Page 38 of Always There Bayou (The BR Bayou #3)

Truly Loved Bayou.

The arena erupted with applause as I watched in awe at how many people had purchased tickets to see Cory’s last game.

Retiring right after the first pre-season game was unprecedented, but she wanted to play one last game before hanging it all up.

So, after talking it out with the coaches, they agreed that it was a great idea, something like a farewell game, just for her.

It warmed my heart to see ho w many people cared for her and had been rooting for her all this time, even when she said she wasn’t a fan of all the attention.

I stood beside Nala and Chey in the row right behind the players' bench as the announcer called Cory’s name, signaling her to come out onto the court.

The sound in that arena was deafening as everyone stood to give her a standing ovation.

Her teammates crowded around her and cheered her on as she made her way to the center of the court.

She hated people seeing her get emotional, but today was not one of those days when she cared.

I could see her wiping the tears as they fell.

For almost a decade and a half, she’d been living out her dream and giving her all to this league, so to see her being honored like this was beyond beautiful.

She deserved this and more, and I was determined to be there to give it to her.

The thought of marrying her had been playing more frequently in my head these last couple of months.

After seeing both of her friends and her sister get married, I was eager to get married next.

Even though I’d always wanted to be the one who got proposed to, I wasn’t opposed to dropping to one knee and asking her myself.

It was taking everything in me not to run on the court and ask her right in front of everyone, but I didn’t want to take away from her being the most important person of the day.

“Denny.”

My head snaps to my left, and I notice Nala and Chey looking at me with excited expressions.

I hadn’t realized just how much I’d zoned out until I noticed how quiet the arena had gotten.

My eyebrows furrowed as Nala pointed to the big screens above the court.

I looked up and saw that I was being displayed on it, which only made me more confused.

“Denny, go!” Chey called out, gently pushing me forward.

I stumbled a bit as I walked through the clear path of seats and the row of players who looked at me with wide smiles. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I could see the smile on Cory’s face as she held out her hand to me. Once I took it, she gently pulled me up onto the makeshift stage.

“Hi,” she smiled, never once taking her eyes off me.

“Hi?” I chuckle nervously before looking around as the thousands of faces smile back at us. “Uh, Corduroy, what’s happening?”

She doesn’t answer, but instead takes the mic that someone hands her and turns to face the crowd.

“Now, y’all know that I’m not good at speaking in front of people, because I’d rather just chill in the background,” Cory says, and the crowd laughs in agreement.

“Well, I wanted to change that, at least for today. I know I don’t say this often, but I truly appreciate all of you who have been supporting me.

Whether you’ve been here from day one or just became a fan of me and the Bayou an hour ago.

I thank everyone for making my career as enjoyable and memorable as it has been. ”

“I know that there have been plenty of ups and downs, as well as enough drama to last a lifetime,” she continues.

“However, I have some of the best memories from playing in this league, playing with this team. To my family, thank y’all for loving me and constantly being there for me.

To my teammates, thank you for helping me become a better player by always pushing me to be my best. To my best f riends, Harley and Simone, thank y’all for always accepting me, attitude and all.

I know I constantly give y’all a hard time, but had I never met y’all, I wouldn’t have made it as far as I did.

So, for that, I want to say thank you, and that I love y’all so damn much. Y’all are my ride or dies for real.”

“Damn right!” Harley yells.

“Aww, you do love us!” Simone exclaims, and laughter rings out around us once again.

“Yeah, yeah,” Cory laughs, waving the mic dismissively.

She finally turns back to me, and her smile softens.

“And to you, Denali Houston, the love of my life. My Bunny. Thank you for continuously being the reason I keep going. Thank you for holding me back that day on the playground when we were eleven. I know you probably know by now, but that was one of the first times I’ve ever felt seen and fully protected in my life.

You were my best friend from that first day, and no matter how much I tried to act like I didn’t care if you hung out with me, I couldn’t go a day without looking forward to getting to be in your presence. ”

“Yeah, I know,” I joke, wiping the tears from my eyes. “You were hooked at first glance.”

“That I was,” she agrees.

She winks at me before taking one of my hands in her free hand and turning back to face the crowd. The lights cut suddenly, and I watch in awe as the shirts of a whole section of people begin to glow, spelling out words that I hadn’t expected to see for a while:

Denali Houston, you’re my forever. You know that, right?

My head was spinning because how in the hell was this happening?

How in the hell had she planned all of this without me knowing?

Why in the hell did I not catch the fact that everyone was smiling and being extra friendly to me from the moment I walked into the arena?

Or that I was shuffled away before the start of the game to put on a new outfit that Chey and Nala insisted I wear to commemorate Cory’s retirement.

It had all been a setup, and my head was too in the clouds to notice until it was unfolding right in front of my face.

My head finally snaps back over to her. She takes a deep, shaky breath and then drops down to one knee, causing my hand to shoot up to cover my mouth.

She pulls out a small box from her pocket and opens it to show one of the most beautiful rings I’ve ever laid eyes on.

It was as uniquely crafted as one of my sculptures, with my birthstones surrounded by smaller diamonds, all on a gold band. It was so mesmerizing.

“Denny, I knew that I wanted today to be the day that I officially stopped playing around and made that promise to be yours forever,” she says.

“I love you so damn much, and I couldn’t imagine a world without you in it.

I don’t want to imagine a future without you in it.

I want the whole world to know that my best friend is the love of my life and that they are my forever.

I know from our many chats that you’ve always wanted an extravagant proposal, so I hope this lives up to it.

” I nod frantically, and her smile widens.

“Well, Bunny, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

“Yes! Yes! A million times, yes!” I exclaim, and the cheers in the arena are at a deafening high once again.

Cor y slides the ring onto my finger and then stands to pull me into her arms. We share a kiss, and the world around us fades away.

My heart was full, and all I wanted was to take her into one of the private rooms and have my way with her.

However, I knew that she still had a game to play, so I controlled my urges the best I could.

All I knew was that tonight, I was gifting her with as many orgasms as she could take, especially because she’d recently become addicted to me going down on her.

I was giddy just thinking about having her sweetness on my tongue once again.

Cory Tate - May 9th, 2025 - After The Game

I was on cloud nine as I walked out of the arena.

Everyone was congratulating me and wishing me well for the future.

It still felt surreal that this was my last game, but I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.

Not only had we won, but I was now the fiancé of the love of my life.

Everything seemed to be going just the way I always hoped, and nothing could make this day bad. Nothing!

“Cory.”

I froze as a chill went down my spine. I quickly turned to see the last person I’d ever think I’d run into again.

Standing a few feet away from me was Trevor.

He looked a bit different, maybe more sober than usual?

Either way, I was on high alert, and as he took a step toward me, I took a step back.

When he realized that I wouldn’t let him get too close, he stopped.

“ I didn’t come to bother you, I promise.” He says, holding his hands up in surrender. He pulls an envelope from his pocket and holds it out to me. “I didn’t know how else to contact you other than to come down here. I needed to give you this.”

“What is that?” I snap, staring at the envelope for a bit. It had my name scribbled across the front in handwriting that I’d never forget for the rest of my life. My heart skipped a beat. “W-Where did you get that?”

“I’ve, uh, I’ve had it for years,” he admits.

“The day before your mom passed, she made me promise that I’d give you this letter.

I should’ve given it to you years ago, but I was not in the right headspace.

Cory, I truly loved your mom, and I know you won’t believe it, but I’m not the reason she passed away.

She purposely took too much that night. I…

I did all I could to save her, but it was no use. I-I’m really sorry.”