, with Aleesa on his hip.

“Deke,” he said, breathless. “You are here. Good.”

“Uh, why aren’t you dressed?” I asked when he let me in.

“Oh, right. I was feeding Aleesa. All I have to do is toss some jeans on. It will be quick.”

Aleesa smiled at me. “Deke. Canny?” she asked in that adorable voice.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Aleesa. I didn’t bring any. I was trying to hurry over here so I could hang with you.”

She pouted, and I reached for her. She came to me, her smile returning.

“Don’t worry,” I whispered loudly. “As soon as your daddy leaves, I’ll order us some candy on Instacart.”

“Deke,” Javier warned, raising a brow.

“I’m just playing, man.”

Aleesa reached for her dad again, and Javier made his way toward the living room. I rounded the corner, ready to slip out of my shoes and hoodie and get comfortable, until I saw someone else standing in the middle of the room.

I stopped dead in my tracks, and my heart sank to my stomach as Davina tossed a wave at me.

“Hi, Deke,” she murmured.

“Javier,what the fuck?” I snapped, turning my eyes on him.

“Deke, calm down,” Javier said, raising a patient hand. “She said she has been calling you for days. You were not answering, so she had her sister call me yesterday so she could get in touch with me. She was worried and arrived in Atlanta last night because she needs to talk to you.”

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