Page 35 of Always There Bayou (The BR Bayou #3)

We look up to see Olivia Williams, the last player of our starting five line-up, walk in with Jessie.

She speaks as well, and we all greet them.

It wasn’t unusual that those two were together, because just like me, Simone, and Harley were tight, those two were just as close.

If I’m not mistaken, they played in high school and college together back when they lived in Texas and became good friends.

But whereas Jessie was drafted to another team at first, Olivia wasn’t drafted at all but ha d signed a training camp contract with the Bayou and worked her ass off to secure a spot. She’s been here ever since.

I watched quietly as Harley and Jessie became awkward around each other as usual.

I mean, it’s not every day that you find out that one of your teammates was dating your sister and that they’d broken up.

I knew that Lyric was trying her hardest to win Jessie back after dumping her right before their second anniversary, but Jessie wasn’t budging.

Harley admitted that she wished she had never found out about it because it was hard to be impartial and pretend like everything was okay.

On one hand, she hated that her sister would play with someone’s heart like that, but she also hated that they’d dated in the first place.

No, she was never mean to Jessie, but everyone could tell that there was some unresolved tension between them.

I don’t believe that Harley was the type of person to hold a grudge, but she was quick to distance herself from the situation.

I just hoped for everyone’s sake that Jessie and Lyric got it together.

It was draining being an outsider looking in, so I could only imagine how it felt for those involved.

“Y’all ready for the next season?” Olivia asks, oblivious to how thick the air had gotten.

I mean…was she oblivious , or was she doing the same thing Simone and I did, where we tried our best to ignore how awkward things could get in a matter of seconds? Either way, I was glad for the distraction from all of this, as well as my thoughts.

“Uh, yeah, I’m ready for sure,” Simone nods. “Once I’m married and fresh off my honeymoon next month, I’m gonna be unstop pable this coming season. The Does aren’t gonna know what’s coming!”

“I’ll never understand y’all’s beef with that team,” Olivia chuckles, shaking her head. “I know I haven’t been here as long as y’all, but the rivalry has been here almost as long as I have. What’s tea?”

“What’s tea is that they have some of the best players in the game.

Even I can admit that it’s hard to compete with such a stacked roster,” Harley replies.

“Don’t get me wrong, we got some dawgs on our squad, specifically the five of us sitting in this room, but the Does?

Yeah, they lucked up and acquired more than a handful of all-around players. ”

“That wasn’t luck. That was just the front office doing their jobs properly,” I added, and the others nodded. “Their team probably has the best chemistry in the league, and because of how well they work together, even the worst players are like B-Tier because of how well-oiled that machine is.”

“Damn, you sure you wanna retire for real?” Simone laughs.

“Wait, you’re retiring?” Jessie asks, saying something for the first time since her greeting.

“I’m thinking about it,” I shrug. “I still have a couple of months to decide what I want to do, but I’m leaning towards retirement more and more as the days go by.

My back has been giving me more problems than ever lately.

Also, I don’t know, I wanna do something different and see how it goes, you know? ”

She nods but doesn’t ask any more questions.

The conversation drifts on to more basketball-related stuff, and we eventually move over to one of the practice gyms to play a quick game.

By then, a few other players have arrived, and we soon have a 5-on-5 match going on.

I’d missed playing basketball these last few months, and it made me wonder if that’s how I would feel every day once I retire.

I shake the thoughts out. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

For the next few hours, we played a few more pick-up games before deciding that it was time to call it a day.

After a quick shower, Simone, Harley, and I head to our respective cars and agree to meet up at a local diner to have an early dinner together.

It felt good to chill with my friends after not seeing them as much these last few months.

Since we’d all been occupied with our significant others, it left little time for us to chill like we used to.

I made a mental note to invite them out more often.

Around 7, we decided to call it a night, and I made my way back over to my apartment building, where I knew Denny was waiting for me, thanks to the thread of messages they’d sent saying that they were home and couldn’t wait until I got back.

So, as soon as I walked through the door, I sought them out, finding them curled up in a blanket, light snoring as the TV played softly across from them.

I kicked off my shoes and snuggled beside them on the large sectional. They didn’t say anything as they buried their head in my chest, exhaling my scent as I wrapped my arms around them. I could feel my heart syncing with theirs, and I knew in that moment that this was how life was supposed to be.

I knew that I’d trade anything in the world to be able to come home to them every day like this.